New Mulch Path

As the course continues to mature from renovation, we find the need for additional pathways.
These pathways will help golfers move more efficiently and minimize maintenance vehicle traffic.
Below is a path we installed today to allow access through the native area from 3 White to 4 White forward tees.

Before

During



Complete

Disease Diagnostic Tools

Turfgrass management is an art and a science.  Today I would like to share with you the science side of disease identification of turfgrass.  Many factors are evaluated when determining the cause of turf decline or stress.

1. Turf Species (Ryegrass/Bentgrass)
2. Weather Pattern (Temps/Rain/Humidity)
3. Preventive Spray Schedule (Timing)
4. Cultural Practices (Vertical Cutting/Aerification/Topdressing etc.)

Years of experience provide superintendents with the visual first glance assessment of disease diagnosis, but the microscope is the most reliable identification method. 



Dissecting Microscope

Compound Microscope

 

We've experienced some blighting on a few fairways (1W/8W/2R) over the past couple days.  Our preventive plant protectant application was applied 10 days ago and the weather is starting to hit it's summer stride.  Today, a supplemental fungicide application was applied to these fairways to control the cause of this disease. 

 

The disease we are targeting is Bipolaris Leaf Spot.  This was confirmed by utilizing microscopic identification.

 

We will continue to treat the affected areas until total control is achieved.



 

 

 



Bug Spray Disease

Over the weekend I spotted our first disease out break.  It is not caused by a fungal pathogen and is not represented in any turf management book.  This is one turf problem that has a simple explanation: Whenever the weather is muggy and buggy, we experience an outbreak of "bug spray disease." Most golfers do not know that their insect repellent will harm turf, especially when directed at legs and ankles. The over spray usually leaves a pattern of a green footprint or footprints surrounded by straw-colored injured turf. 

 

The solution to this problem is to spray legs and ankles on a cart path or other non-turf surface where the over spray will not contact grass. Depending on conditions and the amount of spray on the grass, these spots usually recover in 1-4 weeks. In extreme cases, though, they can result in turf loss.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation

BUNKER TOUCH UP

Following construction we found some bunkers needed additional sand to improve
playability.  That's not to say the contractor shorted us during sand placement, but
the fact that settling and displacement occurs over time.  To help alleviate this issue
we have probed all our bunkers to check sand depths.  In most cases, the sand just
needed to be redistributed so that depths are uniform. 

Landing in a bunker is bad enough. We at least want you to enjoy your stay.

RED-TAILED HAWK WARNING

I wanted to issue a safety warning to all our members and guest regarding the aggressive behavior of a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks.  Between #8 White and #7 Red a pair of hawks has nested and has fledglings.  The adults are very protective of the nesting area and have attacked a few golfers.
We have roped off the area around the tree and recommend not retrieving your ball from this area.

 

Please contact the Pro Shop for a ruling.

Once the fledglings are mature enough to leave the nest for good (approx. 10 weeks from hatch), the aggressive behavior will cease.  My estimate is by the end of June.  In the meantime, please be aware when playing these holes.

 

Red-tail behavior and facts

• Red-tailed hawks are opportunistic, preying on a broad variety of animals: insects, rats, mice, squirrels, reptiles and other birds. About 75 percent of their diet consists of rodents and other small mammals. This flexibility in diet contributes to their successful adaptation to many types of ecosystems.
• Like other buteos, the red-tailed hawks hunting style allows them to expend less energy when hunting. They scan for prey from either a soaring or perched position, and then move in for the kill. For unwary prey like mice, red-tailed hawks may fly openly from perch to perch. For more alert prey, a red-tailed hawk approaches indirectly from behind the cover of trees and bushes. Then the hawk attacks quickly, and may even pursue prey over short distances.
• Plumage in red-tailed hawks is highly variable, and includes nine recognized color morphs. Generally, adult red-tailed hawks have a broad, fan-shaped tail with a red upper surface. Typically, backs and upper wing surfaces are dark gray or reddish brown, streaked and barred with lighter colors. In a lighter color phase, adult breasts are cream colored and streaked with brown. There may also be a darker band across the belly. Dark phase birds may have red or black bellies, breasts, or wing linings.
• There are nearly a dozen subspecies of red-tailed hawks; six are recognized in the US.
• When threatened by an intruder, a red-tailed hawk won't usually stay to defend its nest. They are generally shy and nonaggressive toward people, and are commonly attacked (but usually not injured) by crows, magpies, owls, other hawks and even songbirds over territorial disputes.
• The call of the red-tailed hawk is a series of long, drawn-out raspy screams. In flight, they will make a high-pitched "skeeeer;" at close range a croaking "guh-runk." Birds frequently call while soaring.
• Red-tailed hawks are monogamous and may mate for life. They make stick nests high above the ground, in which the female lays one to five eggs each year. Both sexes incubate the eggs for four to five weeks, and feed the young from the time they hatch until they leave the nest about six weeks later.

USGA Turf Advisory Service

Yesterday we had the pleasure of visiting with Darin Bevard, Director for the Mid-Atlantic USGA Green Section for our annual Turf Advisory Service.

  First started in 1953, this service permits individual facilities to reap the benefits of on-site visits by highly skilled USGA agronomists located in Green Section offices throughout the country. Each agronomist visits more than 130 courses annually. Their experience helps golf course staff and officials produce the best possible golf turf for the dollars that can be spent. The TAS's purpose is not to tell anyone how to run a golf course or what products to buy. Rather, it seeks to bring a wealth of information and an impartial yet concerned perspective regarding turfgrass growth requirements, how these requirements might best be managed for golf, and ideas that other golf courses have found to be beneficial.

During the tour of the golf course this is what we found.

 

 We are proud of the root develpment in our greens. Root depth is critcal to summer stress management and sustainability. 

 

The Value Of A USGA TAS Visit

The Green Section field agronomists:
Have more direct contact with golfers and course officials than any other department in the USGA. They are ambassadors and representatives of the USGA in the field.

• Are the most knowledgeable, respected, and impartial golf-turf consultants in the world. Backed by the USGA, the Green Section's services provide dependable recommendations that course officials can count on.
• Have lots of experience - they see many (100+) courses each year.
• Know what to look for when observing the course and checking for problems.
• Ask probing questions to identify symptoms or problems that the course personnel may not recognize.
• Have seen symptoms countless times and can quickly identify problems and offer the best solutions.
• Help establish long range plans and preventative maintenance programs to mitigate future problems.
• Network frequently with other USGA agronomists for additional advice and suggestions.
• Catch problems early, before they get out of hand, thereby preventing turf loss and/or large expenditures.
• Serve as a sounding board for ideas.
• Keep up with the latest in research, products and techniques. Information is backed up by the largest private turf research program in the world.
• Serve as a key communications link between course officials and the golf course superintendent.
• Write reports that serve as a planning guide and as a benchmark to compare with future evaluations.
• Have only the club's interest in mind and have no financial interest in products or services recommended, unlike many private consultants.
• Know good specialists to turn to for more detailed evaluation, if needed.
• Have access to the cumulative knowledge of 18 USGA field agronomists who make nearly 2000 visits annually.
• Know that one small suggestion can save many times the cost of the TAS visit.
• Provide our clubs and courses with reports that deliver the only history of changes in maintenance practices and the actual physical design of the course over time.

Happy Memorial Day

Thank you to all that serve this great country.


- Posted by Carmen A. Giannini, Jr. using BlogPress from my iPhone

PRACTICE AREA

I've received a few questions about this cover at the chipping green complex.  Since the practice area opened last season it has been utilized to the fullest.  That's great, but with that comes a few growing pains.  The fact of the matter is most members only use the bunker closest to the parking lot to practice.  This has caused a tremendous amount of sand to be "flashed" onto the bunker face and green surface.  Last fall we re-sodded the bunker face because 3" of sand had already accumulated in just 5 months of use.  To alleviate this problem we are experiementing with the use of a cover.  The staff will pull this cover back 2x each day to return the flashed sand back to the bunker.  If this proves to be a permanent solution, we will custom cut a cover.