STELLENBOSCH GOLF CLUB COURSE REPORT AUGUST 2013

Transcription

1 STELLENBOSCH GOLF CLUB COURSE REPORT AUGUST 2013

2 Photo of the 18 th after the first 20mm of rain Photo of the Techno Park water breaking through into our storm water ditch

3 General: August has by far been the wettest month of the year. One of the most difficult decisions superintendents must make throughout the golf season is whether to allow cart traffic or not. No golfer is happy with cart restrictions, but decisions on cart traffic are always made with the best long-term interest of the turf, golf facility and, ultimately, the golfer, in mind. There are multiple reasons why cart traffic, even just a few carts, can cause damage to turf areas that could require considerable time and expense to fix. Some damage is immediately evident, e.g., soil rutting, whereas other traffic damage reveals itself after the fact, e.g., frost, while other effects are cumulative and lead to gradual turf declining, soil compaction. The following is a common instance when cart traffic restrictions are warranted: Following heavy rain or during prolonged periods of wet weather when soils are saturated, soft and most prone to compaction. Any other time when turf is under extreme stress or in the process of recovery, whether it is from environmental pressure, mechanical injury or pest damage. These are just a few examples, all of which result in noticeable damage to the golf course. The road to recovery for damaged turf is rarely pretty so if it can be avoided by simply exercising a little caution to temporarily restrict cart traffic; it makes sense to do so. Trust the professional expertise of your superintendent and knowledgeable course officials. They are responsible for providing the best quality turf and playing conditions possible, not just today but tomorrow as well. August is a less favourable month for course staff in the Western Cape as we have the least amount of sun, a fair amount of rain, low soil temperatures, dew and wind. These factors all contribute to us as course staff to change our mowing programs and re-prioritise what needs attention first. We like to focus on repairing work and projects on the course in these times. We have finished a few of these projects/tasks on the course this month. We removed the reeds out of the 2 nd dam, removed alien plantation at the 12 th, planted some kikuyu on the 12 th berm and did tree pruning on some key areas of the course. Krige Tree Services also did the pruning of the trees at the 9 th men s tee. The before and after pictures below shows the major difference this projects made to this area as it is now getting 60% more sunlight.

4 We are looking forward to our cultural practices starting the 29 th of September so please make a note of this, as the course will be closed until Wednesday afternoon. Photo of the 12 th berm after we started plugging some Kikuyu sod

5 Photo taken of the 9 th trees before the pruning Photo of the 9 th trees after being pruned

6 1. Course Condition: Greens: The greens are in great condition. All our preventative measures are taken, such as fungicide and insecticide applications and therefore we have healthy greens to work with. We have focused mainly on the playability of our greens throughout the summer. We often roll the greens to keep them firm and maintain a good speed. After a wet winter the greens are normally compacted and need to be severely aerated by way of hollow coring. Throughout the winter we do some needle tining, but this only assists in a small way as it only breaks up some of the compaction and increases oxygen uptake. By doing hollow coring you increase both of these necessities, but also most importantly replace soil which you don t do with needle tining. (see article below on hollowtining) Hollowtining 1:0:1 It s a perfect, sunny morning and you ve just reached the first green in regulation. You feel great and you know you re within birdie range. Then, you see them, those little holes in the green. Arrggh! They ve just aerified the course, and it s going to ruin your round, right? Well, maybe not. Consider the fact that the PGA TOUR legend Tom Watson shot a sizzling record 58 at his then-home course, Kansas City Country Club; just days after the greens had been aerified. Consider also that aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long-term benefits for golf courses. When you see them, remember that without those little holes, the greens would eventually die. Preventative maintenance is an integral part of successful golf course management. Golfers view aerification as an inconvenience that takes the greens out of play for a day, pulling cores from the greens and leaving holes that can affect putting for many days before healing. To add insult to injury, aerification is best done in many part of the country during mid-summer, at the height of the playing season and when most greens are in prime condition. But a golfer needs to understand how important aerification is to producing healthy turf.

7 Aerification (also known as aeration) achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green s roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch. Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at 3/16- inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles. Over time, the traffic from golfers feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green particularly when the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die. Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it s done by removing half-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways) from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand topdressing that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward. Older greens often are constructed of soils with significant amounts of silt, clay and fine organic particles that are prone to compaction. Filling aerification holes with sand improves drainage and

8 resists compaction. The periodic introduction of sand to a green s top layer can, over time, avoid or postpone expensive rebuilding or renovation of greens. Finally, growing of turf adds to a layer of organic matter on the surface. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matter makes for a resilient green, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing with sand can prevent thatch build-up, and aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established. Other aerification techniques use machines with tines ; or knives that simply poke holes through the soil profile. A new technique even uses ultra high-pressure water that s injected through the soil profile to create small holes that relieve some compaction but heal quickly. There are many types of aerifying machines with different attachments that address different problems in the various stages of the life of a green. So the next time you re ready to scream when the aerifiers are brought on the course, remember that a little preventative maintenance produces the best greens over the long haul. The bottom line is that aerification is a necessary practice. But before you curse the superintendent for ruining your day, just think of Tom Watson! Tees, approaches, fairways & rough: Due to the low soil temperatures and excessive rains during the month we have had to prolong our mowing frequencies to cut out the chances of mechanical damage and losing turf. These areas are very thin as we have very little Poa annua on the course to assist and insure lush cover. However one would rather want to be in that situation as it is a very big benefit to have a 90% Kikuyu course in summer. This is one of the reasons we do our cultural practices so we can assist the plant in growing back strong for the tough summer. (See article below)

9 Cultural Practices: Thatch control key to firm, resilient fairways Excessive thatch is usually the result of insufficient core aeration or vertical mowing. Firm, reliable conditions are rarely attainable if thatch is excessive. Many golf courses are adjusting their turf management philosophies to emphasize firmer surfaces as an integral part of good golf conditions. Achieving these conditions, though, is much easier said than done because there are many variables involved. Sandy soils that drain well allow for firmer conditions much more often than heavy-textured clay soils that tightly retain moisture. Automatic overhead irrigation system efficiency and hand watering capabilities (i.e., labour) also largely influence how firm or soft a golf course can be consistently maintained. Finally, organic matter content, also known as thatch, dramatically impacts golf course firmness, which is the focus of this article. Thatch is a combination of living and dead plant material and is a natural by-product of growing healthy turf. A reasonable amount of thatch is needed for traffic tolerance, but too much is a major agronomic and playability concern. Grass species also plays a major role. For

10 instance, creeping bentgrass and Bermuda grass produce more thatch than perennial ryegrass or annual bluegrass (Poaannua). Golfers may not care for cultivation (i.e., core aeration, vertical mowing) practices on fairways because of the temporary disruption they cause, but without them it will be difficult to control thatch and produce firm surfaces. Golf courses less interested in firmness should still be cognisant of thatch levels because excessive amounts can lead to serious turf problems. Along with soft conditions, excessive thatch leads to poor root development, greater disease and insect pressure, reduced pesticide efficacy, and increased mower scalping. Moisture-related issues are also common with too much thatch. Thatched turf will stay wet and soggy following rain or irrigation because it holds moisture very tightly. During dry conditions, excessive thatch impedes uniform water movement into the soil, often leading to localized dry spots that are very difficult to rewet. Simply put, too much thatch leads to poor golfing conditions and turf which is more vulnerable to decline. Thatch Removal with Core Aeration and Vertical Mowing Core aeration and vertical mowing are routinely used on putting greens to remove thatch from the upper root zone profile. These same tools are effective for thatch control on fairways. Both core aeration and vertical mowing physically remove thatch from the turf and soil, causing temporary surface disruption and often golfer displeasure. However, without any surface disruption, it is unlikely that thatch will be controlled effectively, and golf conditions will suffer at some point. Temporary reductions in turf quality from cultivation are a necessary part of producing highquality playing surfaces. As the saying goes, you cannot make an omelette without cracking a few eggs, and this is also true with thatch removal programs. Advancements in large aeration equipment have greatly improved the effectiveness of fairway core aeration and thatch removal over the past two decades. Aeration equipment for fairways can create many holes per unit area and penetrate deeper into the soil than equipment used

11 in the past. Due to these advancements, a greater volume of soil from cores is brought to the surface, essentially serving as topdressing. However, the soil brought to the surface can be messy and challenging to work into the turf, especially when wet. Cleaning the debris left from core aeration is also easier and more effective because of the improvements in core harvesting equipment. Vertical mowing typically creates more debris than core aeration, but because the amount of soil brought to the surface is often minimal, sweepers or blowers are commonly used with good success. Windrowing the debris towards the middle of the fairway is an excellent way to efficiently clean the surface and prevent contaminating the rough with fairway grasses. Aggressive vertical mowing is commonly used once or twice annually in the spring and fall. Other successful vertical mowing programs for thatch removal involve the use of fairway mowers set up with vertical mowing reels. Typically, fairway mowers with vertical mowing reels are less aggressive because they do not generate significant downward pressure, limiting their penetration depth. However, these units are normally used four to six times annually, often with similar results and less surface disruption than deep vertical mowing. Vertical mowing in two directions is common and has a light to moderate penetration depth. Regardless of the method that is used, core aeration or vertical mowing, these programs work for thatch removal and should be performed annually. Some golf courses may only need one cultivation event each year, while others with more thatch will need two or more. Solid- and deep-tine aeration, slicing, spiking, or similar cultural practices are very beneficial programs for fairways as well. These practices do not cause much surface disruption and are quicker to perform than core aeration or vertical mowing. However, these units are not effective for thatch removal and should only be used as a supplement to a sound core aeration or vertical mowing program. Bunkers: Due to constant rain in August the bunkers became hard to play out of due to the compacted surface. The sand also becomes very heavy when it is saturated. After heavy rainfall we had to pump

12 out water to speed up the draining process as some areas remained wet due to seeping ground water. We also loosened the sand with our bunker machine s longer tines to try and improve water filtration. We will be opening the drainage pipes of the bunkers whilst doing cultural practices. This will enable us to flush the drainage system of each bunker and remove silt that blocks these drainage pipes. Photo of the ground water from the rough seeping into the 11 th greenside bunker 2. Machinery: We have received our two new machines. The tee machine are currently in use and we can see a major difference in cutting quality and fuel efficiency. The new spray unit is also a blessing as we can now do our spray applications accurately on demand without struggling with any mechanical issues. We are busy preparing all our cultural machinery for the end of September.

13 Photo of our new GP400 tee unit that arrived 1 August Photo of the new dedicated spray rig that was delivered on the same day

14 3. Irrigation: We have completed the installation of all the new turf valves. We have also completed the communication checks from the central control to the satellites and all is working well. Our next step would be to ensure all the satellites are communicating to all the stations. Turf Manzi will also be doing a system audit which will assist us in fault finding and troubleshooting. Some of the sprinklers have wrong nozzles and can be fatal as this has a huge influence on the amount of water we are putting down onto a curtain area. Turf Manzi will also assist in this process and also assist the club in making plans for irrigation upgrades in the future. 4. Rainfall in August: 147mm Figure until the 28 August (projected 250mm for the month) 5. Objectives for September 2013: Staff training Wall to wall herbicide applications for broad leave control Pathway repairs Irrigation checks Cultural practices Flushing bunker drainage Kind regards from your Southern Turf Management Team

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