DURBANVILLE GOLF CLUB COURSE REPORT FEBRUARY 2013

Transcription

1 DURBANVILLE GOLF CLUB COURSE REPORT FEBRUARY 2013

2 General; During March/April members and visitors will notice changes to turf conditions as we start much needed Autumn treatments. Areas that will be affected will be the greens, tees, aprons, approaches and fairways. Members and visitors can expect to see discolouration on all kikuyu areas where cultural practices will be applied. There is no need to be alarmed by this as the plant will be initially shocked by the excess removal of sister stolon growth (thatch). The plant will use all energy to extract from reserve nutrients to create new growth, thus causing discolouration for a couple of days. A fertilizer application will follow the verticutting to enhance the speed of recovery. The slight discolouration on turf for a 3 week period is definitely worthwhile, as new growth is promoted. Cultural practices are the backbone to any well managed golf course and guarantee consistent playing surfaces throughout the year. One of the key elements for providing the proper environment for vigorously developing root systems and healthy turf grass plants is the use of an effective greens-renovation programme. Renovation of putting greens is a specific set of processes and procedures to improve the greens physical conditions. These processes include: Vertical mowing (dethatching) Soil cultivation (hollow tine aeration) Major topdressing and applications of soil/plant nutrients Members should note that some disruption will occur in the playing field, we will however keep this to a minimum. During the summer months it is sometimes necessary to supplement primary cultural practices with additional operations to sustain turf at a desired level of quality. Members may notice some timely and properly implemented practices from time to time. The main emphasis during summer will be on the playing areas. Note the following dates: Verticutting on Fairways, tees, aprons and approaches Due to the size of these areas, the verticutting will continue throughout March/April and we will communicate to the Club where we will be working on specific days.

3 Cultural Practices on the greens: The hollow-tining will commence on the 14 th of April, again we will communicate with the Club. 1.Course Condition: Greens: The height of cut will remain on 3mm for the remainder of summer. Our summer Poa growth regulator programme will be in place for the remainder of summer. The grooming of the greens will be ongoing to help with the removal of excessive thatch and organic material. When we start with the core aerification later in the season (14-16 April 2013) we will be slightly more aggressive with the removal of thatch by means of verticutting. The main purpose/goal is still to remove excessive thatch build-up, to maintain a strong and healthy turf quality going in/up to hollow-tining as this may be an initial shock to the greens Although this may cause short-term inconvenience it will provide a positive impact on long term performance and golfer expectations Verticutting in progress

4 Some hydrophobic areas/spots occur on certain greens at times; these greens were treated with a Procore by means of spiking/slicing with bayonet tines. This will help to relieve compaction, better nutrient uptake and allows for increased airflow and water penetration through the soil structure of the green. This prevents putting surfaces from becoming baked and dried-out, and having a negative impact on putting surface quality. Weather permitting, we will continue with the dethatching of the greens by means of vertical mowing. This is a bit more aggressive than grooming, but will assist in reducing grain and thatch accumulation and will improve the uniformity, trueness and speed of the greens. Tees, approaches, fairways & rough: Due to vigorous seasonal growth and consistent irrigation daily, these areas have become thatched. We will start to verticut the fairways and tees during March/April and follow up with core aerification. This will result in better turf vigour, playing quality and presentation around the golf course. This is the most effective means of regulating thatch accumulation and thinning of coarse grasses. Members should not be concerned about the discoloration of the fairways after a Verticut; they will receive a fertilizer application that will enhance the colour after about 10 days. Verticutting is crucial to any golf course maintaining warm season turf. During summer with high soil temperatures, longer photoperiod, daily irrigation, constant mowing and monthly fertilizer applications you will receive a tremendous amount of growth that leads to thatch The key is to give the grass some time to recover before winter cold sets in, done at the right time, grass will recover and fill in relatively quickly. The levelling, sodding and top dressing of the tees will be an ongoing project in the upcoming months. Continuous mowing of the rough allows for better uniformity and playability. The out of play areas will be addressed in the winter months as our program changes, focusing on drainage and course development.

5 3 rd Fairway Bunkers: During the upcoming months we shall continue with maintenance of all the bunkers. New sand will be imported where necessary, especially the greenside bunkers and some fairway bunkers. Work will be done on the shaping and resizing of the existing bunkers to give them a more modern look. Greenside bunkers also require more depth, and some much needed improved drainage. We are endeavouring to maintain the playability on a day to day basis. 1. Machinery: The machines are in good working order with daily maintenance programs in place. Our management program is active on all machines. Consideration/thought must be given to the Capex replacement plan. The machines should follow a replacement program and not a replace as need basis that is currently the norm.

6 2. Irrigation: We are slowly moving towards the end of summer, subsequently a decrease in air temperature, lower soil temperatures and shorter photoperiod. This will allow for less irrigation. We still receive a steady flow of effluent water from Kraaifontein which should be sufficient to see us through the summer. We still experience some problems with the hydraulic system at the eleventh and twelve holes; this will need replacement in the near future. 3. Rainfall in February: 24.5mm

7 4. Objectives for March 2013: Routine maintenance Dethatching of fairways and tees Improving turf quality To present the course in the best possible conditions Continually strive to improve areas on the golf course Driving range grow in Kind regards from your Southern Turf Management Team. Wynand Ferreira Golf Course Superintendent Durbanville Golf Club

8