USGA GREEN SECTION TURF ADVISORY SERVICE REPORT LOCKWOOD FOLLY COUNTRY CLUB SUPPLY, NORTH CAROLINA United States Golf Association Southeast Region Green Section P.O. Box 95 Griffin, Georgia 30224 Office: 770-229-8125, Fax: 770-229-5974 e-mail: patobrien@usga.org Present during the visit performed on : Mr. Jason Crawford, Golf Course Superintendent Mr. Patrick O Brien, USGA Green Section Statement of Purpose: The purpose of the USGA Green Section is to assist subscribing courses in matters of agronomic management. All recommendations are offered free of bias, since the USGA has no connections or obligations to any manufacturer, supplier, or contractor. Additionally, since quick fixes seldom result in permanent improvement, some of the recommendations in this report may not be easy to implement and it could take more than a single season to produce the desired results.
Page 1 Opening Statement On behalf of the USGA Green Section, it was a pleasure to visit again at Lockwood Folly Country Club. My last visit was in 2008. The visit consisted of an afternoon half-day tour of the golf course followed by a late afternoon meeting with the Green Committee. Play levels are somewhat down this season but the tough economy has caused most courses that I visit to trend in this manner. A total of 18,000 rounds have happened through July 2010, compared to 23,000 last season at this time. Revenue is also down this summer about $125,000 due to the economy and the cold temperatures during January and February that impacted play levels. The hot weather this summer also has caused less play. The economy and extreme weather overall this season has not been a plus for golf, but overall the course remains strong financially and I am very optimistic for your future. Mr. Crawford is also a strong financial manager and really is a great steward of the operational budget. The operational budget is at $660,000 this year and a total of 8 employees are on staff. No overtime is allowed and the staff works hard 40 hours per week. It is a good setup and Mr. Crawford is one of the finest agronomists that I visit with and I admire his programs. The members are so fortunate to have this highly skilled agronomist and guardian of the operational budget. Putting Greens Observations 1. The extreme summer heat and humidity has contributed to the best ever Tifdwarf putting surfaces. It was truly a bermudagrass summer season and the overall health and playability of the Tifdwarf was the best in recent history. The overall density and turfgrass health is now excellent. 2. The extreme cold weather this past The Tifdwarf performance this summer at putting greens has been excellent.
Page 2 winter did impact a few of the putting green sites causing some transition problems. Snow and ice occurred in February that was preceded with some extremely cold weather over a two week time span in early January. It was some of the coldest weather in recent memory. 3. Green sites at #1, #2, and #3 were impacted the most by the cold winter weather and plugging and sod was done to repair these sites during the late spring. Mini Verde sod was installed at the #3 green last May was a big success. 4. Mini Verde bermudagrass, an ultra dwarf variety, was sodded at approximately 25% of the #2 green in May to repair winter injury and shade damage. This project was a big success. The tree casting the shade has been taken out so this will significantly help to prevent future problems. 5. All the putting green drains have now been located due to a drainage project done recently by Innovative Drainage Company. All the main drainage lines were cleaned out with a snake tube and flushed, and caps are now installed at the flush outs. It was a $10,000 project and well worth it with drainage now improved at every green site. The drains have not worked for the past 20 years and now the staff really feels good for the first time ever about the underground plumbing below the green surfaces. 6. A total of 8 green sites now have upgraded sprinkler technology with the Toro 855 heads. The sprinklers have already been purchased to do the other 10 green sites. This project is another big success story as it provides far better uniform water coverage at each green site. 7. Major progress has been made with improving sunlight at putting greens. Besides the removal of the tree at the back of the #2 green, trees casting shade were taken out recently at #11 and #13 green sites. 8. The most serious shade issue continues at the practice putting green. The grove of live oaks along the intercoastal waterway is a major problem for the bermudagrass at this site. 9. A new green fertilizer program is underway this summer and it has provided excellent results and saved operational funds. This program uses basic agricultural fertilizer products and it is so much less expensive than
Page 3 pre-mixed popular name products. I applaud Mr. Crawford for this idea as it really is a wise program and saves money. 10. Summer surface management programs on the Tifdwarf are very successful and provide the best possible playing surface for this older bermudagrass variety. Weekly verticutting, topdressing every 2 to 3 weeks, daily triplex mowing at 0.125 inch, and periodic rolling provide summer green speeds in the range of 9 feet daily, an excellent speed for the Tifdwarf. All the members seem to enjoy the playing conditions and I rate them as some of the best that I have seen this summer on Tifdwarf. 11. Curfew was applied in June for nematodes again and it has worked fine. A few areas are active like at the new Mini Verde sod where treatment was not done. This is an excellent program and a good expenditure annually. Recommendations 1. The club is now poised to make the change over to an ultra dwarf bermudagrass using the no-till method once funds are available, and especially with the completion of projects to improve the green sites, including the tree removal work, sprinkler technology upgrade, and drainage improvement project. 2. The no till conversion method is the most economical technique to convert from the Tifdwarf to the Mini Verde bermudagrass. It is relatively inexpensive and only takes 6 to 8 weeks for the sprigs to establish after the planting date. Sprig costs for the Mini Verde now are at 55 to 60 cents per foot. 3. The members can still play golf on temporary greens while the Mini Verde sprigs establish so the course remains open. 4. Due to nematode issues, I would advise using methyl bromide as the killing agent prior to the sprig planting. This adds approximately 22 to 25 cents per foot to the project cost, but it is well worth it due to these root pests. However, we don t know exactly how much longer the methyl bromide will stay on the market, but it does appear as if it will still be available for the next 12 to 24 months for sure, so I would strive to do the project while we still have this product available. 5. A few additional cost items were noted that are required for Mini Verde management once it is established and include: a. Turf Covers It is essential to protect the Mini Verde from cold temperature damage during the winter months. Covers are typically used anytime night temperatures are 25 degrees or lower, usually 5 to 10 times annually in the winter in your area. Cover costs are approximately 17 to 20 cents per foot and the Xton blankets are advised. b. Sand Silo A silo will be needed to store the dry sand topdressing used on a weekly schedule during the growing season to maintain the sand base underneath the Mini Verde. Silo costs are approximately $12,000 to $15,000.
Page 4 c. Brushes New power brushes that are less than $200 are available for the mowers and essential for surface management. 6. Establishment of Mini Verde will change the business model of the club in a positive manner by adding another 4 to 6 weeks to the golf calendar due to no fall overseeding, no spring transition, and elimination of one aeration from the schedule. The additional play due to less disruption to the green surfaces with the Mini Verde provides the potential for more resort and guest revenue. 7. Once conversion to the Mini Verde happens, I will plan to return again and teach your staff the new surface management practices that will provide the finest possible putting surfaces. Plant genetics is only 30 to 40% of the equation for top notch putting greens, the rest is putting the management programs together to provide the ultimate putting surface. The new management practices developed will give your course a significant competitive advantage over your competition once these are learned and implemented. 8. Summary of Approximate Costs - $65,000 for Mini Verde sprigs, $25,000 for methyl bromide, $25,000 for turf covers, and Silo cost. This adds up to an approximate overall cost in the range of $125,000 to $135,000 for the Mini Verde conversion and associated costs. 9. Bonds are now a popular way to raise capital funds for projects rather than asking a bank for loans or member assessments. Mrs. Barbara Jodoin (770-422-5902), General Manager at the Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, Georgia is an expert on this topic and did a very successful bond at their course a few years ago for a capital project. Please give her a call for more details if interested. Perhaps a bond may help to speed up the timeline for the green conversion project to Mini Verde as again your staff has everything ready and only the funds to get started are needed now. 10. I have sent along information on the new DuPont insecticide called Acelepryn. Use of this product at the 8 ounce rate will greatly extend its residual activity (excess of 120 days) on greens and requires only one treatment for surface feeding insects (cutworms, sod web worms and fall armyworms). This really opens the door for new preventative insect control programs on greens. Fairways and Roughs Observations 1. Fairways will not be overseeded this fall due to revenue short falls with the economy and it will result in a big savings. It is estimated approximately $30,000 to $35,000 will be saved without the seed, fertilizer and chemicals. Overseeding also was not done in 2007 with the drought but has been done each year since this event.
Page 5 2. The membership is now well aware that without the overseeding the fairways will have tighter lies this winter and early spring and the turf will be matted down more due to cart traffic. Height of cut will be elevated to 1 inch by October (prior to the first frost) this fall to help. This taller turf will be easier to hit from this winter. The turf will also be dormant and brown from December through most of February but green up should happen by mid March. 3. The winter play has been off anyway over the past few years so the impact shouldn t be too much and the savings have already been pointed out. It is a great decision from my viewpoint. 4. The #10 fairway is the only one that has only a few bare spots that are still thin from last season s overseeding. 5. Celebration bermudagrass, an improved shade tolerant bermudagrass, has been installed at numerous tees and shaded rough areas over the past three years. The rough on the right side of the #10 hole is under renovation now. These projects have all been successful. 6. Fall army worms are again a big pest now in the late summer and the staff has been actively spraying Talstar to take them out. They work along the tree lines in the rough and they take the leaves right off the bermudagrass. They are A few spots are still healing at the #10 fairway from transition issues from last fall s overseeding. Celebration sod will be installed at this shaded rough area at #10 hole soon. Fall armyworm damage was evident at some rough areas. Spraying has begun to control these insect pests.
Page 6 arriving quickly at this time of the year and do damage overnight. Your staff is responding as fast as it can to this pest. Recommendations 1. Consider sodding the driving range tee to Celebration in the future, or Patriot bermudagrass. Both are more aggressive than the Tifway and will heal much faster from divots. 2. Consider a project to enlarge the driving range tee in the future. Nothing has been done to this practice area over the past 20 years. Tee enlargement, laser grading, installation of Patriot or Celebration bermudagrass, and artificial mats are the key components of the new design. Estimated cost is at $25,000. 3. Try the new TifGrand bermudagrass, a new shade tolerant bermudagrass, at some shaded sites in the future. See the list of growers at www.tifgrand.com. 4. Try the new Celsius for doveweed suppression. It may take multiple applications but this product is very good. 5. Pond bank erosion control would be a plus at the #10 hole. Mr. Tom Liggin has a company in Myrtle Beach, SC that does this work and at good prices. This technology is also first class. I saw it done recently at Ballantyne Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was a big success. Call Scott Cochran (704-544-8105) for more details. Next USGA Visit I enjoyed this visit as I thought it was very productive. I look forward to visiting again next summer. Conclusion Thank you for your support of the Turfgrass Advisory Service. Your support of the USGA Green Section also provides assistance for turfgrass research. This vital research results in superior turfgrasses, the implementation of better management practices, and the effects of these practices on the environment. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if there are any questions concerning this report, the research efforts of the USGA, or any matter regarding the maintenance of your course. Sincerely, Patrick M. O Brien Southeast Director PMO: bep