RECREATION CENTERS OF SUN CITY Sun City, Arizona Visit date: May 17, 2016 Present: Dan Schroeder, Board President Rich Hoffer, Board Member Jan Ek, General Manager Chris Linam, Pro Shop Manager Dennis Dulaney, Superintendent, South Chuck Manning, Superintendent, Willowcreek and Willowbrook Neal Hladik, Superintendent, North Michael Murphy, Assistant Superintendent, North Mark Skeen, Superintendent, Lakes East and Lakes West Rick Stoffel, Superintendent, Riverview Brian Duthu, Director of Golf Zachary Nicoludis, USGA Brian Whitlark, USGA United States Golf Association Brian Whitlark, Agronomist Green Section West Region 3677 E Turnberry Court Gilbert, Arizona (480) 215-1958 bwhitlark@usga.org The USGA Green Section develops and disseminates sustainable management practices that produce better playing conditions for better golf.
The following report summarizes the discussions and recommendations made during the Course Consulting Service visit on May 17, 2016. The focus of the visit was to review general course conditions and offer suggestions for long- range and short-term improvement. Specific topics covered in this report include: Turf reduction Putting greens Fairways Roughs and green surrounds Tees Capital improvement projects Bunkers Please contact our office if you should have any questions concerning this report, or if we can contribute in other ways to your turf management operations. TURF REDUCTION Overall costs for pumping and delivering water to golf courses are expected to increase considerably over the next decade. Water experts forecast that it is very likely that the elevation of Lake Mead will drop below the 1,075-foot level, which would trigger a first-stage water reduction by the Central Arizona Project for the Phoenix and Tucson areas within the next two years. Although these reductions do not affect the amount of water that most courses will have available, it will heighten the political debate and awareness of water efficiency at golf courses throughout the Phoenix area. Although the courses at the Recreation Centers at Sun City do not pay for groundwater, clearly the use of groundwater by any business will be a serious environmental issue facing golf courses due to their high visibility and the public s perception that golf courses waste water. Golf facilities across the desert southwest have responded to the water dilemma by improving water use efficiency and removing areas of irrigated turf. Several points associated with turf reduction are included below: Identify areas on the golf course that result in slow play and where players are playing and not playing the game. Reduce maintenance and water use on areas of the golf course that seldom come into play. Reallocate resources to areas that come into play most often. Course Consulting Service Report Page 2
The points mentioned are direct benefits of turf reduction, which not only include a reduction in water use, but more efficient use of resources down the middle of the golf courses where golfers are intending to play the game. For the past six to seven years, turf reduction has been discussed as a potential strategy to reallocate and conserve resources down the middle of the golf courses at the Recreation Centers of Sun City. With that in mind, it is good to see that the board has the insight to initiate turf reduction projects on the golf courses. The first stage of this initiative is already underway on the Lakes East Course, which coincides with the irrigation renovation project. We were able to observe 10 acres on the Lakes East Course where the bermudagrass has been chemically removed in turf reduction areas. These areas will be converted to desert landscape, which is expected to use less than ten percent of the water needed to maintain the irrigated turf on the golf courses. The second stage of this initiative will begin in 2017 and coincide with the Willowcreek/Willowbrook irrigation and green renovation project. The first stage will consist of the conversion of the perimeter areas on both courses to arid-adapted landscaping and the total acreage to be converted is 35.3 acres. The design plan for the landscape areas will require minimal maintenance and expense. It should also be noted that there is remains opportunities for turf reduction on both the North and South courses, and this should be considered in the future. An herbicide has been applied several times to the bermudagrass on Lakes East in preparation for turf reduction. Hundreds of golf courses in California, Arizona and Nevada have completed or are currently in the process of turf reduction projects in an effort to utilize water resources in a more strategic manner. For more information regarding golf courses that employ turf reduction and other best management practices across the country, please visit the Water Resource Center on the USGA website www.usga.org/water. Course Consulting Service Report Page 3
PUTTING GREENS Excess organic matter (greater than 3.5 percent in the top 2 inches) impedes water movement, reduces soil oxygen, and decreases root growth and root length in putting greens. As such, the core aeration and sand topdressing program must be on point each year in order to remove organic matter, dilute the organic matter with sand, and provide healthy and receptive surfaces. The double aeration program has been A sample collected from Willowbrook shows a healthy and homogenous soil profile. successful over the past couple years, and should be employed on all the courses, with the exception of Lakes East and West and Riverview (specific recommendations will be discussed below). The double aeration should be conducted with 5/8-inch outside diameter tines on a 1.5-inch by 2-inch spacing for the first pass, and then the second pass can be expanded to a 2-inch by 2-inch spacing. This should be supplemented with light sand topdressing from May through overseed using the Pioneer triple-washed sand. The recommended goal is to apply 2,500 pounds of sand per 1,000 square feet for that period. In addition to the double aeration, it was suggested to consider purchasing one or more units able to penetrate deep in the greens such as a Soil Reliever, Verti-Drain or Wiedenmann machine that can be operated on the putting greens. The deep aeration helps to prevent Course Consulting Service Report Page 4
the compacted layer that often develops when conducting aeration with the same 3- to 4-inch tines year in and year out. Deep aeration also helps to soften the greens, which will provide a more receptive surface that golfers typically enjoy. Lastly, deep aeration often helps to drive the bermudagrass roots down further into the soil profile, enabling the bermudagrass to mine water and nutrients over a greater depth. This soil profile sample collected from the Lakes East Course shows a much darker color where there is an accumulation of organic matter and fine material. Soil profile samples collected on the Lakes East and West courses revealed an abundance of fine material such as silt and clay and an excess amount of organic matter. Mr. Skeen reported that with only very short duration run times, water puddles up on the greens, which is a clear indication that water infiltration rates are poor. Over the next three to four years, it is suggested to utilize the double aeration on both these courses twice during the summer, spaced approximately six to eight weeks apart. These two golf courses need the additional aeration and sand to improve the rooting environment and water infiltration. It is also suggested to deep tine these greens, ideally several times per year. Course Consulting Service Report Page 5
Given that the Riverview putting greens are less than one year old, it is not recommended to conduct a double aeration, but utilize 3/8- or 1/2-inch outside diameter tines instead on a 2-inch by 2-inch spacing with one pass only. This single aeration event should be supplemented with venting operations using small diameter solid tines as frequently as once per month throughout the entire year. These venting operations will help to improve the receptiveness of these putting greens, which currently are very firm. As noted in previous years, the newly constructed putting greens will need at least two years to build up enough thatch and organic matter for the receptiveness of the putting greens to improve. Surface management It was good to see that many of the golf courses have already begun grooming and brushing operations to stand up the bermudagrass and turf in the overseeded grasses to encourage a denser surface and more upright growth. Furthermore, this practice helps to thin the overseeded turf, which is critical at this time of year to help recover the bermudagrass from overseeding. In fact, it is suggested to intensify these cultural practices over the next three to four weeks, with the goal to encourage the removal of the overseeded grasses. Ideally, the greens will be vertical mowed lightly once weekly. The vertical mowing blades should be set from 0.060 to 0.090 inch below the bottom of the rollers (below zero). Immediately prior to core aeration, it is suggested to set the vertical mowing blades at approximately 0.100 to 0.125 inch below zero and utilize the backtrack method in two to three directions, effectively running across the greens four to six times. These vertical mowing events will also help to facilitate the incorporation of the sand topdressing. Fertility In general, it is suggested to apply from 4 to 6 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet on an annual basis to the putting greens. However, where organic matter is excessive such as on the Lakes East and West courses, it is very likely that only 2 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet will be needed to produce and maintain a healthy surface. Potassium should be applied at approximately half the rate of nitrogen at only 2 to 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet per year. Ideally, potassium should be supplied in small doses at a relatively high frequency of once or twice per month. Other than on the Riverview and North courses, it is unlikely that any phosphorus is needed throughout the entire year on these putting greens. Additionally, micronutrients should be supplied via liquid fertilization to improve color. Given the absence of salts in these greens, there is no need for amendments to mitigate sodium. Where the root zones are immature on the North and Riverview courses, it is suggested to supply nitrogen on a frequent basis of at least every 7 to 14 days. Ideally, most of this nitrogen should be supplied in liquid form. The source of the nitrogen would be entirely up to the discretion of the superintendent, but use of simple nitrogen forms such as urea, ammonium sulfate, calcium nitrate, and potassium nitrate is suggested. During the aeration process, you may consider applying an organic source of nitrogen. Given the lean conditions and immature root zone, additional nitrogen should be supplied over the next four to six weeks on the Riverview course. It was suggested Course Consulting Service Report Page 6
to supply 1.5 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet over the next four to six weeks on these greens. A frequent liquid fertility program will improve the growth and uniformity on the young greens on Riverview. Water management Whether on the new greens or the older greens, it is recommended that all the courses use a wetting agent of their choice on a regular basis according to the label rate. The goal should be to supply a wetting agent to the greens throughout the entire 12 months of the year. Localized dry spots on greens were observed throughout the courses on the day of the visit, and a regimented wetting agent program will help to ameliorate this condition. It is also suggested to consider utilizing hand-held moisture meters at all the courses. It was good to see that Mr. Stoffel at Riverview is using the Pogo hand-held soil moisture meter on a regular basis. This device allows the staff to dial in the moisture on the greens to provide more consistent conditions and help to avoid chronically wet and dry areas. It is also an excellent tool to train the hand waterers. As a general guideline, bermudagrass is typically maintained at approximately 25 percent moisture, but this value can vary from course to course and even from season to season. Greens expansion on the South Course One topic discussed regarding the putting greens on the South course was to expand the greens to their original perimeters. It is clear that there is sufficient area available to bring the putting greens back to the original green cavity, which would increase the area for hole locations and help spread out traffic. Immediately prior to or during the greens aeration process, it is suggested to use a sod cutter set shallow to remove the turf and thatch in these greens expansion areas. Clean off the surface, topdress and conduct a core aeration similar to the interior of the putting greens while supplying water regularly during the day to maintain moist conditions. Additionally, spot fertilize these areas to supply approximately 1.5 pounds Course Consulting Service Report Page 7
nitrogen per 1,000 square feet over the next three to five weeks, which is the time in which this turf will need to recover. In general, it is suggested to mow these areas at approximately 0.170 to 0.190 inch once the turf is ready for mowing. Do not allow the turf to grow above this level, as it will then be difficult to reduce the height of cut and match the existing greens surface. Tree trimming/removal on the North Course It was good that to see that the large eucalyptus tree east of No. 10 green on the North Course was topped and a tree on the back left portion of the par-3 No. 12 green was removed. In both cases, turf health has improved significantly as a result of increased sunlight exposure. Trimming the top of the large eucalyptus tree behind No. 10 green on the North Course has improved turf conditions on the back of this green. FAIRWAYS One of the most contentious topics in the golf course industry throughout southern Arizona, southern Nevada and the Coachella Valley is overseed timing. Historically, many golf courses schedule the overseeding closure dates in late September or early October in southern Arizona in order to open the golf course for play by the second or third week of October to capture revenue prior to Thanksgiving. However, given that the warm and humid weather has persisted late into October over the last two years, golf courses that overseeded earlier than the second or third week of October have struggled with bermudagrass competition with the newly germinated ryegrass. Furthermore, the inputs needed to slow the bermudagrass growth and the amount of water needed to maintain moist conditions during this hot weather are significantly higher than if overseeding at more an ideal time such as between October 15 to October 25 in southern Arizona. Essentially, the probability of a successful overseeding significantly decreases when the overseed closure occurs prior to October 15. Course Consulting Service Report Page 8
With that in mind, we discussed overseeding all but the executive golf courses in mid-october when the inputs will be decreased and the potential for a successful overseeding will increase compared to overseeding in late September or during the first week of October. In addition to moving the overseeding date for the championship courses to a more ideal time, please consider the following strategies for overseeding preparation: The courses no longer use the annual ryegrass and now are overseeded with 60 percent perennial ryegrass to 40 percent intermediate ryegrass. Based on comments from the golf course superintendents, this ryegrass mix was significantly better with regard to its performance when compared to the annual ryegrass, and it is suggested to continue with this mix. Several days prior to overseed closure, it is suggested to spray Turflon Ester on the overseeded areas other than the putting greens at 12 to 16 ounces per acre to slow the growth of the bermudagrass. Some superintendents may also wish to use Diquat to burn down the bermudagrass to prepare for overseeding. This works well, but should be applied at least one day after the spray application of Turflon Ester. Do not allow the soil to dry considerably immediately prior to overseeding. In fact, the golf course should be wetted thoroughly to fill the entire soil profile with water and then allowed enough time for the surface to dry out for overseeding preparation. Deep watering the golf course prior to overseeding will facilitate an easier watering schedule once the seed is applied and will reduce the potential for the soil to become hydrophobic. Approximately 1o to 14 days after applying the seed, apply Primo (trinexapac-ethyl) to all the overseeded areas other than the putting greens at a rate of 10 to 12 ounces per acre. Ideally, a second application at this rate would be made approximately two weeks later. Depending on the weather and the resurgence of the bermudagrass, a second application of Turflon Ester at 8 to 10 ounces per acre may be needed to help slow the bermudagrass and reduce competition for the seeded ryegrass. Thatch management Aggressive thatch management should be conducted during July and August. Ideally, the fairways would be aggressively vertical mowed or flail mowed in July and August to help reduce thatch and produce a more upright growth habit. This practice will not only improve turf health, but also facilitate overseeding preparation several months later. Furthermore, it is suggested to conduct core aeration during this time at least once (preferably twice). As previously mentioned in this report, utilizing one or two deep tine aeration machines could be used to deeply penetrate the soil on the fairways. It is extremely important that prior to aeration (core or deep tine) that the soil is wet to facilitate deep penetration and reduce equipment fatigue. Course Consulting Service Report Page 9
ROUGHS In July and August, similar to the note above regarding the fairways, it is suggested to use a vertical mower, flail mower or spring tine harrow rake in the roughs where possible. In discussions with the superintendents, it was clear that there is simply too much acreage to conduct this practice over the entire rough area. However, it may be possible to use this practice strategically in specific areas such as around the green surrounds (reportedly to be overseeded this fall) and within 10 to 15 yards from the fairways. Mowing height It was discussed that the area for overseeding will increase around the putting greens this fall. Given its positive impact on golf course playability during the winter and spring months, overseeding of the green surrounds is a widely accepted practice. However, it is important to note that overseeded ryegrass maintained at over one inch in the spring will have a significant and detrimental impact on the underlying bermudagrass. With that in mind, it was good to learn that plans in place to mow these green surround areas at the same height as the fairways, which is reportedly approximately ⅝ to ¾ inch during the winter and spring months. Mowing these areas at the same height of cut as the fairways will simplify mowing operations and provide more sunlight exposure to the underlying bermudagrass. Weed control One of the primary challenges of nonoverseeded roughs is controlling cool-season weeds such as perennial ryegrass, annual bluegrass, mallow, London rocket and swinecress. Please consider the following options for both pre- and postemergence weed control in the nonoverseeded roughs: Immediately adjacent to the overseeded areas, apply preemergence herbicide such as pendimethalin, prodiamine, or dithiopyr the first or second week of September. In order to control broadleaf weeds such as mallow, London rocket, and the problematic swinecress, use Gallery applied later in the fall in November or early December. Given the expense of the Gallery, you may consider applying this product only where there are known areas of contamination with the broadleaf weeds. Alternatively, you may consider spraying two spray boom widths around fairways, tees, and green surrounds. In early to mid-november, you may consider applying a preemergence herbicide such as Specticle, SureGuard or Simazine in the nonoverseeded rough areas leaving a 10- to 15-foot band of unsprayed area immediately adjacent to the overseed. All three of these herbicides have the potential to move with water into the overseeded areas. As such, it is suggested to apply these chemicals in the afternoon after the last group of play. Immediately after application in the afternoon, Course Consulting Service Report Page 10
run five to six minutes of water to move the chemical off the leaves and down into the thatch and soil. No additional water should be run that evening and preferably for another night, as well. For the next seven to ten days, avoid any irrigation events that would saturate the soil. During that time of year (mid-november), the water demand for turf is much lower than in early October and, therefore, the need for significant irrigation events should be minimal. In areas where pendimethalin, prodiamine or dithiopyr were applied, it will be necessary to apply a second application in mid-december to provide season-long control of grassy weeds. If Gallery was not applied, then where there is broadleaf pressure, you should begin to see the emergence of broadleaf in December and early January. It is suggested to scout areas that have been historically high in broadleaf pressure and begin to use postemergence herbicides such as Celsius, SpeedZone or any of the 2, 4D products in December and January when these chemicals will be effective on young broadleaf weeds. If these weeds are left untreated, they will become very difficult to control via postemergence herbicides later in the spring. TEES Tee leveling is an ongoing project at any golf course and it is suggested to include tee leveling as an annual project on the eight golf courses at the Recreation Centers at Sun City. Crowned tees were observed on the Lakes East Course and you may wish to consider placing this course as a priority. BUNKERS It is good to see that the bunker remodeling on most of the golf courses has been a big success although it was reported that the members find it difficult to enter and exit some of the new bunkers with steep faces. As with any golf course, it is strongly suggested for members to enter and exit the bunker in a low area near where the bunker rakes are placed for safety as well as to protect the integrity of the bunkers. When golfers enter and exit on the high sides of bunkers, they not only displace sand that can create very soft conditions where fried egg lies are highly likely, but can also deteriorate the bunker liner and ultimately decreases the useful life of the bunker. The Better Billy Bunker Method liner has been widely popular across the country, but reportedly has a tendency to retain some water in the bunker sand before it drains. Many courses have increased the sand depth to six inches to provide softer and drier Course Consulting Service Report Page 11
conditions at the surface when using the Better Billy Bunker Method. With the close attention to the budget and the desire to reduce the amount of maintenance trimming bunker faces, it is suggested to utilize Finale herbicide to edge the bunkers during the summer months. This herbicide will burn back the bermudagrass along the edge, but will not translocate, which can occur when using Roundup. In addition, it is suggested to spray Turflon Ester on the bunker faces and mounds where line trimming or hand mowing is necessary to reduce the need for this labor-intensive practice. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS The renovation of the Riverview Course was completed with great success in 2015. Congratulations to all parties involved with such a successful renovation project. As always, there will be additional checklist items to work on this summer such as raising/leveling sprinklers, leveling irrigation trenches and growing in some of the scars left from construction. Some areas with thin bermudagrass were evident in the green surrounds on the Riverview Course where sprigging was used last year. These areas are expected to fully recover with the onset of warmer weather. Irrigation renovation Lakes East Ongoing irrigation renovation on the Lakes East Course was observed during the visit. The equipment being used for digging and backfilling are unique to the industry. It was good to see quality of the work performed by the Formost Construction Company. Course Consulting Service Report Page 12
A machine by Formost Construction is unique in the industry and improves the efficiency and cleanliness of backfilling large mainline trenches. Greens reconstruction for the Willowcreek Course is reportedly scheduled for 2017. It was good to hear that the turf care facility at Willowbrook will be replaced completely by next year and Ms. Ek reported the plan is to replace the outdated turf care facilities on the remaining golf courses. Additional and noteworthy projects include an irrigation well on the Lakes West Course and a very attractive split-faced block building to protect and hide the well. The pond and pump station construction on the Willowbrook Course appears to be progressing as scheduled. It would be outstanding if this project could be completed prior to the scheduled irrigation renovation. Construction on the lake on the Willowbrook Course was in progress on the day of the visit. Course Consulting Service Report Page 13
CONCLUSION Thank you for the opportunity to visit the Recreation Centers of Sun City and offer assistance with your turf maintenance programs. Best wishes for continued progress, and I look forward to being of further assistance on behalf of the USGA Green Section. Respectfully submitted, Brian Whitlark, Agronomist USGA Green Section bw:ws:dc Distribution: Brian Duthu, Director of Golf Jan Ek, General Manager Course Consulting Service Report Page 14