ROLLING HILLS COUNTRY CLUB McMurray, Pennsylvania Visit Date: October 10, 2014 Present: Chris Markel, Golf Course Superintendent Dave Ball, President Bill Suffern, Green Committee Chairman (Briefly) Larry Roytas, Head Golf Professional (Briefly) Bob Allridge, Green Committee Member Kyle Robinson, Green Committee Member Elliott L. Dowling, Agronomist, Mid-Atlantic Region United States Golf Association Elliott L. Dowling, Agronomist Green Section Mid-Atlantic Region 485 Baltimore Pike, Suite 203 Glen Mills, PA 19342 Phone: 610-558-9066 Fax: 610-558-1135 Email: edowling@usga.org USGA Green Section Mission: The USGA Green Section are leaders in developing and disseminating agronomically, environmentally, and economically sustainable management practices. We help golf facilities maintain better playing conditions for better golf through science-based and practical solutions. Course Consulting Service Report Page 1
The purpose of our visit was to examine recent turf decline on many of the greens. On the day of our visit, it was clear that the majority of the greens were recovering. Mr. Markel indicated the majority of decline occurred in early September following rain events in conjunction with a PGA Sectional Golf Tournament. The majority of the pattern of decline indicated that traffic played a major role in the overall health. Most of the decline occurred in the middle of the green which is generally the lowest point. Not only did excessive moisture surface drain to the middle but the overall contour of your greens in conjunction with modern green speed primarily allow for middle hole locations. Unfortunately for Rolling Hills Country Club, the vast majority of rain that fell this season in the Mid-Atlantic region was concentrated in the greater Pittsburgh area. Mr. Markel indicated twenty or more inches of rainfall were experienced in June, July and August. Although the temperatures were not as hot as it could be in July and August, excessive moisture predisposes turf to traffic and mechanical damage. I will have more on this later. GREENS 1. Overall Condition. The majority of the greens at Rolling Hills Country Club experienced turf decline in early September. It is often difficult to determine the exact cause after the fact but I think we came to a few conclusions. Ultimately, I attribute the majority of decline to elevated moisture levels in conjunction with traffic. Not surprisingly, the majority of the areas which declined were also the areas that suffered winter injury. I would imagine following winter the majority of the areas did not have sufficient time to regain adequate strength before summer. In other words, the grass was simply too weak to sustain player traffic in conjunction with excessive rainfall. 2. Recovery. It is unfortunate that this occurred to your golf course. Believe me when I tell you that I visited many courses in Western Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia which experienced similar turf decline this summer. As I mentioned in the introduction, the vast majority of the Mid-Atlantic region experienced a relatively mild and dry summer. This simply was not the case in the greater Pittsburgh area. Much of the region is 100% or more over the average annual rainfall. Now, the focus must be on turf health and recovery rather than green speed. To best accelerate recovery before winter, increasing nitrogen fertility was recommended. Mr. Markel indicated he currently applies 1/10 pound of readily available nitrogen, weekly. Increase fertility to 1/8 pound readily available nitrogen weekly. This relatively small increase in nitrogen will further promote turfgrass growth. Additionally, increase sand-topdressing to fill any remaining voids in the turf s canopy. Sand will provide a growing medium for the existing turf to fill-in. The sand will protect seedlings from mechanical and player traffic. Ultimately, increasing sand-topdressing Course Consulting Service Report Page 2
annually on your greens was recommended. Applying sand bi-monthly at a rate of 50 to 100 pounds of actual sand per 1,000 square feet is an excellent maintenance procedure. On the day of our visit, many of the greens were recovering. Focus this fall needs to be on turf recovery rather than speed and playability. To ensure good putting surfaces next season, they need to recover this year. 3. Green Speed and Expectations. A lot of our conversations centered on green speed and more specifically, expectations. Firm and fast conditions are the goal for many golf courses throughout the country. Unfortunately, achieving firmness and speed both come at a cost. This cost is reflected in resources and at times, turfgrass health. There needs to be a balance between green speed and resources to provide the desired results. Simply put, continually trying to achieve green speeds which are inappropriate for your green contours and available resources can potentially lead to turf decline. Oftentimes the most difficult aspect of green speed to understand is during certain times of year superintendents need to be less aggressive. Knowing when to roll or mow less frequently is critical to maintaining turfgrass health. Trying to maintain very fast greens through difficult weather is often catastrophic. Ultimately, you will have a better product longer during the season if your willingness to play defense at times is available. Case Course Consulting Service Report Page 3
in point is during extremely wet periods of June, July and August the goal should not have been achieving a desired green speed rather maintaining turfgrass health. Unfortunately, Mr. Markel is simply doing what he has been asked by the membership. It needs to be a committee and board level decision to stand behind Mr. Markel and his staff during difficult weather periods. Know that he has the best interests of the golf course in mind. He wants to provide the best conditions possible for as long as possible. He will have a much easier time doing this if there is willingness to accept slower green speeds during certain times of the year. 4. Anthracnose. Mr. Markel indicated he continually battles the disease anthracnose on a majority of the greens. In fact, he attributes some of the turf decline to an anthracnose outbreak. Anthracnose is a secondary disease that infects already stressed plants. In my travels throughout western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, I examined many golf courses which suffered anthracnose. The best way to control anthracnose is preventative cultural practices specifically, practices that reduce or relieve stress. Increasing sand-topdressing will protect the crowns of the plant from mechanical and traffic stress. Protecting the crown of the plant will reduce the risk of anthracnose outbreaks. Additionally, sand will reduce compaction from ball marks and player traffic. Again, compaction plays a large part in turfgrass health. Sand is also critical in water infiltration. The more sand accumulation that can be built in the upper 0.5 inches of the soil profile it will further increase water infiltration. Recently, I have observed good results with the fungicide Tebuconazole. This product can be applied at rates of 0.6 to 0.9 ounces of actual product per 1,000 square feet. Tebuconazole is a broad spectrum fungicide which exhibits excellent dollar spot, fairy ring and anthracnose control. 5. Number Five Green. We examined one oak tree on the back left of the Fifth green which negatively impacts turfgrass health. The tree is large enough and positioned in the perfect spot where it negatively impacts summer and winter sunlight penetration. We can all clearly examine firsthand the overall impacts this tree has on the green by examining the pattern of decline. The outer edge of the decline nearly resembles the tree s canopy. This is a clear indication that shade is weakening the green. Additionally, tree roots extend into the green and, Number Four tee. A tree s roots will always outcompete grass for critical water and nutrients. Removing this tree as soon as time and resources permit was recommended. Trees should be mentioned in the report so while we are on the topic I will include it in this section. Rolling Hills Country Club has many areas of the golf course which suffer from poor air movement and/or poor sunlight penetration. Tree removal should remain an ongoing procedure each year. During fall and winter remove as many trees as possible. Focus on trees which are diseased or dying, pose potential safety threats and those that negatively impact turfgrass health or playability. I commented on the overall number of evergreen trees that are present on the golf course. If you did nothing else, removing each of the evergreens will improve the overall aesthetic appearance. Course Consulting Service Report Page 4
The depicted tree is positioned where it negatively impacts summer and winter sun. Removing this tree will allow sunlight to penetrate onto the green s surface. The result will be a healthier stand of turf. CONCLUSION The focus now needs to be turfgrass health and recovery. With some slight adjustments to the agronomic programs I have no doubt your greens will return to their usual, excellent condition. Moving forward, I urge the club leadership to determine what the desired green speed should be and more importantly, decide if you have the resources to maintain that. Additionally, you must stand behind Mr. Markel and his decision to play Course Consulting Service Report Page 5
defense in terms of turfgrass health during stressful weather patterns. If not, the potential for continuous turfgrass decline is a possibility. Understanding what last winter s weather did to your overall turfgrass health and the potential for a similar winter to occur this year, I recommend you do what you can to remove trees beforehand. Allowing critical winter sunlight penetration onto troublesome greens may help prevent damage. This concludes our summary of the major points of discussion during our visit and tour of your golf course. If any questions arise concerning this visit, my report or any other area, please feel free to call our office. We are here to help. Sincerely, Elliott L. Dowling, Agronomist Green Section, Mid-Atlantic Region ELD: mf cc: Chris Markel, Golf Course Superintendent Dave Ball, President Course Consulting Service Report Page 6