Clubhouse putting green

Some of the clubhouse putting green perimeters are thinning out and showing signs of stress. For a new putting surface, this is a pretty common issue, especially ones with very little area outside of the green like our clubhouse putting green.

One of the compounding issues is the immaturity of the grass. Remember, we planted the grass only 6 months ago. This is exactly why major golf tournaments are rarely played on freshly renovated courses, they need time to mature. Another part of the problem with the thinning perimeter is that it gets trampled with more wear than any other part of the green. When the putting surface is cut the mower cuts to the edge (that's one trampling), turns around and goes the other direction, and ultimately the perimeter gets it's own cutting (that's the second trampling). Additionally, we roll the greens almost every day (that's the third trampling).

To combat the wear issues on the green's perimeter I do several Superintendent tricks to help abate some of the abuse. One common practice is to skip the cleanup cut all together. Unless the grass is growing vigorously the layman will never know the perimeter has been skipped. Another trick is to create a false collar around the thin areas. The false collar means the area will not be mowed at all at green height, thus being allowed to grow higher. Remember, the longer the leaf, the more sunlight the plant can capture, the healthier the plant is, and ultimately the more wear the plant can withstand.

On the big putting green I am having the false collar trick done. The thinning is just a temporary issue and will go away once the warm Spring days arrive. If it gets too bad I will have the areas plugged out.

Taking the patient's temperature is step one

Just like people, the grass plant's temperature is very important. More precisely, the root system temperature is what is more important. Research has shown that as long as the root system stays within it's optimal temperature range, ambient air temperature has little effect on plant growth. This is why Augusta National has installed heating an cooling pipes under their greens.

So what does this mean for CCN? It means that we are at the mercy of Mother Nature when it comes to plant growth and recovery. Bermuda grass's optimal root temperatures are approximately 70-95 degrees. Thats basically late Spring before the real dog days of summer and early Fall before temperatures fall out. Within that range the plant grows vigorously. If its too hot the plant will still grow but at the expense of the root system. If its too cold, the plant will just shut down all together. At 55 degrees the root system of Bermuda grass completely shuts down.

Below is a screen snapshot using our wireless soil monitor system of 16 green. The flat line part is from when we had the monitor out of the ground for pencil tining the green. The top part is the percentage of water in the soil and the bottom is temperature.  As you an see the temperatures are well below the optimal growing points. Although the temperature creeps up during the hottest parts of the day, that's like have an "A" in a class room full of D's and F's, the bell curve is still pretty bad. The soil's buffering capacity is such that it takes several days of very nice weather to get those roots kicked into the growth mode.

On the positive side, it's nearly March and although for a lot of people that means NCAA basketball tournament time, for me that means good growing weather time. I have all the fertility systems primed and ready to go once the soil warms up.

Meet our new Equipment Manager

To take care of a golf course you have to have a lot of equipment, very specialized equipment. With the average cost of a fairway mover comparable to a mid level Mercedes, it's important to have someone who knows how to take care of the machines properly. That's the job of the Equipment Manager.

We recently hired a new Equipment Manager named Roy Snorf. Roy has a tremendous background in golf course equipment maintenance built from working at fine establishments such as Bonita Bay, Twin Eagles and Royal Poinciana. We are very fortunate to have him on our team and he's already made a positive impact in the shop and with the crew.

Roy is originally from Tampa, but grew up in Naples where is lives with wife Dreana and daughter Cheyenne.  Upon graduating high school Roy immediately went to work at Royal Poinciana in the shop.  As he puts it, "Every job I have ever had has to do with turning wrenches on something."  If you see Roy out and about please say hello and welcome him to the Club.

Cart path touch up

With last week's 2 inches of rain, all of the areas in the cart paths that hold water really popped up. Today I have my staff out adding new cart path material to the wet areas. First we haul out the new aggregate, spread it, then my guys rake it out smooth. We will concentrating this week on doing all the paths.

Chemical Damage update

Everyone knows we suffered an unprecedented incident with a course wide chemical application that resulted in a severe decline in course conditions.  Although the majority of the damage has gone away, a few areas are still visible.  Areas that are still recovering continue to be treated with kid gloves.

 

 

These areas receive extra fertilizers and sanding.  The fertilizer is to promote growth and the sanding is to fill in the small voids that create a dimpled surface. 

 

 

 

 

The course won't fully recover until we have sustained high temperatures that promote the grass's full growth potential.  Even if I had an unlimited budget for fertilizer, our limiting factor right now is that it's winter.  Although we've had a warm winter, soil temperatures still need to climb another 10 degrees before the grass kicks into overdrive.   Applying massive amounts of fertilizers right now could potentially make the course regress even more.  It has been documented over and over again that the last thing you want to do to a weakened plant is to over feed it.  The plant could exhaust itself while gorging on the food. I have been fertilizing the course, but in a way to nurse it back without causing more damage.  Also remember  the chemical damaged the root system so severely that massive applications of fertilizers could potentially be wasted because there is a limited root system to absorb the nutrients.  It's $8-10,000 to fertilize the whole course,using round numbers, so I don't want to waste your money.  Once the soils warm up, the course will bounce back. 

 

On a positive note, I have been successful in negotiating with Bayer to cover all of the costs associated with the remediation process.  This includes all of the sod, any additional day labor help, all the chemicals, and all the in house labor used.  If you add it all up, it's well over $45,000. 

White Fly, what is it and what can be done about it educational opportunity on Tues, Jan 29

I have received many questions regarding white fly issues over the last few years.  Many of you live in associations that are screened with landscaping that is very susceptible to white fly damage. The University of Florida IFAS extension agency has put together a seminar to educate the public about the issues around the mysterious whiteflies.

This seminar will familiarize you with the life cycle, damage to host plants and treatment recommendations for the ficus and rugose spiraling whiteflies. The future impacts of these whiteflies on ornamental and native plants will also be covered.
Location:

3406 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33916

Cost:

$5 per person. Please pay at the door.

Registration:

12:30-1:10 pm

1:00-1:15

Introduction to the World of Whiteflies—

Stephen Brown, Lee County Extension

1:15-1:45

Symptoms and Treatments of Ficus and Rugose Spiraling Whiteflies—

Douglas Caldwell, Collier County Extension

1:45-2:10

Updates on Ficus and Rugose Spiraling Whiteflies on Florida’s East Coat—

Adrian Hunsberger, Miami-Dade Extension

Contact Stephen at

brownsh@ufl.edu

Contact Doug at

dougbug@ufl.edu

Contact Adrian at

aghu@ufl.edu

Sanding, the greens and.....

Today the maintenance team is sanding the greens, and also the approaches. Those that remember the course prior to the renovation can also remember the plugged balls two feet from the greens. Just like on the putting surfaces, the constant application of sand to the approaches keeps the surface firm, smooth, and the playability high.