Sodding Greens

We have experienced some turf loss on #5, 8 and 11 greens this season. Although these areas have been recovering since the damage was ensued earlier in the year, the recovery has not been as quick as we first anticipated. The damage and turf loss in these areas are a result of a few contributing factors. The combination of insect damage, nematodes, disease due to chemical/fungicide failure and excessive thatch conditions has created the perfect storm for turf loss. We overseeded these areas numerous times and were hoping to see some good results with minimal disruption to the greens, however, growing conditions in the heat of the summer just aren’t favourable for turf that is constantly under stress and being mowed at extremely low heights.

Due to the slower recovery, we went ahead and made the decision to sod the bare areas this week.  We closed the affected greens (#5, #8 & #11) and put up temporary greens while we work on them.  The greens were re-opened shortly after the sodding work is completed.  #5 green was finished Tuesday evening and #8 and #11 were completed yesterday.  The areas that are sodded will be slightly longer in height and will be like that for a week or so until we know the roots are strong and healthy enough to begin mowing them at our regular greens heights again.  Any shortcuts during this process can be detrimental to the sod and its establishment.

Here are some photos of the sodding process:

affected turf to be removed

pallets of poa annua sod ready to be installed

removing affected turf and prepping for new sod

rolling out the new "carpet"

cutting and knitting the sod into place

giving it a good soaking after install is complete

finished product the following morning

Over the next few week we will be keeping a close eye on these areas by hand-watering, topdressing, rolling and slowly bringing down the heights on the mowers each time we mow them.  These areas will need a lot of attention and we will try and stay out of the golfers’ way as much as possible, but we do also ask that you show courtesy to our staff as they work on these areas to ensure we have them ready for play as quickly as possible!