Turf Fights Back!!!

Well, I never thought I'd see the day that turf fights back, but the time has come!

Here's a video of how turf treated with one of our fungicides responds to geese attempting to feed on it (warning - DO NOT watch if you are sensitive to viewing animals being harmed):

And here is one showing how the turf reacts to golfers that drive their carts to close to the green (these idiots had it coming):

DON'T MESS WITH TURF!!!

Controlling Earthworm Casts

Earthworm casts can be a big nuisance this time of year.  These worm casts have negative effects on the playability and the overall aesthetics of the turf.  They also affect the quality of cut if not removed directly ahead of the mowers.  The earthworms are active all season long, but the casts they leave behind are more noticeable in the fall for a couple of reasons.  First off, it seems as though the soft moist soil this time of year is ideal for them to tunnel in and out of, compared to the hard compacted soils of summer.  More tunnels = more casts on the surface.  Second, our mowing frequency is reduced this time of year due to slower growth rates and reduced staffing levels.  Less mowing = more casts on the surface.

earthworm casts affect ball roll, aesthetics and mowing quality

Interestingly though, there are other forces at work that seem to be contributing to the excessive worm casts.  A recent USGA Green Section Record publication has shed some light on this issue and here is a quote from that article:

"During the past 20 years, however, the problem of excessive earthworm castings interfering with play on golf courses has become more serious and widespread.  Why?  Residues of old, highly persistent chemicals like chlordane, banned many years, are finally dissipating from soils and no longer suppressing earthworms.  Earthworm-toxic soil insecticides, like diazinon, bendiocarb, and carbaryl, have been replaced by chemistries that are more selective."

We have recently completed a trial using an organic fertilizer to control earthworms.  This fertilizer named Early Bird (I know, brilliant marketing) has provided us with excellent control of the earthworms resulting in an extremely significant reduction in worm casts.  We are going to be treating all the tees this week and will continue to monitor the earthworm activity to see exactly how long we can achieve results with each application.  Early Bird also provides nutrition to the turf while controlling the earthworms.

For further information, you can read the USGA Green Section Article in its entirety here: Controlling Earthworm Casts on Golf Courses

A breath of fresh air!

If you play golf on this beautiful October day, one thing you will likely notice is a bit of an unpleasant odour coming from the ground!  Don't worry though, that's a good thing!  It's just our fairways and greens taking a deep breath and exhaling.  FarmTek is on-site today deep-tining the fairways and we are verti-cutting and needle-tining (venting) the greens.  As I explained in an earlier blog post, the late-August deep-tining was cut from the budget and we did not anticipate the impact it would have on our drainage capability.  That being said, it became clear that the fairways were REALLY missing the scheduled deep-tining and became quite saturated as a result.  Here are some photos of today's deep-tining:

Deep-tining underway as the sun rises this morning.

NOT something you'd want to be run over by!

FarmTek guys doing their thing and are they ever good at it!

3/4" diameter channels for air and water movement.

Irrigation flag used to check aeration depth.

8" deep channels will certainly help the fairways drain!  Ahhh!

#1 completed - the holes will disappear with traffic and growth.

Now, onto what's being completed on the greens today.  First, the greens are being verti-cut to help remove organic matter (thatch) by thinning out the turf canopy.  Verti-cutting is a method of mowing with a set of vertically mounted blades that cut into and perpendicular to the surface of the turf.  Here is what a verti-cutting reel looks like closeup:

Series of thatch removing vertically mounted blades.

This slicing action removes organic material at a depth that can be adjusted based on how aggressive you'd like to get.  We are verti-cutting the greens and collars at a depth of 1/16" today, which may not sound that aggressive, but as you'll see we are removing alot of material.  Here is a photo of the verti-cutting triplex in action:

So much thatch removed that it doesn't all make it into the buckets!

Thatch harvested from only 4 greens!

Following the verti-cutting, we needle-tined (vented) the greens.  This venting process is a form of aeration that we can do throughout the year with no disruption to play.  As you'll see the effects of the venting are hardly noticeable at the surface, but the benefits below ground are substantial.  It is NOT a form of removing thatch though, so don't think that this means we can move away from traditional core aeration!  It's benefits are short-term and therefore the process must be scheduled routinely to reap the rewards.  Here are some photos of this process:

5" needle tine.

Needle-tining #5 green following verti-cutting.

Characteristic lines from verti-cutting and holes from venting.

Lastly, the greens were double rolled following the verti-cutting and venting and as you can see below, you can hardly tell we were there:

All that beneficial work done without any adverse effects on ball roll.

***Please note that these tasks could not have been completed as efficiently and effectively without our scheduled Maintenance Morning***

Frost Delay Season is Coming...

Although I don't see any extremely cold temperatures in the 14-day forecast, I'd like to be proactive and get the word out that we are nearing the Frost Delay time of year.  As a reminder, here is our policy should we encounter frosty conditions:

FROST DELAY POLICY

The course will remain closed under frosty conditions until either the Golf Course Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent deems it to be ready for play.  Following any delays, the Golf Shop personnel will then determine the best approach for getting golfers onto the course.  If it is a light frost resulting in a short delay of one hour or less, the tee sheet will likely be bumped back to accommodate all players.  Heavier frosts will produce longer delays and the course will open shortly after the frost has completely lifted.  Our Turf Care team requires about a 15-20 minute head-start in front of the first group to setup the course for play.  For longer delays, there may still be a 9-hole shotgun start in conjunction with the immediate tee times to accommodate more players getting onto the course ASAP.  These shotguns will typically start between 11am and noon.

To ensure that you are aware of your tee time, it is each golfer's responsibility to regularly check iGolf for frequent updates and/or call the Golf Shop for information regarding any potential delays.

I am well aware that frost delays are not popular, but I assure you that they are necessary and that delaying until the frosty conditions lift will greatly benefit the course and its members.  Here is a video put together by the USGA that illustrates the damage caused by traffic on frosty turf:

Deep-tining Fairways

Recent budget cutbacks forced us to eliminate the previously scheduled core aeration on our fairways.  I anticipated that the sandy profile we've created over years and years of continuous topdressing would still allow them to drain well enough to avoid forming any standing water and that they would still remain relatively firm and fast.  Unfortunately, this is not the case and I've been quite concerned with what I'm seeing on our fairways recently.  Recent rains, some heavy and some not, are not penetrating our thatch layer as quickly as we'd like, which is resulting in standing water on many of our fairways.  Some standing water is forming in areas where we have never seen it form before.  I've also noticed an increased presence of dollar spot, a turf disease that like many fungal infections, thrives under cool and moist conditions.

Deep-tine aerator

That being said, we have struck a deal with our aeration contractor, FarmTek, to complete a deep-tine aeration on the fairways on one of our upcoming scheduled Maintenance Mornings.  Monday, October 17th, FarmTek will be bringing in 4 deep-tining tractors to complete the process well ahead of the first tee time at 11am.  The deep-tining process creates channels 10"-12" deep and 3/4" in diameter that will allow moisture to penetrate the thatch layer in our fairways and work its way into our extensive drainage system.  These channels will eliminate the majority of the surface water and will help the fairways continue to drain efficiently over the rainy winter months.  Here are some other benefits of deep tine aeration:

If the weather on October 17th is not suitable for completing the deep-tining, we will do so immediately as the conditions improve.  The good thing is that this process can be completed under less than ideal conditions, just not during torrential downpours on already saturated turf.