Friday, August 30, 2019

Last Call for Summer

Greens Tees and Fairways
As leaves start to turn and the high school and college help  are back at school,  it's a good time to review the season. 2019 showed us a little bit of everything in terms of weather.  And in any analysis of a golf season, if you're not talking about weather you're missing most of the picture.  Temperatures for the season were around average while rainfall was above average from May through August.  


 how ballmarks, or 'pitchmarks' should be fixed. This is review for many, but for new members or anyone needing confirmation, click this to view the video.



In my time with Tuscarora I've received hundreds of inquiries from concerned members by phone, email, and in person about what 'I' am going to do about the ballmark problem at Tuscarora and after twenty years of that refrain, a better question isn't what 'I' can do about the ballmark problem, but what can the members do about it? 
This is a condition that's created by the people that are asking for it to stop. The goal of 'no ballmarks' resides in a diligent, concerned membership. It also resides in having the humility to learn how to fix them correctly instead of assuming you're doing it correctly. Please watch the video and please fix your ballmark + 1. 
Or don't...they're  your greens. 


- -


Fairways got a new cutting height this year to make them more forgiving to hit from and help hide the worm casts that pop up from time to time.  The reception has been positive. Our fairways contain a variety grasses that look and play better when mowed higher. We tried to mow them low (as if we had bentgrass) but it never looked or played great. It was a popular, and therefor easy decision. 






Tees 7 and 8 have gotten their legs under them after construction. 7 tee thickened up as weather allowed for more aerifying and topdressing.   As the summer heat and sun come to us, the tee filled in nicely. 
7 tee


8 tee is up and ready for play. The nice weather allowed us to complete the project on time.  As it matures it will thicken and completely fill in.  




Some Housekeeping and updates
There are other minor projects that have took second chair to the tee work and wet weather we've had all spring. As it dried up we were able to complete them. 
Old hedge at 9 tee

The hedge at 9 tee was replaced with plantings of  ornamental grasses that will give some depth perception and beauty between the green and tee. The shade being cast from the hedge onto the back of 8 green was the prime reason for this project. 

12 fwy drainage
Underground springs and abandon drain pipe on 11 and 12 fairway continued to create wet spots. This years crop were dug up and repaired. Thanks for your patience as these areas are grown back in.

14 green expansion
14 green and 6 green were expanded last fall. In reclaiming the lost green surface, we will begin lowering the collar height late this fall to reclaim some lost green surface.  




Hard Case

As 'kind' as we were to all the greens, 2 green specifically, got special treatment.  It responded well through the summer into early August.  It was thicker and although noticeably slower, it had grass everywhere which is a success based on past years.  In the end, it wasn't enough. After a second week in the 90's in late July and after some verticutting the usual decline began again.  Heat is always the killing blow as spots on the green fight for any way to cool themselves. Soil structure problems beneath the surface stemming from re-using old sod from the previous rebuild are creating an anaerobic layer that suffocates the plants. The old sod layer is the root of problem and removal of it will be a topic for future discussion for the Green Committee.
A black layer means a build of sulfur due to anaerobic conditions which is a sign of deeper issues.