After remaining rain-free for the better part of June, this last week of rain has been a welcome sight. We had a few greens surprise us by suffering badly through last weekend's low humidity and high temperatures. We made some adjustments to them and with this cool wet week we've had, I expect them to be back to normal soon. These are greens we'll be keeping a close eye on for the rest of the summer.
All greens and green surrounds have been fertilized prior to the rain this week. This was done partly for recovery but mostly to keep them thick and dense through the summer. The color difference you'll see is primarily from the fertilizer.
Bunker edging on the back 9 is almost complete. The crew will move on to the front 9 this week.
Clover that was small enough, at the time of our first herbicide application to avoid our sprayer, is now popping through in some places. We are going after it daily and should have it all cleaned up within the week.
I want to take a minute to mention what is and isn't possible when the course is rain-soaked and moist, since its fresh in everyone's mind. Sometimes what we deal with regarding weather, and it's effect on conditions, isn't so obvious to the untrained eye.
So, here's a quick primer on how soaking rains affect the course.
Ballmarks: Soaking rain has a positive effect on ballmark fixing. This is due to golfers actually being able to see their mark instead of not finding it at all. When they can see it, they usually fix it.
Cup edges: When greens are saturated, fresh-cut cup edges will only look that way for about 12 foursomes. By then, the edge has been physically damaged by a combination of ball, flagstick, putter, suction cup ball retriever, hands, etc..
I know nobody intends to damage a cup edge -- it's purely accidental. But when it's done, it's done. The rest of the players that day get to look at a crushed cup edge and wonder about the aptitude of the cup cutting guy. If you play later in the day, and it's soft, expect the cup edge to show the scars from the wars of the day. When it's firmer, obviously the edge holds together longer under the same abuse. On the days the cups are cut, they're left, by us, in perfect condition and most of the players that play early will tell you this. All it takes is one slip of the wrist, or arm, or puff of wind to cause a misjudgement when replacing a flagstick to damage a cup edge for the rest of the players that day. Please do your best to preserve the cup edge at all the times, but especially when its wet.
Green speed: Soft, wet greens will putt slower than hard, dry greens. Expect drops in green speeds by at least 1 foot when the greens feel soft under your feet, especially if we're getting rain everyday.
Water in Bunkers: The bunkers at Tuscarora drain naturally through cracks in the rock. With chronic rain, this draining can take some time.
Maintenance Schedules: Depending on when the rain hits and how much we get, the days scheduled maintenance can change by the minute. Greens may not be mowed, cups may not be cut, and bunkers may be partially raked. It's the nature of the business that the weather dictates our day -- not dissimilar to farming. Point being, if you expect cups to be cut and they're not, chances are we've changed the schedule due to rain or some other factor that puts the health of the course over a time table.
To be sure, it's easier to not change our schedule and barge ahead to mow or rake regardless of conditions -- but that leads to muddy bunkers, scalped-down greens, and cup plugs that take longer than normal to heal because they're too wet to handle.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
A change in the weather
After remaining rain-free for the better part of June, this last week of rain has been a welcome sight. We had a few greens surprise us by suffering badly through last weekend's low humidity and high temperatures. We made some adjustments to them and with this cool wet week we've had, I expect them to be back to normal soon. These are greens we'll be keeping a close eye on for the rest of the summer.
All greens and green surrounds have been fertilized prior to the rain this week. This was done partly for recovery but mostly to keep them thick and dense through the summer. The color difference you'll see is primarily from the fertilizer.
Bunker edging on the back 9 is almost complete. The crew will move on to the front 9 this week.
Clover that was small enough, at the time of our first herbicide application to avoid our sprayer, is now popping through in some places. We are going after it daily and should have it all cleaned up within the week.
I want to take a minute to mention what is and isn't possible when the course is rain-soaked and moist, since it's fresh in everyone's mind. Sometimes what we deal with regarding weather and it's effect on conditions isn't so obvious to the untrained eye. So, here's a review on how soaking rains affect the course.
Ballmarks: Soaking rain has a positive effect on ballmark fixing. This is due to golfers actually being able to see their mark instead of not finding it at all. When they can see it, they usually fix it.
Cup edges: When greens are saturated, fresh-cut cup edges will only look that way for about 12 foursomes. By then, the edge has been physically damaged by a combination of ball, flagstick, putter, suction cup ball retriever, hands, etc..
I know nobody intends to damage a cup edge -- it's purely accidental. But when it's done, it's done. The rest of the players that day get to look at a crushed cup edge and wonder about the aptitude of the cup cutting guy. If you play later in the day, and it's soft, expect the cup edge to show the scars from the wars of the day. When it's firmer, obviously the edge holds together longer under the same abuse. On the days the cups are cut, they're left, by us, in perfect condition and most of the players that play early will tell you this. All it takes is one slip of the wrist, or arm, or puff of wind to cause a misjudgement when replacing a flagstick to damage a cup edge for the rest of the players that day. Please do your best to preserve the cup edge at all the times, but especially when its wet.
Green speed: Soft, wet greens will putt slower than hard, dry greens. Expect drops in green speeds by at least 1 foot when the greens feel soft under your feet, especially if we're getting rain everyday.
Water in Bunkers: The bunkers at Tuscarora drain naturally through cracks in the rock. With chronic rain, this draining can take some time.
Maintenance Schedules: Depending on when the rain hits and how much we get, the days scheduled maintenance can change by the minute. Greens may not be mowed, cups may not be cut, and bunkers may be partially raked. It's the nature of the business that the weather dictates your day -- not dissimilar to farming. Point being, if you expect cups to be cut and they're not, chances are we've changed the schedule due to rain or some other factor that puts the health of the course over a time table.
To be sure, it's easier to not change our schedule and barge ahead to mow or rake regardless of conditions -- but that leads to muddy bunkers, scalped-down greens, and cup plugs that take longer than normal to heal because they're too wet to handle.
All greens and green surrounds have been fertilized prior to the rain this week. This was done partly for recovery but mostly to keep them thick and dense through the summer. The color difference you'll see is primarily from the fertilizer.
Bunker edging on the back 9 is almost complete. The crew will move on to the front 9 this week.
Clover that was small enough, at the time of our first herbicide application to avoid our sprayer, is now popping through in some places. We are going after it daily and should have it all cleaned up within the week.
I want to take a minute to mention what is and isn't possible when the course is rain-soaked and moist, since it's fresh in everyone's mind. Sometimes what we deal with regarding weather and it's effect on conditions isn't so obvious to the untrained eye. So, here's a review on how soaking rains affect the course.
Ballmarks: Soaking rain has a positive effect on ballmark fixing. This is due to golfers actually being able to see their mark instead of not finding it at all. When they can see it, they usually fix it.
Cup edges: When greens are saturated, fresh-cut cup edges will only look that way for about 12 foursomes. By then, the edge has been physically damaged by a combination of ball, flagstick, putter, suction cup ball retriever, hands, etc..
I know nobody intends to damage a cup edge -- it's purely accidental. But when it's done, it's done. The rest of the players that day get to look at a crushed cup edge and wonder about the aptitude of the cup cutting guy. If you play later in the day, and it's soft, expect the cup edge to show the scars from the wars of the day. When it's firmer, obviously the edge holds together longer under the same abuse. On the days the cups are cut, they're left, by us, in perfect condition and most of the players that play early will tell you this. All it takes is one slip of the wrist, or arm, or puff of wind to cause a misjudgement when replacing a flagstick to damage a cup edge for the rest of the players that day. Please do your best to preserve the cup edge at all the times, but especially when its wet.
Green speed: Soft, wet greens will putt slower than hard, dry greens. Expect drops in green speeds by at least 1 foot when the greens feel soft under your feet, especially if we're getting rain everyday.
Water in Bunkers: The bunkers at Tuscarora drain naturally through cracks in the rock. With chronic rain, this draining can take some time.
Maintenance Schedules: Depending on when the rain hits and how much we get, the days scheduled maintenance can change by the minute. Greens may not be mowed, cups may not be cut, and bunkers may be partially raked. It's the nature of the business that the weather dictates your day -- not dissimilar to farming. Point being, if you expect cups to be cut and they're not, chances are we've changed the schedule due to rain or some other factor that puts the health of the course over a time table.
To be sure, it's easier to not change our schedule and barge ahead to mow or rake regardless of conditions -- but that leads to muddy bunkers, scalped-down greens, and cup plugs that take longer than normal to heal because they're too wet to handle.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Practice Range
Our range is woefully small. We all know this and try to do everything we can to grow replacement turf as quickly as possible. With this in mind, just a quick reminder about our practice tee 'mats versus grass' schedule. Mondays and Thursdays, the practice tee hits off the mats. The rest of the week you should hit from in between the painted lines
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Speed Demons
What is "green speed" and how is it measured? What affects it? What's the right green speed for you? They're simple questions for sure, but they play a big part in understanding why greens can be variable from month to month as well as from course to course. The USGA and GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America) have written extensively on the subject. I'll try to condense what I know about it here and share how I apply that knowledge to our greens at Tuscarora.
Superintendents measure green speed with a device called a 'stimp meter'. It allows for the precise and repeatable rolling of a ball across a green. The distance is measured in opposite directions, averaged, and is the green's 'stimp reading' that you might hear mentioned on television during golf tournaments.
With this number the Superintendent can compare greens on the course for consistency and monitor the effect his management programs have on ball roll.
While I won't get into a debate over what's a good green speed, I will list what increases ball roll distance as well as it's corresponding down-side:
Cause and Effect - What Speeds Them Up
Not watering/No rainfall = Greens are hard, shots don't hold, grass wilts and dies in heat
Low mowing = Scalps/wounds the green, increases disease, shortens roots
Low fertility = weak grass, weeds/disease moves in, inefficient respiration, traffic and wear problems
Sand topdressing = No observable downside besides cost of sand
Rolling = No observable downside
...And What Slows Them Down
Rain
High humidity
High fertility, fast growth
Dull mower blades
High height
No weekly topdressing or rolling program
What the latest studies show us is that most golfers can't determine a 12 inch difference in ball roll. This means that for the average player, a 10.5 foot reading may as well be 11.5, and vice-versa. The speeds we aim for at Tuscarora, for daily play, are in the 10 foot range. These are speeds I'm comfortable providing, given our conditions, and are speeds that are comparable with other clubs in the area. I believe green speeds higher than 11 at Tuscarora would be penal and would be a major contributor to slow play and frustrated golfers. It's not that you never see 11 feet here, you do, but that with the slope on our greens, it's a speed that causes more frustration than good times.
There's a Superintendent's saying that: "Greens are their fastest just before they die" This is something we endeavor not to test. There's a fun green speed out there for everyone without letting things get ridiculous. Nobody likes to 3-putt because the greens are too fast. It's unfair and can ruin a beautiful day of golf.
We'll keep on aiming toward what the USGA describes as 'fast' greens for U.S. Open tournament play -- excerpted from above wikipedia link:
The USGA stimpmetered putting greens across the country to produce the following recommendations:[1]
Superintendents measure green speed with a device called a 'stimp meter'. It allows for the precise and repeatable rolling of a ball across a green. The distance is measured in opposite directions, averaged, and is the green's 'stimp reading' that you might hear mentioned on television during golf tournaments.
With this number the Superintendent can compare greens on the course for consistency and monitor the effect his management programs have on ball roll.
While I won't get into a debate over what's a good green speed, I will list what increases ball roll distance as well as it's corresponding down-side:
Cause and Effect - What Speeds Them Up
Not watering/No rainfall = Greens are hard, shots don't hold, grass wilts and dies in heat
Low mowing = Scalps/wounds the green, increases disease, shortens roots
Low fertility = weak grass, weeds/disease moves in, inefficient respiration, traffic and wear problems
Sand topdressing = No observable downside besides cost of sand
Rolling = No observable downside
...And What Slows Them Down
Rain
High humidity
High fertility, fast growth
Dull mower blades
High height
No weekly topdressing or rolling program
What the latest studies show us is that most golfers can't determine a 12 inch difference in ball roll. This means that for the average player, a 10.5 foot reading may as well be 11.5, and vice-versa. The speeds we aim for at Tuscarora, for daily play, are in the 10 foot range. These are speeds I'm comfortable providing, given our conditions, and are speeds that are comparable with other clubs in the area. I believe green speeds higher than 11 at Tuscarora would be penal and would be a major contributor to slow play and frustrated golfers. It's not that you never see 11 feet here, you do, but that with the slope on our greens, it's a speed that causes more frustration than good times.
There's a Superintendent's saying that: "Greens are their fastest just before they die" This is something we endeavor not to test. There's a fun green speed out there for everyone without letting things get ridiculous. Nobody likes to 3-putt because the greens are too fast. It's unfair and can ruin a beautiful day of golf.
We'll keep on aiming toward what the USGA describes as 'fast' greens for U.S. Open tournament play -- excerpted from above wikipedia link:
The USGA stimpmetered putting greens across the country to produce the following recommendations:[1]
- Slow greens: 4.5 feet
- Medium greens: 6.5 feet
- Fast greens: 8.5 feet
- Slow greens: 6.5 feet
- Medium greens: 8.5 feet
- Fast greens: 10.5 feet
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