Winding Down

Moving Into Winter

Projects to round out the season are under way.  We've completed several new curb 
projects and will sneak a few more in before the season starts in 2015. In some places you'll see the curbs have a "high face" or a "low face".  This is done on purpose to discourage cart traffic but to allow our mowers to get to where they need to go.  12 tee is a good example where you'll see the high face on the left, discouraging leaving the cart path early, and the low face nearer the tee, for our tee mowers to easily climb the bank.

We've also removed the potholes and deep swail in the back of 10 green. Water no longer sits anywhere on 10 green.  All rain and irrigation is shed off the front and right. Green will be back in play on opening day 2015.

Over 15 trees will be removed this fall due to disease or because they're structurally unsound.  Some of these trees are prominent on the course, but pose too great a risk due to their location and condition to remain standing. 

Memorial Trees

The first batch of memorial trees have been ordered and are being picked up on Monday Nov 3rd. I expect to get them planted by the end of the week.  Species for this round of orders were: Red Oak, Sycamore, Eastern Redbud, and American Beech. Plaques, as seen in the above picture, are available to order.  I'm still waiting on the supplier to send samples but expect them any day.  Cost of trees vary between $200 and $3000 depending on size and species. Contact Steve Kurta by my email or cell phone to get your order in and for help in choosing what kind of tree is best for you.  We'll also have a planting window in the spring before the trees leaf-out. This will be an annual fall and spring offering, so, you needn't worry if you miss out on the timing this season.

Winter is Coming
In December I'll do a post reviewing the 2014 season and all the fun we had coming out of last winter.  We've come a long way since then and I think we did pretty good considering what we were looking at for options.
Going into this winter I've done a few things differently already. I fertilized a little more in September and have let our greens grow out to a length where they will not struggle for their health as they harden off for winter (in spite of greens speeds).
Through the winter our options aren't much different than last year except for one.  If we go through a major thaw and have standing water covering any greens in the middle of winter, I'll be out  trying to remove as much of that water as I can.  Whether that helps, I may never know, but it's something I can do that I know doesn't hurt.   Other than that, we'll stick to the program that's worked well for the last 14 years.

 Make Tracks
A cross-country ski trail and snowshoe track is being planned again.  I'm looking for a used snowmobile to pull the groomer if anyone knows of one needing a home - doesn't have to run. I've got the parts for a pull-behind trail groomer so there will be room for skiers and snowshoe folks without bothering each others tracks. I'll keep you posted here on trail grooming schedules so you can plan your activities.

Autumn Leaves

Our Next Patient

10 Green

I was relating to Ben Kilmartin, our Greens Chairman, how 10 green looked when I toured the course for the first time in 1999. The low spots that hold water, near the back, were all dirt from the standing water problem.  It was evident the green had a design flaw built into it when it was originally constructed.
Since then, we've taken a couple different swings at the problem in hope to relieve the water that pools there without having to strip and re-grade the entire back of the green.  Unfortunately, those attempts didn't work as well as we expected and we still have those weak areas.
Today, Monday October 13th, we'll begin the work that will fix the grade issue once and for all.  We're doing this because the water that pools there creates weak enough turf that it becomes susceptible to winterkill, heat, and disease damage. 
These spots will be raised and a smooth slope will be created so water makes it's way off the right and front of the green.
Expect the back half of the green to be out of play for the rest of the year.  All repairs will be healed and playable by opening day next year.  I'll post progress pics through the next two months.

Curbing

12 tee was the next spot we used our curb extruder.  This gives the path a neater look, keeps the stone corralled, and makes the path easier to maintain. Next on the list is 18 tee and possibly 5 green to 6 tee.
The curbs are good looking, long-lasting, and inexpensive to put in. By most accounts, these are a win for the club in affordable traffic control.

Bunker Blues

 The biggest complaint we get is "the bunkers are xxxx".  And for the most part, it's a legitimate complaint.  Our bunkers are small and not suited to the machine raking they get, yet we use the machine when our summer crew is gone because that's what we've always done. We do it to ourselves, mostly. Adding more sand doesn't help the problem and only makes the bunker edges distorted as excess sand is pushed outward and away from where you want it (see the raised lip of the bunkers in pictures above). 
In 2015 we'll reposition sand and add new if absolutely necessary.  We'll fix the distorted edges then hand-rake for the entire season to improve the condition and consistency.  
The sand consistency we maintain for is an inch of loose sand over a firm hard sand floor.  Our bunker sand feels "hard" on purpose.  Some players may mistake this for "dirt" or not enough sand. The sand we use compacts nicely by design, and needs to. A compacted sand stays on our steep bunker faces and is a necessity.  Softer fluffy sand that some people like (popular in Florida and at newer courses) would not be a good choice at Tuscarora for more reasons that I have room to write about here.

The above picture shows a bunker that's impractical for the bunker raking machine to enter. As you'd expect, the bunker edge is intact and defined.  It's a bunker that doesn't get complaints about lack of sand.  
Hand-raking, exclusively, keeps sand where it's needed instead of being mechanically pushed to the outside. 

Shelter Idea
This is a rain shelter design I saw in Cleveland, recently, that looked functional and inexpensive.  We have a few shelters on our course that are reaching the end of their usable life.  As we contemplate their replacements, I'll use the blog as a place marker for shelter designs.

Into the Backstretch

Green Speed - Part II 

To continue with the discussion on green speed  (previously ), let's define what 'slow' means as far as the United States Golf Association is concerned for daily play and tournament play.
   
Daily play

• Slow greens: 4.5 feet
• Medium greens: 6.5 feet
• Fast greens: 8.5 feet

U.S. Open, recommendations:^[1]

• Slow greens: 6.5 feet
• Medium greens: 8.5 feet
• Fast greens: 10.5 feet

Most private clubs keep their green speed between 10 to 11 feet.
When greens fall below 9 feet, most players notice a difference.  This is when we would call a green "slow". 

Greens become slow whenever resistance to the ball increases.  The most common causes of increased resistance are changes in growth rate, soft conditions, and increased mowing height.  To minimize these factors Superintendents employ chemical growth regulators, fertilizer restriction, sand topdressing, rolling, low cutting heights, and keeping cutting equipment extremely sharp. Missing any of these tactics can cause chronic slowness.  The factor that eclipses all others (and unsurprisingly is the hardest to control) is the ability to control water with an up-to-date and efficient irrigation system.  Water control is the quickest way to slow down a green. It has multiple effects on the surface such as softening the soil, softening the plant, and increasing the growth rate.  All three of these increase resistance and have the largest effect on green speed. Rains we can do nothing about, but how accurately and reliably we apply water, we do as carefully as possible.
What we can't control of Mother Nature, we manage around.  Wet greens and rainy spells will always bring slower greens the same as dry and hot spells will bring hard and fast greens.  These are expected outcomes that surprise almost no one.   What we shoot for with speed is somewhere in the middle.  It's a balancing act, but when done right it produces consistent putting surfaces that are  fair and fun for the majority.


That time of year

When the bugs are biting, apply your bug juice off the greens while seated in your cart, or standing on a cartpath.  This was on 9 green and likely occurred on Sunday night. It's understandable, but a good time to point out how toxic insect repellant is to plants.

Prepping for hole punching

2 green getting a breather and some lunch

Greens aerifying is right around the corner so it's time we pump the greens up with some fertilizer and lay off the aggressive mowing for a while.  You'll notice the greens becoming more lush and thicker in response to the nice treatment.  The increased vigor allows them to recover quickly and makes aerifying less invasive.  Green speed will be affected during this time.   
Between weather variability and outings, the best time to punch is too changeable to stick to a hard date. We aim for an 'aerifying window' typically in early September.  We've refined the process to a point that it's done without play disruption and finished in two days or less.  

Hits and Misses 

11 Tee

11 Tee was the victim of a poorly timed aerifying procedure a couple of weeks ago.  We were trying to sneak a coring in between rain storms and got caught by a big thunderstorm.  The cores didn't clean up well and got matted into the turf, suffocating it.  Lessons were learned.  It's been seeded and should be back in shape soon.

18 tee

18 tee rarely fails to impress at this time of year.  Lambs Ear, Garden Phlox, Obedient Plant, Black-eyed Susan. Great looking area.

11 fairway

Filling divots is a huge commitment of the grounds department. The two filled divots on the outside are about 2 weeks old and well on their way to healing and the one in the middle is about a week old.  Filling divots works.  Thanks for your assistance with it.

Tweetings

Check the new grounds department Twitter feed for quick and dirty semi-daily updates (or when the mood strikes) on what's going on around the shop and golf course, if you do that kind of thing, over at @TuscaroraGC

 

Summer's Lease

Ideal Conditions
What a great spate of weather we've had recently. Rains have been just in time, cool nights aren't uncommon, and days aren't too warm.  The course thrives under these conditions and we can more easily tune it to play smooth and fast.
Men's 3-day Member Guest has come and gone with 3 great days of golf, as well as the Club Championship.  We even endured a day of emergency storm clean-up just for good measure.  The grounds crew is doing great work and the new hires are earning their stripes day by day.  All said,  June and July have shaped up to be great golfing and growing months.  The first sign that summer is coming to a close is our college workers are starting to peel off and return to their respective pursuits.

Dawn on final day of 3-day MG

Why Greens are Fast (or aren't) - Part 1

I thought it would be good to touch on this topic as it's often a misunderstood one. The more everyone understands how greens roll smoothly and why there's variability through the week, the better it is for their own game. 
Since it can be a complex topic, I'm going to take it in two parts because there's only so much turf talk people can tolerate before they stop reading.
Friction reduction is the ultimate goal when we try get greens to 'roll out'.  To accomplish this we  remove as much obstruction to the ball as possible. The most obvious first step is mowing at a low height and it works when conditions allow.  But there's a limit to how low greens can be mowed before they succumb to disease or mechanical injury. To get the most out of our height of cut we add sand topdressing.  'Sanding the greens', as you may hear it called, consists of applying a fine layer of sand over the entire green.  It's effect is similar to what cosmetic makeup does for skin -- it fills in the imperfections and rough spots on the surface which delivers a smooth surface free from obstruction. It's the same with greens, though the effect lets the ball roll further because friction has been reduced.  Done frequently enough, the sand helps the surface stay firm and true.  The second part of sand topdressing at Tuscarora is rolling.  Rolling the greens with a 800 pound roller works the sand down into the turf at the same time as smoothing larger imperfections on the surface.  The combination of the two processes add substantial smoothness and ball roll distance.
Part two will discuss what Tuscarora's greens are capable of, why weather matters, why greens get slow, and why the speed of the greens vary with fertility, disease pressure, and tournament preparation.

Update - collar widths
This is what we were shooting for by allowing the collars to 'grow-out' earlier this summer.  It's a small detail, but it's an affordable one that gives the greens a sharp appearance at no cost but our own patience.

 

Bunker Sand Depth

All bunkers on the course have been checked for the correct bunker sand depth.  Where sand has been dragged out of position by our mechanical rake and heavy rain, we try to reposition it.  While this temporarily covers thin areas, it won't fix the underlying problem.  The reason sand moves out of position in a bunker is from being mechanically dragged, or washed by heavy drains and poor drainage, over uneven bunker floors.  The solution is to rebuild the bunkers to have flatter floors, better drainage, and be of a size that allows proper machine raking without radically moving sand around.  If it were simply a matter of adding more sand, we'd be doing it. The problem isn't enough sand, it's that sand ends up in the wrong place because the bunker's were designed during an era where there was only hand raking - no machines existed to rake sand.  As a result older bunkers are unsuited to handle modern machinery and uneven sand depth is often the result.  This is why we've returned to hand raking.  It leaves the sand in place longer than when we rake with a machine.  The greens Advisory Committee is looking at options for how to address the worst draining bunkers on the course and a plan for them will be decided on this fall

Green Recovery Update

All damaged greens from last winter are fully recovered and being mowed at normal greens height.

There are weaker areas within these greens but no spot that dramatically affects putting or ball roll.  Bare spots on the greens, in general, are being plugged out every week.  Plugging a few times per week is the preferred method because it affects ball roll less and looks more natural over time than a strip of sod, or 50 plugs would.

Crabgrass 

Crabgrass infestations have been mapped on the property and will be treated with a preventative herbicide at the end of spring 2015. Crabgrass is an annual grass that dies every winter but germinates from seed in early to mid summer.  Currently we treat fairways, tee, bunker, and green surrounds and control has been good in those spots. We'll expand treatment to include all mounds and a larger percentage of the rough in 2015.

100 Days of Summer

Whew!

The time to grow in greens from winterkill? Apparently 2 months.  Glad it's over.  Would've been quicker with a warmer spring, but we did the best with what we had.  Greens height of cut will be lowered as the new seedlings mature. Expect slower rolls on longer grass as a result.  Taking heights down too quick is risky through the summer.  It's best to be safe with this and play it cautiously.  I expect the slow return to normal greens height to be completed by autumn at the latest.

Blog Delay
I've been neglecting regular posting lately for a couple of reasons.  The primary one is the weather has been ideal for getting work done and there's a lot to do.  Not so much time or energy left to sit down at the computer and tap these things out. Secondly, the laptop I use to do all my correspondence developed a problem in its hard drive, so, I'm in the process of hashing out the warranty with Dell.  Will post when able!

Pond Update

Thanks to some land management mistakes by the farmers to our immediate east (across Munro Rd.) our pond was inundated with their creek dredging silt and topsoil run-off over last winter.  They failed to use silt fencing or straw bales to mitigate the downstream flow from the work they did and the result was 50 cubic yards of slop that we had to dredge out of our pond a couple weeks ago. I've spoken with the DEC and they're aware of the problem with this specific (dairy) farm operator.  We'll be watching them closer going forward. 

On a positive note, we did get our beautiful fountain working again. Wired in with room for another fountain if needed.  There's already an improvement in water quality.  We'll never have a deep crystal clear body of water as long as the pond is fed by streams that traverse through actively manured and fertilized farmland.  The nutrient load is too high and the rock bottom of the pond is too shallow to keep it cool.  But we will do the best with what we have.  I'm looking at introducing lily pads into the pond to help cut the sunlight in hopes of slowing the heating of the water. 

Thanks to Tim Loveland for the work he did to get this rolling, Jeff Hanlon for materials and support, and Caryl Electric for the work on our side of the pole.  And thanks to everyone else involved who tried to light a fire under NatGrid corporate to expedite this job.

     

Ground Control

Ropes and stakes are a necessary evil on golf courses and I hate resorting to them.  What I do to avoid having to use them is put signs out suggesting an action.   

WET AREA STAY OUT

KEEP OFF

CARTS ON PATH

You get the idea.  When they're disregarded, we have to bring out the ropes and stakes to physically stop people from driving into spots we don't want them to go into.  We don't like having to put them up anymore than the golfer likes having to drive the long way around to get to a tee or to their ball. Please help minimize the use of ropes and stakes by keeping your golf cars out of areas that are obviously signed and telling you to go an alternate route. Thanks.

  

Right of 15 green - carts are not invited.
If you're driving a cart in here, don't.
Park in the approach where the turf is healthier.

Adjusting Collars

Once or twice a year we adjust the width of the collars so they're all uniform. It looks nice. While we're in the middle of it, it looks like our operators are drunks. Courses, who care to have uniform collars, adjust them periodically.  You may see them do this, or you may not. We've done this every year for the last 14 years, so by no means is it something new at Tuscarora. And every year I don't mind explaining the process for those who are concerned that we've forgotten how to mow our greens, or our operators aren't doing the job correctly. 

The blue dots in the foreground are where the greens mower is to trace their 'clean-up pass' which establishes the collar width.  Since the collar can be too wide or too narrow depending on the site, clean-up passes are halted for 1 -2 weeks to grow out the areas I want longer.  This is the second week we've been letting the greens edges grow out.  When I'm happy with the length and feel the greens can be cut with a clean-up, we'll start cutting them.  

Further, clean-up passes around greens aren't mowed everyday. Anywhere.  If they were, there would be very little live grass around the edges of greens due to excessive mowing injury.  For this reason, some days, even with collars adjusted, you'll see an un-mown greens edge,  And now you'll know why.   

If you have any questions at all on this method, please don't hesitate to call me or email.

Greens Opening

Operating Instructions
By now, most people are aware the 9th and 17th greens were opened Saturday morning.
These two greens have areas that are still recovering.Those areas will  be roped-off, or covered in burlap, to  help the seedlings along and prevent any damage from foot traffic.  Until all areas of these greens are fully in play, give yourselves, or your opponent the permission to move the ball so there's a clear putt at the hole (obviously no closer to the hole). 4 green is catching up for lost time and continues to improve daily. I expect a total recovery and opening in less than two weeks as warmer temperatures arrive.  You're patience, as a group, with the grow-in has been greatly appreciated by the grounds crew, Greens Chairman, and me personally. It won't be much longer before the damage from the winter of 2014 exists only as a bad memory.

9 green with new grass enough to support dew

Plugging and seeding continue in the barest areas on 17

Timber!
"Trees and grass don't mix" is as true for golf courses as it is for our own yards.  This is evident anywhere human activity occurs on grass grown under shade.  Grass thins out as it tries to compete with tree roots for water and nutrients and constant tree shade hinders it's ability to photosynthesize enough fuel to keep pace with any traffic. The results are predictable. It's a double-edged sword as large trees look dramatic and add ambiance to any setting they're a part of. We get attached to them and at the same time wonder why we can't keep the damn grass alive and healthy looking underneath them.
As Superintendents we endeavor to improve the growing environment for grasses (where the game is played) without radically altering the character and aesthetics of a hole.  The trees at Tuscarora give it its charm. By no means do we want to ruin that or cut more than we have to. Over time, as expected, trees that didn't used to affect an area, gradually become a concern (as we see on hole 4 as well as a handful of tees).  When we suspect an ailing green's problem may involve shading by a nearby tree, that tree's days are numbered.

Shade analysis is done, these days, with computer modelling. This takes the guess work, and emotions, out of the decision for removal.  To some, removing trees for any reason is looked at with suspicion.  Tuscarora remains one of the most heavily treed courses, if not THE most heavily treed course in the area, due, in no small part  to our regular re-planting program (as we lose our Austrian Pines to old age and disease).  

By this winter I hope to have a small list, to be reviewed by the greens advisory committee, that recommends candidates for removal that are affecting the health of greens and tees that they're shading.    

  

Standing on the collar of 4 green looking east

Looking west over 13 green after removal - better air circulation and less shade for 4 

Aerifying
We'll be starting to aerify the greens with micro-tines over the next week (last week in May).  The holes will be filled with sand and be barely visible within a few days.  We do this three times a year. Our first was in April. Our last will be in September.  Last year was our first try at this three-times-per-year method and it was a success in not disturbing member play and achieving the goal of thatch removal and compaction relief.

Odds and Ends

• Now is the time to apply your crabgrass control if you haven't already done so. 
• The pond fountain is ready to go as soon as National Grid says we're hooked in.
• Greens will start to firm up and smooth out as we begin our weekly topdressing.

    

Bringing May Flowers

Hark! A 70 degree Day
Weather patterns have finally given up some good growing conditions. Area courses, and your lawns, are going to charge ahead in leaps and bounds. Rough will fill in (oh no!) and our mowers will run, pretty much, non-stop to keep it playable.  We have 3-5 staff cutting rough 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.  Our current staffing level on light days is 9.  That goes to 11 when we mow fairways.  At the peak of summer we'll be somewhere around 15 crew members.
Greens have already started to fill-in with these temperatures.  This is exactly what we needed to jump start areas that were lagging.   Tee divots will start to germinate readily as well. Keep filling them, it really helps.

Candytuft (Iberis) - front yard of clubhouse 

Bugs and Weeds
Similar to store-bought produce, golf course grass can't be maintained to the level desired by today's 'consumer' with out using chemical protectants.  The 'Chemicals Applied' signs will be up on the days we have chemicals going out. We target our applications in the morning after mowing and before golfers hit the course (as weather allows).  Spraying can't be scheduled for one set day of the week due to the weather variability.  Protectants are applied under the supervision of a licensed applicator when conditions are correct.  Signs are posted when there's been a treatment as per New York State law.  If you have any questions as to what we've been spraying, or why, I'd be happy to speak with you.
All records and product labels for the last 3 years are kept at the Superintendent's office 

Annual Bluegrass Weevil - a major pest at Tuscarora

A Whiter Shade of Pale
Fairways have been treated with a growth retardant that restricts grass seedheads from forming. The major benefit of this treatment is the plant puts energy into root growth instead of seed production.  This pays off in the heat of the summer when the plants benefit from deeper roots.  The trade-off is minor discoloration. The regulation effect lasts about 2 more weeks and causes the fairways to look slightly pale. This is a normal side effect. Once the plants have passed the seeding stage and the regulation ceases, they turn dark green and produces a high quality surface. We traditionally use the same strategy on greens but I opted away from it this year because it wasn't worth risking injury due to the condition the greens were in.  As a result, the greens will have more seedheads in them during the month of June.  We will be combating that with grooming, topdressing, and rolling.

Curbing Success
The curb on 6 to 7 came out well.  Stay tuned for more.
A thanks to Chris Bednarski and Ben Kilmartin for the push to get this done after they saw something similar at a club last year. I think it's a huge improvement that's both affordable and attractive.

Greens Recovery Update

Steady improvement is accelerating with the warm conditions.  Greens have been fertilized with a quickly available nitrogen source before the last rain. That, teamed with heat and regular moisture, is speeding them along.  We took 15 green off the injured reserve list last weekend as it had recovered enough for foot traffic. 

4, 17, and 9 are all going in the right direction.  It's a waiting game now.  

9 green - good germination

4 green - fighting off the shade. Slow but sure.

The Difference a Week Makes

Ballmarks

Assuming the position

I'll skip reminding everyone to fix their ball marks this week because I'm pretty sure we're all doing it now..  

Except for those few holdouts who aren't -- and I bet they don't read this blog anyway.  

So, for THEIR sake, here's a link to a 2011 Greener Notes entry on how to fix a ball mark in case you're ever playing behind them.

If you know you're doing it correctly, fantastic!  But if you're unsure, or curious, and want to see how the pros do it - click this way. 

Recovery is Coming (GoT)

Here's a few pictures of where we were just weeks ago.  Thanks again for your patience.  I know it's frustrating to have to avoid greens.  We'll be done with this recovery as soon as the plants can support foot traffic without tearing, but no sooner.  Where the poa is not coming back, we'll be waiting for germination of new bentgrass plants which comes with warmer temperature.

4 green  4/13/14

4 green 4/29/14

4 green new growth 4/28/14

9 green 4/7/14

9 green 4/27/14

The freeze-injured areas are gaining ground every week.  Still hopeful for a Memorial weekend opening for them. 

Operative word: 'hopeful'.    

Still waiting for consistent warmer temperatures.  Good growing weather has been elusive. 

Latest USGA Report 

RE: Winter injury/recovery

A Silver Lining (link)

Tees

You'll notice the tees we were working on are almost finished.  I decided to re-strip two more tees on #6 where we tried to recycle old tee sod to save a few dollars - wasn't worth it.  The sod looked horrible from the beating it took over the winter and the growing conditions this spring have been unkind for getting it to knit-in.  

We had some leftover strips of nice sod from  11 and 13 so decided to use it on 6.  All tees will be tweaked for alignment and smoothness before they're opened.  Have no doubt they'll be rolled with our greens roller for a final smoothing once the roots take hold.   

Curb Your Enthusiasm

We're going to be trying a curb extruding machine, this month, to protect tee and green cart path edges.  We'll be experimenting with our own concrete mix, as well as bagged mix, to get the look we're after.  It will also give the cart paths a cleaner look as it helps guide cart traffic around the course. We still struggle, as most courses do,  with 'cart pilots' driving where they like instead of where they're supposed to go. This will cut down on worn and trampled turf and the cluttering look of ropes and stakes.  Holes 6 and 12 will be where we start. We'll use these first holes to get a feel for the machine and how long the process takes. 

Here's how the finished product looks.  We thought it was a handsome feature and affordable to boot.  Pictures from Conklin Players Club who use the same type of extruder to great effect.