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.