Winter Project Update

Winter projects are moving right along this year. Over the past winters we have performed our spring greens aerification during the winter. We have experimented with different techniques so we can achieve our USGA recommended 20% surface disruption. During this time we exercise the most disruption allowing us to achieve our goals. This is very important during this time, our member play is down and we do close the greens for these agronomic programs.  This year we opted to target the top 1 inch of the green surface. We regularly test the top 4 inches and our test concluded we needed to be target the top. We used a machine that slices a 1 inch deep line and then is filled with sand right behind the unit. This is a wonderful way to have firm and fast greens during the summer months. For our second program, we will use our deep tine machine that will poke a hole 12 inches deep. We then will drop a line of sand and manually broom into the holes. This will help with drainage and increase the rooting on the greens. Once the deep tine program is complete (fingers crossed by next week), we will cover the greens until sometime in mid-March.

Other notable Projects:

• Golf Course wide tree pruning. This will increase sight lines, shade mitigation and improve air flow. 
• Curbs have been installed on 3 green, 4 green 5 green, 18 green, 9 green, and 10 tee along the cart path edge. This will cut down on wear and the staff having to repair every year. 
• Fairways have been verti-cut, aerified, and top dressed and currently we are finishing up the deep tine.
• Rough has been aerified
• The rough around #5 green has been replaced with new sod.
• Our new tee on #17 is coming along nicely and we hope to have this completed by March. 

The Graden Machine in Action

Pushing off left over debris

Deep tine machine going 12 inches deep

Sand ready to be pushed into the holes 

Finished product

#18 green side curb addition

#10 Tee curb addition

The value of opening up the greens surface

Yes, like the title reads there is a tremendous value opening the surface of the green. This promotes air and gas exchange along with water infiltration. Our greens are USGA greens that are designed to accept water and then let it go through drainage. As for a push-up green which is composed mostly of native soils, this is designed to shed water much like the turtle back greens you see at Pinehurst #2. In order to keep up with the physical properties of the sand we need to do routine aerifications such as pull a core to replace with clean fresh sand. This removes the organic material that can hold water at the surface creating many problems and soft playing conditions. After we do those things we need to regularly open them up through non aggressive techniques during the playing season and not interfere with the enjoyment of the game. One example that we like to do is the use of a needle tine that is less than the thickness of a pencil, approximately .200 of an inch. Although small, this is a great tool, to continue the drainage characteristics of our USGA greens.  So where am I going with all of this? We have a tool that can quantify our results to show you the benefits of doing this practice and its called an infiltrometer. This tool allows us to measure in inches per hour how fast the greens will drain. We took a measurement and received a whopping 9 inches per hour before we used the needle tines on the greens. The next day after the needle tine, we came back to the similar location and took another reading. Our results were 24 inches per hour and we almost tripled our infiltration rate by doing this practice. So you can see the benefits are great and will help our greens make the grade!

Needle tine in action

The infiltrometer we used

Fill both rings with water and then we start the timer

Course Update

Small improvements have been started while trying to be mindful of our Member-Member event coming up. We are chomping at the bit to start sod cutting the rough areas for replacement, this is why you may notice some brown areas in the rough that contain bermuda grass. Our goal is to start this process September 22nd and continue into October, before that we do plan on seeding various areas of the rough this week to get that process rolling. There will be at times open areas that need to be completed with sod and rest assure that we will be completing sections at a time. These areas will be marked ground under repair and we would encourage you to drive around them until they have rooted in. We have started to sod some fairway areas that were thinning out because of the heavy rains and in partly do to the herbicide we used for the fight against the bermuda,

Yesterday we were able to apply our monthly potassium application and top dress the greens. Obviously this is a Monday Maintenance day but with the rain possibly coming Thursday night, we wanted to take advantage of that to help work the sand into the profile. 

Top Dressing being applied

Potassium application 

Course Update

With just one week to go, we are gearing up for our planned greens aerification on August 11th. The greens have over come some harsh climates during the most recent golf events with some thinness on our high traffic areas. Did you know that we received almost 3 inches of rain during the Member-Guest and Maryland Open in a 6 day stretch? And that the bunkers were a true testament to the brand we want Lakewood to be known for, with minimal repair to show case your course?  Although the greens roll very well the appearance is much to be desired for. This has been remedied by applying fertilizer to help the plant recover. It is true that this has been like this for a couple of weeks and we have been spoon feeding small amounts of nitrogen to alleviate the problem. But at the end of the day a well designed granular fertilizer application will kick them in the butt and on the road to recovery. We wanted to plan the application closer to our greens aerifiaction to decrease the time it takes to heal.  Not only will the greens be looking great at the end of this week but this will also help our recovery time after we pull a core and top dress next week on August 11th ,and yes we will be using small tines this go around. 

An example of thinning areas like this pictured.

The bermuda has been on roller coaster of suppression on the fairways and tees and we will continue to weaken it for the winter and will see the outcome next year.

There are some new club washers at the short game, these are very simple to use and only require you to dip your club in, they are a little tight but will break themselves in over time. The main thing is to stream line that process for your pleasure.

We have repaired the bridge traffic area on #7 near the green, this area receives a lot of traffic and actually began to dig itself a hole. We had already completed this on the opposite side of the bridge and just continued the theme.

Before

After 

Greens Preventative Maintenance

Last Thursday we started the beginnings of our gauntlet week with Member Guest preparations for the event last Friday and Saturday with a day break and into the Maryland State Open Championship which was held Monday through Wednesday.  For those past six days the staff arrived to start prepping the golf course at 4 am. It was a challenging time for everyone and I am very appreciative of the management staff and the greens staff for their tremendous efforts in making these two events a success. The weather was not the greatest and our total rainfall in these 6 days was a staggering 2.6 inches. The bunkers were a dream to have with minimal work to keep them looking the greatest during the events. With that being said we were very hard on the greens during this wet and hot time, we developed a few thin spots from traffic but over all they held up very well. To give them a breather we decided to vent them this morning. This is a very subtle way to open them up to help dry them down and promote gas exchange, remember we want oxygen in the root zone for a healthier plant. With the cooler weather coming we anticipate this being gone in a few days.

We also will be doing something similar to the fairways by poking a solid tine in various areas to alleviate the wet and soggy conditions and like before to promote drying and gas exchange.

This is called a Bayonet tine, very helpful in our greens
program and to utilize on a monthly basis. Its 3/4 wide and
we go down 3-4 inches.

Rolling after the venting process to smooth the surface out.

Course Update

Today we took the opportunity to vent the greens using a solid tine that is less that .200 of an inch on a 1 inch spacing. This practice gives the greens the chance to breath and re-leave a little compaction. This is a very popular practice because it is not as invasive as our typical aerification of which can be very disruptive and messy.  Along with this practice we top dressed the greens. Top dressing is a very beneficial practice to keep the health of the greens. It helps smooth out the surface for smoother putting, firms up the surface and mainly helps us dilute the organic material in the top profile of the green. Organic material comes from dead leaves and spent roots from the plant. Over time this can clog the surface and be harmful to the over all play ability of the green.


Other notable but small details around the club house is the removal of pavers that were placed on corners of walk ways. Although a temporary fix, this is not really what we want our look to be. So we removed these and poured concrete in its place for more consistent look and one that will last.

The aerifiers are to slow so the top dressers quickly move
in front of them. 

Finished product, solid tine, top dressed and dragged in.

Existing pavers to be removed.

Removed soil to a depth of 4 inches

Course Update

Last week we finished aerifying tees and they have been top dressed. We are getting very close to completing the fairway top dressing with just #6 fairway and #7 approach left.

 Here is where we stand on the Bunker project:

• Bunkers on #1 will be wrapping up this weekend
• The shaping of #2 bunkers is in progress
• The Tee Extension on #2 is in progress
• #6 Bunkers has commenced this Saturday morning
• Once we get close to completing the bunkers on #6 and the short game we will call in the polymer application and then begin to add the sand on holes 1,2,3,6 and the short game.
• The back bunkers are open but please mind any new sod and enter at the lowest points
• The front bunkers are closed until the sod roots into the soil
• The new approach extensions on #11,#13 and #18 are ground under repair.

The greens have been rolled and fertilize to promote closing of the aerification holes.  The haul roads are being seeded and straw laid down to trap in moisture. The trees on #3 have been relocated to the areas between #11 and #18 and to the left of the ladies Tee on #11. And mulch has been flying out around the trees.

Tee aerification

Roller we used for the greens

#1 green side bunker

#6 re-shaping the right side green complex

#6 Prepping for a bunker and irrigation mainline move

Progress Update

Wednesday was a very productive day considering it was a 100% chance of rain. I went ahead and rolled the dice and had a sod truck delivered to continue the bunker edges and we also completed round #2 of the back nine greens aerification. Simply put our first aerification relieves compaction in our greens while incorporating sand into the holes. For the second time we use a solid tine to open up a hole and continue to incorporate more sand into the greens profile thus less clean up.  Remember we have been battling an organic mat layer in these greens and I am very happy to say per our last lab test that we are making great progress towards achieving our goals through the cultural practices that we have implemented. What can be very detrimental in this mat layer is the ability to lose the drainage that we need with the holding of excess water at the surface making the greens soft and spongy and loaded with chances for diseases to inoculate and cause unneeded stress to the turf grass. Our lab technician was very impressed with the results that he had to ask how we are achieving success. Of course I am aware that there are some people that think this is a little aggressive but if we were to stand and do nothing our greens would deteriorate to the point that they would have to be rebuilt, simply put. On Friday weather permitting we will continue the front nine greens aerification.

On another note, steady progress is being made and #7 is now officially ready for the polymer application. Another team is arriving Monday to install the sand on holes 9,10 and 18. Our pump house project is coming to a close and the contractor finished the irrigation main line and made the last connection to tie into the existing irrigation system. With just a few more details inside the building to accomplish we will be ready to start the new system up for the season.

Results of first aerification

Picture taken after solid tining took place,
 no cores were removed on the second application.

This is our final result we are looking for.

Laying sod on the edges just in case it rains, this keeps the
gravel contaminate free.

#8 right green side bunker

#8 front green side bunkers

#8 left fairway bunker

#8 back green side bunker

#7 left approach bunker

Making the last main line connection

Crazy Monday!

Its a good feeling to get back in the swing of things and today was no exception. We finished aerifying the greens on the back, this is round one. Next we will blow the holes clean and begin the top dressing process. For the front side we will wait until after any rain on Wednesday and proceed with the same process on the front. Our new irrigation main line line just passed the gas lines and they should have that completed today.  The polymer spray team for the bunkers returned to finish spraying #18 and all of #9, today their goal is to spray #10 and move to #8 and #7 weather permitting. Remember this stuff needs to be dry to spray and this time of year it can be very difficult until the conditions are just right. We had a little pipe issues with our pond and that also has been taken care of, we took advantage of this fix to clean our intake screen for the irrigation system and everything looks intact from 1993. All of the old bunker sand has been removed from #7 and #8 and the team will be working on removing the sand on #5 today.

We got smart and started to fill up our top dresser with
cores from the green.

Then we started to blow them out in the fairway,  once
dry we will drag the sand off them and blow of the organic
material. This will put back sand in the fairway and
decrease the amount of material we bring back to dump.

Bunker Polymer Application

New Irrigation Main line install

#7 right green side bunker

#7 left approach bunker