The race is on!

 The race is on to get the driving range project completed and seeded by mid to late September. So far things have been running along as planned. The glyphosate application was accomplished on August 16th. Then the irrigation heads were removed, point of connection areas cut and capped, mats moved to the far practice tee, and signs and tee plates taken out. Next ,Russ Macke (Contractor) began shaping the chipping green and new practice tee area. Currently, the chipping green is formed, the back of the practice tee is shaped, and the parking area is in the process of being formed. The drainage pipes and fittings have arrived and we are working on installing drain lines in the chipping green and surrounds. 

Chris Wheeler spraying the old practice tee area

Glyphosate working

Old tee mix stripped

Drainage on new chipping green

Raymond and Wilfredo digging out a green drainage trench

Next up will be adding greens mix to the chipping green base and forming/smoothing out the front part of the driving range tee. Also, after labor day, the floor of the driving range will start its makeover with a fairway pattern and target greens created. Once the areas are completely shaped, all drainage installed, and mix added, Leibold irrigation will be on site to install the new irrigation pattern. Tentatively, that should happen the week of September 13th. Fingers crossed that Mother Nature, labor, and material deliveries all cooperate and keep this project on schedule!

Green drainage installed

On the golf course maintenance side, the current weather pattern has stressed out the cool-season grasses immensely. Three weeks ago the temperatures were hot and dry, causing us to scramble during the member/guest tournament to keep turf alive by hand watering and utilizing the irrigation system. The next week brought on rain with hot and humid temperatures. The hoses were quickly replaced with spray rigs to keep as much grass disease free as possible. The crew has done a great job keeping high impact turf areas alive, but some of the deep rough has been decimated by Mother Nature's scorching late summer stretch. Spray applications of the deep rough areas are not in our current maintenance schedule due to its size, its minor importance to playability, and budget constraints.

 

Cool-season grass ideally likes temperatures between 65 and 80. Once the thermometer crosses into the 90 degree range during the day, and 70 degree range at night, the turf becomes really stressed and it becomes a catch 22 for the agronomy team. With humidity low and recent rainfall scarce, the evapotranspiration rate increases causing the plants to become dry. Watering is then imperative and difficulty arises when trying to keep adequate moisture in the ground before evaporation and transpiration rob the supplemental watering. When humidity rises or rainfall becomes abundant during hot temperatures, disease outbreaks take place. This hot, moist environment is ripe for devastating summer time diseases, such as Pythium blight, brown patch, gray leaf spot, summer patch, dollar spot and anthracnose. The only remedy is applying expensive plant protectants to prevent the pathogens from entering the turf. If the disease has already taken hold curative measures can be taken, although preventative applications are far more effective. Once nighttime temperatures cool down to the low 60s the turf will begin to recover; however, until then the stressful conditions will continue to wreck havoc on the turf and crew.

Pythium blight mycelium

Pythium damage in #17 deep rough

Dollar spot on #8 tee

Some of the maintenance practices that took place during the early season are showing beneficial signs. The root pruning done in January has kept many of the fairway areas, as of now, alive.  In the past, outside fairway areas were the first to go during stressful periods because of competing tree roots. The root pruning in these areas has kept this stressor at bay; resulting in healthier turf.

Jarred Wherekamp root pruning #1 fairway in January

Root pruning having a positive effect on #16 fairway. Notice the line between green turf and brown turf right at the short rough and fairway intersection. That was the location of root pruning last winter.

Tree roots by #6 tee stressing out the poa annua on the tee. This was not root pruned.

The verticutting along with core aeration has started to decrease the heavy amount of fairway thatch accumulation, allowing roots to grow deeper into the soil profile. On the greens the light and frequent topdressings along with other sound cultural practices has kept them in great shape throughout the toughest time of year.

#6 approach and fairway during the member/guest tournament. Looks healthy

Despite applying preemergent herbicide in April for goose grass and crabgrass control, by the late summer/early fall the protection from these weeds decreases. Once these grassy weeds spring up there is only a couple options for post-emergence control. Pylex (topramezone) is the best chemical for post control. When Pylex is sprayed onto the weeds they turn a bleached, white color before dying off. You may notice the bleached patches out on the course as we eradicate these late summer invaders.

Pylex herbicide control of hard and soft crabgrass. In the picture above Dallas grass (brown patches) is also being sprayed with Dr. Dave Gardener's (Ohio State Professor) concoction of 1/2 rate of topramezone and a 1/2 rate of quinclorac

Pylex applications

 

Overseeding of some dead patches of rough will take place in September once the temperatures cool down. Fall aeration is on the horizon with September 7th scheduled for greens aerification and fairway/tee aeration will soon follow. Of course fall fertilization won't be far behind. In the next couple of weeks, the lightning struck tree by #7 will be removed and the tree by #9 will be pruned and treated to keep it alive for as long as possible. As many of you can see we have a packed end of the season work load. Updates will continue to happen as everything moves forward- hopefully at a quick and uneventful pace!

Brad Piecuch

Grounds Superintendent