I'm happy to announce that the new #14 combined black and blue tee is open for play! In November we combined the old tees to form one big tee. This has added approximately 2,000 square feet of tee space.
The poor quality sod that was laid before Thanksgiving was a challenge to get healthy by this spring. During the winter months we resodded many of the worst patches and added plugs from #17 fairway to the bare areas. Once the warmer spring temperatures arrived, we began to topdress, overseed, and fertilize regularly to help push the bentgrass' growth. Once germination began, the tee quickly healed in and by the beginning of May it was ready for iron shots. We are trying to keep a rotation schedule on #14 tee to use up one side of the tee then switch to the other half. This will be similar to the south practice tee to allow one half to heal while the other side is in use. The increased tee space on #14 should help with the overall health of the tee top throughout the summer and fall seasons.
This time of year, usually brings different opinions about
the length of the rough. We do our best to battle the weather conditions and
meet expectations, but the fact is the rough grass is usually longer in the
spring. There are a couple of different reasons why this occurs every year and it
is important to touch on some of these basic agronomic factors.
In May and June, golf course rough tends to grow more
rapidly due to the ideal combination of temperature, moisture, and sunlight. As
spring fully arrives, soil temperatures warm up after the cold winter months,
stimulating root activity and shoot growth in many turfgrass species. This is
especially true for our rough cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass,
ryegrass, and fescues, which thrive in the mild temperatures of late spring.
The lengthening daylight hours also increase photosynthesis, providing the
energy the plants need to push out new growth at a faster rate.
Another major factor is the increase in rainfall that often
accompanies spring. The natural rainfall causes the turfgrass in the rough to
rarely be water-stressed during this period. This, paired with spring
fertilization practices aimed at strengthening the turf for the season ahead,
leads to lush, thick growth. The rough, unlike the fairways or greens, is
maintained at a much higher mowing height so when growth conditions are ideal,
the grass quickly becomes denser and taller. In addition, the late fall and
early spring overseeding programs fill in bare areas typically seen in the fall
months leading to much thicker grass under the trees.
The purpose of the rough is to provide a challenge to
players by making it harder to hit clean, controlled shots from its longer
grass. But in late spring, the sudden surge in growth can occasionally make the
rough more penal than intended, requiring us to adjust mowing schedules to
maintain fair play. Sometimes this is difficult to accomplish during the springtime
monsoons that often saturate the turf to the point that mowing becomes
impossible. Without regular maintenance, the rough can become too thick or even
patchy, which can slow down play and frustrate golfers.
May and June are two of the busiest months for the grounds
crew as we work to balance healthy turf growth with good playing conditions.
This often leads to rough mowers out every day to knock down the quickly
growing turf. As is always the case, by mid to late summer the hot, dry
conditions paired with the abundant amount of tree roots will thin out the
rough to the point that overseeding practices will have to be accomplished
again this fall.
Poa Annua
Poa annua is a common turfgrass found on many golf courses,
particularly in temperate climates where cool-season grasses thrive. It is
especially prevalent on putting greens, where its fine texture and dense growth
can initially provide a smooth and uniform playing surface. Its ability to
establish quickly and crowd out other grasses makes it a dominant species in
areas with frequent mowing and high traffic, such as tees and greens. Also, it
grows well in shady areas, as well as wet low lying locations.
Poa annua has a tendency to produce seed heads throughout the
spring growing season, which can disrupt the smoothness of greens and affect
ball roll. To combat this we apply a product during the late fall and winter to
suppress seed head production on the greens. However, this product is not
applied on other turf surfaces and during the spring months the seed heads are
very noticeable. After using energy to form seed heads, Poa annua begins to
decline in appearance turning a yellow, brown color that is currently visible
on the golf course.
Despite its widespread use, Poa annua poses several challenges
for golf courses. It is highly susceptible to heat stress, drought, and fungal
diseases such as anthracnose and dollar spot, making it difficult to maintain
consistent turf quality in warmer months. Additionally, because of its shallow
root system, it requires more intensive irrigation and fertilization compared
to deeper-rooted grasses. Many golf courses attempt to transition away from Poa
annua to more resilient species like bentgrass or bermudagrass, but its
persistence and prolific seed production make complete eradication difficult.
As a result, managing Poa annua involves a careful balance of cultural
practices, chemical controls, and sometimes embracing it as a dominant turf
type. Eradicating trees to decrease shade, using certain PGRs, and increasing
drainage throughout the golf course are all tactics we continue to use to
decrease Poa annua proliferation; however, it is a grass that will continue
to be an issue on the WHCC playing surfaces unless a complete turf renovation
and tree reduction project is desired.
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| Kentucky blue grass and Poa annua going to seed behind #1 green. |
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| Poa annua after bolting to seed. Notice the brown tint to the grass in the valley on #12. This is also a low, wet area where Poa annua thrives |
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Brown ring patch on #14 green collar. This mainly affects Poa annua. Normally this disease is more cosmetic and will go away with warmer temperatures. We have accomplished a curative spray application after it was noticed.
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New Groundskeepers
Tim Ruhe is the new horticulturist hired this year to help us manage the ever expanding WHCC horticulture department. Tim has many years of experience in the Green Industry. Some of his past positions include working at Clovernook Country Club, Delhi Flower and Garden Center, and Great Parks of Hamilton County. Most recently he has been the Grounds Facility Caretaker of P&G Corporate Headquarters working under 4 different contractors (Viox 2014-2015, Emcor 2015-2019, Grasscor 2019-2020, and Omnia 360, 2020-2025). He was the 2017 Tradesmen Award recipient from Emcor, and has an associates degree in ornamental horticulture from Cincinnati State College. He currently resides in Fairfield with his wife Elaine and has two kids John and Faith. Tim has been busy this spring removing the spring tulip bulbs and planting the summer annuals. We are happy he is here to manage the horticulture department. Feel free to introduce yourself to Tim as he works around the clubhouse grounds this summer season.
We are always delighted to bring on retired veterans and police officers when they apply. One particular person hired this year is John Hetzel. John is a retired Sergeant for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. He is retired after 37 years of service and has taken on a part time rough mowing position here at WHCC. Be sure to thank John for his service if you see him mowing rough around the course this summer.
In addition, we have other school kids and part time workers entering the grounds department for the upcoming season. Kelly Monahan has been a big help with the hiring process as she has stepped into the new WHCC Human Resources Manger role. Every year is a challenge to find new grounds workers. This year has been no exception, but we are optimistic about this season's work force as we enter into the 2025 summer season.
