1. Why is the golf course closed on Mondays?
This is not the first or the last time I will hear this question and it is a very good one. The reason we are closed on Mondays is to give our team the opportunity to perform valuable maintenance and management practices that would be difficult to complete during play. For example, yesterday we vented, fertilized, applied a lime application to and topdressed greens. We also fertilized and aerated green surrounds, fertilized tees and mowed out the range. The range also received an application of slow release fertilizer. The range must be closed to mow so this is another great task that is accomplished on closed Mondays. All of these jobs would have been very difficult to complete during play. We maximize these closed days by working between 12 and 14 hours.
2. Why were the greens a bright green/blue color last Sunday?
This was a result of spraying the greens Sunday morning. The green/blue color is a result of a combination of turf tracker dye, which allows us to see where we are spraying and a turf pigment. The turf pigment triggers some of the plants natural defense mechanisms and encourages photosynthesis and in turn growth. We were spraying fertilizer and this turf pigment to take advantage of great growing weather last week. The truth of the matter is that we spray greens once or twice a week but rarely does this occur on the weekend so some golfers may be seeing this for the first time. For the record, we are not simply 'painting the greens' and the greens are very healthy.
3. Why do we topdress (apply sand to) the fairways, tees, and greens?
Topdressing has many benefits both to the plant and the golfer. The sand application helps smooth the surface as well as provide many other benefits. From a golfers perspective: longer drives, firm up-right turf for excellent club to ball striking performance, swing plane angle superior due to positive foot, leg and hip pivoting on the firmer surface, no plugged lies, less fatigue pushing a cart or carrying your bag, and the use of golf carts more frequently after rains.
From an agronomic perspective: better drainage, deeper rooting, superior wear tolerance, less winter-kill potential, organic matter control, and less scalp potential. We have already completed one fairway topdressing and our next one is scheduled for July 11, 12, and 13. Everytime we topdress we try to apply 1/4" of sand or about 500 tons.
As far as greens topdressing is concerned, the turf and golfer experiences a lot of the same benefits. Improved firmness, better drainage, less scalp potential, thatch control, and an overall smoother surface. You may see a little sand on the day or two after topdressing but the benefits far out weigh the small inconvenience. We have already topdressed our greens with 21.5 tons of sand since our Spring Core Aeration.
4. How is the water level in the quarry doing?
The water level is currently fantastic. Frequent rains have provided a surplus of irrigation water. We will cross our fingers that we stay in this great weather pattern. To do everything that we can to conserve and best utilize our water source, we precisely plan the use of water and never over water if we can help it. The Green Committee has also formed a water subcommittee to address this situation and a survey of the quarry's deepest points is being completed as we speak. We really do have a great water source and figuring out the best way to use it will be very beneficial for years to come. We pump about 35 million gallons of water a year out of the quarry so we should be very thankful for this great water source.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Answering Some Recent Questions
