Fairway Aeration

"The greens seem to be recovering very well!! Congratulations to you and your team. Any plugs you can share in regards to the health and progress of the fairways?

Thanks for all your efforts and your information"


This comment was left on the bottom of my last post, Greens Update, Flag Locations, and Greens Speed, and is a great question. Most of the information I have shared over the last few weeks has been related to the recovery of the greens, but our work hasn't been limited to that aspect of the course. Anyone who has been to course has seen the damage from the winter, but I'll itemize the damage for clarity.

Due to the ice, the loss of turf on the fairways was  roughly 60 percent. In terms of area that's about 15 acres or 650,000 square feet of close mowed turf. Most of the turf injury occurred in the low lying areas where the snow was shallow and ice subsequently formed during the melt around Christmas time.

The process is as follows;

Aerate to create seed holes

The video below is of our 864 Toro Aerator using solid tines to create seed holes on the fairways.  Fortunately due to early winter, the holes from the previous fall aeration were not filled in and we were able to utilize them as seeding receptacles, as well as the new ones created this spring. For our second seeding this summer we used solid tines as the cause less interruption then pulling aeration cores.

Seed

The seeding process was pretty simple.  We calibrated our seed applicator for four pounds of seed per 1000 square feet and applied manually to minimize loss and improve accuracy.  This was a very labour intense procedure and the guys did a great job on all 15 acres.  Here are Conner and AJ on 15 fairway around mid May.

Topdress to cover seed and fill holes

The topdressing process is pretty straight forward. We use our Toro MH400 material handler to distribute the sand as evenly as possible over the fairways.  Because of the large amount of sand going out, about 400 tonnes when finished, this process is time consuming and can effect play.  Generally if the nines are reversed, its because we are fairway topdressing and trying to minimize interaction with play.

Our spring seeding netted some very good results.  We saw a marked improvement from the onset of spring compared to today.  As of last week we began the process all over again to aerate the fairways and seed the weak areas. Below is the beginning of 16 fairway, a weak spot we seeded a week ago.




   Please help us by not driving on the fairways if possible, use the rough and cart paths when convenient to do so.  Please also respect the placement the wooden barriers on the course, they are there to direct the traffic into certain areas and minimize concentrated compaction.  We try to move the barriers on a regular basis to alter the traffic patterns because the cart traffic is so heavy.   Each cart weighs about 1500 pounds and with golfers and equipment, that becomes closer to a ton. If each cart makes only one trip a day that's 45 carts each day, and 45 tons in the same spot. Every day for the summer. Here are some photos from just one days traffic.

While not perfect, we are making headway considering the devastating spring. Here are some before and after media.  The video is of 16 fairway early May and again July 7.  The photo is of ten fairway around same dates. 

Greens Update, Flag Locations, and Green speed

Now that July is here and the weather is better, we are seeing improvements in the density of turf in the greens.  With the stronger turf we will revert to practices that you are accustom to seeing on a regular basis.  Our flag system will return to at least 15 of the greens, as four, six and eight are still a bit thin to use the whole green.

This is a turf plug from the weak area on eight.  I was pleased to see the density of the roots at this stage, but still not comparable to the healthy plug below.

  Plants use roots as storage devices for stressful times and with a diminished root mass the plants are less likely to handle foot traffic, mowing and general play.  Add to that the bumpy playing condition in the weak areas and we have chosen to keep the flags in healthier areas of those greens for the next little while.

Our flag system is as follows;
Red/white for the front of the green, Black/white for the middle and Blue/white for the back portion of the green.  Last year there was some confusion of the the blue and black at a distance, so we increased the white portion of the black flag to help differentiate between the two.

One question I get asked a lot is when will the green speed increase. There are a lot of factors that affect the speed at which a ball rolls on a green.  Height of cut has probably the most effect, as the shorter the turf is the less resistance on the ball.  Due to the damage on the greens this spring we started out the year mowing our greens at .200 thousands of an inch (.250 is a quarter inch for reference), to aid in recovery. We had intended on lowering the height last week but with the extreame heat we held off, as it can be stressful process. Once the heat had abated we began the process of lowering the height of cut, or HOC.  Here's how that works.

This is the gauge we use to set the height on the cutting reels. The gauge works by measuring the distance from the bottom of the steel dome to plate under my fingers. The left photo is where we started the year at .200. The right is the target height, .120. Clearly not a lot of distance, but a huge difference in speed.

Below is a photo of one of our cutting heads.  In the picture it is upside down, and the two rollers would normally sit on the green as the unit mowed.  The blade under my thumb is called a bed knife and the series of blades under my forefinger are the cutting reel. During operation the reel turns under hydraulic pressure and catches the grass against the bed knife. We adjust the height of cut by moving the rollers up or down to increase or decrease the distance of the bed knife to the ground.

Our typical summer height is about .120, and as of Friday last week we were down to .155. On Monday we dropped by .007 and will do so again on for Thursday morning to take us to .140.  We will remain at that height until next Monday when we will continue the process but at smaller increments.  This will dramatically increase the greens speed.  There are other aspects of our maintenance program that affect greens speed. I will cover them in a later post but for now expect an increase is speed over the next week or so based on the reduced height of cut.  Enjoy your day out there!

Progress!

Today is Friday June 14, 2019.  On Tuesday of next week we will be opening four of our 9 closed greens.  Numbers 4, 13, 16, and 17 will be open for play first thing in the morning.  The greens have progressed to the point where we are comfortable with allowing the stress from daily play and maintenance to move them back into rotation. 

Here's a rundown (in pictures) of the current situation with comparison photos;

Number 4, June 14, 2019.

Number 16 May 6th, 2019

Number 16, June 14, 2019.

Number 13, May 8, 2019

Number 13, June 14, 2019

Number 16, May 2, 2016.

Number 16, June 14, 2019

Clearly the greens have improved from the results of the challenging winter.  When playing the recently opened greens you will note that there are some areas not yet at 100 percent.  As mentioned before our benchmark for opening the greens was to have the pinnable areas at 80 percent.  There will be spots where the turf is still thin and most of these areas have been seeded. If possible and convenient please avoid walking in these areas as the turf  recovers.

Number 5, June 10, 2019.  Here are the staff seeding the weak areas on number 5.

Number 5 June 14, 2019.  Even after only four days from seeding, the warmer temperatures have increased the percent and rate of germination.

 The remaining closed greens, numbers 3,5,6,7 and 8, will be assessed on Wednesday of next week to see when they can be opened.  The weather over the last two weeks has been exactly what we have been looking for.  The warmer temperatures at night and day have increased the germination rate and percentage.  I have notice a remarkable difference in recovery from the June 3rd until now, and fully expect the healing to rapidly progress from this point forward.

We have also freed the cart restraints to allows for travel on the fairways.  Number one, four and 12 are still in recovery mode so they will be cart path only for a while.  While the cart restrictions have been lifted, we are asking folks to voluntarily avoid fairways when possible as the the less traffic the better.

Again, please be patient with us and the process as we move to recover the golf course. Stay tuned!

Weather and Temporary Greens

Measuring the weather is an important part of maintaining a golf course.  I often rely on historical and typical weather to determine what to expect from various aspects of our maintenance regime and when to time them.  Because this year has been such an outlier from the typical trends its been difficult to follow our application plans.  Our known trends have been pushed back by at least two weeks, maybe even three.

Most biological functions in our climate are based largely on how our seasons change from one to the next.  Everything from bears hibernating to mosquitoes hatching to plants beginning to bud are affected by the temperature and photo period.  As a culture we often use biological change as a marker to indicate where we are in the season.  I know that when crocuses and tulips break ground the soil temperatures are up, and when the black flies hatch summer will get going very soon.  Ask anyone with allergies and they can tell exactly when trees are pollinating. While these measurements are anecdotal, they have enough value that a scientific method was developed to measure these changes, these are called Growing Degree Days.  

In essence GDD measure heat units that plants require to start various stages of development, growth, fruiting, and harvest.  For example, by measuring the GDD each spring and watching to see when a Sugar Maple buds, we can determine when they will bud in future springs.  GDD plays an enormous role in farming, as corn requires a certain amount heat units to grow, mature, and be ready for harvest.

Conner Mooney, one of our staff members this year is studying Environmental Science and is tracking the GDD for us.  He put this chart together to illustrate the spring GDD (by the way he's also looking for a job in the environmental industry, so contact me if there are any leads).  

    

The difference is significant, so significant, that it may effect the food market in North America.  Potato plantings in PEI are way behind schedule. Corn plantings in the US as of last week were only at 36 % of the normal 90% by this time of year. To quote a fertilizer manufacture and friend of mine, "if this keeps up, the price of tortillas will go through the roof."

In terms of the golf industry, understandably, it means the whole machine has slowed down. It explains how seed remained dormant, fertilizers didn't breakdown, and growth has been less than expected.

There were a couple of times where I was convinced summer had just started only to have the temps drop back to well below the norms.  As of  Monday last week the temperatures have become some what closer to norm, and judging from the number of mosquitoes harassing me on Wednesday night, I think (fingers crossed) it's finally here.

As the temperatures improve and the growth is spurred on we will see a great improvement in the damaged greens.  Already this week has shown a visible improvement and germination rate has climbed.  This is a critical time for recovery, if put back into play to early, the greens will go backwards and remain sub par for the summer.  

One suggestion was to open part of the green and rope off the damaged section.  Unfortunately this would hamper the the recover for a few reasons.  We need irrigate the seed on a regular basis, which would obviously conflict with play.  The closed greens are cut at much higher length and less often then the open greens to alleviate stress and compaction.    The seed at this point is very tender and quite susceptible to damage. Even foot traffic, especially with spikes, will cause the process to slow. 

From a distance the greens look playable.

As you get closer, the gaps are more evident, however there has been visible improvement this week.

And even closer you can see the very small seedlings taking off.  Continued stress from mowing, foot traffic and compaction would surely set back our efforts. 

 Having the greens closed also allows us to continue to work on them without interfering with play.  Most of the work is done by hand, rather than machine, to reduce stress on the plants.

Here the guys are hand aerating number seven, where I felt the seed catch was too slow.  Do to the minimal impact we also use this technique on open greens ahead of play to seed weak areas.

Basically a board with nails in it, the aerator creates the perfect hole for the tiny bent grass seed.

After seeding, the greens are top dressed, and the sand is worked in using this rake called a lawn level.  Normally we would tow a brush behind a cart, but it would probably tear out the seedlings.

 Everyone I've spoken to have been very supportive regarding the less than ideal situation, please continue with your patients as we continue strive to restore the quality of our product.  Stay tuned! 

End of May Update

On Monday, June 3rd, the golf course will open with 9 temporary greens, they are 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16, and 17. As a superintendent, one of the most depressing things you are forced to do is cut a temporary pin.  We take pride in offering the best conditions possible to our clients and, unfortunately, the harsh winter followed by a cold spring has hampered our efforts to get the greens back into shape.

The temporary pin on 7 green.  The temp green sizes will be outlined in yellow paint and the two putt rule will be in effect.  If you land inside the paint line count two putts and pick up. 

The last month has been trying for the east coast golf course community.  Our staff have been fighting cold temperatures and a significant amount of rain during the recovery process.  If you visit the Weather Office for Environment Canada, the weather records are available for May (for you data/weather buffs there's some really neat stuff here). Click Here to see May 2019 weather.  With a mean temperature of 8.9 and an average max high of about 14.5, this year is considerably colder than average. In 2018 the mean was 11.6 and the average max high was almost 20 degrees.  In terms of propagating Bent grass (Agrostis Stolenifera), the important factor is the mean. The mean temp directly affects the soil temperature, and seed germination is directly related to that metric.

In general terms: Colder soils, less germination, warmer soils more germination.

Other factors included; seeding rate, moisture levels, seed species, depth of seed, seed to soil contact and some biological stuff that can get pretty dry as conversation.   

Germination is referred to as a "catch", and a good catch is where a larger portion of seed has germinated. The more boxes checked in the list of environment conditions as mentioned, the more germination we will see.  Obviously this year some elements are missing to create the conditions for a large catch, with the consistent soil temperatures being the main detractor.

One of the tools in our toolbox to help with the process are germination tarps.  These are plastic permeable tarps that allow water and gas exchange, while creating a green house effect above the turf. The tarps certainly do improve the daytime temperatures but do little to retain warmth during the night. As the air temps drop off at night the soil temps follow, reducing the consistency of temperatures necessary for a good catch.  At this point we have stopped using the tarps. As temperatures get into the 20's they can cause excessive heat and in effect "boil" the seedlings and the existing grass. For the most part we used the tarps from the onset of seeding, but continued use might set us back.

We began seeding the greens in late April, anticipating that the temperatures would be typical spring in the East Coast.  Germination usually occurs within 7 to ten days, however I expected a longer time frame due to the lower temperature.  There was little germination.  By mid May I decide to reseed, taking the approach that by increasing the seed population we would improve our catch.  Between the marginally warmer temps and the tarp use the germination was triggered but still not happy with the results we seeded again this week.  To date we have applied about 250 lbs of seed to the weak areas on the greens.

The good news in that while there is some seed loss, as temperatures improve there will be more and more seed germinating.  This week seems to be the turning point, and I am encouraged by the changes from Sunday to today.

This is five green today at 1 pm (June 1, 2019). If you zoom in you can see many small seedling beginning to sprout. At this stage they are very tender. 

The temporary greens will remain in place until the turf on greens has recovered enough to withstand the stress of the play.  I expect as things warm up, we will see improvement very quickly.
Please feel free to take a look at the greens as your playing, but mind the seeded areas and watch out for sprinklers, they are running about every two hours.

Number eight green, watch out for the irrigation!

Here are some comparison photos.

16 Green May 2, 2019

16 Green June 1 2019

Here is number one fairway, May 2, 2019. Christian and Conner are seeding the weak areas on the fairways using walk behind seeders. Although time consuming, it is much more accurate. To date we have used about 2600 pounds of bluegrass seed over approximately 14 acres.

Number One Fairway, June 2, 2019.  Note the germination beginning in aeration holes and the green hue.   

The fairways are beginning to recover as the seed germinates and the fertilizer starts to release.  Due to the amount of watering and the tenderness of the seedlings carts will be restricted to the cart paths.

We are working hard to return the golf course to the conditions that our clients are used to.  Please be patient and we will get there. Stay tuned!

The Recovery Process

In early March we rented a skid steer with a snow blower attachment to clear the snow from the greens.  The goal, as it is every year,  is to expose the ice on the greens but not expose the bare turf.  Usually the process take about two days as most of the greens only have ice in the low points.  This year was much different.  It took me close to six days to expose all the ice. Every single green had three to four inches of ice. Here's a link to a video I took during that process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCGTFea0syk&feature=youtu.be

As you can see there was complete coverage of ice all the way around the green, which meant trouble.

Right around Christmas time there was period of three or four days where the snow melted and reduced down to puddles on any low lying areas on the course.  Because the ground was frozen the water remained at the surface it eventually formed thick layers of ice.  That followed by some rain events in early January and we end up in a situation of complete ice coverage.  The damage associated with ice is usually dependent on the duration of coverage, and from Christmas to April it was just too much for the turf.

April 12 2019, three green.

 The bleached areas are the places where the ice had sat and choked out the turf.

Little to no turf left in the ice damaged areas

 There damage was pretty wide spread, with only 18, 9, 10, the chipping green, 1 and 2 with minimal damage.  3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 had sever damage and the rest moderate damage.  By mid April we were planning the recovery process.

The first step was to remove the rest of the ice, we did so with black sand.  It absorbed the heat from the sun and melted the ice with out damaging the turf. Once all the ice was gone we assessed the damage and planned out route for action.

The steps were as follows;

1. Aerate the greens with 1/4 inch solid tines to create holes for the seed to reside. We did this in four different directions on each green.
2. Apply the bent grass seed at 1.5 lbs per 1000 ft squared in two different directions for a total of three pounds.
3. Top dress the greens with Usga approved sand
4. Brush seed and sand into the holes created by the aeration
5. Roll the greens for good soil to seed contact.
6. Top dress with black sand to draw heat and increase temperatures.
7. Fertilize with liquid and granular fertilizer.
8. Cover the areas with breathable tarps that would passively magnify the suns heat and speed up germination.
9. Water two to three times a day for a short period.
10. Wait for mother nature to help out.

 Here's a link to a video of some of those things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw3SeJXcqhA&feature=youtu.be

By April 28 we had all of the problem areas seeded and were waiting to germination to happen.  Unfortunately, temperatures just weren't there.  The germination has been sporadic and thin.  While the tarps help elevate the day time temperature the nights are just too cold. The pictures below show some germination but not enough to back fill the voids.

We have made some progress, here's 14 green over the last two weeks

April 26, 2019. 14 Green, the first green we seeded.

May 3, 2019. 14 Green

May 17, 2016, 14 Green

 Mother Nature is simply not helping us out.  As of today we have put the tarps back on and they will remain there until Tuesday, although the forecast doesn't look great. I've taken some comparison photos to see the different and will share the results when the tarps are removed. Here are this weeks.

Number three. May 17 2019

Number 8. May 17, 2019

Number 16. May 17, 2019

Number 8. May 17, 2019

This has been a difficult spring for myself, the staff and our clients.  While we would like to have the course open as soon as possible, its clear that we still have some distance to go. To be responsible to the golfers and the course, its necessary to keep play off of the course to get some establishment in place prior to stressing the plants.  I will be updating this blog often so you can follow our progress, if you have any questions pleas feel free to comment, or contact me directly.  I will also post frequently on Twitter at @WestHillsSuper.  Stay Tuned!

Winter and Golf Course Conditions

 I think by now it has become painfully obvious to anyone is the East Coast that this past winter was long and difficult.    It developed early in October and really got going in November, a full six weeks longer than the average typical to the region.  Add to that the slow spring and the snow lingering to mid April and we had a full six months of winter.  The video below was taken early April from the left side of two fairway.  Even then the amount of ice concerned me.

Winters in general can create some challenges for golf course superintendents.  There are various forms of damage that can occur based on the environmental dynamics through the winter, although typically it manifests itself in three forms. 

During the winter the environmental conditions at ground level are conducive to fungal growth that thrives in wet and cold.  Pink snow mould will form with 2 months of snow coverage and Grey Snow mould with three months coverage.  If left untreated these two fungi can devastate a golf course.  As part of the prevention program a fungicide is applied late in the fall to protect the turf beneath the snow. 

This is the left side of 17 green, down from the green. Note the turf on the right side of the image was protected from snow mould by our winter application of fungicide, and the left side shows how much pressure from disease there was this year and the damage if left untreated.

Another form of injury to the turf from the winter is that which occurs from prolonged ice coverage.  The injury varies in severity based on the species of turf and the duration of the ice coverage.  Poa Annua, an invasive native turfgrass, can only survive ice coverage for about 60 days.   Bent Grass, the turf species used in most northern green’s construction, can survive longer stretches of ice coverage, almost twice that of the Poa.  In very general terms, the ice encases the plant and suffocates it.  Our greens at West Hills were seeded to T-One Bentgrass and have yet to be invaded by Poa Annua, so ice damage is less likely in a typical year.

This picture typifies the damage from ice remaining on the turf for too long.  In very general terms the ice suffocates the turf  causing a bleached depresses area.  This the cause of 90 percent of the winter damage at West Hills this year. This is 16 green from the back.

Winter damage also comes in the form of Crown Hydration Injury.  This typically occurs during the late winter and early spring portions of the year.  Plants generally slow to a form of dormancy that aids in winter protection, remaining until temperatures are once again high enough to begin the spring growth period.  Similar situations are evident with trees and shrubs, buds start to form, and the plant wakes up.  Occasionally we have a few warm days in March or April that fool the turf into believing the its time to get started.  The crown of the plant (where the leaves grow from) flood with cellular activity and the plant begins growing.  Unfortunately, these warm days are usually followed by a very cold night or two and the plant basically freezes, the cells break, and the plant desiccates.  As with ice damage, the severity of crown hydration injury varies with the species, mainly based on what temperature that species emerges from dormancy at. Poa Annua will begin cellular function at 8 degrees Celsius, making it much more susceptible to injury from an early spring warming period.  Bent Grass will hold out until 14 degrees Celsius before cellular active begins, making a more resistant to this type of injury.  This was not a contributor to the damage at West Hills this year.

For all the courses in the Capital region this winter pretty much hit every point I’ve just listed.  The extended winter posed heavy disease pressure. The short melt we experienced at Christmas created ice which covered the plants for in excess of  four months, and the few warm days in early spring devastated the Poa when the temperatures dropped in later days.

As a superintendent I follow other supers both in Canada and the US on social media, and this winter has caused a great deal of damage from Ottawa to Minnesota to Moncton.   It would be irresponsible for me to discuss the details of how other golf courses in the area have faired over this winter, but it very likely that we are all in the same boat. 

If you would like a Superintendents perspective, follow me on twitter @WestHillsSuper and subscribe to my blog, and you can observe as we strive to get the golf course back into shape for the spring. Stay Tuned!