Golf Course Superintendent

It's Cultural: Verticutting Fairways

Verticut blades

Verticutting or vertical-mowing is a cultural practice that uses a series of vertical blades to slice into the soil surface(or just above) to cut lateral leaf tissue and reduce organic matter.  The removal of this material provides a faster playing surface, makes the plant stand upright for a better cut/lie and allows water to better penetrate the soil.  Over time, an over accumulation of organic material(otherwise known as thatch) can be detrimental to playing conditions and plant health.  A single verticutting can reduce the organic matter by up to 15%, making this simple non-invasive practice a valuable tool in maintaining quality turgrass.

The finished product.

As with all the cultural practices we preform, timing is extremely important.  Weather dictates how aggressive we can be while verticutting.  Typically, the spring and the fall are ideal for verticutting into the soil.  During periods of extreme heat and humidity; grooming(just into the canopy of the plant) is the best choice.  Grooming is used to get the plant upright for a better cut, thin the canopy and remove old growth; not for thatch removal.  

Please let us know if you have any questions about verticutting or any other post on our site.      

Bunker Renovation: #3 Regency

Without question, the third hole on Regency has one the most talked about bunkers on the golf course; the rear green-side bunker.  With the steep slope behind the green and poor visibility from the tee, the playability was far from "par-fect". We decided it was finally time for a renovation.  There are many options available when renovating or constructing a bunker and it's important to select one that fits the course.  In this particular situation the bunker was getting a tremendous amount of surface water from the surrounding slopes.  With that, we inspected the areas around the bunker and looked for options to redirect the surface water.  One big improvement would be the addition of a curb on the cart path.  The curb would connect two existing sections and extend it to the bottom of the hill behind the green.  We hope to add this curbing very soon.

In the bunker, the old sand and drainage was removed.  The outflow pipe had to be inspected to ensure excess water would flow out of the bunker.  This portion of the project is very important, if any problems exist, they must be addressed before progressing.  In our case the pipe was functioning perfectly, so its on to the next step.

Not only was this bunker one of the most problematic, but it's the smallest on the course.  The existing single section of drain pipe in the bunker floor would've been sufficient, but we added a small section towards the top to slow water flow to the base of the bunker.

With the drainage complete, it was time to address the bunker floor.  We graded the base and added a product called "Sand daM".  This product is designed to prevent sand particle movement in bunkers from rainfall and irrigation.  It's made from non-biodegradable polyester and synthetic binders from 3/4" to 1".  The idea was to prevent as many washouts as possible and eliminate at least one source of sand contamination.  This porous mat will also prevent rocks and other debris from migrating up into the sand.  The addition of the Sand daM will make a big difference in the long term maintenance and aesthetics of the bunker.

It was then topped off with six inches of sand and is ready for play.  Please let us know if you have any questions about this bunker or any other post on the site.  Enjoy!

The USGA on Winter Play

As winter continues, so does the unseasonably warm temperatures and opportunities to hit the golf course.  Are there risks associated with increased play during the winter months?  That's a tough question to answer and it can only be determined by local conditions.  The USGA and Darin S. Bevard explain some of those factors below.

Bonus Golf: Take Note of the Risks

By Darin S. Bevard, senior agronomist, Mid-Atlantic Region
January 31, 2012

While some light snow has fallen at times and reminded us that it is winter, milder than normal temperatures have been the rule. Nicer weather has allowed for more golf than usual to be played during the winter months, but there may be consequences in the spring.

For the past several weeks there have been many opportunities for golfers to get out and enjoy the weather, and their favorite golf course. With the extreme wet conditions of late summer/early fall, this bonus golf has been great for the golfers, and has helped the bottom lines of many golf courses. The mild weather has also rekindled the debate over winter play and the potential agronomic downside of excess traffic, especially on greens.

In the last couple of years, frequent snowfall and cold temperatures have rendered the winter play conversation a moot point. This winter we have been blessed with plenty of days to play golf, and golfers who want to play. The result - the back and forth debate over whether greens should be open or closed. There is no right or wrong answer to this question because of the different needs of individual golf facilities and the different weather conditions.

Common sense dictates that winter play is bad for grass, especially greens. Extra traffic under often marginal conditions causes wear. The difficulty is quantifying the cost of this damage from the perspective of impacts on in-season playing quality in addition to the cost to repair damage that may (or may not) occur with winter play.

Some golf courses simply close completely or close their greens during the winter. If this is an option for your facility, great. Even if only a few greens that are already difficult to manage in season could be closed, the reduction in winter wear will be beneficial. If your course chooses to play golf during the winter, decisions on playability of the golf course should be made on a daily basis. If it is too wet or the greens are partially frozen, the risk for damage is greater. The worst case scenario is thawed conditions at the immediate surface and frozen conditions one or two inches below the surface. The bottom line is, you must weigh the pros and cons for your individual situation and act accordingly.

If there are any questions on winter play, give us a call. We will be happy to visit with you about this issue and provide information that may help with a tough decision.

With the relatively warm weather, there are agronomic concerns too. On Poa annua greens, isolated areas of active anthracnosePoa annua has even hardened-off sufficiently to tolerate low temperatures. Warm temperatures reduce hardening in Poa annua, making the grass more susceptible to winterkill. Without snow cover, the grass has less insulation from sudden drops in temperature, which is the primary cause of crown hydration, especially in grass that is not sufficiently hardened. Time will tell, but this is a cause for concern in the northern tier of the region. Enjoy some bonus golf when the opportunity arises, but realize there are still concerns from winter traffic and Mother Nature.

A Throne: Fit for a King

Before

After

If you've ever visited a restroom on the golf course, then there's a chance an HGTV remodeling show has come to mind and how a few changes might not be a bad idea.  Well, the updating is underway!  Fresh paint, new vanities, wainscoting and a lot of hard work is transforming our restrooms to original condition. The project started this summer and Dominion Valley is complete.  The Regency is now underway and will be completed by the end of February.  

We would like to express our sincere thanks to Bernie Cole for executing the project.  He is doing a tremendous job and his continued attention to detail is remarkable.

Please enjoy your new facilities.

After

Bernie Cole

DVCC goes Green........er

Dominion Valley is a proud member  of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, created and administered by Audubon International.  Its mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through research, education and conservation assistance.  Under its program we are striving to implement best management practices in environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, water quality management, and community outreach and education.  Our goal is to have our efforts in environmental stewardship recognized by becoming certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

Currently, we are working on environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management portions of the program.  Look for a post on bird nest houses in the near future. 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us!

#18 Drainage

Recently, we completed some much needed drainage projects on hole eighteen.  As stated in the previous posts, similar projects will continue through the winter.  The goal is simple, remove surface and subsurface water from areas that remain wet.   Commonly, the best approach is to create a trench, add pipe, gravel, catch basins(if needed), regrade and sod. 

Garrett Neville and Fred Philipp trench near #18 approach

A catch basin is added to collect surface water.

The catch basin installed.

Drainage on the 2nd fairway on hole 18.