Fairway Verticutting

This morning, we started the operation of verticutting the fairways. Verticutting is a mowing technique used to remove grain, dead and dying turf, and thatch from the fairways.

Thatch is defined as an accumulation of dead and living plant material (stems, roots, and shoots) that develops between the soil surface and the green leaves of a turf. Thatch development is a natural process that occurs during normal growth. Ideally, under proper management, a turf achieves a balance between rate of organic matter production and rate of decomposition.

Some thatch is desirable because it forms a cushion that decreases turf wear. Thatch also insulates the soil from high and low temperatures and reduces evaporation losses of water from the soil surface. A thatch layer becomes undesirable when it exceeds a depth of 1/2 inch.

This is something that we have not done to our fairways in several years. It is a practice that I plan to do on a yearly basis from now on. For someone who has never seen the process, it can be a bit of a shock. As you can see by the photo above and to the left, it pulls up a vast amount of debris.

Not only does verticutting remove thatch, which is a breeding ground for turf disease, but it also provides channels to allow moisture and oxygen to get into the rootzone. The turf recovers surprising quickly however, because the turf is growing so actively at this time of year. We will be following this verticutting by our second fairway aerification one week from today on the 5th of August. The photos below show that the fairway is then vacuumed and then mowed.

Tee Complex Landscaping

Improvement to our ball-washer/tee-sign areas has been needed for some time now. We removed the rock that previously surrounded these areas and have planted some nice landscaping plants in place of the rock. The photos below are very typical of the work that was done. (Note that the actual ball-washers are missing.) We have sent them off to be refurbished. The ball-washers are quite expensive so it is worth the investment to have them repainted and repaired.

#5 tee has also received a facelift thanks to the Ladies’ Beautification Committee. This area will be seen on your right as you enter the tee area after crossing the road.

 

    

A New Look For #12

We recently installed ten Sabal palms near the cart path on #12. The main reason that this was done was simple. The way that the hole is designed, it is limited to only two specific entry and exit areas. These two areas are split by the bunker on the left hand side of the green. Heavy foot traffic, particularly for the front entrance/exit to the green makes it nearly impossible to grow decent turf there.

By mid-way through the season this area is often reduced to mostly dirt. What we have done is planted palms on either side of the entry/exit. Players will then be forced to walk through the pathway that we have provided which now consists of pine straw. I was careful to make sure that the placement of the trees would not affect the way the holes plays. In fact, an errant shot going left on this hole and destined for the preserve, may now be stopped with a little luck. I think it also adds some interest to the aesthetics of what is already a beautiful hole. We will remove the braces after the hurricane season.

9th Tee Re-grassed

Since the season, most all of the golf course has recovered very well. One area that I could not seem to nurse to recovery was the blue/white tee on the 9th hole. We tried a variety of things, but nothing seemed to help. We thought that this would make a good test area for “Celebration” bermuda-grass. Celebration is supposed to be more shade tolerant and hold up better under play with quicker recovery times. We first stipped all of the exsisting sod and then smoothed the surface, prepping it for sod.

Once the surface was prepped,we laid down the sod and watered it liberally.

We have since scalped, rolled and top-dressed the surface. It currently looks somewhat brown, but it will be fine. This always occurs after the first mowing, but will improve with subsequent mowings. I hope to have the tee usable by the end of August if not sooner.

Rainy Season

By John H. Foy, USGA Agronomist
July 16, 2008

After an erratic start, the summer rainy season has fully arrived in Florida. Beginning in June and continuing through July, afternoon thunderstorms have occurred on a regular basis. Golfers, as well as course maintenance staff, need to be continuously aware of the warning rumbles of thunder that precede spectacular, but often violent and dangerous lightning strikes. With most areas of the state having been plagued by a prolonged and severe drought, the rainfall produced by these afternoon thunderstorms has been desperately needed. Yet, more time and rain is needed to fully recover from the drought and to reestablish normal lake and groundwater levels.

While we should never complain about the rain, the frequent and, at times, heavy deluges do contribute to additional turf and course management challenges. In some instances, 2- to 3-inches of rain has occurred in an hour or two, and the resulting localized flooding causes setbacks in accomplishing routine management practices and requires additional time be spent on debris cleanup and repairing bunker washouts.