Water and Verti-Cutting

We have received only .5” of rain in the last three weeks!  At this point we are dependent on the wells we have to supply irrigation water.  As per our DEQ permits, we have drawn down the upper lake to its lower limits so we can fill only from the permitted wells we operate.  We should always have enough water for the greens , but we are starting to withhold water to the other areas of the course in order to maintain sufficient levels in the lake.  Hopefully some rain will be heading our way soon to help with this problem!

We have started a verti-cutting procedure on fairways this week to help with thatch control.  Some of the turf has gotten so spongy that the mowers sink right into them giving a horrible cut.  They also are laying over instead of standing straight up and down.  We have cutting units that go on the fairway mower that are spaced closely together and are oriented similar to a skill saw.  These blades go down into the turf cutting the horizontal runners and removing some thatch.  We do this in two directions and then mow them twice after to clean up the debris.  The turf looks scalped and discolored for a few days after the process but it really helps for tighter more playable fairways.

July 1 Update!

The last couple of weeks have been filled with weather extremes on the golf course.  A brutal stretch of 90 degree plus days followed by deluges of rain has kept the maintenance staff busy.  It seems like as soon as we get all the debris up from one storm, another thunderstorm rolls through depositing sticks and debris everywhere. On two out of the three nights for the club championship the bunkers washed out completely.  The new bunkers on 15 did great and needed little to no attention.

The heat took its toll on some of the bent grass sod on the greens.  The roots have not grown much past the clay layer that came on the sod. This leaves them very susceptible to damage from the high temperatures.  A couple of cool nights last weekend helped bounce them back to green so they can build some reserves to fight the heat.  We have raised the mowers on the sod areas and are applying additional nutrients to give the grass a fighting chance.  We will also be solid tine aerating frequently to keep water and air moving through the sod.

On Monday, we put a heavy topdressing on the Bermuda around the greens.  We are trying to get it smoother and more playable through sanding.  It will be a little messy for a few days but will help in the long run.  We are hoping to have a surface that we can putt through on a consistent basis!