The Sagamore Club

Amicarbazone Testimonial

2012-01-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

Last week, Cory Troyer, golf course superintendent from Otter Creek Golf course, and myself had the wonderful opportunity of giving an testimonial from the amicarbazone trials that we have been performing on our golf courses. Amicarbazone is a new active ingredient that removes poa annua from bentgrass and other varieties. The product performed very well on our driving range tee with no damage to our bentgrass. We hope to do more research this Spring on our #1 tee. This product is supposed to hit the market this Spring.

Fertilizing Greens in January

2012-01-10T09:41:00.001-05:00

Our staff has been out enjoying the nice weather during the month of January. We have begun accomplishing many projects that will improve playing conditions in 2012. We have worked in many of the waste bunkers improving drainage, removing dead trees, and yesterday we had the opportunity to apply a late season fertilizer application. This application of ammonium sulfate will help with root growth, plant health, and a quicker green up in the spring time. We applied the same product to our fairways and tees the first week of December.

Dear 16-year-old Me

2012-01-10T08:37:00.001-05:00

Drainage work #14 waste bunker

2011-12-12T18:38:00.001-05:00

We spent the afternoon looking for a drain and finally found it. This bunker drained very poorly but should do better now. The drain was buried under almost 12" of sand.

My GCSAA Story: Top Gun

2011-11-09T08:24:00.001-05:00

I was recently interviewedfor an article that was published in Golf Course Management magazine. The article was written about how GCSAA (GolfCourse Superintendents Association of America) has helped my professional developmentand the tools that GCSAA has available for superintendents to excel in theircareers. Here is the link to thearticle: http://www2.gcsaa.org/gcm/. The story is titled “My GCSAA Story: Top Gun”.

GaryMyers, CGCS

GolfCourse Superintendent

Out with the Old, In with the New

2011-10-25T15:39:00.001-04:00

We are in the process of stripping out sections of intermediates that have become contaminated with bentgrass. Over the years, the bentgrass has started to creep into our intermediates but has not found it's way into the primary rough yet. We are in an ideal situation that we can contain the bentgrass before it gets out of control. If we do not do something now, the bentgrass will take over the bluegrass rough and provide undesirable playing conditions, especially were it is allowed to grow 2 1/2"- 3". We have begun a 3 year process of sodding out the worst sections and sodding new low mow bluegrass into these areas. Once we have a pure stand of bluegrass again we will start a preventative program of spraying a product called Tenacity that will selectively take bentgrass out of bluegrass. We will also be using this product on some of the smaller contaminated areas.

Sod Cut out by hand

Old sod removed and hauled away

Area ready for new sod

New sod laid using big rolled low mow bluegrass

Tee expansion #8 & #17

2011-10-08T19:21:00.001-04:00

We have just completed the expansion of #8 tee and begun work on the expansion of #17 tee. We hope to have work completed on #17 by Tuesday. These tees should be ready fo play by the spring.

Greens Aerification

2011-09-27T20:46:00.001-04:00

We aerified 9 greens today and will begin the other 9 holes tomorrow, weather permitting. We will also begin topdressing, brushing, and rolling greens tomorrow if we do not get rain. We will keep you updated with our progress.

Aerification Update

2011-09-27T08:33:00.000-04:00

We are unable to aerify greens again today. We recieved over 2.25" of rain on Monday and today we are dealing with spotty showers for most of the day. We will attempt to aerify starting tomorrow. We will keep you posted on the progress and new golfing schedule. Our fairway aerification is pushed back to October 11-12. I wanted to post a great video that explains the benefits of aerification on a golf course.

Today's Course Conditions

2011-09-23T08:22:00.001-04:00

We received over 1/2 " of rain overnight and the golf course is still soaking in the rain. We will be cart path only until 11 and we will see if this status changes.

Upcoming Course Project Schedule

2011-09-20T11:46:00.000-04:00

I wanted to update everyone of the upcoming projects that will be occurring at Sagamore over the next couple of weeks. Here is a timeline of projects:

Sept 20th- Work on #8 Tee complex
Sept 21st- Work on #8 Tee complex and start aerification of tees ( holes #1-#9)
Sept 22nd- Complete #8 Tee comples and aerification of tees (holes #10-#18)
Sept 23rd- Regular mowing and seeding of #8 Tee expansion
Sept 26th- Green and Fairway Aerification (Course Closed) & Work on #1 Tee expansion
Sept 27th- Green and Fairway Aerification (Course Closed) & Work on #1 Tee expansion
Sept 28th- Green and Fairway Aerification (Course Closed) & Work on #1 Tee expansion
Sept 29th- Finish #1 Tee expansion
Sept 30th- Regular mowing
Oct 3rd- Begin work on #17 tee expansion

We will be enlarging 3 tee complex's this Fall. #1 tee, #8 tee, and #17 tee will be enlarged to give more tee space during the golfing season. #1 tee will also be leveled to provide a healthier tee complex for the future. These projects will continue into the Fall along with some bunker work and sodding. I hope you enjoy the modifications to the course and a great golfing season next year. Here are some picture from the #8 tee project.

#8 Tee Before

#8 Tee with sod cut

Adding Edging for sand mix

Fairway Fertilization Today

2011-09-14T09:20:00.001-04:00

We will be fertilizing fairways this morning and watering the product in. The product is spread by a large truck which makes an precise and uniform application. We are applying fertilizer now before we aerify so that we can maximize growth for the healing process. Fairway and green aerification will be Sept. 26 - 28th.

Course conditions 9/2/2011

2011-09-02T08:27:00.001-04:00

It will be another hot day at Sagamore with a near record temp for the month of Sept. Course is in great shape so enjoy the holiday weekend.

Golf Course Update 8-25-11

2011-08-25T07:59:00.001-04:00

We had .7" last at Sagamore. We will be off the cart paths today and working on restoring bunkers. The rain is nice to have after a short dry period. Enjoy the course:-)

Golf course update

2011-08-14T06:49:00.001-04:00

We only received .25" of rain last night at Sagamore. Bunkers did not wash and we wil be off paths today. Good luck on the final day of the Mens club championship.

Course Update 8/9/2011

2011-08-09T08:18:00.000-04:00

We received almost 2" of rain since last night. The rain was very welcomed to the grass but unfortunately the bunkers have washed and we will be cart path only all day today. We are currently working on pumping water out of the bunkers and restoring them. We hope to back on the fairways tomorrow.

What are those dark circles on the Greens?

2011-08-08T08:41:00.001-04:00

These circles are created by a disease call Fairy Ring. Fairy rings are usually first noticed as irregular rings or arcs of darker green grass on the turf surface (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Figure2

The darker color is caused by the release of nitrogen as the fairy ring fungus breaks down organic matter. The margins of the rings are often irregular or wavy. On putting surfaces especially, the entire area defined by the ring may be darker green than the surrounding uncolonized area (Figure 2).The rings can remain green or progress to the point where dead grass develops at the margin (Figure 3).

Figure 3

Death of grass at the margin has been attributed to moisture stress due to hydrophobic soil conditions that develop as the fairy ring fungus grows. The death has also been linked to excess nitrogen release or the formation of hydrogen cyanide or other toxic metabolites. With some fairy rings, death of the grass also occurs in spots where the fruiting bodies have emerged and then collapsed (Figure 4 top). Fairy ring with resulting loss of turf is one of the most destructive diseases occurring on putting surfaces.
During these hot and dry periods, we have noticed more and more dark circle's showing up on our greens surface. We are currently in the process of trying several procedures to eradicate the dark rings and to stop any more turf loss due to this disease. We have punched small holes into the greens surface to not only help with oxygen exchange but to also help penetrate into the ring itself. After punching the small holes we have then applied an application of ProStar which is a fungicide that is labeled to help control the symptoms of Fairy Ring. We will monitor the progress of these rings and follow up in two weeks with another application of fungicide to help alleviate the problem.

Much needed relief!!!

2011-08-04T06:32:00.000-04:00

The golf course is finally receiving a much needed break from the hot weather. Seems to be another year of breaking records, with 19 consecutive days in the 90's. We did several key agronomic changes during this hot spell that help us manage and survive. These items included:

Raising mowing heights on the greens
Raising rough heights
Venting greens and solid tining fairways
Limiting cart traffic during certain days
Syringing greens, tees, and fairways constantly
Controlling water usage

All these factors help us survive the heat and maintain the best playing conditions as possible. We will be lowering greens heights back down today and begin rolling again. This will help us regain green speed back and to get greens back to pre-heat conditions.

Aerifying greens and fairways today

2011-07-26T06:42:00.001-04:00

We are in the process of venting our greens with small holes this morning. This process help get oxygen to the root system and we have been having some serious issue with Fairy Ring on the greens. This disease producing dark green circles on the green and if serious enough could cause turf loss. These holes help get chemicals to pentrate the rings and eliminate the problem. We are also aerifying our fairway with solid tines to help with water infiltration. We are taking advantage of some cooler temperature to help carry us through the rest of the year.

Golf Course Update 7/22/2011

2011-07-22T06:59:00.000-04:00

We will be off path's today. Please use caution and not drive in stress areas especially those areas next to bunkers. We will be cart path only on holes #3 and #13.

Getting through the heat wave!!!

2011-07-22T06:57:00.000-04:00

We water everything we can over and over and over! There are several things we do to help the turfgrass survive the intense stress. Mostly, light frequent watering helps get the turf through the hottest time of the day. We constantly scout for isolated dry spots by using soil probes. The soil probe takes a small diameter core from an area and the trained staff diagnoses the amount of water needed for the application. Using too much water can be just as bad as not enough.
Night watering mostly provides moisture to the soil profile. Daytime watering is used to cool the turf down and remedy the isolated dry spots.
Hand watering with hoses is the most efficient and beneficial way to combat heat stress. The water goes exactly where we want it.
When temperatures reach the extreme, like today, we may have as many as seven people working on irrigation. In addition to the labor force, we use several different wetting agents to help get the water into the soil. We are using three different products on the golf course to help retain moisture in the profile. On greens we use a product from Aquatrols called Revolution. This product ensures consistent moisture and air levels throughout the rootzone. On fairways we are using 2 different products to help control moisture levels. Dispatch is used to ensure rapid infiltration into the profile and Aquaduct promotes fast wetting and rewetting for rapid recovery of dry spots. In essence, wetting agents break the surface tension and allow the water to penetrate. They make water "wetter".

Golf course update

2011-07-20T21:13:00.001-04:00

The golf course continues to hold it's own through this tough weather pattern. Today's high reached 99 degrees and tomorrow will be the same. We will be cart path only tomorrow in hope to relieve some stress from the golf course. I appreciate your patience and we continue to monitor course conditions continously.

Cart Path Only Today

2011-07-20T06:41:00.000-04:00

We will be cart path only today due to the extreme temperatures that are expected this afternoon. We are trying to relieve any additional stress to the fairways and rough during these hot periods. Sorry for any inconveniences but just trying to get through these next couple of days. We have already taken other precautions also which include less mowing, raising mowing heights, use of more wetting agents, and extensive handwatering.

Member Guest Carne Asada

2011-07-19T13:48:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Sagamore Member-Guest concluded this weekend but the memories will continue to live on. The weather was fantastic for all 3 days of golf and the course play very firm and fast due to the hot, dry weather. Many thanks to our crew and all the staff at Sagamore for making the event such an success. We had our first ever Member Guest Carne Asada lunch at our maintenance facility on Saturday with rave reviews. Our hispanic workforce prepared the authentic Mexican dish which included rice, beans, and carne asada. Here are some pictures from this years event.

2011 Member-Guest

2011-07-14T08:53:00.001-04:00

We are in final preparations for this years member-guest tournament. The weather forecast looks great for the next 3 days and the course wil play very firm and fast. Greens speeds will be around 11 to 11.5. Enjoy the golf course and we welcome all guest to Sagamore.

Verticut and Topdressing Greens Today

2011-07-05T18:20:00.001-04:00

We completed a verticut and topdress on the greens today. This will be the last time until after the hot weather. The greens should be in great shape for next weeks member guest tournament.

Amicarbazone Treatment Update

2011-07-02T07:10:00.000-04:00

We are continuing to see great results from the Amicarbazone trials that we are performing on our driving range tee. Amicarbazone is a product from Arysta Life Science that is being used to eradicate our poa annua population from our driving range tee. We started treatments in April of this year at a rate of 3oz/acre every 18-21 days depending on the weather. We have just completed applying our last treatment for the summer and hope to continue trials in the Fall. The product has been extremely safe so far by not damaging our bentgrass but slowly killing off our poa population. Here are some great pictures of the results we are having so far.

June 24th, 2011

Little to much rain!

2011-06-20T13:42:00.001-04:00

We recorded over 3" of rain since this morning at sagamore. The rain is still receeding and we will evaluate once the water as gone down.

Hard at work!

2011-06-17T18:26:00.001-04:00

Here is my dog guarding my office. Doing a great job!

June 16th, 2011 Golf Course Conditions

2011-06-16T06:37:00.000-04:00

We received almost another 1" of rain yesterday from the storms that rolled in mid morning and lasted into the afternoon. We will be off paths today and are in the process of mowing greens and bunker restoration. Forecast showing highs in the lower 80's with plenty of sunshine with a small chance of rain late tonight. Have a great day of golf!!!!

Saturday's playing condition

2011-06-11T11:37:00.001-04:00

Sagamore received a little over 1" of rain last night. We have restored all greenside bunkers and are letting the fairway bunkers dry out. We will restore those bunkers on Sunday. We also had a irrigation line break near #10 tee which has flooded the waste bunker. We have isolated the break and wil fix soon. Enjoy the nice weather this weekend!

Amicarbazone Treatments @ Sagamore

2011-06-06T06:49:00.001-04:00

We are researching a new product from Arysta Life Science called Amicarbazone. This product eliminates poa annua from bentgrass playing surfaces without injury to the bentrgrass. We are currently testing this product on our driving range tee which is were most of the poa at Sagamore is concentrated. We are excited in using a product like this because if we can eliminate poa annua from the driving range tee we will be able to keep the rest of the golf course poa free. This new product is applied at 3 oz/acre every 21 days. We are seeing some great results after just one application. The product was applied on May 19th and here are the results:

Poa Annua turning straw color after treatment. This is 18 days after first treatment.

Course Conditions

2011-06-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

We received 3/4" of rain last night along with strong winds and lightning. We are in the process of restoring bunkers and course cleanup. No cart restrictions today. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Verticut and topdressing greens

2011-05-31T14:50:00.000-04:00

Our crews just finished verticutting and topdressing the greens at Sagamore. This process is usually done 2-3 times per year depending on the weather and health of the greens.

Verticutting, or the process of removing some of the vertical growth that occurs around a grass plant, provides several potential benefits for the turf. It can:

force the remaining turf to stand up straight and smooth the putting surface for better ball roll;
increase green speed;
open the turf canopy to allow in more sunlight;
makes topdressing easier to work into the soil; and
allows the plant to put more energy into growing upright shoots instead of lateral shoots.

The greens will take a few days to heal back but should be very playable starting tommorow!!!

Finally drying out...

2011-05-29T08:40:00.000-04:00

We are finally seeing some sunshine this morning. The course is starting to dry out and we will be off the cart paths today except for hole #13. Have a great race day!

Cart Path Only Today, Friday May 27th

2011-05-27T07:22:00.000-04:00

Not a great start to the holiday weekend. We received another 3/4" yesterday after having already saturated conditions from the previous day. We will cart path only today and will evaluate conditions for the weekend.

New tree plantings #12 & #18

2011-05-25T20:13:00.001-04:00

We have planted 6 new oak trees along the lake on #12 and #18. We wanted to start planting new trees in this area to replace the current trees that have started shown signs of decline.

2011 Member-Member Tournament Begins

2011-05-20T10:20:00.000-04:00

Today marks the beginning of the 2011 Member-Member Tournament here at The Sagamore Club. Our crew has been spending the past few weeks grooming the course in order to provide the best possible playing conditions for this weekend. We faced a few challenges with some wet weather, making it difficult to create ideal conditions out on the course. However, we pushed through it and the course is looking great! Good luck to all the players this weekend and have fun!

#2 Green

#7 Approach and Green

#14 Greens Complex

#16 From Behind Green

#17

Mythbusters -- The Stimpmeter, What Do Golfers Know?

2011-05-03T10:16:00.000-04:00

A device called the Stimpmeter made its official debut into golf in 1936, but began its official use by the USGA in 1978. It has been an invaluable tool to superintendents, but what do golfers really know about the Stimpmeter?

First Cut on New Nursery Green

2011-04-30T08:05:00.000-04:00

We placed the first mowing on our new nursery area that we built behind our shop last Fall. The nursery contains a 3,000 sq. ft. putting green, and approximately 6,000 sq. ft. of tee and fairway area. Once the area is grown in, the sod will be used to repair any bad areas on the golf course if a problem may arise. It will also be a great testing ground for new products before we apply them to the course. The nursery can be seen from #9 tee looking back toward 166th street.

Raising sunken drain catch basins

2011-04-25T17:14:00.001-04:00

We are in the proces of raising certain catch basins in fairways that have sunken since construction. We are placing a drain extension to the exsisting pipe to bring these catch basin back to the right grade. We have finished 1 basin in #1 fairway and 1 basin in #13 fairway. We hope to finish 5-7 more throughout the year.

Rain, Rain, and more Rain

2011-04-25T09:42:00.000-04:00

The last week has been a wet one here at The Sagamore Club. Even though the course has dodged some of the more intense rainfall in the state, we have still seen significant rainfall totals over the last week. We have received just under 5 inches of rain over the past 7 days out on the course. With a chance of rain each of the next 4 days, it appears that we will be looking at saturated conditions for most of the week. We will continue to monitor the expected rainfall over the coming days and anticipate only minor delays in course preparation once the weather subsides. Hopefully we will be looking at some clear skies and great golfing weather in the coming weeks!

Observed Rainfall (Last 7 Days)


Normal Rainfall (Last 7 Days)


Departure From Normal Precipitation (Last 7 Days)

#3 bunker drain

2011-04-15T12:53:00.002-04:00

Erosion during winter

New drain being installed

Completed project

We have finished installing a new drain off the approach on #3. We hope that we can catch the water before it enters the bunker. We also sodded most of the bunker face while finishing this project.

Please don't do this!!!!

2011-04-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

#16 fairway

Yesterday we found 4-5 divots very close together on #16 fairway where someone had taken several shots from the same area. We discourage this greatly and hope that this will not happen again. We would like our members to take pride in our course and course conditions.

Preferred Divot Pattern on Grass Tee

2011-04-15T12:37:00.000-04:00

Excellent Video by Dan Meersman of the Philadelphia Cricket Club on the proper divot pattern for grass practice tee. Great job Dan! I would love to have our membership follow the same guidelines set forth in this video. This would greatly help out our driving range facility and the recovery of our limited tee space.

Please watch this!

#7 Fairway bunker renovation

2011-03-31T15:19:00.000-04:00

We are currently working on the fairways bunkers on #7. These bunkers needed much work coming out of the winter. The fescue faces had collapsed in many of the areas and drainage needed to be improved. We are in the process of carving out new bunker faces and digging new drainage in all three bunkers. We have completed 6 complete bunker renovations so far and after #7 we will have 9 complete. We hope to have most of the work complete in the next 2 weeks.

#7 left fairway bunker before

#7 left fairway bunker after

#7 Right fairway bunkers

#7 Right fairway bunker

Storm Damage at Sagamore

2011-03-24T11:19:00.000-04:00

It's nice to be in Indiana in the spring time having temps drop 35 degrees over night. Along with the temperature change brought severe storms that produced hail and high winds. There was not much rain associated with this storm which was the only positive thing. Much of the damage occurred in the Sagamore development but we did have several trees that were damaged on #13. Here are some photos of damage along #13 and the fence on #14.

#13 near Enclave

#13 Fairway

Fence along #14

Golf Course Care

2011-03-22T13:19:00.001-04:00

The staff at Sagamore would like to emphasize golf course care going into the 2011 golf season. We saw many ball marks and divots left unrepaired last year and we are asking for your help in keeping our golf course in the best shape possible. We will be adding sand refill containers on every other hole to help refill sand containers on the golf carts. We will also be adding an "adopt a hole" program this year in which members will be adopting an hole to help take care of these items. Ultimately it is up to the golfer to fix their own ball marks and divots. I have added this link sent to me from Paul Hansen on golf course care. It is a great article written by the USGA.

Please click Here for article:

We look forward to seeing everyone on the course this year and we appreciate your help in keeping our golf course great.

#2 greenside bunker restoration

2011-03-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

We have finshed 2 fairway bunkers on #2 and we are currently working on the greenside bunker. We added bunker liner to part of the bunker and added much needed sand to the rest of the bunker. We will be starting the last fairway bunker on #2 today and the heading to the second fwy bunker on #1 and the greenside bunker on #3.

Golf Course Opening

2011-03-16T21:31:00.000-04:00

We will be opening the golf course on Thursday, March 17th. We will be allowing golfers to play starting at 12:00. We will be cart path only on Thursday and re-evaluate conditions for Friday. Our staff will be mowing and rolling greens in the morning and we changed cups today. We continue to work on the bunkers and probably will for the next few weeks due to the significant damage from storms over the winter. We look forward to another outstanding golf season.

Bunker renovations #2

2011-03-15T09:57:00.000-04:00

We have currently started repairing bunkers from the damage that occurred during the winter. Here is an update of what we have accomplished so far:

Greenside bunkers established on #1, #5, #6, #7, #8, #10 & #11
Greenside bunkers on #2, #3, #4 still require some major repairs
Complete restoration of #2 fairway bunkers

We have begun restoring the fairway bunkers on #2. We have found the drainage in need of repair along with the removal of the contaminated sand. The bunker liner also needed to be torn out and replaced. Additional liner will be added to help keep sand in place and help with soil contamination. We are in the process of installing new drainage, replacing the liner, and then replacing the sand. We will continue to focus on the fairway bunkers on #2 and then work on the greenside bunkers on #2, #3, and #4. You can notice from the pictures just how steep the faces are on these bunkers. Even with the help of liners, sand will have a hard time staying on this surface.

What a Storm- Nice Way to Welcome Spring!!!!

2011-03-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

This winter has brought us many surprises this year. You would think after such a harsh summer that we could have at least had a calm winter. Lots of snow, a tremendous ice storm in late January, and now a severe thunderstorm that dumped over 2" of rain in a short period. This storm caused severe flooding in the area because of the snow melt and already saturated soils. Before the storm, we were very pleased on course condition coming out of winter and the amount of work that would have to be completed in the Spring. That changed very quickly over night after the storm. Bunkers have severe sand erosion on the faces and the liner in many areas has come loose. There is also large amounts of debri and mud in the bottom of many of the bunkers.

Greenside Bunker #6

Greenside Bunker #2

Waste Bunker #5

Fairway Bunker #7

We will begin the cleanup work when the weather breaks and the sand becomes unfrozen. We do not know how long the process will take but will work very hard to have the course in great shape for the Spring.

Pink Snow Mold

2011-02-24T13:29:00.001-05:00

Pink Snow Mold #15 Fairway

For many of you who may wander out on the golf course in a few weeks may notice small, circular patches on the fairways and tees. These small, circular patches are caused by a turf disease called pink snow mold. Pink snow mold is a disease caused by the fungus Microdochium nivale. Pink snow mold is the name used to describe the disease associated with snow cover, appearing when snow melts.
Symptoms and signs

Pink snow mold is a true snow mold since it develops under snow cover. The disease gets its name from the accumulation of pink fungal spores that pile up on the leaves of infected grass plants, producing a pink cast on circular patches of matted grass. Usually only leaves are attacked, but under conditions favorable for disease development the fungus may kill the crowns and roots as well.

At Sagamore, we treat greens only before the first snow fall to prevent snow mold from forming on our greens. The rest of the golf course receives no preventative treatment of fungicides for snow mold because of the cost associated with the treatment.

These small patches will become green again in the Spring and usually no turf loss will occur.

Contruction of New Turf Nursery Behind Maintenance Facility Fall 2010

2011-02-15T13:36:00.002-05:00

Golf Course Industry Article About Sagamore Native Areas

2011-01-26T10:50:00.001-05:00

Here is an article that was published in last month Golf Course Industry Magazine about Native Areas. You will see some quotes from an interview about the native areas at Sagamore. Here is the link to the article: http://golfcourseindustry.texterity.com/golfcourseindustry/201012#pg44

#3 Pond Dredging

2011-01-26T09:37:00.002-05:00

Dredging behind #3 green

Removing waste bunker sand from pond on #3

We are in the process of dredging the pond next to #3 green. This area has accumulated a large amount of sand since construction. After this area is complete we will be dredging an area next to #4 green.

Update on Lake Project #7

2011-01-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

We are finally making some progress on dredging the pond in front of #7 green. The ground has finally froze enough to be able to move some material without sinking the equipment. We are digging out the area where the small creek enters the pond. This area has collected a lot of silt over the years and was starting to form a small island. We are in the process of taking this material out to enhance to appearance of the pond.

Dredging #7 pond

2011-01-06T14:47:00.001-05:00

We are currently in the process of dredging out the low area in the pond in front of #7. This area has become very shallow over the years and a small island is starting to form in the pond. We will be taking about 2-3 ft of material from this area and dispose of it. We are trying to accomplish this job during the winter while the ground is froze but we are still finding it is quite muddy still. After completing this job we will be moving to the small pond on #4. We will be taking out some material near the green were it has become quite shallow. We will then finish on #3 behind the green.

Area that is being dredged

Excavator using rubber planks to prevent sinking

Looking New Again!!!

2011-01-04T15:02:00.000-05:00

We are currently in the process of staining all the pool furniture, trash cans, and golf shop outdoor items. We have created a make shift paint booth in our maintenance facility to accomplish this task. All items are being sprayed with new stain and will be looking new for 2011.

Before

After

The Stimpmeter: Friend or Foe

2010-12-16T19:12:00.000-05:00

Although the 2010 season is coming to an end, a recent USGA article prompted this blog update.

One of the most common questions I may hear from members, friends who golf or just about any stranger that discovers I care for the golf course at The Sagamore Club is "So, how fast are the greens?" I try to shy away from providing an exact distance reading taken with a stimpmeter because most people only understand a speed (distance) that they've seen or heard on TV during a professional golf tournament. Also, because what one person feels are fast greens, another may view as slow. Therefore, I feel it is more important to promote the message of turf health while maintaining smoothness and consistency.

I do measure green speed via the stimpmeter daily from May through October. The main reason is to provide me with data that I can use to evaluate the impact of my turf maintenance programs and practices. This information also helps me respond to the comment "The greens were much faster the other day!" You'd be surprised how many times the recorded measurement differs from the perception. What I've learned seasons while collecting this data is that greens speeds can fluctuate from day to day without rhyme or reason. Or that one green can be faster or slower than the rest. It can be frustrating. But, acquiring this information helps in the decision to make adjustments in mowing or rolling practices to achieve a targeted green speed and desired consistency.

The most important thing to remember is that a golf course is living entity. It is important to understand that the grass on a putting green is placed under a lot of stress such as low mowing heights, rolling, dry soil, brushing, vertical mowing, disease pathogens, insects, heat, ice and whatever else Mother Nature decides to throw at it. Turf management programs should be designed to maximize the turf health while providing great playing conditions. By not taking these factors into consider and solely focusing on making the greens faster, faster, faster…we could end up "browns" rather than greens.

Why do we aerate greens?

2010-12-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

I still think there are a lot of questions out there on my we aerate a golf green. I found this video that really explains the benefits of aeration and the reasons why we must aerate to have a successful putting surface.

I have also answered many questions on why our greens are so slow to heal after aeration. There are two main reasons that our greens are slow to heal. The first is the timing of aeration. We have pushed aeration back until late September/ early October when the turfgrass plant has slowed day with top growth and is putting all of it's energy into root growth. The second reason is the variety of grass on our greens. Our greens ar 100% A-1 which is a slow grower and takes a long time to heal in aerification holes or ball marks. These two combined produce slow healing after aerification. We do our best to produce a great putting surface after aerification is complete.

A Little Winter Humor

2010-12-10T21:05:00.000-05:00

First Snow Of The Year

2010-12-01T14:10:00.000-05:00

Winter as finally arrived. Here is a look at the first snow of the year at The Sagamore Club. We have had light flurries for most of the day which as produced some accumulation. We will be making a decision the next couple of days about closing the golf course for the year. We want to look at the long range forecast before making this decision.

Fall Bunker Renovation

2010-11-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

We are still working this Fall on sodding bunker surrounds and fixing liner issues. In the past few weeks we have completed bunkers complexes on #5, #7, #8, #15 & #16. This will be the last of the sodding of bunkers this year and will continue again in the Spring. We will still be working on replacing sand and adding drainage to selective bunkers this winter. We would like to accomplish the two fairway bunkers on #1, fairway bunker on #2, waste bunkers #5.

Greenside Bunker #5

Completed Greenside Bunker #5

Greenside Bunker #8

Greenside Bunker #16

Removing Tall Fescue From Native Areas

2010-11-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

One of the concerns that I have heard from our membership is removing the tall fescue clumps from our fine fescue native areas. These clumps cause two problems to a golfer. The first is that it is hard to find a golf ball that has been hit into these areas which slows down play. The second problem is when a golf ball comes to rest behind a large clump. This can cause an almost impossible shot from this lie. The native areas are considered a hazard but they are also a critical component to the design of the golf course so consideration must be taken if they are slowing down play. I have looked into several herbicides that will take the tall fescue out of these areas and one of these products looks promising. Earlier in the season I sprayed several clumps along the cart path on #9 to see the effects of the product. I applied the product 2 times during the growing season with 4 weeks between application. The products seems to have killed the clumps of fescue without harming the fine fescue. I have applied more of the product today to more of the clumps to see what effect it may have this late in the year. I will be developing a program this winter to eradicate more of the tall fecue in key areas around the course.

Tall Fescue after 2 application of chemical

Tall Fescue clumps treated today

Completed Nusery Project

2010-11-05T13:18:00.003-04:00

We have just completed the new green and fairway nursery behind our shop. We have placed the covers on the seeded areas to enhance germination in the cold weather. We hope to see some new seedlings soon.

Nursery contruction progress

2010-11-04T15:47:00.005-04:00

The new green and fairway nursery is almost complete. We are in the process of final grading and seeding. The green is approximately 3000 sq.ft. in size and was seeded with A-1 creeping bentgrass.

The tee nursery is 2000 sq.ft and the fairway area is approximately 1800 sq.ft. and both are seeding with seaside II creeping bentgrass. The last area that will be seeded is a 1000 sq.ft bluegrass area.

Employee Year End Golf Outing & Cookout

2010-10-28T16:10:00.000-04:00

On Monday, October 25th we celebrated a year end golf outing & cookout in appreciation of all the hard work the Sagamore maintenance crew accomplished this year. We enjoyed some wonderful carne asada along with some homemade quacomole and salsa. After the cookout the crew enjoyed some golf and relaxation. These guys did a great job this year!!! Thanks Sagamore maintenance staff.

Frost on the Pumpkin?

2010-10-27T07:29:00.008-04:00

It’s not the pumpkins I’m worried about. It’s the turfgrass.
Frost delays in the spring and fall are common. The delays are an inconvenience to both the members and the maintenance staff.
Frost is the formation of ice crystals in and on the grass plants due to low overnight temperatures. Foot and cart traffic will rupture the plant cells causing severe injury or death. We make every attempt to provide an accurate estimate of the time that we can allow play to begin. This can be difficult because there are several factors that effect this decision. Density of frost, temperature, tree shade and sun angle all play an important role in the estimation.
Once the frost has melted, the grounds crew still needs to complete leaf blowing, mowing, course setup and bunker maintenance prior to play.
We appreciate your patience while we do our best to protect your golf course!

Check Out This Informative USGA Video!

Illustration of How Just a Few Golfers Would Kill Frosted Turf

New Green and Fairway Nursery

2010-10-13T21:40:00.005-04:00

We are currently in the process of building a new green and fairway nursery behind our maintenance facility along 166th street. These nurseries will help us have necessary replacement turf if a need arises. Each year we steal plugs from our chipping green to replace bad areas on our greens that have been damaged from golfers or animals. We will now be able to take these plugs from our new nursery. We hope to have these areas seeded by the end of next week. We are also building a fairway or tee nursery to be used when we expand some tees next year. The area is also getting cleaned up from all the dumping that has occurred the past several years.

Fall Aerification

2010-09-25T20:57:00.001-04:00

We will begin Fall aerfication on Monday & Tuesday of next week. We will be aerifying both greens and fairways and hope to have both complete in two days weather depending. Aerfication is a crucial golf course management practice that needs to be done at least once throughout the year if not more. The new varieties of bentgrass such as the ones that we have at Sagamore produce large amounts of organic matter throughout the season.

Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green’s roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch.

Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at .100-inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles.

Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green – particularly when the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die.

Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it’s done by removing ½-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways) from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand “topdressing” that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward. We also aerify to reduce compaction, enhance oxygen exchange, and help support a healthy root system.

Finally, growing of turf adds to a layer of organic matter on the surface. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matters makes for a resilient green, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing with sand can prevent thatch buildup, and aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established.

We have a new water feature

2010-08-26T07:28:00.003-04:00

We have recently fixed the recirculating pump that feeds the creek on #7. This pumps takes water from the pond in front of the green and transfers water to feed the creek that runs down #7. This pump is placed on a timer to run during the day and shut down at night. This adds a nice continuous flow of water through the stream. The pump has not been in operation for a couple of years.

#13 Bunker Renovation

2010-08-26T07:08:00.005-04:00

We are in the process of renovating the greenside bunker on #13. The grass around this bunker became very weak during the stress of the summer. We have decided to re-grass the surrounds and redo the bunker face in the process. We have chosen to bring the face down a little in grass to eliminate such a high face of sand.

What a Summer!!!

2010-08-25T21:21:00.001-04:00

The Ugly Summer of 2010.
This is just one of the titles from dozens of recently published articles from sources such as; The Wall Street Journal; USGA, CDGA, GCSAA (Golf Course Supts. Assoc. of America), USA Today and many others.

The Ugly Summer of 2010 can be read at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704017904575409411501359450.html
Other titles include:
Golf Course Superintendents Concerned with Greens
Heat Hits Area Greens
Unusual weather puts stress on area golf courses
When it comes to the heat, Courses Fighting Nature
Need A Break: Heat plays havoc with greens
Scorched earth: Recent stretch of heat and humidity has blistered area courses
Hot weather turning putting greens to toast
(you can goggle these articles if you would like to read)

and then there is the USGA - Turf Loss Advisory article:
http://www.usga.org/course_care/regional_updates/regional_reports/midatlantic/Special-Notice---July-2010/

and, Heat Putting Strain on Golf Courses:
http://www.usga.org/news/2010/August/Heat-Straining-Golf-Courses/

and another good USGA article relating to Poa Annua - Annual Bluegrass loss, which is a major species component of our turf on greens, collars, approaches, and fairways.
http://www.usga.org/course_care/regional_updates/regional_reports/northeast/ANNUAL-Bluegrass---A-Fitting-Name,-Unfortunately---July-2010/

Greens Aerification

2010-08-02T06:55:00.005-04:00

We are in the process today of venting the greens with small needle tines. We will follow this process with a lite topdressing to smooth out ball marks and then apply a small amount of fertilizer to help with healing and ball mark recovery. The small holes will only last for a few days and will help with oxygen exchange to the root system and relieve compaction in the upper profile.

Member Guest

2010-07-22T14:45:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone enjoyed Member Guest and wanted to thanks those who participated this year. We have come to find out that no matter how much you prepare things can change very quickly. I thought that the golf course on Thursday was probably the best it has been all year. We spent countless hours preping bunkers and grooming the golf course. Even the waste bunkers looked good. Oh how things can change quickly. Thursday afternoon we recieved approx. 1.2" of rain in about 25 min. Bunkers were filled with water and edges were washed out. We started pumping bunkers that evening until midnight and started repairing edges at 3:00 in the morning. We did get all greenside bunkers back before play Friday morning and then worked fairway bunkers Friday night. Great job by my crew to get things playable for this event.

Why It's Important to Repair Your Ball Marks on the Green

2010-07-02T12:50:00.000-04:00

Ball marks - also called pitch marks - are the bane of smooth-putting and healthy greens on golf courses all over the world. They're the little depressions, or craters, sometimes made when a golf ball descends from the sky and impacts the putting surface.
Repairing those little depressions is very important. Equally important is doing it the right way. Because while many golfers fail to repair ball marks - and shame on you if you are one of them - there are also many well-meaning golfers who do "repair" the pitch marks, only to do so incorrectly.

A ball mark can cause the grass in the depression to die, leaving not just a scar but also a pit in the putting surface that can knock well-struck putts offline. Repairing a ball mark restores a smooth surface and helps keep the grass healthy. But "repairing" a ball mark incorrectly can actually cause more damage than not attempting to repair it at all, according to a study done at Kansas State University.

The KSU researchers, whose conclusions were reported on Cybergolf.com, found that incorrectly "repaired" ball marks take up to twice as long to heal as those that are properly repaired.

So golfers, lets all start fixing our ball marks, and doing it the right way. And if you have a moment - if there isn't another group of golfers behind you waiting for you to clear the green - fix one or two other ball marks, too, if you find more of them on the green.

Repairing ball marks isn't just important for the health of the greens, and for smooth-rolling putts. It isn't just a matter of etiquette. It is our obligation to help take care of the golf courses we play. And repairing ball marks is a big part of that obligation to the game.

Golf Course Closed Today 6/22/2010

2010-06-22T10:29:00.003-04:00

The golf course will be closed all day today due to the extreme rain that we have received over night. We have recorded over 4" of rain since last night. This makes a total of almost 7" since Friday night. We will monitor the course throughout the day to see what the status will be tomorrow. More rain is expected this afternoon into tonight.

Aerifiying Fairways

2010-06-17T10:54:00.000-04:00

We have recently aerified #14, #15, #16, & #18 fairways with solid tines. This was done to help water penetrate the surface and help with dry areas that were forming. These fairways were not aerified last year due to weather and we are seeing the effects of not doing this practice already. Many people do not realize the importance of aerifying in the Fall but this is a prime example of what happens if this practice is not done. The ground becomes very compacted and will not allow water to penetrate into the root system. In turn, during dry spells stress occurs to the turfgrass plant and causes injury and possible death.

Verticutting greens

2010-06-15T09:25:00.002-04:00

We are in the process today of verticutting holes #10-#18. This process creates small slits in the greens which help with thatch control and water infiltration. We then topdress and work sand into the small slits. We will be doing this process once a month throughout the season. This is our second time doing this year to date. We will work on holes #1-#9 on Wednesday.

Golf Course Update

2010-06-15T09:20:00.002-04:00

We have experience some severe storms the last five days that we continue to cleanup from on the golf course. Bunkers have washed and we have tried to put them back over the last few days to have them wash out again each day. We are in the process of placing them back today. We will start on the greenside and continue to the fairway bunkers and waste bunkers. We had one tree fall on #13 and another tree fall on the fence near #14 tee. This is the only damage that we have incurred. We hope to start mowing again tomorrow and complete by Friday.

Drinking Fountains Golf Course

2010-05-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

New drinking fountains have been installed at the restrooms on #4 and #15. These are to replace the ice machines that were at these locations. Due to the extreme cost of having the ice machines, we decided that this would be the next best alternative. We will also be installing cup dispensers at these locations.

Driving Range Tee Renovation

2010-05-25T11:02:00.001-04:00

We have recently closed the large driving range tee due to renovation. This tee received almost 28 days of use including the NCAA tournament. This tee will be closed until after June 19th. On June 19th this tee will be the foundation for the Mayors Ball that night. The renovation included aerifying small holes to provide a good place for the seed to germinate. This process was followed by slit-seeding which also provides great germination. We are trying a new bentgrass variety that will increase time of germination and fill-in. We will continue to use this same process throughout the year.

NCAA Div. II Championship Volunteers

2010-05-21T11:45:00.001-04:00

We had over 7 volunteers who came out after tournament play to help fill divots in the fairways. The volunteers included many sales representatives and asst. superintendents from other local courses. Their help was greatly appreciated and help to produce outstanding playing conditions all week.

NCAA Div. II Championship Tournament Setup

2010-05-20T11:39:00.000-04:00

I wanted to post a action photo of Dan Grogan, golf course assistant superintendent, changing pin locations for the tournament. Notice the attention to detail from Dan. Dan and the whole crew did an wonderful job all week setting up the golf course.

NCAA Div. II Championship Day 2

2010-05-19T11:29:00.000-04:00

We finally received some nice weather starting Day 2. The sun finally decided to shine and the course began to dry out.

NCAA Div. II Championship Day 1

2010-05-18T11:17:00.000-04:00

After a raining practice round, Day 1 starting with a heavy fog followed by light rain throughout the day.

New Ball Mark Tool

2010-05-05T10:37:00.002-04:00

We have recently purchased a new ball mark tool that places small amounts of sand in ball marks to help smooth out the putting surface. Our crew fixes ball marks before mowing each morning and we will start using this tool several times a week. The sand that we are using is green and contains a small amount fertilizer that will help with ball mark recovery.

Eliminating Poa on Greens

2010-05-05T10:19:00.003-04:00

Recently you may have seen small plugs on the greens. We are in the process of plugging the poa annua out of our greens before the areas get to large. If we can eliminate the poa while the areas are small, these greens should stay poa free for the future. Poa annua is a type of grass plant that grows well in almost any climate. It is considered a weed when you are trying to maintain a pure stand of bentgrass. Poa annua produces a small seedhead in the spring and has a shallow root system which does not make it a desirable plant during the hot dry weather. Poa is mainly transferred by golfer shoes and birds carrying the seed. Poa will first form on the driving range tee and be transferred to the first tee. It will then progress to the greens on the course. We will be trying a new product this Fall on the driving range tee to eliminate the poa but keep the bentgrass.

Verticutting Greens and Topdress

2010-05-04T10:46:00.000-04:00

Today, we will be verticutting and topdressing greens. Verticutting is a process of creating small slits in the turf canopy to help eliminate excessive growth and to provide an area for the topdressing sand to be incorporated into. We have recently had a soil analysis done on greens, tees and fairways to help us analyze our nutrient needs and overall soil structure. We have found during this analysis that the top 2" of our green profile is beginning to become to tight and needs to be opened up to help with oxygen exchange and water infiltration. This can be accomplished by aerification, verticutting, and venting. These processes will help create small openings that will help accomplish our goal. We will be verticutting and topdressing on a two or three week rotation depending on weather. We will also be creating small holes in the greens during the year to help break up this top 2". We
will have another test done next spring to see our progress.

New Intermediate Cut Installed

2010-04-08T14:35:00.004-04:00

We have incorporated a intermediate cut back into our golf course maintenance routine. We will be mowing the intermediate twice a week. The machine that you see in the picture will be mowing around the fairway and we will be walk mowing three passes around the green complexes. We hope you enjoy this added feature.

Proper Ball Mark Repair

2010-04-08T14:13:00.002-04:00

I have noticed starting out the year already how many ball marks go unrepaired. Proper ball mark repair is crucial for keeping tournament conditioned greens on a daily basis. Even ball marks that are not repair correctly can take weeks to heal themselves. Our maintenance staff will be repairing ball marks on a dalily basis before mowing greens but it's ultimately up to the golfer to repair their own ball marks. This will reduce the time our staff has to dedicate to ball marks throughout the year. I have including a short video on how to properly fix a ball mark. Thanks for your help in keeping Sagamore a great place to play!!

Bunker Etiquette

2010-04-07T20:27:00.004-04:00

The Sagamore crew has worked very hard this week re-sodding bunker faces throughout the golf course. We are doing this for several reasons. The first is to replace weak or mismatched grass around the bunker edges. We are replacing these areas with a new type of fescue that will handle heat and traffic better. The second reason is to repair certain areas that golfers have worn out from entering and exiting the bunker via the bunker face. I have including this video for proper bunker etiquette.

Divot Repair

2010-03-31T13:58:00.001-04:00

Taking care of the golf course is your responsibility while you are playing a round of golf. What you do or don’t do will greatly affect the players immediately behind you, as well as the membership as a whole. The golf course is a living breathing thing that requires cooperation on your part to help keep it in the best possible condition. Aside from repairing ballmarks on the greens, the second single most important thing you can do is to replace your fairway divots. Doing so will help some of the collection areas in the fairways recover more quickly by reducing the reestablishment time of the divot. A sizable divot that is replaced with start to knit back in after several days, opposed to a sand and seed mixture that will take several weeks to equally recover. Please watch the video below because it shows how to properly replace fairway divots.

Pre-Emergent Native Areas

2010-03-31T12:14:00.003-04:00

The native areas are in the process of being treated with a pre-emergent which will keep unwanted grasses and weeds from germinating. We will be treating over 80 acres of native areas. We will then come back and treat certain areas where weeds breakthrough with another product during the summer. We have several new products that we will be experimenting with on weeds and the clump type grasses in the native areas.

Bunker Maintenance

2010-03-31T11:46:00.003-04:00

We have begun to work sand traps for the first time this year. We have completed the front nine bunkers and will be working on the back nine today and tomorrow. We will be edging, repairing liners, checking sand depth and raking sand in the process.The waste bunkers have been sprayed with roundup to eliminate all grasses growing in the bunkers before we work on these bunkers. We will continue to work on drainage and wash out areas within the bunkers in the next couple of weeks. We will also be sodding #1, #2, and #8 bunkers surrounds next week.

Snow Mold

2010-03-22T18:31:00.006-04:00

After a long winter, the extended snow cover at Sagamore caused some area to develop a disease called snow mold. We have found this disease on many approaches where snow had drifted for long periods of time and in some rough areas. The extent of injury was mild and we are confident the turfgrass will recover completely.

What is Snow Mold?

Snow mold is a fungal disease that appears in the early spring as the snow melts. There are two types of snow mold. Grey snow mold (also known as Typhula blight) and pink snow mold (sometimes referred to as Fusarium patch). Pink snow mold infects the crown of the plant and can cause more severe injury than gray snow mold which only infects the leaf tissue.

What causes snow mold?

Snow mold is caused when there is an extended period of snow cover on ground that is not completely frozen. It can also be brought on by a badly timed fertilizer application which causes a flush of growth too late in the fall. Snow mold can also occur under leaves that have not been cleaned up or amongst long grass that should have been mowed once more before winter set in.

2009-10-20T22:35:00.001-04:00

This November, turf managers and homeowners will be making late fall fertilizer applications with the hopes of improving turf vigor, color, and recovery from winter injury next spring. The main purpose of late fall fertilization is to enhance spring green-up without the excessive growth that often accompanies early spring fertilization. This green-up often will last into mid spring, so an early spring fertilizer application is not needed. A fertilizer application in mid to late spring is usually required to sustain turf color and growth into the summer months.

Research has shown that late fall fertilizer applications do not force as much leaf growth in spring as equal amounts of early spring nitrogen fertilizer, thus carbohydrates are not exhausted as quickly. Carbohydrates help turf tolerate environmental stress and recover from disease injury during spring and summer. The result is a slight advantage to the turf in the form of better heat and drought tolerance and recovery potential.

One reported advantage of late fall fertilization is increased root growth during late fall and winter. The theory is that roots are still growing at a time when shoot growth has ceased, thus allowing the roots to make full use of the fertilizer. However, root growth is very slow at this time of year, and if the soil is frozen, roots do not grow at all. Consequently, the benefit of increased root growth in response to fall fertilization is questionable.

Late fall fertilization should take place when foliar growth stops (or slows to the point that turf no longer needs to be mowed), grass is still green, and before the soil freezes. In Indiana, this period usually occurs around Thanksgiving. Application timing may vary from year to year depending on weather conditions.

Late fall fertilizer applications can be put down on most lawns at rates of 1 to 1.5 lb of nitrogen/1000 sq ft. Just about any source of nitrogen can be used for late fall fertilization, but slow-release sources may be a better choice than soluble sources on sandy soils because of reduced potential for leaching. Nitrogen fertilizer should never be applied to frozen soil due to the increased chance of nutrient runoff. Although application timing is not as critical with phosphorus and potassium as it is with nitrogen, these elements can benefit turf when applied in late fall. Application rates for phosphorus and potassium should be determined according to soil test recommendations. There is no need to apply either of these nutrients if they are present in the soil at sufficient levels.

Frost Delays

2009-10-16T13:52:00.000-04:00

How can a footprint be a killer?
It's hard to believe that simply walking, or driving a cart across the turf covered with frost can cause so much damage. The proof will be there in a few days as the turfgrass dies and leaves a trail of cart tracks or brown footprints. That's why most courses will delay starting times until the frost has melted. And it's also why golfers who appreciate a quality putting surface will be patient during frost delays.
Why does frost cause problems?
All of the turf on the course is fragile. The putting surface, or green, is an extremely fragile environment that must be managed carefully and professionally. Remember that every green is a collection of millions of individual grass plants, each of which is a delicate living thing. Obviously, Mother Nature never meant for these plants to be maintained at 5/32 of an inch for prolonged periods. This stress makes greens constantly vulnerable to attacks from insects, disease, heat, drought, cold -- and frost.
Frost is essentially frozen dew. It can form when the temperature (or wind chill) is near or below the freezing point. The ice crystals that form on the outside of the plant can also harden or even freeze the cell structure of the plant. When frosted, the normally resilient plant cells become brittle and are easily crushed. When the cell membranes are damaged, the plant loses its ability to function normally. It's not much different than cracking an egg. Once the shell is broken, you can't put it back together.
The proof is in the prints
Although you won't see any immediate damage if you walk on frosted turf, the proof will emerge within 48 to 72 hours as the leaves die and turn brown. And, since just one foursome can leave several hundred footprints on each green, the damage can be very extensive.
Its not just golfers who cause damage
If you are out early in the morning walking your dog or jogging when frost is present, the damage is still the same. So during these times please use the cart paths rather than going across the fairways and greens.

Why do we aerify greens?

2009-10-02T09:25:00.001-04:00

Preventative maintenance is an integral part of successful golf course management. Golfers view aerification as an inconvenience that takes the greens out of play for a day, pulling cores from the greens and leaving holes that can affect putting for many days before healing. To add insult to injury, aerification is best done in many part of the country during mid-summer, at the height of the playing season and when most greens are in prime condition.

But a golfer needs to understand how important aerification is to producing healthy turf.

Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green’s roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch.

Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at 3/16-inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles.

Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green – particularly when the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die.

Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it’s done by removing ½-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways) from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand “topdressing” that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward.

Older greens often are constructed of soils with significant amounts of silt, clay and fine organic particles that are prone to compaction. Filling aerification holes with sand improves drainage and resists compaction. The periodic introduction of sand to a green’s top layer can over time, avoid or postpone expensive rebuilding or renovation of greens.

Finally, growing of turf adds to a layer of organic matter on the surface. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matters makes for a resilient green, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing with sand can prevent thatch buildup, and aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established.

Other aerification techniques use machines with “tines” or knives that simply poke holes through the soil profile. A new technique even uses ultra high-pressure water that’s injected through the soil profile to create small holes that relieve some compaction but heal quickly.

There are many types of aerifying machines with different attachments that address different problems in the various stages of the life of a green. So the next time you’re ready to scream when the aerifiers are brought on the course, remember that a little preventative maintenance produces the best greens over the long haul.