Lightning Strike

On 7/18 a bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of #18 green. I wrote a short story of the event and the damage it caused and sent it to James Spann of abc33/40. Below is the link to the weather blog that he posted it to. You may have to scoll down because of new material added periodically.

http://www.alabamawx.com/

Verticutting Greens

On Mon.and Tues. of this week greens were verticut and topdressed. Over time bermudagrass greens become so densly packed with plants that is is necessary to thin them out. By verticutting and topdressing it helps to reduce scalping, dilute organic matter, increase firmness and promote new growth. It takes about 3-4 days to return to smooth conditions and about 8-10 to completely heal. This practice is vital to maintain healthy greens.



In this pic the mower is cutting the plants that are stood up as a result of the verticutting.

Grass removed off of the putting green. 

Brushing in the topdressing. 



Strong Storms

Between yesterday and this morning two different thunderstorm complexes blew through. They brought high winds and dumped 2+ inches of rain. The results are 2 trees down at the clubhouse, 2 trees struck by lightning next to #12 cart path, scattered debris and bunkers that are washed.

Our first priority is to remove the fallen trees and clean up the debris. We are hopeful to put bunkers back together by mid week.

Green and Tee Aerification

On April 30th we began aerifying greens. I've listed the many steps below to help you understand what goes into this process from start to finish.

1. One week prior .6 of a pound of quick release nitrogen is applied. This is key as it will encourage growth when the process begin.
2. Greens were verticut 1/16" deep 2 directions following up and down the same pass.
3. Following they were aerified on a 1.6" x 2" spacing using a .480 i.d. tine.
4. Plugs are then pushed into piles and removed.
5. Greens are rolled 2 directions to help firm the surface.
6. Prior to topdressing granular forms of calcium, potassium and minor elements are applied.
7. Greens are then buried under a blanket of sand (approx.52 tons) and allowed to dry.
8. A drag brush is used to sift the dry sand into the holes.
9. Following the drag brush we will use backpack blowers to scatter the heavier areas.
10. They are then rolled 2 more times.

If we are not delayed by weather it usually take about 3 days to complete. Following the completion the greens are allowed to sit 5-7 days before they are mowed for the first time. Generally the height starts out at.125 of an inch the first few times they are mowed. Once the sand begins to get incorporated into the canopy we will begin lowering the heights down to our goal of .095 - .105.

During our closed time tees were aerified and topdressed as well. Below are several pictures of the process.



Aerifying #2

Healthy White Roots

Following Clean Up Process

Heavy Topdressing Prior To Brushing

Aerifying #14 Tee





Spring Pre-Emerge/Fertilizer

On Tues. 4/3 Harrell's applied our spring pre-emerge/fertilizer. The mix was a 33-0-9 which contained Ronstar (pre-emerge), 2.5lbs. of nitrogen (2lbs.of which is controlled release) and .75lbs. of potassium. It was applied to 120 acres at the rate of 333lbs. per acre then watered in. This will protect us against weed germination and provide the necessary nutrients through the summer. Here are a couple of pictures of the spreader truck in action on #6.

New Pavement

A portion of the access road  behind #14 green has been paved using asphalt. The surrounding area was then sodded using 6 pallets of zoysia. Below are before and after pics.

Looking towards the green (before)

Looking away from the green (after)

GIS

Last week I attended the golf industry show in Las Vegas. This conference offers many education opportunities and showcases many of the manufactures in our industry in a trade show event.

Day one and two consisted of 16 hrs. of continuing education.My first seminar (Expanding the Boundaries of Ultradwarf Bermudagrasses in the Upper South and Transition Zones) talked about the challenges of maintaining ultradwarf greens.Topics of discussion were aerification, pest control, topdressing, covering and painting. My second seminar (Greens Aerification and Water Management by the Numbers ) focused in depth on successful aerification programs and the use of wetting agent to maintain proper moisture in the greens profile.

Day three and four was the trade show event. During this time I had the opportunity to visit with many manufactures and see the latest in technology.

Attending the GIS allows me to maintain my class A status as a golf course superintendent through continuing education and keep up with the ever changing industry.