Course Update 9/6/18

Venting Greens: We took advantage of being closed on Tuesday and vented the greens using a spiker attachment.  The spiker blades penetrate 1" through the thatch and achieve a 2.5" by 2.5" spacing, with minimal disruption to the surface and putting quality.  While it doesn't go as deep as a traditional solid aerification tine, it still opens the surface for improved gas exchange and water infiltration, and at a much faster pace than our greens aerifier can go.  We were able to spike all 29 greens and collars in less than 8 hours.  We try to vent greens 2-3 times during the summer, based upon weather events and the amount of traffic the greens have received.

Recently spiked green prior to mowing

The tips of the spiker blades where the paint has worn off is approximately 1" deep

Grub Damage: It's that time of year when we begin to see patches of rough torn up by skunks and racoons that are foraging for white grubs.  The grubs are a juvenile stage of Japanese Beetles and Northern Masked Chafers that eat as much as they can now to survive in the soil over winter.  Then they emerge in the spring as adults, mate, lay eggs mid-summer, and repeat the process every year.  We proactively treat the entire property with a systemic insecticide in the spring, but inevitably there are areas that still become infested.  It could be from a skip during the application, or from extreme weather events that have been shown to reduce chemical activity.  Heavy rains in the spring and early summer have the potential to move the product from its intended location, while extremely dry, cracked soil can create voids in the chemical barrier.  Over the next few weeks we'll be treating the damaged areas with a different insecticide to kill any remaining grubs, then we'll clean up the damaged turf and spread soil/seed for quick germination.

Area in the rough damaged by grubs feeding on roots

Turf infested with grubs will peel back with little resistance from not having a strong root system.  Here you can see two grubs in the center of the photo

Turf damaged by nighttime feeders such as skunks and racoons looking for an easy meal