Tree Work...Update

With the recent mild temps and snow melt, the conditions are too wet to continue work on the course.  We were able to finish on Orchard 8 early in the week, and then started removing pine trees along the pool and tennis courts.  We'll also be removing pine trees as you drive into the club along the hillside that overlooks the putting green and Orchard 9 green.  Unfortunately, these trees are being killed by a variety of factors and are past the point of saving.

The main cause of death for the trees planted on the hillsides are girdling roots.  Girdling roots are lateral roots that grow around (encircle) the base of the tree.  As the tree matures, the roots become tighter and will cut into the bark and inner cambium.  Over time the girdling roots will cut off the natural flow of water and nutrients throughout the tree, which leads to death.  The main cause of girdling roots is that they develop as a result of trees being planted too deeply.  When roots are covered by too much soil, less oxygen and water is available.  The roots will grow up towards the surface of the soil and encircle the trunk.  All the trees removed so far had girdling roots evident at the soil surface, some worse than others.  The problem with planting trees on hillsides is that for the tree to be straight, one side of the root ball will be covered by too much soil and the other side typically doesn't receive enough soil.  The steeper the slope the worse the problem becomes.

A handful of the pine trees are also being killed by Diplodia Tip Blight.  It's a naturally-occurring fungus that easily spreads by wind and water movement.  The fungus will attack new growth at the tips of the branches and form cankers that will restrict the flow of water and nutrients.  As the infection progresses, the lowest branches will die off and the disease moves upward in the tree.

Pine tree being killed by girdling roots

Girdling roots caused by planting on a hillside

One of several dead pine trees along hillside overlooking practice green

Pine tree near tennis courts showing signs of Diplodia Tip Blight

Tree Work...Update

This week the staff finished clearing the unwanted brush and downed trees near the short fairway on the right of Grove 9.  There was a considerable amount of debris that had accumulated over the years, but the end result is amazing.  We can't wait to see it this spring when everything starts to green up!  The next area on the list is to clean up/remove a few trees and the remaining brush along the lake edge on lower Orchard 8.  The beginning of the fairway still had considerable shade from a handful of trees, so we are getting them out while the ground is frozen.  The next location for targeted removals is to the left of Orchard 5 green.  We did some work in there last winter, but realized this summer that more trees need to come out that are casting heavy shade on the green.

Hazard area before right fwy on Grove 9 all cleaned up

View from Grove 9 tees prior to tree work (Spring 2016)

View from Grove 9 tees after tree work (Winter 2018)

Bryan Morgan (Assistant Superintendent) flush cutting a stump

Maintenance staff thinning out trees along Orchard 8 lake edge 

 

Having the right equipment makes the job safer and more efficient

Tree Work

The recent plunge in temperature has resulted in frozen ground that is ideal for tree work, so we're taking a break from drainage and picking up where we left off last winter.  Removing trees can be a contentious issue, but recent trends show that selective removals have significant results when it comes to improving turf health and playability.  The majority of our work is removing underbrush and undesirable trees such as locust and sumac, but we sometimes have to remove oak, maple, cherry or elm trees if they're too close to greens, tees or fairways.  These species have shallow root systems that will out-compete turfgrass for water and nutrients, all while blocking sunlight and airflow.

Trees are also removed for safety reasons, and we've been proactively removing trees that are in decline.  Visible damage to the trunk, especially around the base of the tree, is an indicator of a potential hazard.  Also, dead branches at the very top of a tree indicate a problem.

Click here for a recent article from the USGA about trees and their effect on turfgrass.

Shaded putting green turf will always be lesser quality
compared to turf that receives full sun.

Rotting heartwood makes trees weaker and more likely to come down in storms.

Thin turf under a dense tree canopy.

This tree only had minor indicators of poor health, but was clearly in decline.

Maintenance staff removing brush and undesirable trees near Grove 9 green.

Course Update

The recent stretch of mild weather has allowed us to continue the drainage projects on the Orchard course.  We're currently working in #5 fairway and have installed 130 feet of pipe thus far, with another 30 feet to finish installing before Christmas.  That brings the total drainage installed to 210 feet.  Unlike the drain line on #6, the two sites on #5 did not have existing drainage and it makes sense why we experienced problems with the turf in those low areas every year.  Since there wasn't sub-surface drainage to remove the excess water, the soil remained water-logged and the turf died due to a lack of oxygen.  By using a combination of sand over gravel in the drain lines, we ensure that water can easily drain from the surface which results in better playing conditions and healthy turf!

Ready to start digging on 5 Orchard fwy

 

Bryan & Justin digging around existing basin to connect new drainage

Installing new 4" pipe & gravel

Installing 12" basin to accommodate future drain lines

Drain line ready for sod near 5 approach

Gray clay only 2" below the fairway surface allows little to no water drainage

Winter Work

Just about every year, turf professionals everywhere get the same question: “What do you do in the winter?” Understandably, golfers sometimes assume that winter is “kick back time” for golf course superintendents. After all, not much golf is being played in the northern half of the country. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Winter in the northern half of the country usually brings a change of schedule – and some relief – from the day-to-day grind of the golf season, but there still is much work to be done. Often, winter  is “project time,” allowing superintendents to focus more resources on accomplishing bigger, more disruptive projects at a time when grass doesn’t require mowing and golfers won’t be bothered. Tree work, drainage work, and a myriad of other projects all can be done in the late fall and winter – provided the weather cooperates. When the weather doesn’t cooperate, there's snow to plow, and parking lots and sidewalks to treat. Just as it does in the summer, the weather presents its own set of challenges during winter and outside work on the course can be a battle against the elements. Additionally, course accessories like ball washers, tee markers, and benches need to be cleaned and painted, future projects planned, equipment maintained, etc.

In addition to on-course projects, several opportunities for continuing education take place during winter. The turfgrass management profession is dynamic and the development of new products, techniques and research constantly occurs. Therefore, it's important to continually learn about new advancements within the industry. Turfgrass research projects are constantly underway at universities across the nation. The information developed from that research is published and presented at turf conferences and meetings, so attendance is critical. There are many educational opportunities during the year, but the winter turf conferences are among the most important for turf professionals. Furthermore, educational conferences provide time to obtain certification credits and allow superintendents to network.

Hopefully you get the idea; a superintendent’s work is never done. So, while the occasional winter vacation may take place, winter is definitely not “kick back time” for golf course superintendents. Winter means changing schedules and shifting priorities while always striving to improve professionally so the job can be done more effectively.

Click here to find out more about winter maintenance activities

Justin giving the breakroom a much-needed cleaning

Randy prepping a tee mower reel for sharpening

Winter is the ideal time to perform extensive equipment maintenance & repairs

Snow Mold

This week we made a winter fungicide application to greens, tees and fairways to protect the turf from snow mold.  The chemicals used specifically target the disease and are formulated to last up to four months given moderate weather variations.  The ideal application period is when the turf has stopped producing new leaf tissue and the ground is not frozen.  Frozen ground limits the plant's ability to absorb the fungicide which results in reduced disease control.  The weather forecast also moved our timeline up due to the sub-freezing temps and snow/rain events expected over the next 10 days.  In total, we sprayed 53 acres of turf with a chemical cost of $15,000.

There are two types of snow mold that negatively affect turfgrass, pink and gray.  Gray snow mold is associated with long periods of snow cover and pink snow mold can occur with or without snow.  Gray snow mold is much more destructive and can kill large areas of turf, while pink snow mold typically attacks leaf tissue and does not harm the growing point (crown) of the plant.  In southwestern PA we use a fungicide that targets both pink and gray snow mold since we don't know what the weather will be like during the winter.

Pink snow mold infection on a fairway.  Notice the pinkish hue around
the outside of the infected patches.

Course Update

As expected, November has been a busy month for the maintenance staff.  We completed most of our to-do list even with the 6.1" of rain.  The latter half of the month saw mild weather that allowed for some bonus golf, but it also kept the turf growing which needed to be mowed.  Fungicide applications for snow mold have been postponed due to the mild weather and continued mowing, but will need to be applied in the next couple of weeks.  Daily leaf cleanup has also been a top priority, which includes blowing, mulching, and more blowing.  We try to have all playing surfaces clear for play every morning, but many times a gust of wind comes along scattering leaves everywhere and it appears nothing was ever done.  Besides the Oak trees, most of the leaves are down and we hope to be done with leaf cleanup soon.

In addition to our regular maintenance, the management team felt it was important to address some of the areas impacted by poor drainage this summer.  Today we started that process at the beginning of Orchard 6 fairway.  We started by digging some test holes to see if there was drainage pipe in the ground and what condition it was in.  Then we rented a machine to speed up the excavation process and proceeded to remove the old, non-functioning pipe along with the clay and muck that was not allowing the water to drain from the surface.  Once the trench was dug a new layer of gravel was spread along the bottom and new, free-flowing pipe was laid on top.  More gravel was then used to cover and stabilize the pipe.  The final steps are to fill the trench with sand and repair the area with sod.  It took a little while to get going this morning, but the staff was able to install the 50 feet of new pipe and cover everything with gravel.  The plan is to keep working on drainage projects as long as the weather allows this year and we'll continue to work on the Orchard course.

All the photos below were taken today on Orchard 6 fairway.

Low area resulting in turf loss
from non-functioning drainage

50 feet of old drainage pipe removed from low area

Excavating trench

The two visible drainage pipes were in good shape
and the new pipe was connected to them

Trench filled with gravel and ready for sand

Lower end of trench connected to a catch-basin in the rough

Frost Update

Thought it would be a good idea to revisit a post about frost from early October. There have been numerous heavy frosts this fall along with some damage from people walking on frozen turf. When out for your morning walks please stay on the cart paths and sidewalks. This also applies to your pets, as dogs can damage frozen turf the same way humans do.

The picture below of Orchard 1 was recently taken one afternoon after a heavy frost. You can clearly see the black footprints in the rough and fairway which indicate dying turf.

Frost is common this time of year and can even occur when the air temperature is above freezing.  Frost will usually be evident at sunrise, as the air at ground level is warmed it becomes lighter and rises.  Colder, denser air will take the place of the warm air and can be 5-10 degrees cooler, thus creating frozen turf.  Frost usually "burns off" quickly in direct sunlight, but certain areas of the course are heavily shaded and take longer to thaw.  The maintenance staff monitors specific areas throughout the course on cool mornings to determine whether frost is present, and the decision to allow play is based on when those areas will be frost-free.  An easy way to tell if frost is present is by running your hand across the grass.  If the dew wipes away it's safe to walk on the turf.


Click here to watch a short video about frost from the USGA.

Construction Update

The contractor finished up a few odds and ends last week and there are a couple areas needing sod that the maintenance staff will complete as the weather allows.  Overall, the project was a tremendous success and was able to address many more areas throughout the courses than originally planned.  Thank you for your patience and understanding during the project.  The finished product is receiving rave reviews and everyone is understandably excited to try out the new tees next season.

Here's a brief summary of the project:

• Renovated and enlarged 12 tees on 5 holes
• Increased the usable teeing surface by 11,000 square feet (.25 acres)
• Repaired 2 rock walls with a combined length of 300 feet
• Used 300 tons of sand mix for the tees
• Used 45 tons of gravel and 23 tons of screened topsoil for the rock walls
• Installed 36,000 square feet of bentgrass sod and 38,500 square feet of bluegrass sod

Maintenance staff installing bluegrass sod around Grove 3 tees

Lakes 2 rock wall

Lakes 2 rock wall with new bluegrass sod.  A bentgrass collar
will be installed between the green and the bluegrass sod

Lakes 2 rock wall.  There is 3 times more area along the top of the wall
to play from and balls won't be lost in the sinkholes between the rocks

Course Update

Falling leaves, cooler temps and shorter days remind us that winter is not too far away.  With that in mind, November is always a busy month as our focus shifts from routine maintenance to preparing the course for winter.  Even though last winter was rather mild and the forecasts for this winter vary from one extreme to another depending on the source, we like to say "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

Here's a list of items that need to be done in November:

1. Blowout/winterize the irrigation systems and course restrooms
2. Finish aerifying tees
3. Blow/mulch leaves
4. Mow everything one last time
5. Spray a fungicide on greens, tees and fairways that protects the turf against snow mold
6. Bring in all course and driving range accessories (tee markers will be left out this year)
7. Finish sod projects
8. Mow outer rough

There are always a few other surprises this time of year, and it's critical that we get through our to-do list prior to the ground freezing.  Who knows, you may still be playing golf in December like last year.