It seems like I have started my own Groundhog day, or at least Groundhog Week, where I am in a perpetual loop and the greens look the same week in and out. Switching from recovery to playability mode was very successful and The Rock last weekend went really well. The greens were fully back up to speed as expected and were over 12' on Saturday. The unfortunate part is that they still don't look perfect but the fact they are putting fine makes up for it. They are still putting true and fast today for the Club Championship.
Due to the early shotgun for the Rock we set lights up around the course so the crew could get started well before dawn ensuring the course be ready.
Spotlights on 1 & 18 greens
Mowing 16 at 5am
The greens stimping over 12' for the Rock
This past week we did some more work to help the recovery process, but with mixed results. The soil tests that were taken last week came back. I had two sets of tests done; the regular soil test showed that the soils themselves are actually very healthy. The other test is a saturated paste test, which tests the soil with water added to show what happens when the water interacts with the soil chemistry. The test was split into using irrigation water and distilled water on the soil samples. As expected, the irrigation water is adding much more salts and bicarbonates to the system. It also showed that although the numbers are similar on a healthy green (6) to a poor green (10) the healthy turf is able to withstand the salts, whereas the weak turf and new seed are not able to process it. To use the analogy of a healthy human who can shake off a flu, the healthy greens are comparative; whereas the simple flu can be detrimental to a human who is run down or has a weak immune system.
These three samples were checked using the irrigation water (the areas of interest are highlighted orange)
On 10 we tested a good and bad area to see if there was a difference (there wasn't) but the distilled water freed up potassium and resulted in a lot less salts and bicarbonates (in orange as above)
Anticipating the outcome of the test results, the greens were flushed on Tuesday. Gypsum was applied first to help flush the salts as the water passed through the system. As the morning progressed, the healthy greens flushed as normal, with the surface water disappearing when the greens 'burped'. However, we started to notice that the thin greens did not drain. Pulling a core revealed that that they were holding water at approximately 4" due to the gypsum no longer being effective enough to move the salts further; the salts created a perched water table. The picture below is not the clearest, but the saturated area can be seen near the top while the lower end of the core is as expected.
1 green puddling up and not flushing
We sprayed an organic acid to help move the salts further but it only moved them another 2 or so inches. The plan is to reapply gypsum and the organic acid on Tuesday and hopefully it can flush the salts completely out of the system. It is difficult to get the required results as the irrigation water is less than perfect and adding to the problem, so we have to rely on the work-arounds to help. Ideally a large rain event would provide clean water to completely flush the system and help the greens return to normal.
Flushing the greens
The sensors in the greens confirmed what we were seeing on the surface and in the cores. The sensors are set at 2 & 8 inches. The graphs below are for the upper and lower sensors. The rain event on the 21st can be seen. While a nice rain, and one that would normally be appreciated, this one was not heavy enough to flush the greens. However, it can be noted on the upper sensor that the rain helped push salts past (as it registered a spike in salinity,) but only the sensor on 18 showed a spike in salinity on the lower sensor as the salts passed it.
The flush on 9-24 can be easily seen also. At the upper sensor the salt levels spike as it passes the sensor, while the lower sensor stays resolutely flat for 1, showing the salts never made it to that level.
The upper (2") sensor graph for 1 & 18
The upper (2") sensor graph for 1 & 18
We finally have confirmed our suspicions and have a definitive answer to why greens that should have quickly recovered from some mechanical damage and scorch have not been recovering. It has been an extremely frustrating period for me, as well as for all of the members. We are trying to fix a problem with a component that adds to the problem. We will continue to do as much as we can to flush the salts in order to push growth and get the seedlings to pop; but until we can get near a neutral base line, it will be difficult. A large rain event followed by some warm and moist days would be the ideal first step to the road to recovery, as it will flush the system and ensure we don't have to rely on the irrigation water to grow the seed. As I have mentioned a number of times before, a Superintendent is never happy with the weather, even when it has been as perfect as what we have had. The greens will be flushed again this upcoming week and we will continue to push as much growth as possible, while keeping them playing well.
Other than the few greens that don't look great, the remainder of the course is in great condition. While the beautiful dry weather has been causing problems with getting the greens to recover, the flip-side is that the course is playing hard and fast, which is never a bad thing.
Finally this past week was the first Ladies Behind The Scene Tour, which encompassed 9, 10, 12, & 13 culminating with a nice lunch at the Kohl Lodge. I'm looking forward to next Monday's tour which will include 3,17 & 18.
As always if you have any questions please let me know alan@ledgerockgolf.com
