The Fans Are Back!

The Club's Turf Breeze fans were put back out this week. I explained in this post last year why fans are required to help keep the turf healthy. 

The Fan on 10 Green

So far this year, Mother Nature has been kind to turf growers in the region as she has given us some beautiful weather. Once the winter finally departed, the temperatures overall have stayed relatively close to normal. Even though precipitation has been plentiful, the cooler temperatures meant that the humidity in the rootzones was kept to a minimum so the fans were not required. 

The fan on 1 Green

This last week we had some more traditional hot June weather so the fans were put out to help reduce the humidity and make the growing environment more pleasant for the turf. With lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s again, coupled with low humidity, the fans are off again today. It is a big difference to the last few summers where they were constantly running from the middle of May.

Next week's events will bring an end to a very busy month at LedgeRock. The dry weather last week provided the opportunity to get the weeds sprayed and they are already starting to die back. In a week or two we will be able to clearly see the ones that were missed! We also spent some time on the bunkers, edging them, cleaning stones and moving some sand around to make sure they play as well as they can. 

I hope you all take advantage of the beautiful weather and great conditions and get out to enjoy The Rock soon!

It's been a while!

Memorial Day has come and gone, the golf season is in full swing and we are coming off our best May ever for play. The weather has been very up and down over the last few weeks but at least winter is now a distant memory. This past spring was colder than normal for a large percentage of the country as shown in the map below which explains why it took so long for the turf to wake up.

Once we got caught up from the backlog of winter work, the priority has been maintenance. These last two to three weeks are a hectic time very year as there is a lot of spraying that needs to be done. Crabgrass prevention, grub control and wetting agents all need to be applied to set the course up for the summer. The wetting agents maintain soil moisture so help keep the playing surfaces firm while keeping enough moisture where the roots need it. There has been quite a bit of rain over the last month so we haven't needed to rely much on the irrigation system and the heavier rains are flushing the greens keeping them healthy. Even so, we are continuing to manage them to prevent any issues like we had last fall.

The frequent rain has kept the course looking green but it is frustrating when it comes to weed control. There is quite a bit of clover around the property and while it is easy to control, the weed killer needs 24 hours of dry weather so the plant can absorb it. As soon as we get the break we are looking for the clover will be sprayed and will disappear soon after.

This June is a very busy month for us with outings and we have only one closed day for maintenance. Unfortunately it is right before the Steak and Lobster Member Guest so in order to have the course in top shape we moved the necessary maintenance back a week to Wednesday the 11th. I understand it can be frustrating when the greens are perfect and maintenance needs to be done. The greens at LedgeRock are maintained to the highest standard and need extra maintenance to ensure they remain healthy and can withstand the stresses of the summer. Good rooting is the most important factor so anything that can be done to increase root mass is essential. Usually during the summer we needletine every 2-3 weeks. The needletine is very non disruptive to play as the tines are only 0.2" in diameter. This is an effective way to get air to the roots. Over the last year I have been looking at ways to increase the air exchange to enhance rooting more and demoed the PlanetAir machine last fall to see how it would perform. 

The surface slit from the PlanetAir

Cross section of a slit in the side of a cup

This machine is a knife aerator (think of a butter knife entering the soil rather than a needle) so it creates a bigger hole with not much more surface disturbance. Due to the action of it's tines, the machine also creates a teardrop shape hole underground which greatly increases underground aeration. 

The picture below illustrates the difference of aerated and non aerated turf during last summer. At the time the picture was taken the area around the sprinkler had not been aerated and these areas were wilting very quickly once the heat came. 

So while frustrating at the time the maintenance is done, the long term benefits are worth it to ensure the greens play consistently as well as they are expected all season. We have scheduled the PlanetAir again in July to maximise the air exchange during two of the hottest months. Since we core aerate in August, there is no need for the PlanetAir as it provides plenty of air exchange. We will continue to use the needletines as needed to ensure the turf stays as healthy as possible. 

As mentioned in previous posts, topdressing is also an essential practice that needs to be carried out during the season. The sand helps keep thatch under control by diluting the organic build up from the stolons and this in turn keeps the surface firm. Topdressing also helps smooth the surface keeping it true so therefore putting true which in turn helps greenspeed. 

Over the years we have only topdressed tees after we aerated them so they started to become spongy. This year we are going to lightly topdress them also from time to time to help keep the thatch under control and keep them firm. The picture above is the tees being topdressed a few weeks ago. As always if you have any questions on anything please email me: alan@ledgerockgolf.com