When I wrote the last post the area was in a very wet period and I was wondering when it was going to stop. Just like every other time I wish for the weather to change, it did, and in true fashion it went to the other extreme! Most turf managers in the region will say that this summer was a tough one but thankfully a few perfectly timed rains meant that LedgeRock came through fine and with minimal issues.
A dry summer can be great provided there is good quality water available and there is some tolerance for some brown dormant turf. Wet and humid conditions are less than ideal. The toughest stretch started in late July through mid August when the humidity rose along with the temperatures. In particular the night time temps stayed up which added a lot of stress and a huge increase in disease pressure. The disease pressure was such that it broke though a fungicide application and brown patch appeared on some fairways. It was interesting to see that it was on the more shaded fairways which showed that the increased moisture and humidity in these areas made it worse. Spraying another fungicide brought it under control but the damage was done. It didn't look too bad until the course was aerated. The disease was somewhat camouflaged under the leaves of the turf, so when the brushing from the aeration process stood the turf up, it showed the thin areas below. In all my years in the business I haven't seen that much brown patch.... The areas were seeded with divot mix and within a few weeks had started to heal up but it was certainly a first for me and showed how stressful this summer actually was. An unexpected rain storm the night before aeration left a few areas on fairways too wet so they were damaged from the aeration practices. These areas were seeded and were looking great by the time the aeration holes healed.
Brown Patch on 1 fairway
Anyone that has been following this blog for a few years knows how less than ideal growing environments effect turf conditions and what has been done at LedgeRock to rectify it. The work done last year with the drain-lines and the addition of acid injection greatly helped with reducing the stress on the pocketed greens.
2016 built on the success of 2015 with the greens performing well all summer and coming through aeration without any major issues. 10 green still struggled a little after aeration and was thin for a period afterwards. It was somewhat expected! I wanted to see if the green could survive with the shade from the Bald Cypress tree to the left. Unfortunately this year showed that it has to go as the thin turf area on the green followed the same pattern as the summer morning shade from the tree. Considering how the others are performing now, I am confident that 10 will follow them next year when the last major issue (ie the tree) is corrected. The factors limiting growth have been greatly reduced so these greens now play all summer like the others but they still need attention to make sure they keep progressing as they are and make sure that they stay healthy.
Drainage valves and a 4-way vent fitted to greens drainage to help blow air through the greens
Shaded area on 10 green was where the turf was thinnest: the top picture shows the early morning shade and how the turf was thinnest there in the lower picture
One item that needs adjusting going forward is the topdressing program. Due to the schedule over the last few years, topdressing frequency has taken a step back and it hasn't been performed as much as I'd like. The soil physical tests are coming back positive but it is important to ensure that it is taken care of before it becomes an issue. The golf shop and the maintenance dept plan to work on a schedule for 2017 that benefits both golf and maintenance and minimizes the effect on play-ability of the course
Profiles of a green after aeration. The fresh topdressing can be seen on top, the aeration and dryject holes can be seen and slight mottled look near the surface which will necessitate more frequent topdressing to ensure it does not become a problem. The line in each picture shows the interface between the original mix and the layer what has been built up with topdressing and keeping the organic content at a minimum.
The only major criticism received about the course this year was that it was wet after aeration. I understand that it was far from ideal playing conditions for the couple of weeks or so after aeration. There was a twofold reason for this. The lessor one is that the new seed mentioned above needed water during what turned out to be an extended spell without major precipitation. The second was to help heal the course as quickly as possible after aeration. Unfortunately the course needs aeration which effects play and it needs water to get it to heal as quickly as possible. While the softer conditions are less than ideal they are a small price to pay to have a successful aeration minimizing turf stress so golf can be played for the remainder of the season without any issues.
The addition of the acid injection system proved to be a major asset this year, to the point where at a few times this summer I felt that the course was too green! The acid injection helps improve the water quality which has been an issue for the last few years. It was installed last year but it was mid season until it was fully up and running and it took some time to get it dialed in. This year it proved it's worth by not only giving the turf a better quality water source but it also makes pesticides work better which in turn reduces the amount of them needed. The better quality water also reduced the amount of fertility needed on the course as, although there is a minimal amount of nitrogen in the product, the better quality water releases tied up nutrients that were previously locked up in the soil.
The tree work and regrading around 4 green
greatly improved the playability and the look of the hole by opening up the
right side of the green. With the trees gone, irrigation was added along the
edge of the cart path which meant this area could finally be maintained as
it should. There was a small area near the approach where the sod died due to
poor irrigation coverage but that has been corrected and the area
resodded.
The course was healthy and played firm and fast all summer
4 green complex before and after tree removal
Lastly, it's that time of the year where there will be frost delays; this post is a reminder of why they are necessary to protect the turf from damage.
As always please email with any questions or suggestions and keep an eye out for the next update, which I promise will be along soon! alan@ledgerockgolf.com
