More Fall Projects

Today Nick completed the repair of the front left bunker on 7 green. Over the past 8 years the face of the green side bunker was beginning erode from golfer wear and tear. In the process of rebuilding the bunker we wanted to make sure we mimicked the original construction by our architect Ron Prichard. In order to do that we had to create the edge of the bunker using burlap bags. The slope of the bunker was then back filled and the top of the burlap bag was covered with soil. It should also be noted that the bags needed to be filled about 3/4th full of soil and tamped into place with a square edge.
Once tamped and back filled, the sod could then be laid over the soil and rolled over the burlap bag and into the bunker edge. The sod is then left covering the bag and sand is pushed up to cover the sod. As the sod roots into the soil and the bag we are then left with an edge that provides the laced edge look. A classic bunker look to a classic golf course.

Tree Root Pruning

Trees on a golf course, love them or hate them, either way they need to be managed. When most people think tree management they usually think about tree trimming, pruning of the branches, or managing for disease or insect infestation. As a turf manager we also need to address the impact trees have on the turf. Tree roots although they remain unseen, they can create a great deal of damage to the turf. Damage that usually seems to be a secondary issue, but quite frankly can be the root (no pun intended) of the problem.

Tree roots can grow right into the greens and rob the turf of the water and nutrients needed to grow properly. This past week Rick trenched around the 5th green on the left and back side of the green. There is a large American elm on the left, 2 large oaks and a basswood to the back of the green. As Rick trenched he cut thousands of feeder roots as well as roots measuring 1-2 inches in diameter. After trenching a barrier fabric was installed in the trench so the tree roots could no longer grow in the direction of the green.

For years we have struggled with the health of the turf on the 5th green. Hopefully by cutting the tree roots the health of the turf will gradually improve over the next few years.

Seeding Bentgrass into Fairways

This past week we slit seeded bentgrass into some of our weaker fairway locations. Of course these weaker fairway turf areas are made up of predominately poa annua. During the course of the summer the weaker, shallower rooted poa annua in many areas on the edges of our fairways around our fairway bunkers checked out. A combination of heat stress as well a loss of poa annua from a disease called Summer Patch, we were left with some pretty thin turf.

During the week of aeration we core aerated the weaker turf areas. This week we slit seeded bentgrass into these same areas. It's getting a little late in the season for seeding bentgrass, but we are hopeful we will see some germination as well as establishment. For the next few weeks we will keep these areas roped off. We want to keep cart traffic off the seeded areas as much as we can so we can increase our chances of success.

Over the past 3 years we have seen a huge swing in our bentgrass population on fairways. So much so that now the majority of our clean-up pass areas (the area where our fairway mower cuts the edge of the fairway) have converted to creeping bentgrass. The only areas where we still have a good stand of poa annua is the edges of fairways next to fairway bunkers and on only a few locations where the fairway and the approach intersect. In another 1-2 seasons I expect the majority of all of these areas to have fully converted to creeping bentgrass. With a few adjustments to our management practices in these areas know we can turn these areas around.

Aeration Week

Looks like the weather is not going to cooperate for us today, drizzle and 15-30 mph winds. The course is closed today so we can begin the process of aerating the course. Today we are in the process of topdressing and deep tine aerating the greens. Unfortunately with the wet weather we might not get the sand broomed on the greens. If this is the case we will wait until tomorrow to complete this process.



For the fairways we are solid tine aerating so there are no cores being pulled. This cultural practice works basically in any weather condition. Although this process is less disruptive for the golfers we will try to complete this task as quickly as we can.



Areas on fairway edges where poa annua is the dominant species we are core aerating these areas. The cores are being removed and then we will over-seed these areas with creeping bentgrass and heavily topdress with sand. These areas will also be roped off to keep our staff as well as golfers from driving in these locations.


For many many years, every year we aerate the 18th fairway there is a section that runs across the fairway that we can't aerate due to an old irrigation pipe that is buried in the fairway. We finally decided to dig the pipe out of the fairway. Once this 4" galvanized pipe is removed, Rick will begin installing drainage into this location on the fairway. If all goes well Rick should have this project completed by either today or at the latest, tomorrow morning.



Due to the cool wet weather we have been experiencing, but fairway bunker faces have become quite thick. Since the course is closed today we are using this opportunity to trim the bunker faces down. Once the fescue is cut down another crew rakes the debris and cleans the bunker area. This task will take the crew the majority of the day to complete.

A View From the Passengers Seat

In this months The Minikahda Columns September Newsletter, my dog Pepper took over the duties of writing this months Eagle Eye column. I think she did a great job. If you get a chance to talk to her make sure you mention the column, she loves to get positive feedback.




A View from the Passengers Seat
By Pepper Hemmingway

I’m back at the computer giving the boss break so he can spend some time on the course and less time in the office. It seems to me last year I started my article writing about the cool summer we were having, well it looks like this summer was quite the opposite. I know because it was sure hot at the end of July and the first two weeks in August. Now, I have only been around for 12 years and the boss has been in the business for almost 20 and if he says he can’t recall a stretch of weather like we just had, then it must have been a rough stretch.

Apparently when there are extended periods of hot humid weather and nighttime temperatures stay in the 70’s and dew points remain in the 70’s this creates ideal environmental conditions for disease incidence. The boss and staff were busy treating greens, tees and fairways for fungal pathogens during this period of weather. I know, because when the boss hops on a sprayer, I’m relegated to my office bed until he comes back. There was a great deal of chatter amongst the staff about diseases such as brown patch, summer patch, dollar spot and pythium. It appears they’ve got it all under control. It also helps when the weather conditions changed for the better, disease pressure is reduced and the need to apply fungicides is not so necessary.

Not only have we had a hotter than normal summer, there has also been a great deal of rain, sometimes a little too much rain, in the form of downpours. This is not something the boss enjoys seeing, but he doesn’t mind as much with the new bunker design. No longer do the bunkers wash out to the degree they used too and there is little to no contamination from the silt and dirt which just creates a muddy bunker.

Due to all the rain and high humidity the dependence on irrigation water to maintain the golf course has been reduced this season. On average the golf course will require from 25-30 million gallons of water in a season. This summer, year-to-date, only 12 million gallons have been utilized. As we head into fall season the plants requirement for water decreases. By year end the boss expects our total water usage to be well below previous years.

The rain has definitely helped reduce water usage, but another factor is the overall increase in creeping bentgrass on the fairways. This turf species requires less water than the shallow rooted poa annua. Through management techniques of deep and infrequent watering, creeping bentgrass plants can develop deeper roots. Deeper turf plant roots equates to less water and less water helps provide firmer golf conditions and can reduce disease incidence. A deeper rooted plant also requires less fertility inputs. It sounds like there are many benefits to continue to encourage creeping bentgrass as the dominant turf species on the golf course. I may be just a dog but you didn’t know I knew so much about turf management did you?

Fall is a great time of year and a great time to play some golf. I love it because the squirrels are busy storing food for the winter and everyone knows me and my pal Cooper the Yellow Lab, love to chase those squirrels. Remember to check out the boss’s blog sight at www.minikahdagrounds.blogspot.com and follow him on Twitter for course condition updates at www.twitter.com/MinikahdaTurf. Until next year, I will see you on the course.