What the heck happened on 15 South?





I just stepped in from looking at a catastrophic event that occurred on #15 South green.  Our operator was out rolling a clean-up pass on the green with our Smithco roller when a hydraulic hose underneath ruptured.  During a clean-up pass, the operator is looking forward, so it is very difficult to notice the oil spraying from the hose onto the turf.  Had the operator been making his back-and-forth passes, he likely would have noticed the leak after a single pass.  Unfortunately, this was not the case!

 

 

 Smithco Roller

 

 

As superintendents, we often discuss ideas on how to limit the extent of damage from petroleum products on turf.  There has been research conducted on hydraulic fluid spills and turfgrass, dating back to the late 70s, with little to no solutions to limit the damage.  There was research that evaluated treatments such as activated charcoal, calcined clay, and a detergent and water solution.  It was reported that activated charcoal will absorb oil from spills but will not increase breakdown, resulting in an unsightly, messy black residue within the damaged turf. Calcined clay had no impact and detergent was the only treatment found to increase recovery in an overseeding application.  However, the detergent actually dispersed the oil, causing injury over a greater area of the green.  So, if the plan is to re-sod the area, using detergent will only increase the amount of area to be replaced.  As a turfgrass manager, it is sometimes difficult to sit on our hands and do nothing, but that is in fact what needs to be done to limit the extent of the damage!

                                         

 It has been speculated that the primary cause of damage from hydraulic fluid on turf is not from the oil itself, but from the heat of the fluid when it is at operating temperature.  These temperatures can range from 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is disastrous on actively growing turf.  The next question needs to be, “What is the best way to fix the damage?”  We have already decided that due to the sheer square feet that are affected by this spill, re-sodding the green will be our next move.  It seems that in most cases, the turf injury is greatest one week after the spill.  So, by waiting a week to assess the damage, we should be able to decide how much turf to remove in order to re-sod.  Luckily, we have two nursery greens from which we can harvest sod as this repair will be a large one!  Also by waiting a week, we can make it through the upcoming hot weather without worrying about freshly-laid green sod.

                                                

Hydraulic oil spills have a disastrous effect on poa annua and bentgrass golf greens.  And without laying new sod, recovery can take from four weeks to  two months or longer.  If the leak were small or just a fine line running across a green, we may be able to utilize a different approach.  However, with the long-term health and playability of the course in mind, we will be spending many hours removing, regarding, and replacing the sod from #15 green.

Thank You,

Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy

Bunker Project Update

We are finally getting to spend a little time working on the bunkers, so we thought it would be a good time to give a quick before and after picture of the first bunker on #1 South....


Bunker before renovation

Bunker after renovation



***Note the lack of flashed face and removal of the bunker "nose."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As I sit down to write this, the crew is out on the South course aerifying the greens.  We are working to break through a layer that has formed due to our small-tine aerification regimen.  We are committed to removing as much thatch as we can from the green surfaces, while still trying to keep the greens rolling smooth longer into the fall.  We have been very satisfied with the amount of thatch we have removed from the greens over the past three seasons, however, this practice is not without a down side.  By punching the greens more often with a smaller tine, we create a “plow pan,” which is a compacted layer below the surface where the tines stop on their down-stroke.  Our plow pan is approximately 4 inches below the surface of the greens.  We do vary the length of our tines to try to limit the compacted layer, but unfortunately, it still forms over time.  The process we are performing on the South today and will be performing on the North next Tuesday uses tines that are 11inches long and slightly larger than the diameter of a pencil. (see picture)

 

These tines penetrate the greens to approximately 7 inches and “kick” slightly, which leaves a pencil-sized hole at the surface, but creates an oblong-shaped hole below ground.  This process helps to break channels through the plow pan in order to allow air and water further into the profile, which in turn, will create stronger, healthier greens.

 

 

The turfcare department is committed to creating the finest greens possible, but in order to do so, we must perform tasks that create less than ideal conditions in the short-term.  Our aerification program has worked very well to create greens that are more consistent throughout the playing season.  We are constantly looking for low-impact solutions to some of the issues that arise from the maintenance that is required for consistent greens.  We will continue to work hard to manage our maintenance practices with as little impact as possible to the member-designated golf course.   We really appreciate people’s understanding of the “necessary evils” of maintaining high-end turf and we are happy to say that this will be the last aerification procedure until we punch with quarter-inch tines in October! We will of course, remain on our standard verticut and topdress program throughout the remainder of the season.

 

As always, if this email creates any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

Thank You, 

Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy