Ball marks are a pet peeve of many superintendents and golfers around the world.  There are different reasons that this is the case, but we’d like to take a few minutes to express some of the reasons why they are a pet peeve of ours.  First of all, we’re in the business of creating the best possible course conditions while operating within a given budget.  When our staff has to spend time repairing ball marks, it is taking away from other tasks that they could be completing.  To us, it is difficult to justify spending man hours repairing ball marks that should have been fixed by the golfers that created them.  Therefore, when we send a crew out to mow greens, it takes longer to complete the task because they must walk the entire green fixing marks prior to mowing. 

Since the grounds staff is typically the first ones on the golf courses in the morning, we must set up the golf course as quickly as possible to prepare for the day’s golfers.  While we are out there, we can’t help but think about the last group out from the day before.  Imagine what the greens looked like for that group if even 1 person from each group didn’t repair their ball marks.  Sometimes it’s hard to find a line to the cup without a ball mark in it and that’s a poor product for the afternoon golfers!  These ball marks will always leave a scar, but fixing them properly will greatly reduce the recovery time.  We’d like to include an excerpt from the February, 2006 Golf Course Management… “Proper use of a ball mark repair tool resulted in smaller scars and better surface quality and required nearly half the recovery time of an unfixed or improperly fixed ball mark.”  We work hard to keep the golf courses in great shape and we need help from the golfers to “pay it forward” to the groups that come behind them.  Like the old saying goes, “leave it in better shape that how you found it!”

 One last reason the turfcare department doesn’t like ball marks stems from creating a place for fungal diseases to incubate.  The soil profile is a living, breathing environment that we as turfgrass managers must assess, monitor, and modify if necessary.  The extremely low heights at which we mow golf greens coupled with the high traffic volume these greens are subjected to can create less-than-ideal growing conditions for turf.  With these added stresses, the ever-present fungal pathogens in the soil are allowed to grow and thrive if not suppressed.  I was out walking the greens this morning and found a perfect example of fungal mycelium growing in a ball mark.  Fungi  are some of the most common turf pathogens and can create poor playing conditions if left unchecked.  Repairing ball marks won’t keep diseases from infecting turf, but reducing areas where pathogens can survive may limit the number of infection sites on a golf green.

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

Thank You,

Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy

                                             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

Winter Weather

We just came in from slogging around in the slush outside and decided that a Reserve Reminder article was in order.  We have been blessed with some great weather this winter, but have also seen some conditions that would only make a penguin happy!  We have been completely closed or intermittently closed most of the past week and we figure the golf shop has been fielding a lot of calls regarding golf course playability.  We thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss some of the factors that determine whether the golf courses will open for play. 

As we’ve stated all along, the long-term health and playability of the golf courses is the most important element of our decision making.  As I’m sure you all know; no two days on the golf course are alike.  Some days a hard, heavy frost will break quickly, while other days we can arrive at the golf course, get the crew going, and then have frost stop us in our tracks.  These variances in weather patterns can also lead to some confusion regarding the playability of the courses.  For example, two days may be identical as far as temperature and humidity, but have two entirely different impacts on the golf course.  I’ve spent many hours trying to determine why the results vary and have only decided that Mother Nature is fickle! 

With all the subtle differences aside, ultimately, we must determine whether golfer and/or maintenance traffic will create negative impacts on the courses.  The main area of our focus is obviously our putting surfaces.  We are conservative with our decision making when there is potential for damage on the greens.  We feel that this preemptive approach has helped create the wonderful putting surfaces we’ve experienced this season.  We’d like to address just a couple situations that keep the golf courses closed when some feel they should be available.

The worst scenario from our standpoint is when the greens are frozen solid in the morning, but begin to thaw out throughout the day.  When the roots are frozen, but the top of the plant is thawed out, it creates an opportunity for the leaf blades and thatch to slip under foot, which in turn, causes “root shear.”  Another similar scenario is when we receive rain after a freeze event.  This situation creates a “bath tub effect,” where the ground is frozen and the rainfall accumulates on the surface until it has the chance to thaw the soil profile and percolate through the greens.  This phenomenon also creates traffic damage due to the excessive moisture in the soil profile.

As stated earlier, we want to provide excellent course conditions throughout the entire year.  Sometimes we need to make sacrifices in the short-term to ensure long-term plant health.  As always, if this email has created any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

Thank You,

 

Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy

Drainage

  Tis the season for drainage projects!!  “There can never be enough drainage on a golf course,” is a statement we often hear, and this is the time of year that exacerbates that issue.  We always start the “off” season with grand aspirations of putting in miles of new drain lines, but Mother Nature and limited man power often keep those plans in check.  Maintaining the golf courses for day to day play is always our priority, so adding drainage is something we do when we have the necessary time.

     

  As stated in previous reminders, we try to focus on areas that are “in play.”  Some of the drainage systems we work on require 3-4 days to complete, while others can be finished in one day.  Regardless of the size of the drainage system, all of these projects will greatly improve playability, both in and out of season.  Currently, on the North, you will see a lot of work taking place in the collections, while on the South, you will see a lot of work taking place in the fairways. This will help to dry these wet areas up in the winter, as well as maintain consistent firmness and playability throughout the golf season.  Obviously we won’t be able to get to it all, but we will continue to prioritize and improve the most problematic areas. 

 

  I hope that this has answered any questions you might have.  As always, if you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to let us know…….we are always open to your comments.  On behalf of the entire Turf Care department, we hope that you have a safe and happy New Year! 

 

Regards,

Gabe Hughes

South Golf Course Superintendent

From The Desk of Mike Turner:

Tree Removal 2012



Split Trunk Cross-Section



Split Trunk w/ Rot



The turfcare department has taken advantage of the less than ideal weather we’ve been experiencing to perform some much needed tree removal.  The weather has kept a lot of the golfers at bay so we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to get out into some of the “bark areas” between the holes on the South Course and remove some of the most dangerous trees.  All of the trees we’ve removed have been alders that are well past their useful life.  Each one selected for removal has either had visual rotting, a precarious lean, or possessed a “widow maker” up in the canopy.  These “widow makers” are dead and broken tops either from the tree it is in or from a neighboring tree, and are extremely dangerous.  They are unpredictable and could come crashing down at any time.  Our plan is to reintroduce some coniferous trees in the areas where a large enough space is created.  As always, if this email has created any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.



Rot on a Mature Double-Leader





Thank You,

Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy

From The Desk of Mike Turner

Reserve Reminder

11-11-11

As most of you are aware, we’ve begun changing mowing patterns and mowing heights in preparation for the winter season.  The turfcare department would like to touch on why we feel these changes are necessary.  The sun travels lower in the sky during the winter months, which creates some areas that can go without direct sunlight for weeks or even months.  In those areas, we want to give the turf all the assistance we can.  By growing those areas up, the plants have more leaf tissue to complete the photosynthetic process, thereby creating a healthier plant.  This sunlight phenomenon is only one reason for the changing mowing heights.  Other areas that receive special treatment are locations that have performed poorly throughout the winter months.  By growing these areas up, we can limit the amount or stress caused by the various maintenance practices and golfer traffic.  Most have you have probably noticed that we have been more aggressive regarding the amount of area we’ve chosen to grow up.  We feel that the success we’ve seen over the past couple of winters using this system allows us to keep these areas more consistent throughout a larger portion of the growing season thereby improving overall playability. 

Along those lines of improved conditions, we’d like to give a quick update on our new small-tine aerification program.  We understand that there was a little dissatisfaction with the number of aerifications scheduled throughout the past growing season, but hope that those that were concerned were able to get out and enjoy the great conditions in October and into November.  We’ve heard a great deal of compliments regarding the playability of the greens this fall and we attribute that to the current aerification program.  Ultimately, we’d like to get one more ¼” hollow-tine aerification in at the end of November.  That being said, reducing the number of hollow-tine aerifications next season will be dependant on our ability to manage thatch throughout the off-season.  The goal will be to maintain one 5/8” tine in the spring and three ¼” tines throughout the remainder of the season.  As always, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature and will have the long-term interests of the golf courses as our number one priority.  If this email has created any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank You,

Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy  

From The Desk of Mike Turner

Some people may ask why we seem to be punching the greens “all the time” here at The Reserve.  We’d like to take this opportunity to re-publish a RR from December of last year.  Take extra care to read the portions in red as they explain why we punch more frequently.

Reserve Reminder 12-8-10

                We here at The Reserve hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday season, It’s this time of year when we tend to realize just how fortunate we are.  For the turfcare department, that especially holds true considering the struggle we had with our greens this spring!  As I write this email, I look back on what the greens looked like in January, and feel blessed to know what they look like right now.  We had a great year for growing turf, but we also implemented some practices that helped turn the conditions around.

                We feel that one of biggest benefits came from using our small-tine aerifications to remove excessive thatch.  In fact, we feel it was so successful, that we’d like to develop a program that would substitute our October large-tine aerification, with multiple small-tine aeriations.  With that said, we are planning our first attempt the second week of January.  Like always, this process requires Mother Nature to cooperate, so if the weather window closes, we will have to reschedule.

                We feel that by removing the thatch a little at a time more frequently, we create a better product in the long term.  This new program my impact the tee sheets a little more frequently throughout the season, but the golf courses will be more playable, more often.  Our continued goal is to provide outstanding playing conditions for our members, their guests, and the general public, each and every time they choose to play here at The Reserve!

                If this email has created any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  Here’s to an enjoyable Christmas and a successful 2011.

Happy Holidays,

Mike Turner, Superintendent 

On another note, we want to mention the current state of the South ponds.  The water quality looks awful, but we believe that it is due to the effectiveness of the current treatment.  Let me explain, the product we started using in the South ponds this season settles to the bottom and digests the sludge and muck.  When this process occurs, it allows the algae and plant material that is suspended along the bottom to break-up and float to the surface.  We had our water treatment expert out here in late August and he assured us that we need to “stay the course” in order to realize the benefits of our current regime.  The pond quality should be a lot better next season (similar to the North) due to the amount of sludge being digested.

            As always, if this email has created any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank You,

Mike Turner, Superintendent

Course Update

All winter long we watch the rain fall and endure the cold temperatures just waiting for everything to start growing again.  Now that we’ve fully recovered from aerification, we’re ready for it to slow down.  It’s tough to stick to a mowing schedule with the weather still being hit or miss, and with grass growing like crazy, we can become more than a little backed up.  Some nice weather, and the fact that the greens have fully healed, gave an opportunity to get our first application of plant growth regulators down last week.  Anyone who has played in the afternoon lately has seen that the greens become almost white with seed head.  Although this is a sign of strong and healthy growth, it doesn’t make for a very smooth or quick putting surface.  Our growth regulators won’t eliminate the seed head, but they will help to reduce the amount, as well as slow the growth to achieve a more consistent putting surface throughout the day.

  In other course news, we’ve began our in season mowing patterns.   This includes mowing the diamond pattern on the south fairways and the straight lines on the north fairways, as well as walk mowing the south approaches and straight lines on our tees.  We’ve also mowed out the step cut around the south fairways and this season, included a pass around all of the bunkers.  We mow and edge the bunkers every other week, and in seasons past, they can get pretty shaggy by the time week two rolls around.  We are hopeful that this will maintain a more consistent look as well as reduce the amount of time spent on maintenance.  The creek systems on both courses are ready to be fired up and the hazard lines have been painted. 

  We are anxious for some great weather in the near future and look forward to a fantastic year.  It’s safe to say, the golf season is here!  Please contact us with any questions or comment you may have regarding the golf courses.       

The Crossing Update

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Aerification

   

                  Punching Greens                               





      





Pushing plugs and harvesting them



 

 

Blowing off any plugs left behind





Applying product on greens and tees



 





Punching approaches and tees



 





Loading topdressers and applying sand



 



Dragging sand on greens





Verticut & Topdress

March has come, and gone, but it left on a high note, with some "Spring" like weather that made it possible for us to complete our scheduled verticut and topdress on both courses this week.  Verticutting, or Vertical mowing, is a maintenance practice we perform here at The Reserve on a bi weekly basis.  There are a number of benefits to this practice, but the most important is thatch control.  The verticut blades (pictured to the left) get into the turf canopy and remove thatch that builds up as grass clippings and other organic materials begin to decay below the surface of the putting green.  Once we've finished verticutting, we mow the green to pick up any material that was left behind during the process and ensure the organic material we just pulled up isn't being worked right back down into the canopy.  

  We follow the verticut with a topdressing of sand.  Incorporating sand into the turf profile helps to maintain consistency in the turfs growing medium.  The sand helps to "dilute" any thatch left behind and prevents the formation of layers in the soil profile.  The amount of sand we put down at one time is dependent on numerous factors, the biggest of which is weather.  Because sand is a heat conductor, we will put down very little, if any, during times of 90+ degree temperatures. Conversely, we can go heavier with our topdress when temperatures are cooler.  Combined, these two practices help to maintain a smooth and firm putting surface.   

  This is just a very brief overview of the verticutting and topdressing process.  While the process can impact play slightly, the benefits are vital to promoting strong, consistent, and quality putting greens.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. 

On Course Projects

 

  The recent arrival of the sun, along with the longer days have began to awaken the grass from its winter slumber.  While the rough is still far to wet to get to, we were able to mow and clean-up the fairways this week, and boy, did they need it.  Before to long, it will be a non stop challenge trying to keep up with all the mowing, and clean-up that comes with it, but until then we'll continue to mow what we can, when we can, and work on other projects as we continue to prep for the upcoming season.

  On the North Course, we've completed two small drain lines and continue to work on another.  The finished drain lines are at #1 and #13 greens as you walk from the cart path to the green.  The drain line that is currently being worked on is to the right side of #9 fairway in an area that is very wet and messy throughout the winter and spring.  On the South, we have began the process of trimming the trees throughout the course.  This will help to make the trees look more aesthetically pleasing as well as help to speed up play by eliminating the need to lift branches to look under trees  for errant golf shots.  In the parking lot, Francisco has finished trimming the Yew's, which I think turned out looking great. 

  These are just some of the projects that we have been working on, and as always, your feedback is encouraged and appreciated! 

From the Desk of Mike Turner, Golf Course Superintendent

Aerification

            Here we are at the doorstep of another aerification season at The Reserve.  We’ve had a lot of precipitation this winter, but we feel that the proactive approach with our greens program is paying dividends now.  The greens are as healthy as we can remember and they’ve just been subjected to a cool, wet winter!  Leading up to aerification, we sometime have people ask, “Why do have to punch the greens when they are playing so great?” We thought this would be a good opportunity to give a little insight as to why aerification is important.

            Core aeration (actually removing plant material) and sand topdressing are two of the “necessary evils” that promote long-term plant health;  they allow for proper air movement within the soil profile,  improve drainage capacity that is compromised due to daily cultural practices (mowing, rolling, foot traffic, etc.), and provide new growth medium for the tightly growing bentgrass/poa.  We want the greens to be as healthy as possible heading into aerification for a number of reasons. 

            The health of the turf prior to aerification determines how much damage will occur throughout the process.  Also, when the turf is healthy before aerification, it recovers faster, which is critical as we begin a new golf season.  Aerification is a very labor-intensive process that creates a lot of headaches in the short-term.  The process is a traumatic experience for the members, the grounds crew, and of course, the turf.  We wouldn’t invest the time and energy doing these things if we didn’t believe that they are absolutely necessary! 

            This email briefly touches on the benefits of core aeration. If anyone would like to discuss this or anything other topic, at length, feel free to contact me!

Thank You,

Mike Turner, Superintendent

Drainage Work

  The fact that scores are now being posted, and The Reserve hosted its annual Pro-Am this past Monday, means that Spring is just around the corner.  The weather turned out to be very nice for the tournament Monday, but just like a typical Winter in Oregon, it turned on us very quick.  The golf courses are saturated at this point, and the 10-day forecast doesn't look good for much drying time.  The soft and muddy soil conditions prevent us from doing any kind of mowing outside of greens, collections/approaches, and tees.  Although we'd love to be able to get out there and mow the rough and fairways, doing so would make a mess that no one wants to see. 

  It's not easy to put a positive spin on this dreary weather, but without mowers running, we can use the extra manpower to get some more drainage in on the courses.  This past week we were able to get two drain projects done on the South Course.  The first was on #13, on the right side of the fairway about 125 yards out from the green.  It was a fairly small project, but it will help to dry up an area that is always wet.  The other drain project was on #16 South.  This was a more tedious undertaking, but I have no doubt the results are well worth the effort.  This one is located on the left half of the fairway just past the left fairway bunker, and goes out into the rough towards the pump house.  This will help to dry up a landing area for those who like to risk it and hit a driver off the tee on that hole.  

  Once Spring gets here and the mowers start running non stop, projects like this won't be easy to fit in.  In the mean time, we'll take what mother nature gives us and do our best to continue to improve the playability of the golf courses.  Again, we are happy to hear any suggestions you may have regarding areas you feel could use a little drying out!