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.