Course Overview

The following is an overview of the current/upcoming projects and conditions at da 'Brook.  It was a rough season in respects to the heat, heavy rains and drought but the course came out on top.  Thanks are due to the excellent staff and I hope the golfers enjoyed the summer as much as we did. -Mike Edgerton

Weather:  Meadowbrook has just survived two of the hottest summer on records.  While there are definite signs of injury, the greens have held up well.  Other courses in the southeast Michigan area were not as fortunate as us and in some cases, lost entire greens.  Our hearts go out to those superintendents and members, and we hope that the cool autumn weather aids in your recovery process.     

Greens:  As mentioned above, the greens survived the summer in good condition.  A couple new management practices were used on the greens this year and positive results were observed.  For example, 

14 blade reels were used to mow the greens as compared to the old 11 blade mowers.  This resulted in higher clipping yield, which translates into a smoother surface and better green speed.  

Also, fewer ball marks were observed on greens this summer compared to previous years.  This is due to our new, coarser topdressing sand.  The large particles retain their shape and configuration better, resulting in less damage from traffic (i.e. ball marks).

We plan on aerifying our greens at the end of autumn.  The timing of this will allow for less disruption of the green surface during the fall playing season, along with the added benefit of not needing to aerify in the spring.  Deep tining is a cultural practice that can alleviate soil structure issues far beneath the reach of normal aerification machines.  Seeing as MCC's greens are native push-ups with about 4 inches of topdressing sand on top, we are considering deep tining at the end of October.  This project would not close the course and benefit the greens in terms of drainage and playability.  However, 2-3 weeks after deep tining, a heavy layer of sand will be applied to the greens for winter protection.  This would effectively close the course for the season. 

Fairways: We plan to aerify our fairways in October, weather permitting.  If Michigan does not see enough rain, than coring the fairways causes more harm than good.  This is an important process because it removes some of the thatch that accumulates over the summer months.  Hopefully we will not see too dry a fall. 

Golf Course Improvement Projects:

• The sodding of the green complexes continues and to date over 2400 yards of sod has been laid!  The crew has done an excellent job, tackling 1 complex a week (3 have been done so far).  While extremely labor intensive, the golfers will benefit greatly from the removal of annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass in these areas. 
• Drainage installation on 14 green is scheduled for the end of October or early November.  This will temporarily close the green but allow it to retain its firmness and playability in the event of heavy rains.  
• Tree pruning will start at the beginning of November and continue on through the winter.  Also of note, the sickly Austrian pines behind 12 green will be replaced with White Pines in early winter.  The Austrians have not fared well and the native pines will provide adequate protection for the 13th tee.
• As some of the golfers may have noticed, the restoration of the pond off the first fairway is underway.  The muck and silt are being pumped into the geotextile bag placed by the creek in front of the 9th tee.  The sediment will be allowed to dry than can be shaped into a berm or hill at our leisure.  The alternative to this process, dredging, would have left a huge footprint and possibly required us to shut down the first fairway.  We hope to have the sediment dried, shaped and seeded by next June.  

Here is a slideshow highligting the sod project, pond restoration and some photos of the course.

Practice Like A Pro

By Ty McClellan, agronomist, Mid-Continent Region
July 13, 2011

Randomly scattered divots (on the left) remove up to 50% more turf than practicing in a linear pattern (on the right) where each new shot is placed directly behind the previous divot.

Late July is usually the time when there is a lack of turf coverage on practice range tees established with cool-season turfgrasses, such as creeping bentgrass or Kentucky bluegrass.  Heavy play removes divots faster than the turf can recover, and hot, dry summer conditions leave little opportunity for seedling establishment or regenerative growth of surrounding turf.  Poor turf coverage that comes in mid-summer generally indicates that the practice tee is simply undersized for the amount of play received, i.e. there is not enough time for turf to recover before tee stalls are returned to previous locations.  It also indicates that tee stall rotations need to be reviewed for efficiency and that synthetic turf options should be considered at the rear of the tee to provide the additional time needed for turf recovery.
With the exception of an efficient tee stall rotation, enlarging the tee(s) and adding synthetic turf are improvements typically left for the off-season when time and funds become available.  So, until then, what can be done?  The solution resides with golfers.  Since randomly scattering divots can quickly destroy a practice range tee, the better approach is to shrink one’s divots by removing them in a pattern just like the professionals.  More specifically, this includes placing each shot directly behind the previous divot.  This can easily be repeated for up to 10 shots resulting in much less turf being removed.
Let’s take a look at a practical example that was provided by Golf Course Superintendent Chris Pekarek at The Village Links of Glen Ellyn in Illinois.  Mr. Pekarek estimates more than 2 million shots are taken annually from the 1.25-acre Kentucky bluegrass practice tee and that 1.5 million of the shots result in turf removal.  Although divots come in all sizes, the average iron shot is believed to remove a divot 3 inches wide by 6.5 inches long for a total of 19.5 square inches.  After just 30 shots, or a small bucket of balls, 4.1 square feet of turf are removed, given a typical practice routine (30 shots x 19.5 in² = 585 in² / 144 in² = 4.1 ft²).  Therefore, after an entire season, 205,000 square feet of divots are removed from the tee. That's more than 4.6 acres of turf from their 1.25-acre surface.
If instead each shot is played directly behind the previous divot, subsequent divots are reduced to an average size of 3 inches wide by 3 inches long, or 9 square inches.  After 30 shots, this pattern removes only 2.1 square feet of turf. (As the first divot removes 19.5 square inches and the subsequent 9 divots remove 9 square inches each for a total of 81 square inches, a total of 100.5 square inches is removed for every 10 shots, which is typical for this linear pattern.  For 30 shots or a small bucket of balls, 3 x 100.5 = 301.5 in² / 144 in² = 2.1ft² are removed.)  If everyone adopted this method, the annual number of divots removed would be reduced from 205,000 square feet to just 105,000 square feet.  That’s nearly a 50% reduction in the amount of turf removed.
Implementing this simple divot pattern into your practice regime has significant season-long implications at your facility.  So, rather than voice a complaint about the turf during oppressive conditions in July and August, do the turf a favor and practice like a pro!
NOTE: Special thanks to Mr. Pekarek and The Village Links of Glen Ellyn for graciously supplying the information and photos used in this article.  It was Mr. Pekarek’s blog that inspired this month’s topic.

If you would like more information about a Turf Advisory Service visit, do not hesitate to contact either of the Mid-Continent regional offices: Ty McClellan at tmcclellan@usga.org or (630) 340-5853 or Bud White at budwhite@usga.org or (972) 662-1138. 

Pond Restoration

All ponds are in the process of dying.  Organic matter from weeds, algae and wildlife die and decompose at the bottom of ponds and form layers of sediment (muck).  The pond off the first fairway is a prime example of heavy sediment build-up.  The original depth was an average of 4-5" but now its closer to 2".  MCC has hired Sediment Removal Solutions (SRS) to bring their unique approach to pond cleansing and restoration. 

The commonly used method for pond restoration is dredging.  Dredging can only be done under dry condition and after the pond has been completely drained.  The drainage process kills the majority of plant and wildlife species within the body of water.  Mechanical dredging also poses a hazard to the landscape due to heavy equipment used during the process. 

SRS uses high-volume suction pumps placed in the bottom of the pond by two divers.  This removes the sediment along with any toxic gases and nutrients that have built up as well.  The material is pumped into a large silt container that will allow clean water to seep out while retaining the muck.  The silt containers are a geo-textile fabric that will break down over time.  The sediment is than allowed to dry and can be removed from the property or shaped into a berm or hill.  Ponds that are restored in this manner do not have to be cleaned again for another 10 years.

The entire process is clean, environmentally friendly and cheaper than the alternative method of dredging.  The members will be able to witness the restoration next week and if interested, stop and ask questions or visit the SRS link above. 

Sod, Sod and more Sod

The kentucky bluegrass surrounding the greens and bunkers has seen a major infestation of annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass.  When these two species are allowed to grow over an 1" in height, they become very thatchy and extremely difficult to play from.  To alleviate this situation, the crew is stripping the turf surrounding several greens and replacing it with kentucky bluegrass sod. 
This is a labor intensive process that requires the entire crew, in order to eliminate unnecessary disruption of play.  First, the existing turf has to be cut, stripped, rolled and removed off-site.  After, the bare ground is aerificated to provide a better rooting surface for the new sod.  Because they are the hardest areas to grow grass, the bunker faces and immediate surrounds are laid with large sod pieces to limit moisture loss.  Finally the rest of the sod is placed, heavily watered and roped off.
It is very important that traffic is kept to a minimum on the new sod to encourage rooting and prevent damage.  The sod has been marked as "grounds under repair" and drop zones have been set up.  If a ball lands in one of these areas please utilize the drop zone.  The successful completion of this project will yield a better hitting surface and aesthetically pleasing green complex.

Homeowner Update; Fall Lawncare Tips

Michigan is finally seeing average fall temperatures and this ushers in an excellent time period for homeowners to focus on their lawns.  Autumn is an excellent time to establish, recover or just maintain your home lawn and here are several tips on how to accomplish this.

• Mowing Height: Many homeowners make the mistake of mowing their lawns too short.  A solid height range for home lawns is 2.5" to 4".  Kentucky Bluegrass, the main species in home lawns, is healthiest when within this range.
• Fertilization: If you only fertilize your lawn once a year, the fall is the best time to do it.  High rates of nitrogen and potassium will encourage lush growth and healthy turf while phosphorous is an essential element at establishment (see next bullet point). 
• Seeding: The summer of 2011 was one of the harshest on record and many lawns took a beating.  From August 15th to September 15th is the best time of year to seed over those lawn blemishes and start the recovery process.  Keep these guidelines in mind. 
• Buy only "Certified Seed".  All certified seed bags contain a minute amount of weed seed as compared to other bags which contain higher percentages. 
• Seed Rates: 2-4lbs per 1000 square feet
• Seeding after September 15th is risky, young plants do not winter well.
• Soil-to-seed contact is needed for the seed to imbibe water (and therefore germinate) so keeping the soil moist is necessary.
• Use a starter fertilizer.  Starter fertilizer is different from other products because it holds a 1:2:1 ratio of the essential elements.  They are high in phosphorous which is the limiting element in young plants with small root systems (Remember; fertilizer analysis stands for Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium)
• Herbicides are most effective on young plants so remember to NOT treat seeded areas of your lawn with these products.   

The range tee at MCC is currently closed for two weeks in order to help its recovery.  Besides fertilization and frequent irrigation, the crew has seeded it at a rate of 10lbs per 1000 square feet.  This is an exceptionally high amount but necessary due to the extensive damage that occurred over the summer months and to establish it as quickly as possible in order for members to practice.  Traffic is very damaging to seeds and young plants which is the reason we have closed the tee to golfers.