Despite the current weeks forecast, weather patterns seem to be heading in a Fall-like direction as we approach the month of September. Temperatures peaked in late July, directly after a heavy rain of 1.6". Milder conditions followed and damaged areas of fairways were able to recover. The week of the Men's Invitational saw some of the best weather we've experienced for the event in years, rarely has the course been that green in early August.
Greens:
Poa annua is a notoriously shallow rooting plant and because of that minimal root system the top 2" of the soil profile need to stay relatively moist. Automated sprinklers and irrigation systems are great tools but do not provide the accuracy that hand watering does. Members have probably noticed crew members watering the greens on a consistent basis to keep the rootzone moist and the plants alive. While the amount of water being applied is usually light, it still has a negative effect on green speed. In comparison, creeping bentgrass roots extensively, and repeated irrigation isn't as necessary. Other practices can be changed to raise the speed of the greens (i.e. lower height of cut, aggressive rolling) but to perform these in the middle of the season is just asking to lose grass, with the plant already being in a precarious state. However, certain events require fast greens and for the Club Championship the crew was very conservative with it's watering and very liberal with it's rolling, resulting in green speeds of 12 feet or more. The point being that it is possible to push poa greens into the higher speeds (12 or up) for periods of time, but maintaining those speeds throughout a typical season is agronomically unsound. The dark green irregularly shaped ring on the putting surfaces is the work of a variety of fungus that result in the disease Fairy Ring. Localized Dry Spot, a typical companion of Fairy Ring has been observed as well (the off-color wilted sections within the Fairy Ring) raising the necessity for watering. A fungicide application has been made to control the disease but keeping the moisture and fertility at an an adequate level is necessary for recovery.
Tree Care:
On the 26th, two arborist performed structural evaluations on four black walnuts (on the 9th green, behind the 18th green and two near the 15th green). A special tool is utilized that measures the resistance as it drills through key structural points on the tree. These key points are obviously the trunk but other large limbs that present a hazard are measured as well. If the trees do not posses the necessary structural integrity than they have to be removed. Removal of chemically damaged trees will continue as planned when the weather turns favorable for hard manual labor. Fall Projects:
A rise in "fried egg lies" has prompted the need to amend the bunker sand. A ball lie rating scale set forth by the USGA recommends bunker sand have a rating of 2.5 kg/cm2 or higher. As it stands now, with no amendments, MCC bunker sand has a rating of 1.6. The sand to be utilized, Pro-Angle, when mixed with our current sand provides a ball lie rating of 2.5. Two inches of Pro-Angle will be mixed into all the green side bunkers. This will be a time consuming (and somewhat back-breaking) process but the crew hopes to tackle a hole a day while still tending to the other needs of the course.
