Course Update; The Arrival of Summer

Weather:

Summer heat and spring rains have teamed up over the past two weeks, a combination that usually proves difficult for turf management.  Across metro-Detroit there have been reports of rain incidents in the 3"-5" range, amounts that definitely spell trouble for courses with poor drainage.  This being said, we can consider ourselves lucky at MCC.  The majority of the rains and heavy storms have missed the Northville area (knock on wood) and Meadowbrook's weather station has only recorded 1.6" since the start of these storms.  It's common to assume that turf professionals are happy when it rains.  This is rarely the case and most superintendents prefer a dry season as opposed to a wet one.  Amounts of .2" are desired, but only if it's spread out over a long period of time.  High humidity and heat are obviously concerns as well.  These conditions, coupled with saturated soils, skyrocket disease pressure.  Pythium is a devastating disease and infection becomes likely in conditions similar to the present. 

Greens:Despite the weather, the greens have held up reasonably well.  A new topdressing sand started being utilized 2 years ago and an approximate 1" of this new material has been incorporated into the rootzone.  This sand is coarser and each particle is angular in shape (an important physical property to ensure stability) which benefits infiltration from the surface and also retains the firmness of the green.  After a heavy precipitation event, better surface drainage and firmness has already been observed on greens. 
The new topdressing sand has improved the previously mentioned aspects of greens but can only do so much for green speed after it rains.  To ensure that the greens are still rolling at an acceptable level the crew walk mows and rolls the greens daily.  Rolling has even been increased to combat the wet/soft conditions. 
Members have probably noticed the bulls eye like rings and the small irregular shaped yellow rings on the putting surfaces.  These are the result of two diseases called Fairy Ring and Waitea.  Fairy Ring (the bulls eye like disease) appears as dark green circular shapes.  The darker green circle (or "zone of stimulation") is the result of the pathogen breaking down organic material and making nitrogen stored within the organic matter available to the plant.  This disease will only damage turf during periods of heat or drought stress on the margins of the zone of stimulation.  Waitea appears as the irregular shaped yellow rings on the greens.  Rarely is this disease deadly either, but it is a potent thatch decomposer as well.  This is significant because, if left unchecked, the disease can leave sunken rings on the greens resulting in bumpier putts.  Both of these diseases have limited chemical controls but, on the recommendations of the MSU turf team, the crew has made a fungicide application that is expected to check the infections. 

Around the Course:
High heat, humidity and heavy rains are particularly worrisome for superintendents in regards to their fairways (mentioned in the weather section).  The majority of fairways in southeastern Michigan are not compromised of soils that drain well, namely silts and clays.  Besides the increase in disease pressure, saturated conditions themselves can lead to turf death.  If the rootzone stays saturated, aerobic respiration within the cells of the roots stops.  The plants begin to rely on anaerobic respiration which is extremely inefficient as compared to when oxygen is available.  The turf turns chlorotic (a general yellowing of the leaf blades) as more and more of the root cells die off.  Small, localized spots of this chlorosis are being observed on certain areas of fairways at MCC even with the relatively small amount of rain.  To combat these conditions, the crew aerifies these areas to open up channels for air exchange.  Recovery of aerification holes at this point in the summer is very slow so a smaller tine is utilized to expedite the healing process. 
The 14th and 15th tee perennial beds have been redone, as they were in a state of decline from an aesthetic standpoint.  The new species in these beds include:

• Knockout Roses (Yellow)
• Thyme
• Joe Pye Weed
• Variegated Japaneses Silver Grass
• Cranes Bill Geranium
• Japaneses Forest Grass
• Sedum Ground Cover 

The new Kentucky Bluegrass sod around green complexes was thriving during the month of May and early June.  The crew was hard pressed to keep up with the mowing demands of the grass in these areas but due to the higher temperatures, growth has slowed down.  The dense sod, maintained at a 2" height of cut, is aesthetically pleasing and provides a consistent lie around all the greens.  Prior to sodding, a multitude of different species surrounded the greens and golfers never knew what type of lie they were going to get. 

Tree Care:

Tree care is an on-going task for the crew year round.  During the summer, members will most likely see sprinklers running in the large evergreen beds to negate any possibility of drought conditions.  These chemically damaged trees need to suffer minimal stress in order for them to recover (if recovery is even possible).  Removals are continuing too, and some have significantly changed the look of certain areas.  In particular, the 17th green was surrounded by spruce and pine trees that suffered the brunt of Imprelis and 6 trees were removed from the area.  These removals opened up the 17th green for great views around the course. 

The previous 3 summers have brought extreme weather conditions, ones that do not make it particularly easy to maintain turf.  The summer of 2013 has proven to be mild, until recently, and the crew hopes this isn't a trend for the rest of the season.  During these wet and soft conditions we ask the members to be mindful of where they drive carts as compaction of soils can occur quickly when saturated.  Other than that, stay pin high and enjoy. 

Tree Inventory and Assessment

Last fall, Meadowbrook CC requested and completed a tree inventory of all the trees located on the golf course, club grounds and range.  The total came to 1,467 and each of these were documented in regards to  species, size, condition and recommendations for future care. As members are aware, MCC boasts some truly amazing specimens, for example the black walnut on the 15th fairway, the towering shagbark hickory  behind the 5th green, the oak trees near the 4th hole and a couple remaining elms scattered throughout the course, to name a few. 

The real value of the tree inventory is that it lays out a road map of tree care over the next several years.  With each tree inspected for everything from disease to structural integrity,  the instructions are there to make the tree population truly shine.  The following is a generalized list of some of the issues/cultural practices that the arborist inspected each tree for, issues that homeowners should be aware of as well if they have good specimens or young trees within their property.

• Co-dominant Trunks- 2 leading trunks compromise the integrity of the tree and is rarely pleasing from aesthetic standpoint.  If the tree is mature not much can be done, but young trees with co-dominant headers can be pruned to select the better of the two. 
• Girdling Roots- This refers to roots that are strangling portions of the tree, especially in situations when mulch has been piled too high around the base of the trunk.  Some of these are visible, but they can occur underground as well.  Root girdling is suspected if specific portions of the tree are in decline while the rest appears healthy.  Maple trees are susceptible to girdling roots. 
• Pruning- This refers to a multitude of practices including removal of deadwood, thinning and crown cleaning.  A large number of trees at MCC are going to or presently require pruning so the crew will be kept busy.  
• Disease/Pests- There a variety of diseases and pests that can infest any given species.  To name only a few, the crew has treated evergreens for needlecast (fungal pathogen), Diplodia (fungal pathogen) and the white pine weevil.  Flowering crab apples require fungicide applications for apple scab, while Linden Trees and Roses are susceptible to adult Japanese Beetles and need an insecticide to prevent damage.  
• Structural Integrity- If weakened structure is suspected, a structural evaluation of the tree is a good idea.  This will make the property owner aware of any possible hazards in the future.  The black walnut by the 9th green is a good candidate for a structural evaluation due to its odd branching and heavy fruit that can weight down limbs.
• Removals- An easy solution but one that is not made lightly.  Usually a result from one or a combination of the above issues, these trees present a current or potential danger to important aspects of the course or golfer safety. 

  

  9th Green Walnut Tree; A good candidate for a structural evaluation

The tree population as a whole was scrutinized as well, especially in terms of diversity.  A group of arborist recommend the following diversification guidelines (referring to the taxonomic hierarchy i.e. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species):

• No more than 30% of the same Family
• No more than 20% of the same Genus
• No more than 10% of the same Species

The pine Family, encompassing most of the evergreens on the course, is over the 30% guideline recommended.  Part of this is due to the large, protective blue spruce plantings alongside the driving range but there is a significant percentage of evergreens on the course as well.  The chemical Imprelis highlighted this lack of diversity.  The majority of pines and spruces on the course were damaged by the herbicide, and if removals are necessary, the diversification of the population will suffer too.  To even the population out, when a new planting is necessary, a different species is utilized.  Concolor firs and limber pines are beautiful trees that have similar environmental requirements as blue spruces and white pines, making them suitable replacement trees. 

In conclusion, the tree inventory and assessment could not have come at a better time.  Because of DuPont's chemical debacle, the tree population is in a precarious state, and one that will have to be monitored closely.  With this new tool, the staff will be able to not only navigate this uncharted territory but improve on the quality and health of the other trees on the property. 

 

No-Play Mondays

The crew had an open course on the 3rd of June and took full advantage of it.  Scrambles are an excellent source of income but when the occasional free Monday occurs, the staff can complete a multitude of tasks that normally would be impeded by golfers.  The following is a list of tasks completed today.  Enjoy the course tomorrow (Tuesday, the 4th).

1. Topdressed Greens, Tees and Aprons- With optimum growth temperatures for turf, topdressing becomes even more important in terms of diluting thatch build-up. Topdressing involves the following, all of which were performed on Monday.
1. Verti-Cut- disc like blades bring up thatch and open up channels for sand to work in to.
2. Dragging- a tow behind brush is utilized to work the sand into the profile
3. Watered Greens- using the automatic sprinklers also helps to work sand into the greens profile.
4. Rolled Greens- to smooth the surface after so many disruptive tasks have been performed on the greens
5. Sprayed Greens- Specialty fungicides, fertilizers and plant growth regulators are applied to speed recovery and improve general green health.
2. Fairway Spray Application- With the turf literally jumping out of the ground, a heavier rate of plant growth regulators were applied to slow the growth.  
3. Large Mulch Beds Sprayed with Herbicide- The numerous large mulch beds have all now been sprayed with a combination Round-Up and Surflan, to control existing weeds and prevent future ones.
4. Green & Tee Banks Fertilized- A SLOW release fertilizer was applied to the banks to keep them well supplied with nutrients throughout the summer.  This product also holds an insecticide that will control root-eating grubs in these frequently played areas.
5. Edged Bunkers- To maintain a crisp, manicured look around the bunkers with the current growth explosion, a team of staff members edged all 60+ bunkers on the course.
6. Driving Range Tee- An extensive amount of work was performed on the driving range tee including...
1. Mowing and Weed Whipping
2. Topdressing old hitting stands
3. Seeding old hitting stands
4. Cleaning Flag Yardage Markers
5. Painting Fixed Light Poles
7. Sprayed Austrian, Scotch & Red Pines-  Diplodia is a common, destructive disease on these pine species, a genus that has already been hard hit here at MCC.  A fungicide application was made to prevent further decline.  
8. Mowed Rough- +60 Acres of rough were mowed today so hopefully not as many balls will be lost this week.  
9. Cleaned Sprinkler Heads- While a mundane, tedious task, an important one to keep sprinkler shells free of debris and marked yardages visible.  
10. Mowed/Weed Whipped Clubgrounds
11. Mowed Tee & Green Banks
12. Changed Cups in preparation for the following morning.