Winter Preparation

As Michigan gears up for winter, golf course superintendents are doing the same.  An important aspect of turf management is preparing the grass for the extreme climate changes of winter (freeze/thaw cycles and heavy snow fall).  There are many different tasks that are part of winterizing a course and the major ones that da' Brook performs are explained in the following article.

Dormant Feeding:
Dormant feeding is an important element in this preparation.  It entails a heavy rate of solid fertilizer applied to specific areas of the course.  MCC applies a granular fertilizer to its tees and fairways at a rate of 350lbs of product per acre.  The fertilizer formulations for dormant feeding usually include a small amount of nitrogen coupled with a large amount of potash (Potassium).  Potassium is an important plant nutrient at this time of year because it provides strength to cell walls.  Long periods of cold temperatures or abrupt freezes and thaws are extremely detrimental to the turf.  Ice crystals, formed by cold temperatures can puncture cell walls in a weakened condition.  During a thaw, the plant can actively take up water, hydrating the turf.  The water will than freeze puncturing cell membranes from the inside, which will result in the death of the cell.  This process in known as crown hydration, and while not completely unavoidable, dormant feeding does provide some relief from it. 
The summer of 2011 left its mark on some of the fairways, in the form of voids or bare spots in the turf.  The crew hopes that the dormant feed will assist in the recovery of these spots before the snowfall and carry the benefits into the spring.

Snow Mold Control:

The biggest threat to turfgrass during the winter from a disease standpoint are the snow molds; Pink and Gray.  Pink snow-mold is the most common in Michigan (Gray requires a long, heavy snow-cover that southeastern Michigan does not see consistently) and before the snow comes, superintendents try to spray the vital areas of the course with fungicides.  The norm for snow mold prevention and control has become a combination of products that contain active ingredients from different chemical families.  On a side note, PCNB, a very effective fungicide for snow mold applications was taken off the market to edit it's EPA Label.  It recently has re-entered the market and superintendents are thankful for its return. 

Winterizing the Irrigation System:

To avoid pipe and sprinkler head damage brought on by water expansion during freezing, the irrigation system of golf courses are winterized in late fall.  This entails the shut down of the pump house and the use of a large air compressor to blow the remaining water out of the lines.  The irrigation lines themselves contain thousands of gallons of water but with the use of the large compressor and experience of the first assistant and irrigation tech, the task can be completed in a day.  This is also an excellent time to check sprinkler heads for malfunctions (with thousands of yards of pipes, wire and numerous sprinkler heads it stands to reason that something might go unnoticed). 

Winter Covers/Green Winter Preparation:

Meadowbrook CC is in the process of trying a new management practice in regards to prepping the greens for winter.  Instead of aerifying the greens in early fall, the crew waited until mid-November.  The greens were topdressed heavily with over a quarter inch of sand than aerified, leaving a large amount of sand on the greens surface.  The theory is that the surface sand will provide some insulation/protection to the green during the winter months and the aerification holes will aid in removing water from the greens surface, which can damage turf when it freezes. 

Due to the orientation of some greens, more protection is needed.  Greens that are exposed to northern winds or heavy snowfall are covered with bubble wraps and heavy tarps.  The bubble wraps are similar to the packing material and allow for air exchange between the green surface and atmosphere (to prevent the build up of toxic gases).  The heavy tarps are placed on top of the bubble wrap and protect the green from winds, snowfall and surface water.  The combination of these two is an effective mechanical practice in preventing winter damage. 

Everything the crew does at this time of year is geared towards having a healthy golf course come spring.  Hitting the ground running in late March and April is a huge advantage when the golf season starts.  We hope the members have a pleasant winter and happy holidays.  Enjoy.

Deep Tining

This soil profile taken from a MCC green shows the distinct topdressing and native soil layer.  As you can see the topdressing sand stops at about 4" down.  Traditional aeration machines cannot reach below this depth and to acheive better drainage into the native soil layer, deep tining is used. 

Deep tining requires a special set of tines and machine that most grounds crew do not have in their arsenal.  So here at MCC, the task is contracted out.  With a contractors specialized aeration set they can alleviate compaction issues and penetrate soil layers that regular aeration methods will not achieve.  Tining into the native soil will allow for better surface drainage which translates into firmer and faster greens, even after periods of rain.  It is an important cultural practice, specifically for native soil greens that do not have the USGA recommended sand layer of 12 inches (most older courses do not have this recommendation due to the fact they were built before the recommendations were released).

The process is similar in all aspects to a regular aeration/topdressing application.  The greens are deep-tined following a heavy application of topdressing sand.  The sand is than worked into the holes using turbine blowers and a specialized brush attached to a golf cart.  The goal is to fill all the holes to brim, creating channels for more effecient drainage.  The contractor can complete about 12 holes a day so the entire process will only take a day and a half.  We hope to see a benefit in the form of playable greens after heavy rains, which is key in the spring when members are itching to play and mother nature is ready to dump large amounts of precipitation (the spring of 2011 was one of the wettest on record).

Topdresser and Deep-Tine Tractor in action

Drainage Project on 14th Green

The few members that braved the colder temperatures this week had to deal with a temporary green on the 14th hole.  The green itself is in the process of having drainage lines installed.  The installation of these tiles will be a benefit in regards to playability and maintenance. 

The right side of the green has a slight depression that collects water after most rain events, making cup placement around the area difficult.  Members may have noticed that the approach to the green also collects water, making the area unplayable.  With the completion of these drainage tiles, members will enjoy a better playing surface after rain events.  The staff will appreciate the construction as well.  Standing water makes maintenance practices impossible, not to mention that disease pressure skyrockets during the summer months when an area of turf is completely saturated for extended periods of time.

The diagram above shows the general design and layout of the tiles.  Installation of a tile requires hard work and steady hands.  The sod is removed, the trench cut with a Ditch Witch and the spoils have to be hauled off-site.  Than the tile itself (2"drainage pipe) has to be laid and the trench back-filled with a special blend of soils.  The mix consists of 60% sand (for infiltration and firmness), 20% peat and 20% soil (for its water and nutrient holding capacity).  The mix has to be tamped down to ensure that the tile lines do not settle beneath the existing green surface.  Finally, using a masons trowel to smooth and level the soil at the top of the trench,the sod is replaced and tamped extensively to ensure a true putting surface. 

Over 1200 linear feet of tile will eventually be laid, requiring over 30 tons of mix to re-fill the trenches.  Any construction on a green requires a knowledgeable and attentive crew, so hat's off to the members of the staff participating in the project.  As always, we appreciate the members patience and we hope to have the green open soon.  Enjoy. 

Slide show of 14th Green Drainage Project

Fairway Topdressing

The fairways here at MCC consist namely of native soils (silt and clay for southeastern Michigan).  While this soil has greater water and nutrient holding capacity, they drain very poorly.  Because of advancements in irrigation and fertilization the focus on soil types is more geared towards drainage.  That's why certain fairways (3,4,14,17) are sand topdressed, the soil consistency needs to be altered. 
The practice of sand topdressing these fairways benefits both golfers and maintenance staff members.  As more sand accumulates, fairways become firmer and drier.  These two traits lead to less traffic restrictions (i.e. carts and equipment).  Drier fairways are also less prone to disease, such as brown patch and pythium.  These two fungal diseases require moist conditions to become active, which is less likely to occur in sand based soils. 
The cost of fairway topdressing varies based on the type of sand, equipment and labor hours.  It is definetly not cheap.  However, an arguement can be made that the price of topdressing is offset by a decline in the need for chemicals (fungicides) and an increase in cart fee's and overall rounds played (less restrictions on carts and course closings). 

Large precipitation events will always be a nightmare for general managers and superintendents, there will always be course closings.  But a fairway topdressing program could significantly decrease the longevity of a heavy rains negative effects.  Potentially, carts and large equipment could be out mere hours after a large storm with little danger of damaging the turf or sacrificing playbility.  The crew will be topdressing the previous mentioned fairways over the next couple of days, taking advantage of the nice weather.  For a more in-depth look at fairway topdressing / aerification, read this article by Stanley J. Zontek of the USGA:

Fairway Topdressing

Fairway Aerification

     Football is in full swing, the tree's are turning and golf course superintendents are hoping to aerify their fairways.  If possible, fall aerficiation is very beneficial in regards to alleviating compaction and removing/diluting thatch that has built up over the season. 
     Fall aerification is difficult to plan, the major factor being precipitation.  If the region hasn't seen any precipitation than the turfgrass roots will not be sufficient to hold the turf in place, resulting in lifting of the turf or general damage to the fairway.  If the soil is too moist (heavy rain events) than aerifying will result in a mud-bowl that would cause more harm than good.  The key is having your equipment and crew prepared for when that opportune time comes.

     For the duration of the week (Oct 3rd-7th) the crew will try to aerify as many fairways as possible.  Some, due to soil type and elevation changes, are difficult to aerify but the majority will be cored, processed, and cleaned.  This will pay huge dividends late into the season and coming out of winter.  We hope that members will be patient throughout this process and know that the crew will complete the job as efficiently as possible. 

16th Fairway

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.