Course Conditions

7th Green

Over the course of summer, temperatures in Northville have breached 90 degrees over twenty times, coupled with little precipitation.  The greens and green surrounds however, remain in good agronomic health.  The putting surfaces are firm and the staff has been able to maintain green speeds in between 11 and 12 feet.  The crew has achieved this by constant monitoring and if necessary, syringing of the green surfaces and hand watering the banks. 



14 Tee & Complex



The tees, at one point a definite eye-sore due to a sudden thunderstorm and the fungal disease pythium, have recovered well.   There are minor spots on certain tees that display a loss in turf density, but considering the severity of the conditions, the staff considers them to be in good health and Men's Invitational-ready. 



Fairways are another issue.  There are 27 acres of fairways at Meadowbrook and 26.8 of those are at an acceptable aesthetic level.  The remaining .2 acres, which stick out like sore thumbs, show poor color and losses in turf density because they have faced a variety of problems, as explained below.

• Heat: Obviously high temperatures have a negative effect on plant health and lead to a plethora of other problems.
• Drought/Heavy Rain Events: Like any organism, turfgrass needs water to survive.  The irrigation system is essential in this regard but does have limitations as discussed in the previous article.  On the other hand, heavy rains can lead to soft unplayable fairways, compaction and standing water (a death sentence to turf when combined with high temperatures). 
• Compaction: Heavy cart traffic and saturated conditions will compact soils, especially in peak season when everyone wants to enjoy a round of golf.  Compacted soils limit plant roots and can seal off the surface of the ground, making watering difficult.
• Shallow Roots: All of the above problems are magnified by shallow rooting.  Poa annua, a magnificent plant in most aspects, is a notorious shallow rooter.  With a small root system the turf cannot derive the necessary water and nutrient requirements to withstand traffic.  
• Summer Patch:  Magnaporthe Poae is a fungal disease that can appear from June through September.  The disease is exacerbated by weakened roots, high soil temperatures and saturated conditions.  Initial infection occurs in the spring but symptoms will not appear until certain environmental conditions are met.  Once this stage is reached, chemical control of the disease is very hard to achieve. 

To combat the issues brought on by the weather, staff members have been syringing areas of the fairways that are prone to heat stress or water loss.  Aerification of compacted or saturated areas(to prevent anaerobic conditions brought on by water) has been utilized as well.  Throughout the year, fungicides have been sprayed on a preventative basis for summer patch, but in the turfs weakened conditions, the fungus "overpowered" the chemical.  Two chemical applications, at curative rates, have been performed recently and the staff has their fingers crossed for positive results. 



7th Fairway



Overall, considering the weather, the staff is pleased with the condition of the course.  Despite the issues, playability remains excellent and the greens provide a challenging yet fair putting surface.  The summer of 2012 has been a test of nerves but there is now a light at the end of the tunnel. 



Irrigation and Syringing

The crew has put the irrigation system to the test this summer, in which heat and drought conditions still prevail.  A necessity on any course, it has definitely proven its worth this season.  The system and pump house put out over 270,000 gallons of water a night, through 1500 odd sprinkler heads and a couple miles of PVC pipe.  With the sheer number of heads on the course and the amount of water being applied, constant checking and maintenance of the system is required.  Breaks will happen and the members have probably seen sections of the course staked off because of soft conditions.  The crew tries to remedy the situation as fast as possible and we appreciate the concern members show when these breaks occur in areas of play. 

Moisture management is key, especially if the demands on the course call for constant firm and fast conditions.  Watering heavily will meet the demands of the turf, but can lead to soft greens and fairways, higher disease pressure from fungal pathogens and compaction (saturated soils compact extremely quickly when traffic is added to the equation).  On the other end of the spectrum, watering lightly will provide that coveted firm surface but one will see losses in turf density, poor color and overall weakened stands of grass.  Light, frequent irrigation is the trend of most golf courses but other factors come into play as well.  Soil types, elevation and amount of sunlight have to be taken into account.  Each micro environment calls for a different watering pattern, and automatic sprinkler heads are limited in this aspect. 

Because of those limitations, hand watering is often utilized, especially here at Meadowbrook.  Hand watering allows a crew member to apply the desired amount of water to a certain area.  Admittedly, accuracy depends on the skill of the crew member but a superintendent will train an employee to recognize areas of wilt and heat stress and to water accordingly. 

Another benefit of hand watering is the ability to syringe the turf.  Syringing involves a very light amount of water to drop the temperature of the grass in times of extreme heat.  Enzymes that facilitate necessary chemical reactions within the cell do not perform efficiently at high temperatures and a cooling of the turf is necessary. 

Once again we would like to thank the memberships patience when the crew has been hand watering greens.  Our concerns are your concerns and with cooperation (and a little help from mother nature) we can keep Meadowbrook looking great.  Enjoy. 

Storm Damage



Missing a limb?



Found the limb



While there was a considerable amount of brush down around the course, Meadowbrook was spared the brunt of last nights weather.  The morning duties were postponed and the crew deployed around the course to pick up debris.  There was no damage to vital areas (greens, tees and fairways) but the total amount of downed limbs and sticks that needed to be picked up was daunting.  For the crew to accomplish this task, and than mow, roll and spray greens is impressive.  Thanks are due to the members as well for their patience this morning with the postponement of early morning cultural practices. 

A word of caution to those in carts; there ARE wet areas on the course so please be vigilant when driving on fairways.   Regular mowing and maintenance practices were delayed because of the rainfall over the past couple of days but the crew has caught back up and we expect the course to shine over the holiday weekend.  Enjoy. 



9th green at 7am



9th green at 9am



Open Mondays

Having an open course on Mondays allows the crew to accomplish tasks that would be impossible with play.  A closed course is a rare thing in todays economic climate, so when one occurs, full advantage is taken.  The following list was completed yesterday in 90 degree temperatures.

1. Verti-Cut Greens and Tee's.
2. Topdressed Greens and Tee's.
3. Sprayed Greens and Tee's with various fungicides and fertilizer.
4. Mowed Fairways. 
5. Mowed Tee's by hand. 
6. Checked every sprinkler head on the course for rotation and amounts.
7. Driving Range Tee tasks:
1. Cleaned Divots and Mowed
2. Seeded and topdressed current hitting line.
3. Fertilized with granular product.
4. Irrigated.
5. Sprayed Fungicide
8. Bunker tasks:
1. Pulled weeds/cleaned.
2. Edged bunkers.
3. Hand mowed areas unreachable by banks mowers.
4. Raked bunkers. 
9. Mowed clubgrounds in their entirety.
10. Mowed Range floor.
11. Fertilized and applied a wetting agent to bunker edges and green surrounds.

Homeowners; Annual Flower Warning

Impatiens are an annual flowering plant that thrive in shaded areas, making them a popular addition to homeowner landscapes.  However there have been recent grim reports of a fungal pathogen, downy mildew, spreading throughout several continents that is lethal to impatiens walleriana.  Reports have just started in the United States and homeowners who planted impatiens this spring are encouraged to look for the following symptoms:





Light-gray fuzz on underside of leaf


• Yellowish foliage
• Downward curling leaf
• Distortion of the leaves
• White to light-gray fuzz on the undersides of the leaves
• Emerging leaves that are small or discolored
• Flower buds failing to form
• Stunted Growth

Once downy mildew has infected the host plant there are no treatment options (the new genetic strand of fungus is resistant to current fungicides).  Worse, the disease can harbor in the soil over winter and re-infect planted impatiens the following spring.  Homeowners are recommended to remove the infected plants and any healthy plants that are adjacent.  Other annual ornamentals that tolerate shaded conditions are begonias, new guinea impatiens and coleus.  There are a variety of perennial plants that will perform well too, including hostas, ferns, yellow rocket, astillibe, blue fescue and hakonecloa. 

Course Detailing

New mulch beds around tree's damaged by herbicide have required the majority of the crews efforts over the past month but with those completed, the existing beds now become the focus.  Neatly edged mulch beds speak for themselves from an aesthetics standpoint and the crew hopes to finish the daunting task over the next few weeks.   

Mulch and pine needle beds serve other purposes besides aesthetics as well.  Exposed soil eventually will turn into a plot of weeds so mulch and pine needles act as a deterrent in that effect.  They also protect tree trunks and limbs from mechanical damage, mowing units do not have to get as close.  Damaging bark at the base of a tree is a sure way of shortening that trees life expectancy.  Finally, double shredded hardwood mulch (the mulch utilized by MCC) decomposes over time, adding organic matter to the soil where the majority of the tree roots are located.  Organic matter will retain water and nutrients in the root zone for longer periods of time. 

600 yards of double shredded mulch will be applied to a numerous amount of beds throughout the course.  Along with 2000 bales of pine straw, the course will really shine on completion of this project.  We hope the members will avoid driving through the mulch beds and enjoy the views. 

 

The Heat is on

Michigan is heading into summer with a full head of steam, making golfer etiquette even more important.  In a turfgrass community the first organ to be sacrificed during periods of high temps and drought are the roots.  As roots degrade the plants ability to withstand traffic (i.e. Carts) decreases as well.  Following these simple guidelines will not only help the crew but assist in keeping the golf course as playable and photogenic as possible. 

1. Smooth acceleration and braking when using carts.  Remember, you are driving and walking on a living carpet that has a lower threshold for damage during periods of stress (heat and drought).  Due to minimal root mass any hard acceleration or braking will rip the turf from the soil.
2. Limit carts to cartpaths as much as possible.  Cartpaths are there exclusively for carts, utilizing them would be of extreme benefit to the crew and course as a whole.  Following groups will not pass you if you park on the paths.
3. Do not drive up green banks or park in the surrounds.  The green complexes see a higher degree of traffic than most other areas on the course.  Limiting the amount of stress on these areas to only foot traffic will keep the turf healthy and playable throughout the summer months. 
4. Follow the MCC preferred divot pattern on the range tee.  Re-establishing or growing turf in the heat of summer is difficult to impossible.  The preferred divot pattern effects the least amount of area and gives the grass the best opportunity to regenerate (illustrated in the picture below). 
5. Fix ballmarks.  The majority of members follow this rule consistently but as a reminder always fix your ball mark or voids will appear leading to a decrease in green smoothness. 
6. Remove broken or used tee's when leaving the tee box.  While not directly related to heat stress, the crew has noticed an inordinate amount of tee's left on the tee box.  These can significantly damage the reels used to mow the tee's and we would appreciate member cooperation on this issue. 
7. Do not drive through or park in mulch beds. 

MCC Preferred Divot Pattern