Over the past week or so, you've probably noticed the brown areas on #1, #5, and #8 greens. These areas contain Bermuda grass that was sprayed with herbicide prior to removal. We use herbicide to be sure that the entire Bermuda plant is dead (esp. the rhizomes). Rhizomes are underground stems that spread laterally and contain growth points where new roots and shoots can be created. If we miss any of these rhizomes during removal, we will have more Bermuda contamination to remove next year. So, why go through all the trouble to remove it from the greens? Common Bermuda spreads quickly and has a very coarse texture. Over time, these areas will continue to get larger, thereby compromising the quality of the putting surface.
The staff did a great job stripping off the old sod and then excavating down below the Bermuda roots to be sure all plant material has been removed. Once this was complete, the holes were back filled with new root zone mix containing 90% sand and 10% peat. After the mix was blended with the original root zone, and tamped down firm, the sod was carefully laid down. Once the sod was down, the pads were tamped smooth and all seams were topdressed.
The largest portion of work was completed this past Tuesday, while we were closed. The last few remaining areas are very small and will be wrapped up next Tuesday. Once this green is done, we still have a few other greens we need to finish.
No comments:
Post a Comment