Rain!

I woke up this morning to a welcome sight.  The rain gauge at the shop showed that we had received a little over 2" overnight.  To say that a large rain event like this was needed is a huge understatement.  We hadn't had any rain over 1" since June 4th!  To make matters worse, during the month of July and first half of August, we were evaporating moisture out of the ground at a rate of .25" per day.  This means that even though last nights rain is very helpful, and much needed, we are still over 13" behind schedule on our annual rainfall.  We need several more big rain storms like this to make a meaningful impact on our subsoil moisture.  This recent rain will however, have a big impact on the golf course turf and home lawns throughout the region.
The most noticeable thing that the rain did for us was give us some more irrigation water.  Our irrigation supply is tied into two ponds on the course.  The small pond on #4 is our primary irrigation pond and the larger lake down on #17 is our reserve.  We can pull water from the lake up to the irrigation pond to meet demand.  As you might have noticed, over the past 6 weeks or so, the lake on #17 has been very low.  We have had to severely ration our water supply to ensure we could water the greens and not run out.

This rain hasn't completely filled the larger pond but significant water is still coming in from the creek to the north, and we may see it full by the end of the day.  In the picture above, you can see the lake level as of this morning.  The vegetation that started growing on the left half of the picture will be underwater when the pond reaches full capacity.
Over the next few days, you should be able to notice a big growth response from the turf now that a large amount of moisture is in the soil.

Venting Greens

With the air temperatures beginning to decrease, we are looking to start back up on our greens cultural programs.  Deep-tining greens, or venting, is a critical process that is completed every 2-3 weeks to keep the root zone healthy.  By improving root zone drainage, and oxygen content, we are allowing the turf to cope with the extreme temperatures of summer in Oklahoma.  Once this process is complete, we roll the surface smooth and apply a granular gypsum into the holes.  Gypsum is used for two reasons, for the plant to take up and use, and for ammending the soil profile.  The first reason is fairly straight forward, the plant needs certain amounts of available calcium for optimum health.  The second reason is a little more complex.  Applications of calcium are typically used to remove excess amounts of Sodium from the soil.  Sodium is used in small amounts by the plant and most of the unused Sodium hangs around in the soil and ties up essential nutrients.  The main cause for Sodium buildup is irrigation water.  Eventhough we have relatively small levels of Sodium in our water, the large volume that is applied this time of year can quickly lead to excess amounts.  Calcium is introduced and the Sodium is knocked off the soil particle along with the tied up nutrients essentially making them plant available.  Monthly applications of gypsum are very helpful in maintaining this soil balance and keeping as much of the nutrients in the soil available to the turf.

Staff appreciation

As the intense heat of the summer continues, I thought I should take a moment and highlight the staff here in the agronomy department.  They work tirelessly to provide the best conditions possible, with little recognition.  So the next time you are out golfing please take a few moments and let them know you appreciate all their hard work.

Ballmarks

I wanted to take a minute this morning and talk about ballmarks.  Although play has slowed down some due to the extreme heat, I've been noticing an increase in unrepaired ballmarks.  This time of year, when the agronomy staff has to spend more time handwatering the greens, this leads to somewhat softer conditions that we are used to.  This causes the ballmarks to be much deeper, therefore it becomes very important to repair them so that the we can all enjoy the smoothest playing surface possible.  If you have any questions as to the proper technique for repairing ballmarks, please refer to the graphic below.  Thank you.

The right way to fix a ball mark

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Step 1:
Use a pronged ball mark
repair tool, knife,
key or tee.

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Step 2:
Insert the repair tool at the
edges of the mark; not the
middle of the depression.

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Step 3:
Bring the edges together
with a gentle twisting motion,
but don't lift the center. Try not to
tear the grass.

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Step 4:
Smooth the surface with
a club or your foot. Repeat
steps until the surface is one
you would want to putt over.

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Drought update

Over the past few weeks, you've probably noticed the tees, fairways and rough slowly getting more and more dry.  For the second consecutive year, we are in a moderate drought, and haven't seen any significant rainfall in almost two months.  The agronomy staff is monitoring the tees, and fairways and watering as necessary for turf survival.  Although the Bermuda isn't lush and green, the turf isn't in any serious danger.  We are letting the tees and fairways go dormant for the time being to conserve the water we have left in the irrigation lake.  The greens have held up great so far, despite the harsh, dry conditions.  The syringe crews have done a phenomenal job keeping the turf healthy during this extreme weather.      

Syringing Greens

Summer is officially here and the temperatures have climbed fast.  We have been in the triple digits since Saturday, and it seems that it will stay that way for at least a few weeks.  You will notice a lot more hand watering in the afternoon during this time.  Light, frequent applications of water, or “syringing”, is the most effective way to cool down the turf during most stressful time of day.  The agronomy staff asks that our members, and guests, please excuse us during this time.  We will do our best to stay out of the way.  Thank you.

Divot Patterns at Range Tee

I've been noticing more players using the proper divot pattern at the driving range since my last post.  Not sure if it is coincidence or if the blog is having an impact.  Here is a picture of someone using the proper technique at the range.  Notice how little surface area is disrupted.  This will heal much faster than a larger scattered pattern of divots.  As practicing on the tee continues to increase, it becomes important that all players help keep as much of the tee box healthy.  This will keep the practice tee as nice as possible.

Practice Tee Use

Here is a great article from the USGA regarding proper practice tee use.
http://gsr.lib.msu.edu/article/mcclellan-practice-6-8-12.pdf

Deep tining greens

This week the agronomy staff will be deep tining greens.  The purpose of deep tining greens is to improve drainage and increase oxygen levels within the root zone.  A well drained, healthy root zone translates into a healthy, firm, and smooth putting surface.
As the summer gets hotter and we are forced to hand water more, we will be completing this process every 2-3 weeks to keep the greens profile draining and full of oxygen.

Fairway slicing

Over the past two days, the agronomy staff has been slicing fairways.  This process accomplishes several objectives: loosens the soil, allows for more oxygen into the root zone, and better water infiltration.  The machine we use for this process is called a shatter tine machine.  This machine has curved knives that go into the soil and pivots in the ground as they come back out.  This motion "shatters" the soil, which improves the soil structure and allows for better rooting.

Although the fairways will have little brown areas around each hole, this is temporary and within a few days, they will disappear.  The inch of rain we received last night will have a much better chance on penetrating into the hard, dry soil now that we have channels poked into the soil.

Poa suppression on greens

Poa suppressed by growth regulator

On your next visit to the course you may notice the funny colors on the greens, most obvious will be the putting green.  The putting green has a large amount of Poa annua, or Annual Bluegrass.  This Poa in being suppressed with a growth regulator that is causing the yellow, orange and red Poa is a native species and a desirable putting surface in many parts of the world.  However, for golf courses trying to grow Bentgrass greens, it is considered a weed.  Poa grows much faster than Bentgrass so ball roll is negatively affected if left unchecked.  The agronomy staff has a comprehensive program involving both chemical and cultural methods to suppress the Poa and encourage the Bentgrass.  One of the most effective ways to discourage the existing Poa is to use growth regulators.  This product is just starting to take effect and the symptoms are beginning to show.  Poa under the control of this product has a stunted, yellow-orangish appearance.  This will allow the unaffected Bentgrass time to creep into these spots of Poa and fill in.  The effects of this product will last for 4-6 weeks at which time the natural stresses of summer in Oklahoma will continue to stress out the Poa.  We will resume this program in the fall once temperatures begin to decrease.  As always if you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to ask.

Venting greens

#5 green

Today the agronomy staff completed the last spring aeration on greens.  I like to refer to this modified version of the aeration process as a venting.  We are still pulling a core, but the holes are very, very small and will have little to no impact on play.  This process allows for the roots to get much needed oxygen.
Normally we would pull a larger core and fill the holes with topdressing sand, but we felt that the abrasive nature of the brushing would be too much stress this close to summer.  By not brushing the sand into the holes, we are able to get the benefit of the aeration (better rooting), without much of the stress on the turf.  For those of you that have never seen the aeration process first hand, below is a video showing how we pull the cores out of the green.  If you would like to know more about the process or have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

#3 finished

Bunker maintenance

After the edge is cut, the sand is pushed back into place.

This morning a group of the guys are tackling our weekly bunker edging.  We start this on Tuesdays so we can get a big push while the course is closed.  I anticipate finishing all bunkers by the end of the day.

The finished product.

Dusting greens

We are taking the opportunity this morning while we are closed to topdress greens.  I like to refer to this type of an application as a "dusting" because we are adding a very thin layer of sand that can be worked into the canopy with a few minutes of irrigation.  We do this weekly to ensure to accomplish several things: smoother, firmer greens and to dilute the organic matter that is in the root zone.  Frequent, light applications of sand, such as this, improves ball roll and overall firmness of the greens.

Twitter updates

I've decided to expand my social media prowess and include occasional updates via twitter.  There is a gadget on the right side of my blog page that will display these updates so you do not have to go to another page to view them.  If you are already using Twitter, click on the follow me link to get these updates straight to your phone.
These updates will be very short and up to the minute regarding course conditions, project updates and anything else I feel that I want to share about the course.  The blog will still be used for updates that may need further information or pictures to help explain what is going on.

Greens aeration

Verticutting, or dethatching, the turf in two opposite directions is the first step.

Day two was a big success. We finished in great time and even had some time at the end to tackle some miscellaneous items around the course.  It's been a while since I've detailed the entire aeration process so I thought I would show a step by step method of how we get from start to finish.  If you have any further questions about how or why we do this, please let me know.  Thanks!

A lot of thatch is removed during the verticut process that needs to be cleaned off.

After the verticutting, the green is very shaggy and needs to be mowed.

This machine pulls the cores out at a specific depth, spacing and diameter

The cores are then pushed off to the side and removed.

Any additional debris is blown off before sand can be applied.

This machine applies the sand at a specific depth so that all holes can be filled

Once the sand is dry, it is brushed into the holes and watered in.

After the sand is dry, the excess is blown off and the cup is set.

The final step is to roll out any tire marks or footprints to ensure a smooth surface.

Greens aeration

Day one is off to a great start.  We will have the front nine completed today and ready for play by tomorrow morning.  Like always, the back nine will be closed tomorrow and the whole course will be open starting Wednesday. 
The agronomy staff will be at full throttle over the next two days making sure everything is done to get the course back to expectations.  We appreciate your patience during this process.

Jr. High School Tournament

After hosting a 36 hole high school event on Monday, we are back at it again this morning.  This time with the 7th and 8th graders.  Besides the increased wind, playing conditions should be similar to what they were on Monday.

Owasso HS Invitational

The agronomy staff whipped the course into shape for the Owasso High School Invitational this morning.  The weather couldn't be any better for a 36 hole event.  With calm winds, full sun and a high of 72 degrees, today will shape up to be a fantastic day for golf!

Driving range drainage project

Brown Farms Sod finished installing the sod for the drainage project on the west side of the driving range today.  This project turned out great and we are excited to have the drainage issues taken care of for the homeowners on that side of the driving range.  The next few weeks we will work on keeping the sod watered until it gets established.

Drainage project

The drainage project on the west side of the driving range is nearing completion.  The drainage ditch has been cut and all the dirt that was removed has been blended into the existing hills to look more natural.  Brown Farms is on site today to begin installing sod.  They will finish installing all the sod in the morning.  This project will be a big improvement for all the homes on the north end of the range that had flooding issues in the past.

Chipping green

I am happy to report that after growing in the chipping green over the past 8 months, the chipping green is back open for play.  The new collar has been recently installed and the bunker has been renovated.  Although there is an unrelated drainage project nearby, the rest of the chipping complex is functional.  Over the next few weeks, we will be slowly lowering the collar height down to half an inch.
We are very excited to reopen this area and look forward to providing another practice option for our members and guests.  Enjoy!

Greens Aeration

Day two is a wrap and the first aeration of the spring is officially over!  Today went much smoother.  There were no major mechanical issues and everyone hustled to get the remaining greens finished.  My thanks goes out the entire agronomy team for getting aeration done on schedule.  All 18 holes will be open tomorrow.

Greens Aeration

Punching holes on #3 green

Yesterday was the first day of aeration on greens.  Spring aeration has always been a sign that the spring season is officially here and that from here on out, our days will be filled with mowing, fertilizing, and watering.  The first day was a big success but wasn't without our share of adversity.  Our topdressing machine has some welds break that we had to repair, but the important thing is that we pushed through it and the front nine is open and ready for play as scheduled.  Today should go smoothly with everyone knowing their rolls and being comfortable within the system.
The next few days will be filled with more rolling, blowing and mowing to get the greens back into the best possible condition by the weekend.

The finished product on #9 green

Spring green up

Well, the sun is finally trying to break through the clouds that have been around all week.  The final rain total for the week is around 5 inches.  Besides having to pump the tunnel out every day, the bunker drainage performed wonderfully.  For the first time in many years, we didn't have any standing water in any bunkers.  This is a tribute to the agronomy staff's dedication and hard work during the renovations over the past few years.

The warm weather from last week and the soaking rain from this week have really encouraged the Bermuda to quickly come out of dormancy.  Once we get past greens aeration next week, we will prioritize mowing of all surfaces to get our first wall to wall cut of the season.

Rain

This latest storm has dumped over 3.5" of rain over the last 24 hours.  As you can see from how much water collected in the tunnel, the golf course is closed for play today.  We shouldn't have any issues getting the tunnel pumped out and the course, although soggy, should be ready for play in the morning.

#15 bunker renovation

The impending storm held off just long enough this morning for the crew to get the new sand installed in #15.  Now that the sand is down, the rain cannot contaminate the new drainage we installed on Friday.  Once the area is dry enough, we will finish all the dirt work and install sod in the new basin to the left.

#15 Bunker Renovation

Day two of the bunker renovation has
been very productive.  Since finishing removal of all old sand yesterday, the old drainage material has been removed and additional drainage trenches were dug out.  Our assistant superintendent, Michael Liebe, was in the mini excavator knocking down the old bunker edge on the west half that is to be converted to a sod basin.  Tomorrow we will finish the grading the soil and get the area ready for sod while simultaneously installing the new drain pipe and gravel in the right side of the bunker.  If all goes well, we should be ready for sod and new sand by the end of the week.

#15 Bunker Renovation

We hosted a superintendent's chapter golf outing yesterday, and now that its over, we are jumping right into our last bunker renovation of the off-season.  The bunker on #15 looks okay because the sand in it is fairly new, but the internal drainage is aging and last season it began to hold water.  Today we are working on removing the sand to expose the drainage.  Once that is done, the left side of the bunker will be converted to a sod basin and the right side will be fully renovated with new drainage and sand.

Spring is in the air!

After a mild winter, it seems safe to say that spring is here.  Nights are warming up, Bermuda is waking up from dormancy, and trees are blooming all over the place.  I love this time of year!  We have been taking full advantage of the nice weather and the course is as ready as ever for a busy spring season of great golf.

Wind

The wind has really kicked up today.  We are seeing sustained winds up to 35 miles per hour with gusts over 45.  Come on out today for a true links golf experience. =)