A Very Dry Fall

With much cooler temperatures, you probably don't notice it as much now as you would during the summer, but we have had very little rain lately.  Several times this fall, the weather forecast has called for rain, yet it has amounted to little more than a brief shower.  During the past five weeks, we've recorded a mere 0.35" of precipitation. 

Fortunately, this is a time of year when turf doesn't require a whole lot of moisture replenishment.  Still, with the irrigation system shut down for the year, we could use a good soaking rain to make sure the plants aren't going into winter under stress.

One concern if it doesn't rain before winter sets in is desiccation.  This can occur when the plant is subjected to drying from winds.  Although relatively rare in this climate, desiccation would most likely occur on one of two areas at Laurel Creek:  On our sand-based greens, or on exposed fairway mounds.

Once again rain is in the forecast, however at this point we'll believe it when we see it.  So, if you haven't had your home irrigation system shut down yet, consider giving your lawn a good soaking before it is winterized.

Severe mounds, such as this on #6, would be more likely than swales to suffer from desiccation.

Lots O' Leaves

It is a great time of year.  Course conditions are typically good, there's few turf pests to be concerned about, and the trees look beautiful as the leaves change color.  However, we all know what eventually happens to all of those pretty leaves--they end up on the ground.

The trees provide a beautiful backdrop.

While Laurel Creek definitely wouldn't be considered a parkland style of golf course, we do have plenty of large trees around the Clubhouse, as well as trees lining half of the holes on the course: #8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.  And once all of those leaves start coming down, it's a full time job to keep up with them. 

The first job of the day is to clear the greens of leaves prior to mowing.

This week we had several employees doing nothing but leaf removal.  At a time of the year when our staff size is much less than during the summer, it can be difficult to keep up with the cleanup.

Weevil Watch--Important, Hands-On Research

Over the past several years, the Annual Bluegrass Weevil has become one of the most troublesome turfgrass insects that golf courses in our region have to deal with.  One concern is that these little guys may be developing resistance to a type of insecticide, known as synthetic pyrethroids. 

This is similar to what we often hear from the medical community with resistant strains of bacterial infections, where commonly used antibiotics no longer effectively knock out the bugs.

Researchers from Rutgers are collecting over-wintering weevils from several golf courses to determine the extent of resistance that truly exists.  On Wednesday, two entomologists from Rutgers were on site to collect weevils from areas where we traditionally see damage.

This study is important because it provides real world information that can be used in planning how to best control this insect in the future. 

The back of #18 green.  Turf samples are placed in warm water in order to have the weevils float.

Tee Irrigation Project Review

The tee irrigation project which started in 2011 has been a great success.  Previously, the sprinklers used to water tees were high volume, and spaced 80 feet apart, leading to a lot of unnecessary watering of the Fescue.  These have been replaced by sprinklers which use about 70% less water and are spaced only 40-45 feet apart.  The result is much more precise irrigation capability, and a significant reduction in water use.

Closely spaced, low volume sprinklers, accurately deliver water to the teeing ground.

For example, during an irrigation cycle where the average run time for each sprinkler is 24 minutes, we are using approximately 3,000 gallons less water per set of tees--that's over 50,000 gallons less for the entire course.

In addition to water savings, the new design has greatly reduced the need for hand watering tees, freeing up employees to focus on other areas of the course.

Due to varying micro-climates, there's still some fine tuning to be done with arc adjustments and run times, but the new sprinklers are proving to be a great improvement over the original design.

Groundhog Day?

Here we go again.  First it was the aerial attack of the herons on the greens, followed soon thereafter by a foraging fox digging in the putting surface, and now what?  None other than a dastardly deer has assaulted the greens.

 

Yes, this is the time of year when deer start scampering about on a regular basis.  But once again we ask of them:  Anywhere but on the greens, please.  Paranoia is setting in as it's beginning to feel as if all of the wonderful woodland creatures have decided to gang up on us.

 

One thing is for sure, if groundhogs (or gophers) start tunneling in the greens, we're going to have to call in some expert help...

 

Just Another Average Year?

When dealing with the weather on a daily basis, one quickly learns that what is considered "average" actually seems to be the exception rather than the rule.  For example, in looking at rainfall for the six month period of April-September this year, things were hardly typical:

• April and May total 4.75" 
• June and July total 23.25" 
• August and September total 4.95"

How do these numbers compare to average?  The excessive rainfall of June and July was almost 300% of normal.  However, these two months were bookended by April and May at only 65% of average, and August and September at 68% of average precipitation. 

Similar to the peaks and valleys in rainfall, so too the temperatures rarely seem to be average.  Some unseasonably cool days in September were quickly followed by a full week of highs in the 80's in the beginning of October.  How does this affect things?

While temperature swings in the fall may not seem like a big deal, it does once again have an impact on the maintenance operation by forcing us to redirect labor from one activity to another.  And at a time when we have already significantly reduced our staff size from the summertime high, the need for just an extra fairway mowing (which takes 24 man hours) makes a big difference.

Yet, there is no choice but to go with the flow when Mother Nature is calling the shots. This may mean adjusting labor priorities from hand watering one day, to pushing sand and pumping bunkers the next.  The key is not to stress over what we can't control, and try to take it all in stride.

Often times our memories of the weather last as long as remembering what we ate for dinner the night before.  So, a few years from now, we may think back to 2013, and remember it as just an "average" weather year.

Mowing in the rain is not ideal for the turf or equipment operator, but sometimes it has to be done.

Say Hello to Joe

October is a great month for grass growing.  With moderate daytime temperatures, cool nights, and timely rainfall, we can really push the turf, and provide some of the best conditions of the year on the course.  However, somebody forgot to tell Mother Nature that fall is here, and we're now experiencing temperatures well above average--what many are referring to as "Augtober." 

We've also gone two weeks without any rain, leading to some of the driest conditions we've seen all year.  Irrigation systems in this part of the country were designed to supplement rainfall, not replace it.  So during periods of no precipitation, we do a lot of hand watering to makeup for any deficiencies in our sprinkler coverage.

Hand watering may not sound like a difficult job, but when performed properly, it is something of an art form.  And there is nobody better at hand watering than one of our longtime employees, Joe Honnig.  With over 20 years of experience at Laurel Creek, Joe probably knows what spots will dry out first without even checking.  However, he goes out every day equipped with an array of tools to make sure the job gets done efficiently.

The water wagon is ready for action.

What do you need besides a hose when watering?  Well, here is some of the equipment that Joe has on his cart:

• A traditional soil probe and an electronic moisture meter
• An electric hose reel so he can quickly wind up the 125' of 1" hose
• Different nozzles to use for hand watering and syringing turf
• Quick disconnect adapters for hooking into snap valves and sprinklers
• A screw gun for quickly disassembling sprinklers
• A wetting agent injection system that allows him to meter how much wetting agent is applied

One of the more difficult aspects of Joe's job (besides dragging a hose with a 120 psi of water pressure) is the need to work on greens, and try to avoid interfering with play.  If Joe is working on an area, he's definitely there to prevent turf problems.  So, please allow him to finish-up, and if you have the chance, say hello to Joe.

Joe, checking soil moisture.