Winter Work

This time of year, there are only a handful of golf course maintenance employees working.  However, just as in the summer, they arrive early, regardless of the weather. 

So far this winter, a good deal of their time has been spent on snow removal.

The street lights are still on as the crew clears the snow from the Clubhouse.

Behind the Scenes

Depending on when you play your round at Laurel Creek, you may seldom see any of the dedicated staff who tend the grounds.  In an effort to minimize disruption to you, they arrive in the dark day in and day out, and are often stealth-like in their approach to carrying out their assignments.

At this time of year, we show our appreciation for their efforts with our annual kielbasa cookout.  This year's weather forced the festivities to be moved indoors, but everyone had a great time, and nobody left hungry!

So the next time you catch a glimpse of the folks who are typically working behind the scenes, please take a second to thank them for the work they do--it will certainly be appreciated.

Some of the crew enjoying a Holiday feast.

A Christmas Cart Conundrum

Christmas has yet to arrive, and we've already experienced four snow events this December, and some bone-chilling temperatures.  Warmer weather this weekend is certainly welcome, however there is some concern for the turf during these freeze-thaw cycles. 

In the past three weeks, we've received the equivalent of three inches of rain, so the frozen soil is holding a great deal of moisture.  The trouble can occur as things begin to warm up, since the first area to thaw out is at the surface.  With frozen ground below, the water near the surface can't percolate into the frozen ground beneath.  As seen in the picture, as the snow melts, water often just runs across the surface.

 

What happens if golf carts are allowed on these areas too soon?  The turf may experience shearing of the roots from mechanical injury, as if a sod cutter had been used on it. 

 

So please understand that if carts aren't permitted at times during the winter, we're not trying to be Grinch-like.  To the contrary--we're protecting the course for the long run, so you will have the in-season conditions you want. 

Planning Time

We are often asked, "What do you do in the winter?"  Typically, there are a number of outdoor projects which we undertake this time of year, including drainage, bunker work, sodding, pruning, and even  replacing bridge decking.

However, one of the most important winter projects we tackle takes place indoors.  This is the detailed operational planning for the upcoming year.  We will review prior years' procedures, look at what worked well, areas that need improvement, and make adjustments going forward.

One of the best sources of information we have for planning, comes from attending turf conferences such as the New Jersey Green Expo, which was held this week.  University researchers from as far away as North Carolina, Michigan, and Rhode Island presented information to attendees this year.  Some of the topics they covered included management of Fine Fescue areas, Bacterial Wilt on putting greens, and control options for the Annual Bluegrass Weevil.

Having the opportunity to discuss these important subjects with the experts, as well as other golf course managers, often provides some of the key new tips, tricks, and techniques which we will incorporate into our operation next year. 

Endophytes in Fine Fescues--exciting stuff for some of us!

Getting a Jump on 2014

While the grass is not requiring much mowing right now, there are still a number of important jobs that are taking place to care for the golf course turf.  One of these is the application of the pre-emergent herbicide for 2014.  That’s right, we are applying material now that will control weeds such as crabgrass and goosegrass next summer.

Traditionally, this application would be made in the spring, prior to crabgrass germination.  However, when springtime arrives, it often feels as if we have 1,000 tasks that all must be done at the same time.  The herbicide we use for crab and goosegrass control needs to be applied to all areas of the course except the greens.  This is quite a time-consuming job, as we use both a tractor-mounted spreader and several hand spreaders.

So, what’s the advantage of making this application in late fall, instead of waiting until the spring?  With cooler temperatures now, and less traffic on the course, we can focus on carefully applying this material.  And, we can check this big job off our “to do” list next spring—which means we’ll only have 999 things left to take care of!

 

Weevil Update

In the beginning of November, two entomologists from Rutgers visited several golf courses, including Laurel Creek, to collect over-wintering Annual Bluegrass Weevils.  The purpose of their research was to determine the level of resistance these insects have to a commonly used class of insecticide.

While the researchers didn't gather as many weevils here as they would have liked, they did head back to the lab with enough adults to test.  Unfortunately, the results of their testing confirmed resistance. 

What this implies is that we now have one less tool in the toolbox to use in the war on weevils.  A good deal of time and effort during the winter is spent in reviewing the prior year's agronomic plan, and making adjustments for the upcoming year.  Clearly, reevaluating available control options for the weevil, and developing a new strategy for the 2014 season will be included in this process.

At 1/8" in length, it's hard to believe that the larva of ABW can cause so much damage to turf.
 

Sand Check

Following the major renovation project earlier this year on #7 bunker, we have received many nice comments about the condition of this hazard.  Obviously the goal is to keep this bunker playing well for many years to come.  To this end, one of the on-going tasks that we now do periodically, is check the bunker for sand depth uniformity.

As you can see in the photo, one crew member is using a probe to check depth at various locations.  When thin or heavy areas of sand are located, he marks these, and a second crew member uses the plow on the bunker rake to redistribute the sand.

How does sand get moved?  There are actually a number of causes for sand movement within a bunker, including rain, wind, golf shots, and the mechanical rake.