The Quick Payback

In a post earlier this year, Quick Coupler Install, we discussed the installation of dozens of quick coupler valves as one of our winter projects.  Right now, winter seems like a distant memory, however this is the time when we are reaping the rewards of this work.

Team member, Joe Kringler, gives the new quick couplers a thumbs-up.

So far this summer the crew has spent three hundred man hours hand watering fairways.  As we had hoped, the installation of these valves has allowed the time to be spent much more efficiently than in the past, as sprinklers no longer need to be disassembled and then reassembled after use.  In addition to being able to spend more time actually watering, the new quick coupler valves have also dramatically reduced issues we would see when sprinklers were being taken apart repeatedly.

No longer do we have to mess with the many parts of a sprinkler.

Once the quick coupler valve is located, just remove the lid, stick the quick coupler key into the valve and give it a turn--instant water.

Having installed the valves in 10" boxes, they're easy to find.  However, we also created a guide using aerial photographs of the course to help the crew locate them in a hurry.  As the quick couplers are next to sprinklers, the yardage is noted on the picture.

Had this been a summer when little hand-watering was required, it wouldn't have broken anyone's heart not having to put these quick coupler valves to use.  However, it's not often that occurs, and as the Sun now beats down, it's good to know that we can quickly provide some relief to the stressed turf.

Riding the Roller Coaster

We're approaching mid-July, and as always seems to be the case, it feels like we're on the weather roller coaster ride!  We received close to 8" of rain in May, followed by less than 2" in June; and as of July 10, we have already gotten 3.5" of rain this month.

One of the most challenging aspects of water management at this time of year is dealing with the uncertainty which comes with the typical heat, high humidity, and pop-up thunderstorms.  We often see storms split around Philadelphia, missing us to the north and south as they cross the Delaware River.  However, on Friday evening, the golf course got dumped on, while some surrounding neighborhoods experienced only light showers.

The rainfall total Friday was 2.4", or 65,000 gallons of water per acre.  Looking at the bunkers on Saturday morning, it was clear that the velocity of this heavy rain was way too fast to infiltrate the soil.  Instead, most of it quickly ran off, causing significant damage to these hazards.

Many hands may not have made for light work, but the team did a great job trying to get the sand back in place.

In addition to what we saw in the bunkers on Saturday, pulling a couple of plugs on #9 fairway confirmed that the quick-hitting storm did little to wet the soil profile, leaving many localized dry spots.

Obviously, water is just one piece of the puzzle in maintaining the course now.  The extreme temperature swings make for another gut-wrenching part of the ride, which certainly keeps grass growing interesting in this region!

(Finally) Turning the Corner on Take-All

With June now in the rear view mirror, it looks like we've finally seen improvement and recovery in areas affected by Take-All patch this spring.

Below is a picture of #7 approach taken on May 26.  The turf has significant thinning and discoloration from the disease:

Here is the same area on June 29.  While a small amount of scarring remains, the Bentgrass has improved greatly:

Of course, while Take-All may now be less of an issue, there's no doubt that Mother Nature will have some other surprises for us as we enter July.

8" of rain in May, followed by under 2" in June--who knows what the rest of the summer has in store for us!

Longing for Light

As we've mentioned before, morning sunlight is of utmost importance when trying to grow healthy turf.  The picture below was taken at 9:00 AM, on June 21, the first full day of summer.  Looks like even during the "longest day of the year,"* #18 faces some challenges.

*Doesn't every day of the year have 24 hours?

Better Bermuda

As you may have noticed, we stripped a portion of the lower practice tee two weeks ago, and sodded with Bermudagrass. 

The winter of 2014-2015 took its toll on the original Bermudagrass, and while the tees made it through last summer in decent shape, we felt it best to have a clean stand of this heat-loving turf in place for the summer of 2016.



It's out with the old, as we start to strip and remove the sod on the lower tee.

With only having the range closed for one day, the team kicked it into high gear for this project.  The old sod was stripped, hauled away, the tee surface aerified, raked smoothed, and the new sod was installed--all in under eight  hours.

Even before the Sun hits it, the new Bermudagrass on the back of the tee is looking good, and will be ready for use within a week.


Putting Weevils to Work

As we've said before, over the past several years, the Annual Bluegrass Weevil has become one of the most troublesome pests on the golf course.  Given the high percentage of Annual Bluegrass (Poa) in the greens, we have to remain ever vigilant to guard against damage from weevils on the putting surfaces. 

However, as most of the tees and fairways still have very little Poa, we see this as a potential opportunity to get some biological control by allowing them to kill the small amount of Poa.

Weevils have been munching on the Poa on #17 tee.

Even though Poa is much more susceptible to damage from this insect, Bentgrass can also be damaged by weevils during the stress of the summer, and when weevil populations become high.  So, we will allow them to work on the Poa now, then use control measures to knock back the weevil populations in the Bentgrass beginning in July.

Golf and the Environment

There was a great article about Laurel Creek in the Sunday, May 29, Burlington County Times.  This feature piece gave insight into the Club's environmental efforts, and the requirements to maintain our certification as part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses.

Once again this year, Assistant Superintendent, Don Holgersen, led this project, with the help of Assistant, Mike Crane.

A video made by the Times can be viewed here:
Nature is Par for the Course