TURF TALK FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Back nine greens and course update:
Dear Members,
The summer front nine greens aerification went smoothly, and they are in the process of healing. For those of you who don’t understand the process, we used half inch coring tines and punched holes in the greens for the continued health and vitality of the greens. In part, the aerification allows for reducing the soil matter to enhance ball reception on the greens. This twice-yearly process will continually aid in that endeavor. We will aerate twice yearly and use three eighth inch coring tines in the fall. That aerification will barely be visible and will not affect putting. One of the things that I look for and evaluate after each aerification is how the ball rolls and how the ball is received into the green. If both are received well then we will utilize three eighth inch tines next summer as opposed to the bigger tine diameter. It’s all about removing soil material to facilitate ball reception into the greens. Because the soil material is primarily sand, the roll will continue to be smooth and fast.
Next week, week of the twenty ninth, I will punch holes into the newly sprigged grown in greens on the back nine to remove as much soil as possible to gain an advantage for the golfer when we open for play. As it stands right now, I feel confident we will open prior to last year’s opening date of the ninth of August and when we do, the greens will be rolling well. It will take another growing season for them to be like the front nine greens are this growing season but suffice it to say, we are ahead of the game in every measurable way. As we get closer to opening day, we will be sodding the areas that washed out, the practice putting green, front of number twelve green and a couple of other small washouts and we will utilize sod from our original nursery so the greens will be in good shape. Although after any renovation we will continue to push the greens to grow and spread. We will manage vertical growth to maximize horizontal growth, so the greens are tight, firm and, most important, healthy.
The overall course agronomic plan is to keep the golf course playing firm and fast from tee through the greens and that will mean a drier course. Additionally, when it’s ninety or above degrees and low humidity the course dries out faster than normal and with very little rain it will look brown in the areas where the soil is compacted, high side areas, especially in our low-cut fairways and where the ground is hydrophobic. I will do my very best to irrigate those areas proactively to minimize the turf stress as it relates to heat or drought conditions. Please remember that irrigation systems are not designed to replace mother nature and rain, simply to augment it.
July is going to be an exciting month at Coharie CC, it will signify the first time in its history since 1965 to have the same grass on all eighteen holes, nursery and practice putting green.
Respectfully,
Mike
