Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 8/23/16

Clarification of Cart Scatter Rules

We have had a few members ask regarding our new approach to cart traffic on the golf course so we wanted to clarify our new scatter rule again. "What is this blithering 90 degree rule"  was just one article linked to a google search on the infamous 90 degree rule. It was written by a British golfer when confronted with a 90 degree cart rule in America. Evidently carts are the exception in Great Britain whereas  they are commonplace in America. During this google search I also found as many definitions of "The 90 Degree Rule" as there are golf clubs that post their rules on line therefore not really helpful in acquiring a definitive history of the rule.

One could speculate that the 90 degree rule came into effect sometime after Merle Williams, an early innovator of the electric golf cart, began production in 1951. Because continuous cart paths likely followed the golf cart, it is also easy to speculate that the 90 degree rule came about as club officials observed ill effects of these new vehicles and limited their use in one fashion or another to the rough.

Granite Bay's and many golf clubs definition  of  the 90 degree cart rule  basically was was to  drive along cart path until you are at a 90 degree angle to your ball, then enter the hole to you ball and play it. Next drive back to the rough line and precede to a 90 degree angle to your partner's ball and repeat the 90 degree process eventually exiting the hole to the cart path near the green.

Our observations using this definition of the 90 degree rule was and is: 

1.    For those who observed the 90 degree rule, driving along the rough line created concentrated traffic resulting in extreme turf grass wear and loss along with severe compaction in those areas.

2.   Most people dident observe the rule and entered the hole at a traffic controlled spot (ropes) then drove up the fairway  playing balls along the way and exited near the green.

 One of the main tasks of golf course maintenance is controlling traffic to alleviate concentrated wear, as golf carts are a big component of the game and they do play a part in turfgrass wear. Concentrated traffic will result in  turf grass death therefore spreading out the traffic to avoid these concentrated traffic areas is essential, and was the main problem with our original 90 degree rule directing travel along the edge of the rough. Ideally cart traffic should then be spread out or scattered on the course avoiding at all cost this concentrated traffic.  In a sense our scatter rule is a controlled version of what we observed most golfers doing anyway and  a different way of saying carts allowed on the course or what many have understood industry wide to be the meaning of the 90 degree rule. So here is what we think is the best way to not concentrate golf cart traffic which commonly end in turf grass death.

1. Use Cart Paths Whenever Possible

We are stating the obvious here, but the more cart traffic on the concrete cart paths, the less wear and compaction on the turf grass playing surfaces.

2. Enter At or Beyond the Green Stakes

The green stakes are an indicator of the starting point on where we would like carts to enter the golf hole. There is absolutely no harm in entering after the green stakes  say 90 degrees from your ball as this does not produce concentrated wear which is the main thing we are trying to prevent with all of our traffic control measures.

3. Exit Before or At the Red Stakes

Exiting the turf back to the path needs to happen before or at the red tipped stakes. We do not want cart traffic close to putting surface or putting surface surrounds.

 

4. Please be Patient with Seasonal Cart Restrictions

Seasonal cart restrictions are necessary during wet weather in the winter months and extremely hot weather in the summer months to protect the turf. We are blessed with a golf course that drains well after a rain and carts can get back on it relatively quickly even after a significant rain event. We have gone to roping some select holes where we asses the unique  natural concentrated traffic patterns ( example #10 in above picture) to be so damaging that roping off for extended periods of time has proven to be a successful practice.  ( Does everyone remember what the above area used to look like in the summer before current traffic control measures?) 

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 8/11/16

Summer is Almost Over

We are 42 days away from the fall equinox which marks the beginning of the rejuvenating season of fall and the departure of summer. This is important time for the turf at Granite Bay because the majority of turf types we maintain on the course are what are known as cool season varieties of turf. Cool Season Turfgrass Varieties do much better in the cooler times of the year and thrive in temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees. The 95 days of summer between late June and late September do not have many days that the daytime high temperatures are in the mid 70's to mid 80's so it is not hard to understand why the turf on the course often struggles during the summer particularly when temperatures exceed 100 degrees.

The lack of heat tolerance inherent in  these cool season varieties of turf combined with the fact that much of it is growing on very dense, non draining decomposed granite soil completes the picture of our summer struggles with the cool season turf.

#16 Fairway typically gives us troubles  during the summer months. It's still one of those holes that can go south very quickly as we adjust irrigation between too wet or too dry. It's had its moments this year but has remained fairly stable.

We can say the same thing about #9 as described above of #16. We still have to fight the wet and the dry.

This picture is a great illustration of some of the challenges we have always faced here at Granite Bay. This was a sprinkler that was leaking in the #8 fairway that we repaired just this morning. You can see the brownish soil towards the bottom of the hole that is decomposed granite. Its hard as a rock (granite) and dry as a bone. Directly above it is a gray layer of clay that is moist but dense and does not allow the free lateral movement of water. Directly above that is the fairway sod that easily peels away from the heavy soil beneath it.

This picture continues the illustration of wet conditions we experience in many areas. The turf layer above the dense clay or decomposed granite holds onto moisture that has no place to go. Its not as simple as just turning off the sprinklers as the same sprinkler that irrigates a wet area inevitably waters an area that is dry as well.  We mitigate with hand watering but we can't hand water the entire 80 acres of turf. 

The Good News

Fortunately Granite Bay did receive some added resources to the golf course maintenance budget that did make a difference this summer season. We got extra funding for disease prevention as well as fertility, topdressing sand and manpower. Extra manpower hours were primarily spent on hand watering and detail work. Combined with the lack of any real drought restrictions this year and fruition of capital spending on the irrigation control system which delivered more individual sprinkler head coverage, these resources by all accounts have lead to some of the best late summer conditions at Granite Bay in recent memory.

#3 Green in a healthy state into August

We can't say that we are perfect. There are still  wet spots and dry spots that we are constantly adjusting irrigation to mitigate. However the greens are good, green surrounds are good and  absent any real turf losses, fairways are better than most seasons at this point and the rough has many areas that have allot of real good grass. Bottom line there is allot more viable turf going into fall that will spring back when the weather changes and we will not have as much recovery to do at a time of the year that golf activity really starts to pick up.  However our battles are not over yet. We still have 42 days.

Installing a "French" drain in one of these soft spots in #4 recently. French drains are relatively shallow and use gravel and perforated pipe. the herringbone pattern pictured above carried both surface water and accumulated soil moisture typically to a tie in to our subsurface drainage system. This is a good way to deal with these nagging soft areas on the golf course.

Another french drain we completed in July in that chronic wet area in #8 adjacent to the cart path. This area is in pretty good condition today and the turf around it is much better as we are able to irrigate adequately for the dry without making the fairway wet.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 7/27/16

Granite Bay Golf Club Wildlife

One of the benefits of working and playing Granite Bay is how from the beginning The Club was designed to be a habitat for birds and wildlife not just a golf course. The following are pictures of  wildlife  caught right here at The Club that you might be interested in. 

The ponds are full of  wild turtles and one of this guys favorite places to warm up is the rock just off the bridge on #1.

Early in the morning recently I got a shot of this hawk as he was looking for breakfast just off the #3 Tee.

Egrets are not uncommon walking around the pond shallows foraging for food but that doesn't make them any less pretty.

I think I got this picture a few years ago in the fall when these Turkeys are out strutting their stuff on #13.

Years ago I got this baby woodpecker waiting for mom to bring him food. This was in a Oak Tree limb on #2.

Its hard to get close and very rare to see little bobcats like this guy roaming below the ladies tee on #10 early one morning.

Much more common to see coyotes roaming the course. Once in awhile they will stop and pose.

And even though we try to limit our goose population on the course once in awhile a family gets started and we legally have to leave them alone. Actually pretty cool seeing them all waddle around.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 7/21/16

Summer Weeds

Much has been written about summer being the hardest time of the year for the turf here at Granite Bay Golf Club. In addition to the heat and long days of summer being hard on the cool season turf that encompasses most of the course, these summer conditions facilitate every type of pest as well. Disease, insects and weeds all prosper when the weather gets hot. Therefore our task to maintain healthy cool season turf in the summer goes beyond managing irrigation and into prevention of disease, insects and annual weeds but reacting and pushing back on perennial weeds. 

Crabgrass near #10. Crabgrass is the easiest type of weed to control because we actually prevent it from germinating. It is an annual weed therefore applying pre-emergent products at the proper time prevents the weed from ever getting established. Above recent picture at GB is an example of an area where the pre-emergent product was missed.

Annual weeds such as crabgrass are much easier to prevent so are not as much of a problem as perennial weeds. Annual weeds emerge from the seed they produced the previous year(s). Pre emergent products that prevent the weed from germinating, establishing and producing seed interrupts the cycle and keeps that pest problem in check. 

Perennial weeds return every year from both seed and root and stem system's that have overwintered. If they are not prevented or eradicated their spread will just continue. Preventing and eradicating is easier said then done with some of the weeds we that have taken a foothold here at Granite Bay. A picture is worth a thousand words so below are some illustrations of the various weed issues and control strategies for those who are interested.

Dallas Grass (paspalum dilatatum)

Dallas grass is one of the most obnoxious weeds and difficult to control as it is a perennial weed that comes back year after year from it's roots. Isolated patches like this it is almost easier to dig it out. There are selective herbicides           ( products that hurt the weed but not the desirable turf)   that can eradicate this nasty weed but you have to remain diligent.

Dallas grass in a bunker finger on #12.
We will just dig these out and hope we get all of the roots.

Dallas grass near creek on #16.
This area has become so inundated that we will have to treat with a non-selective herbicide ( products that kill whatever they are applied to. Most common non selective herbicide is Round-Up ) or be diligent with selective products that are marginally effective.  When selective products are used in a aggressive manner, which means frequent re-application's, we have been able to push the encroachment back.

 Dallas Grass in the bank directly in front of #16 green and the fairway side of the creek where we have treated with selective products on multiple occasions  and multiple years. We are gaining a little bit of ground but mostly just pushing it back and not losing ground.

Knotgrass (paspalum distichum L)

Untreated knot grass in #18 FW.
Knot grass is another perennial weed that has the potential to be even more of a problem for us then Dallas Grass in that it has started to infiltrate the playing surfaces. The most successful strategy to date is using the same limited selective product that we use for Dallas Grass remaining diligent on reapplications while it is actively growing. we have not eradicated the problem as effective selective products just don't exist at the present time but we have been successful in mitigating and pushing the problem back

Knot Grass in the process of selective control.

Closeup

Example of slight discoloration of the desirable grass while using selective products to control knotgrass in #9 FW

A few years back we attempted the non-selective approach of controlling Knot Grass in #9FW. After the knotgrass was dead along with all surrounding desirable grass we seeded and topdressed. 

The following year we still had Knot Grass reemerging in the areas we had seeded. Needless to say the non selective approach of eradication was scrapped.

Nutsedge (cyperus rotundus L)

Nutsedge bunker finger #9
Nutsedge is another perennial weed we have to deal with here at Granite Bay. The good news for this weed is we have been able to keep it in check with a different selective product then we use for Dallas Grass and Knot Grass. This particular product is very effective for the selective control of Nutsedge therefore the infestation has never gotten  out of hand.

Yellow Nutsedge patch in the approach of #16

Conclusion

Weed control and prevention will always be something we will deal with in one way or another here at Granite Bay and most of the heavy lifting will occur in the summer months when the perennial weeds are actively growing. Until a effective selective product is available for control and eradication of Dallas Grass and Knot Grass we will have to rely on old school chemistry for control which currently does not  completely eradicate the weeds but keeps them pushed back. 

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 7/13/16

A few weeks ago we did some drainage work near the cart path on #8. This was a drainage project that was along time coming as some of the issues were related to the addition of the cart path in the area which was installed in 2005 - 2006. The area was well known to everyone, about 200 yards out on #8 adjacent to the cart path caused by mostly irrigation water that runs down the path and runs onto the flat section of rough and literally has no place to go. We finally made the time to fix the problem as it made it very difficult to manage the irrigation heads in the area and keep the turf dry and alive at the same time. Below are some pictures that chronicled the project from start to finish for those who are interested. 

We started by stripping the sod along the cart path about 100' along the slight swale that we felt was channeling irrigation water into the bog area.

Sod had to be stripped all the way down to the subsurface drainage system from the cart path left of the fairway to  the drainage inlet right center.

After removing sod down to the drainage inlet and along the cart path, we removed a herringbone pattern of sod to insure proper drainage in the flat boggy area. After removing the sod we trenched and removed the soil to make way for perforated pipe and gravel. 

Perforated pipe and gravel were used in the large excavated trench along the cart path and the herringbone drainage pattern in the rough and fairway. After the fairway started to fall off indicated by where the herringbone pattern ended, we switched to solid pipe and used soil to backfill the trench,

After pipe and gravel or soil in the non -perforated section are in place the crew started to re-install the sod. We roped the area off  for a  a couple of weeks and topdressed with sand and rolled so we wouldn't scalp the area with the fairway mowers when we mowed.

Finished product after a couple of weeks and after the first mowing this week.

Herringbone pattern in the fairway section is hardly noticeable a couple weeks out from the actual drainage installation. This project cleaned up up a long standing problem that went  beyond the wet area as we now can manage irrigation in the entire area without making the area wet or as importantly dry creating  marginal turf.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 7/5/16

Countdown to the fall equinox will be some 70  days and counting this week. So far we have had a couple of heat waves this summer season with a ten day long heat spell prior and during the 4th of July week. Thankfully afterwards we have been experiencing some nice unseasonably cooler weather in the low 90's and upper 80's. The golf course has been holding up well. It's  wetter in the early mornings then in the afternoons and  evenings because of a higher demand for irrigation in the summer months and we can't start irrigating the course until 9:00 PM as members are still playing prior to that time. Additionally it takes 7 to 8 hours to water the 100 acres of cool season turf that encompasses the club.

There are three things that I attribute to our success so far this summer season.

1. No Drought Conservation Mandate

Without a doubt, the conservation mandates of  20% in 2014 and 36% in 2015 left a mark on the course requiring turf recovery that went into the winter's of the proceeding years. Additionally as the drought continued our fall renovation practices at that time were still tempered with the same conservation mandates. In short we simply didn't have the irrigation water to irrigate new seed properly as the drought cycle continued through the spring and fall renovation seasons until 2016. This year we have a 10% voluntary conservation mandate from our use in 2013.

2. Expanded Single Head Coverage to Our Irrigation System

We embarked on a capitol project of replacing 20 year old irrigation controllers on the course in 2015 but the funding didn't materialize until the spring of that year which was too late for us to complete the total install while maintaining the golf course. We installed a few controllers in the early spring that year but the majority of them we installed this past winter. Therefore we are really experiencing the benefit's of single head sprinkler operation this year to a much greater extent then last irrigation season. Single head coverage gives us the ability to adjust the run time of individual sprinkler heads up or down depending on an area being wet or dry. Most importantly I've noticed when sprinkler heads come on at night, the coverage is better around the course because flow is more evenly distributed.

3. Additional Resources

We have been operating golf course maintenance this season with additional resources such as sand, seed, fertilizer and plant protection products. Success in golf course maintenance  is not always about budgets and money but the additional resources allocated correctly have sure made a difference. There is still allot of summer left but our position going into the summer combined with getting through the first 20% of it in decent shape as far as cool season turf losses are concerned  is encouraging.

Summer Caution

However there is still allot of summer left and the course has historically suffered setbacks in one form or another  every summer since being planted and we feel its important to manage expectations during this most critical time. We will not be perfect for the next 80 days. The ebb and flow of hard and soft and green and brown can and will be experienced day to day. Greens wont always  be as fast as they are at other times of the year however should be true and alive. You might experience some cart restrictions in the afternoons on days that temperatures are forecasted to be extreme. However if our "big picture" goals of having substantially less recovery to do in the fall materialize, the golf course will be much better  in the long run.

Tee Leveling and Turf Replacement #7 Tee

This week we plan on stripping, leveling and replacing the sod on the granite and club levels of the #7 tee. The club level is humped and the granite level is worn out because of its size. While we are stripping, leveling and replacing the sod we will move the club tee markers down the cobble level for two weeks and the granite tee markers on the tournament level. Hybrid Bermuda sod loves the heat therefore should be ready to use in a couple of weeks. Afterwards we will have to strip, level and re-sod the tournament level as well. 

Granite and Club levels of #7 Tee. Too small and growing in the shade. A bad combination  for all of the iron play this par three tee receives therefore it requires annual sod replacement.

Prepping Granite and Club levels this week.

Newely leveled and sodded Club level of our #7 Tee. Two to three weeks we should be back on it

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 6/3/16 - Upcoming Summer

The Summer Solstice is on June 20th this year and the longest day of the year. Subsequent days become shorter moving towards the Fall Equinox on September 22nd. This summer period is the time most of the turf grass playing surface's at Granite Bay are most prone to stress because of the heat caused by the closer orientation of the northern hemisphere to the Sun. Successfully keeping most of the turf grass playing surfaces alive during this period is our most challenging task in golf course maintenance as the the turf  here at Granite Bay are  predominantly cool season varieties that thrive in temperatures  between 60 - 80. Additionally the time of the year is marked by increased golf course activity adding additional stress to the playing surfaces.

The past few Summer seasons at Granite Bay have been defined by drought restrictions which factored into summer setbacks. Thankfully this year, the Folsom Reservoir benefited from substantial precipitation and snowfall in the American River Watershed. The reason this is good news for Granite Bay Golf Club is that all of our summer irrigation water originates from Folsom Reservoir and the winter success has led the San Juan Water District to revise its conservation levels to a 10% voluntary reduction from 2013's use.

 It is always our goal to keep the course as dry as possible, but we have learned from experience the very fine line between too wet and too dry here at Granite Bay. We will spend a tremendous amount of time managing and micromanaging  the irrigation over the summer season but will not be drying down the course to the point of death this year. It just doesn't make any sense to jeopardize the turf from drought and heat stress over the 94 to 100 day Summer period  and take a big chunk out of the remaining 271 days of the year to recover.

Folsom Reservoir had a unique graph line this year and rest's right at historical average on June 5th.

In addition to only a 10% conservation level this summer season, we will have more budgetary resources  to help protect the turf. These resources include man-power for additional hand watering as well as more funds for plant protection products to help with irrigation penetration into our decomposed granite soils and products to help prevent  Summer disease and insect damage.

Despite an ever improving, state of the art irrigation system there is no substitute for a man on a hose.

Thirdly we will be protecting the course from afternoon cart traffic when days are forecasted to be above 95 degrees by insisting that carts remain on the cart paths in the afternoon's after 1:00 PM. Everyone understands that  golf carts are a way of life for many, but in the afternoons despite all of our efforts in hand-watering and irrigation management, there will be hot spots in the turf. And these hot spots when driven on by a golf cart during these summer afternoons will lead to unsightly damage.

Cart damage showing up already on #4 fairway.

What Can Members Do to Help?

Golf Cart operation on the turf is the biggest thing members can do to help preserve turf conditions during the Summer. When allowed to operate carts on the turf, please enter at the the green tipped stakes at the beginning of the hole and exit at the red tipped stakes near the green. In between the green and red stakes we ask that carts scatter, avoiding obvious stressed or brown areas. Secondly please observe the  cart path only restrictions in the afternoons on days when the high temperatures are forecasted to be 95 degrees or above.

Thirdly understand that during this 100 day or so summer period, the golf course won't be perfect. Conditions in the morning will be wetter then they will be in the afternoon.  Again, there will be countless efforts on the part of the golf course maintenance department to mitigate getting the course overly wet, however experience has shown us that the tipping point between too wet and too dry is acute and making unrealistic promises of year around fast and firm conditions futile. Bottom line it is more important in the grand scheme to be alive by the end of September then being the fastest and firmest we can be in August.

Conclusion

Most if not all golf courses have an ebb and flow to them during a season. The "ebbs" are routinely  exposed on California golf courses that are open year round like Granite Bay. Its no secret that our "ebb" is in the Summer. Our goal this year is to mitigate to a higher level the adverse repercussions of this summer season so we don't spend all fall recovering. The above outlined plans are what we feel will give us the greatest opportunity of success to get through the upcoming summer. Thank you in advance for your support & understanding.