Poa seedhead

Seedhead might be the worst problem with Poa annua greens, although there are many to choose from like shallow roots, poor drought resistance, low salt tolerance, susceptibility to many diseases, and a really bad reputation.  As far as playability, seedhead might be the public enemy number one.

There are some products we use, called growth regulators, that inhibit seedhead production.  It really is not an exact science and results can vary from green to green.  For instance, the 16th green recently lit up with more seedhead than any of the other greens.  It was treated with the same growth regulator, at the same time, at the same rate, but the results are a bit different.

Below is a picture of the 16th green.  At 2 o'clock from the ball, is a patch of Poa that is all seeding.  The dark portions are bent grass.  Directly to the right of the ball is some Poa without any seedhead at all.  So why the difference?  Most likely, these are two different bio types of Poa annua and each reacts differently to the growth regulator and the current environment.

Now take a look at #15 green, less than 300 yards away from the photo above.  This green is nearly void of any seedhead.  Why?  I don't know.  To me, seedhead control on Poa annua is one of the greatest mysteries of golf course maintenance.  I've complained to manufactures and salespeople about the efficacy of the growth regulators and the usual reply is, "imagine if you didn't spray anything at all?"  They are probably right.  I've seen pure white greens before and we don't want that.

Finally, how did this affect green speed?  Surprising enough, not at all.  Both the 15th and 16th greens stimped right at 10.5 feet.  In fact, over the last week, all of the greens have been right in that range.

Seedhead will be a concern all through spring and we will do our best to minimize the impact to playing conditions.  Light topdressing, frequent mowing, regular verticutting, and careful management of water and nutrients will keep the greens playing at their best.

You want green? Here it comes

Well, that wasn't bad at all.  The bermuda on the golf course only remained in full-blown dormancy for one month.  We are greening up rapidly and I think we can agree that the weather is still unseasonably cold.  The ground temperatures are changing and that's what really matters.

The photo above is half brown and half green, but please realize that the green is all new.  This exact location was nearly 100% brown just two weeks ago.  We've turned the corner and pretty soon we will really get to work.

Two weeks ago, I took temperatures on the greens and the reading at 4 inches was 42 degrees.  In comparison, last October during aerification, the temps were in the 80s.  After our brief taste of summer with last weekend's 80 degree days, the soil temps shot up to 52 degrees and the bermuda took notice.

Below is another photo of the bermuda and you can see the new growth coming out of the tips of the plants.  Can you see the diagonal lines extending from lower right to upper left?  These are the verticut lines from this past summer.  It stimulates growth in the summer and helps in the spring too.

The pic to the right is a winter bunch of Poa annua that I plucked from the fairway.  This root system is not going to last long and that is a good thing.   We've also lowered the height of the fairways back to a 1/2 inch to coincide with the spring green up and bermuda push.  Very soon, we will be using a spray that will take out all the Poa and ryegrass and leave the bermuda without competition.  This will not be sprayed everywhere, at least not this year.

Izzo joined me out on 10 fairway to survey the progress and measure the green vs brown.  In her estimation, the fairways will be back to full green within two weeks.  She's spent a lot of time on golf courses and always has her nose to the ground.  She knows more than she lets on.  Let's hope she's right.

Clubhouse lawn irrigation renovation

The north lawn of the clubhouse is a focal point from the main dining room and is often used as a gathering site for outside events, weddings, and parties.  The irrigation has been spotty and the plan to renovate has been in place for over a year along with the two new valves that would deliver the water. Assistant Superintendent, Ramiro Arroyo, had all the parts in stock and a mapped plan for installation of pipes and new sprinkler heads.

My involvement in this project was very limited because the crew had it all handled by themselves.  I looked at Ramiro's plan, watched him paint out the trench lines on the lawn, and let them get to work.  The crew banged out the project in just two days, installing 50 feet of new wire, a couple hundred feet of pvc pipe, and over twenty low-output sprinkler heads.  The coverage is now excellent, ensuring lush green turf year-round.  Landscape improvements are next in line as we continue to improve the course and the grounds one step at a time on a daily basis.  Big thanks to the crew on this one!!  Great work!!

Curb Appeal

First impressions begin at the front door and our's is located on Bernardo Heights Parkway.  The maintenance staff has put a great deal of effort into improving the aesthetics of the entrance, the parking lot, and the clubhouse landscape.  There is still many small improvements to make and projects to complete, but the ball is rolling forward at a reasonable pace.

In addition to the photos you see here, we've planted 25 texas privets along the border of the parking lot near the maintenance shop along with new irrigation.  All the islands and the front side of the clubhouse landscaping have been dressed up with new mulch.  The north lawn is also being

 renovated with new irrigation, but that project deserves it's own post.

Future projects include all irrigation being changed to drip line to reduce water usage and improve plant and tree health.  Many new plants will be added to somewhat bland landscape.  The long entrance road has a major facelift in its future.  All of this work will not make the course play better, but it cannot be ignored.  Prospective members need to be impressed from the moment they turn up the drive.  We have a ways to go, but we are making progress every day.

Quick Update

So we tried the mower with the new light setup this morning.  I did not expect it to work so good.  The photo is a little dark, but that's the point.  Also, picked up .31 inches of rain yesterday, giving us a little nitrogen, flushing a bit of salt, and removing the need for irrigation for a good while.

No frost today, but maybe a little tomorrow.  I'll keep you posted.

2013 Golf Industry Show

Every year, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA, holds a conference that includes a golf tournament, trade show, networking opportunities, and many educational events.  I've been lucky enough to attend the last 8 shows, including this year's show in San Diego.

Of all the events I've attended, I think my favorite day was yesterday when I was joined by General Manager, Mike Spayd, Assistant Superintendent, Ramiro Arroyo, and Spray Technician, Abel Ramirez.  The GCSAA wisely chose to admit crew members for free for the last 5 hours of the trade show.  Next time we have this opportunity, everybody is going to head downtown and get a look at new machines, fertilizers, innovations, and so many wonderful toys.

Mike was very busy researching pumps, control systems, lake aeration equipment, and other components of our upcoming project.

I spent most of my time on machinery, setting up demos, comparing prices, and getting product reviews from many superintendents.  Nothing is more valuable than having a room full of excellent superintendents that want nothing more than to talk turf and bounce ideas.  None of us are too shy about our opinions on turf products and equipment, so the reviews are easy to come by.  No need to check out Yelp! when this group is around.

Ramiro and Abel enjoyed their first look at this massive conference and less than 24 hours after their visit, our ability to do some work was clearly improved.  Ramiro noticed all the mowers that were setup with light kits and decided we should have a mower with lights for the weekend mowing of the putting greens. He shared his vision with our mechanic, Santiago, and after a quick trip to Home Depot and a bit of welding, they came up with a great addition to the mower.

Jose Luis is excited to use the mower tomorrow morning instead of relying on his cart lights.  Ramiro was proud to show off his design and I was thrilled to see the creativity and the desire to solve a minor problem.  We all came away with increased knowledge and loads of motivation.  We also came away with a bunch of trade show swag which we shared with the rest of the crew.

It's been a good week, but it was even better to get back to the course today.  Izzo would certainly agree.