Solid Bermuda

On March 3rd, I spent about 45 minutes driving around with a tank full of herbicide and knots in my stomach.  I was about to spray some fairways with a product that kills any grasses that are not bermuda.  I was nervous about the application because much of the bermuda was covered with poa annua and ryegrass that had been growing through the winter while the bermuda was semi-dormant.  Some locations look like solid cool season grass and I can only hope that bermuda lies beneath.

The fairways that received this treatment were #'s 6, 7, 10 and a portion of 18.  In the coming weeks, we will spray #'s 5, 8, and 17.  Other holes will be sprayed as bermudagrass fills in and the poa annua and ryegrass weakens from summer heat.

The beauty of this product is the slow rate at which the cool season fades away.  For the first week, growth stops, but color and texture remain the same.  About 10 days in, grasses that are not bermuda start to yellow and they are browning up at this time, 17 days after the application.  The grass is still very playable and will not fade away completely for a few more weeks.  During this period, we fertilize the bermuda grass and encourage growth without any competition.

My fears of spraying are usually relieved when the bermuda starts growing through the dead grass.  There is plenty of bermudagrass on these fairways and they will fill in quickly.

A mono-stand of one species of grass is so much prettier than a hodgepodge of turf types.  Most of our fairways have ryegrass, poa annua, hybrid bermuda, and common bermuda in patches and different percentages throughout the playing surface.  Wiping out the rye and poa will really clean up the appearance and provide better playing conditions year-round.

 If we do encounter a thin or bare spot, we will mark ground-under-repair and maybe sod the location if recovery time is too great.  This application is an aggressive technique, but like you, I'm tired of waiting for this transition to take place naturally.  We are on the fast track now and the fairways will look like you've never seen at BHCC.  The last few photos show a portion of #6 fairway that is loaded with poa annua.  Last summer, this area was nearly all bermuda and will be all bermuda once again.

Yellow and dying poa annua covering bermudagrass.

Closer inspection shows some green bermuda within the dying cool season grass.

Here I've pulled up on the bermuda runners that will fill in this area.

Green Aerification

As I usually say, our green aerification is one of the most important days of the year.  This is one of few opportunities to open up the surface, remove some thatch, and add some important nutrients to the soil.  The drainage is improved, the roots are given some room to travel downward, and oxygen is delivered to the plant and microbes in the soil.

 Our process uses a smaller size tine, 3/8 of an inch with very close spacing, meaning many small holes instead of a few big ones.  The greens can sometimes lift up during using this technique when the root structure is not very good.  Our first go around with this setup was October 2012 and the greens heaved up nearly 4 inches.  The crew thought I had ruined the greens, but they can be rolled and pressed back down.  This year, there was no heaving at all, indicating better soil structure and increased rooting.


For an early start, Izzo and I came in on Sunday night to get a couple of greens punched before a grueling Monday.  In the photo to the left, you can see some very long shadows and Izzo enjoying the cool comfort of freshly pulled plugs.  This saved a few hours of labor and allowed us to finish the entire course by 3:30 PM, our earliest finish ever with next to zero overtime.  The crew would have liked the overtime, but they seemed happy to put the shovels away at the same time.

The key to the sanding process is to make sure that all the holes are "capped" with sand.  Many players feel that we put too much sand on the greens, but the cardinal sin is applying too little sand.  If we leave the surface clean and green, the dimples that are here this week will last for well over a month.  Be patient and the turf will grow through the sand and return to a smooth and firm surface.

You can expect healing to take just under two weeks.  The greens are being watered nightly at this time to help the sand work into the holes and to encourage the healing process.  The softness makes them susceptible to big ballmarks, which are YOUR responsibility to repair.  We always have trouble with players ignoring this task because, "the greens are all torn up anyway."  They will heal faster if you fix the damage caused by your ball.  Please help me help you.

Rain Report

This weekend's storm will double the rain totals we've received at the course since early October.  Needless to say, this is much needed moisture that will help to hydrate our landscaping, trees, and turf throughout BHCC.  As of Saturday morning, we've picked up 1.5 inches of rain at our weather station. The slow and steady pace allowed the ground to soak it up.  The sodium that piles up in the greens has been dropped by 50%, which is just what we need going into aerification.  This is a great way to start our spring season and get the course growing and greening up.

Have you ever wondered what the maintenance staff does during a rainy day?  We've been waiting for this opportunity to address some shop work.  We cleaned up all our storage areas, re-organized equipment, and painted three sets of tee markers.  The guys were set up like Santa's elves, scrubbing down tee markers and adding a fresh coat of paint.  The red tees had been painted a few weeks ago by Genie Brown and company, a much appreciated assist from our ladies' groups.

When the rain took a break in the early afternoon, I headed out to survey drainage issues and take note of any down trees or branches.  The course is a little messy and will get a full cleaning on Monday.  We only lost one tree, a half dead tree on the first fairway that was marked for removal.  We will be cart path only for the weekend, but those restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible.

Today, Ramiro and staff were able to mow greens, which are actually pretty firm after the nice rain-powered flushing.  They will do their best to clean up the mess, but bunkers will take some time to get into shape as they need more than a quick raking.  We gladly will accept the little bit of hassle for the huge benefits of this rain.