Paspalum Collars

Collars are rarely a topic of conversation at golf courses. The main purpose of a collar or fringe cut is to create a transition between the higher cut green surround and the putting surface. In fact, before Bernardo Heights, I've never heard, "the collars are amazing" or "the collars are terrible." They rarely enter the golfer's mind and they do not need to be thoughtfully played or navigated. If the collars are in decent shape, you'll never hear a word about them.

We have a different situation here. The collars are Seashore paspalum and they were installed with a five foot width. During most of the year, they look great, but the grain is so extreme that a shot into the collar, even a low chip, will check up hard and stop quickly. If you land down grain, the ball shoots forward. Each chip or pitch requires a decision on how to play the collar. It's a great defense for the golf course, but it's not an enjoyable challenge.

When winter rolls around with cool temps and short days, the collars lose their color and density. Some areas thin out completely and we are left to putt on soil around the greens. At least this surface is smooth and predictable. Overseeding is nearly impossible and past attempts have resulted in tufts of cool season turf. Putting on this surface was like Plinko on the Price is Right. Once again, not an enjoyable challenge.











Our goal is to replace these collars and expand the greens. We have been making progress the last few years, but it may look like the opposite. I get a lot of comments about the paspalum creeping into the greens. We are actually cutting into the collars and expanding the greens. The crew members have  been very aggressive, mowing into the collars during the cleanup pass. We then spray the paspalum with a herbicide that does not kill the bentgrass or Poa annua. The photo above is an example of this application. The light, six inch band next to the collar has been sprayed and most of this paspalum will die. The photo to the right shows a collar that has been scalped down to green height. The collar is now only three feet wide in this section, but the reclaimed green will need to be converted or sodded to the proper turf type.

We have shrunk many collars down to 3 feet, but some are still very wide. Eventually, we would like to reduce the collar to 18 inches and return the rest of the area to putting green. We may complete this task with one major project, installing bentgrass sod that will transition to a blend of bent and Poa like the rest of our greens. If this does not happen, we will continue to convert this turf using our current methods, plus sodding from our nursery green. Some sections are transitioning on their own, like the front of #15, shown here, where Poa annua has filled in most the collar which is half the size it once was. The paspalum will still need to be removed or killed because it will come back during the summer.

We have made progress and I assure you that the paspalum's days are numbered. I look forward to the day that nobody mentions collars when discussing course conditions. Usually, no word is the good word.

Check out our new equipment

We've finally broken in all the new toys we got last spring. Most were put to use right away, like our new fairway mower, new rough mower, and large utility vehicle. A new shipment of equipment is exciting for all of us. A vehicle or mower that drives smoothly and is comfortable makes for a happy operator. It's really a big deal when you ask somebody to spend the majority of a day on the same machine. Giving them a brand new mower with a comfy seat, tight steering, ergonomic controls, and a quiet, yet powerful engine will make them more productive.











The new rough mower replaced a pull behind unit that was 12 years old and wearing down quickly. I was really getting tired of the constant repairs, down time, inconsistent cut, and Jorge complaining daily. Now his only complaint is the fan on the canopy is too strong and makes him cold, so he leaves it off.

Our new aerifier replaces two 12 year old units that had their limitations. First off, they were slow, which is why two could be replaced by one. The Toro unit can also be adjusted to go deeper in the soil profile. Just a few weeks ago, we pulled the deepest cores in years, breaking through a layer that formed after too many aerifications at the same shallow depth.

We have a backhoe now, which attaches to our largest tractor. We've used this machine many times in a short period, installing drain lines, digging up bad cart path, and exposing irrigation pipe for multiple repairs. The native soil at Bernardo Heights resembles concrete. Hand digging for main line repairs is a two day affair with a couple of employees. Now it's a two hour job. We save time and no one has a sore back.

Our sweeper has already saved countless hours of labor. Last year, we gathered leaves in piles and then bundled them in burlap tarps to be piled into carts. We didn't have a better option, but now it seems crazy that we were doing that, what a waste of time.

Lastly, we have a new verticutter that replaces a very old unit that had been used and abused for well beyond it's useful life. This one is simple and powerful. That's all we really need and the overseed result on the driving range tee is proof. Can you see the rows of ryegrass? Without a verticutter, it is very difficult to get the seed established into the dense hybrid bermuda that makes up the majority of this tee. Next year, we will use this unit to control thatch in the fairways and push density in our relatively young stand of bermuda.

I can still think of 20 more machines I would love to have. Trade shows are an endless parade of dream equipment, a candy store for any turf geek. I'll keep asking for more, but I'll admit that we are better off now than I've ever been, at any course.