Week of September 23rd: Fall Begins
- Matthew Behl
- Sep 27, 2024
- 3 min read
With some much needed moisture falling and a break in the weather the agronomy team has switched gears from moisture management to other agronomy work. Currently our focus is on cultivation/aeration.
The team started this week out with approach aeration. The approaches were all aerified with a 1/2 inch coring tine. The aeration plugs were all picked up. Then the approaches were topdressed with sand and brushed. A variety of soil amendments were also added during the aeration process. Approaches will be topdressed with sand at least one more time this fall.
Approach aeration:
Once approaches were finished the agronomy team started in on tees. Tees 1-6, and 9 have been core aerified with a 5/8 inch tine. The aeration plugs were picked up and those tees have been topdressed with sand and brushed. My hope is to finish tees next week as long as weather cooperates.
Tee aeration:
Also this week, the right hand side of 9 with emphasis on the hillsides was overseeded and composted. The area that was seeded has been marked off with signs. Please refrain from driving carts up the hillside and past the signs during the grow in process of this hillside.
The 5th green also had a good deal of plug work done to it. This was done to remove all of the damage that had occurred from the heron and egret feces on the green. Both the herons and egrets don't seem to be roosting on the green anymore. Hopefully this damage is a thing of the past.
A large amount of rough fertilization took place this week. Emphasis was placed on areas that need a little recovery from the summer and dry conditions and areas that the agronomy team are working on improving. An extra shot of fertility was also added to the 12th fairway. We are in a constant battle with a turf disease called dollar spot especially on fairways. The 12th fairway was having disease break through earlier than any other fairway on the course. Our hope is the soil amendments provided will help lessen the dollar spot occurrences on this fairway and help reduce our fungicide use.
While all of the above work was going on both greens and fairways were also sprayed with fungicides, plant growth regulators, and a variety of fertility products this week.
On Tuesday, Oct. 1 we will be opening the sod area on 1 for cart traffic. The entry point will be clearly marked and will be constantly moved to prevent wear from forming. Please enter only from the entry point. Seed bed preparation will start next week to the area where the carts have been currently entering while the sod has established.
Plans have not been solidified for next week yet. We have shotguns both Monday and Tuesday with some possible rain on Wednesday/Thursday. We will definitely start aerating fairways next week with a 3/4 inch solid tine. Fairway aeration will provide no disruption to play. We will also be continuing with tee aeration and a variety of fertility applications. At some point, we will be micro tining greens with a 1/8 inch coring tine. This work may start next week. This really provides no disruption to play. The small practice green and the short game green were aerated with the micro tine this Friday afternoon and both are putting great. Feel free to give them a look and a putt. If you see the aerator out on greens pulling a plug, don't fret as the results will be exactly the same as these two greens.
Micro tining greens:
