Annual Bluegrass Weevil Damage

This morning we noticed some Annual Bluegrass Weevil damage on the collar of the 6th green. They chew on the edges of leaf blades or stems of the plant close to the crown. They create a look similar to heat stress or ware areas from mowers and or rollers. We sprayed for them this morning, we should see the turf bounce back over the next few weeks. This was the only area that we saw bad damage from them.

Damage on the left collar on #6 green. 

Adult Annual Bluegrass weevil and Pupa found in the collar on #6. 

Things to expect over the next few months.

With the hottest two months of the year approaching we would like to remind everyone of a few things you might notice on the golf course. When we get into a period where we haven’t had any rain for over two weeks you will notice some browning on parts of fairways and roughs. This is due to shale close to the surface which heats up the roots from underneath. These areas get extra attention and receive more water to make sure we don’t lose any turf. The high humidity during the summer months makes some areas on tees become puffy in the thatch layer. These areas are usually seen on tee boxes that aren’t used as much (i.e. Gold and Green tee boxes). The tee boxes that are used more receive more foot traffic which helps firm them up and not get puffy. Summer patch in the intermediate cut and roughs can show up toward the end of July. We have added a spray which was talked about previously to help reduce the severity of it. When we talk about summer stress these are the things we are referring to.

Area on #1 forward tee that scalped and heated up due to excess thatch  

#7 fairway is a prime example of where we don't have much soil and the roots heat up from underneath. 

We have also applied some traction paint to the walk bridges. If  this paint shows to be durable it will help up decide if this is the best product to apply to the center of the cart bridges for walkers.

Thank you in advance for understanding how big of an impact the weather plays a role in what we decide to do every day on the golf course. When we get consistent temperatures in the 90’s we may reduce the amount of mowing and rolling we are doing weekly to help reduce the stress on the greens.

Last but certainly not least please remember to help maintain your golf course by fixing ball marks, filling divots and raking bunkers! Have a great summer from the Piedmont Maintenance Department!