November Update and Look Ahead...

      Now that the prime golf season is behind us and cool temperatures are approaching, it is time for my staff and I to start focusing winter projects and important agronomic practices that will help keep Piedmont great.

Tee Aerification and Bunker Elimination:  I know I touched on these points the other week but we will be continuing with our tee aerification over the next couple weeks.  Again it important we aerify to not only relieve compaction and improve drainage but it opens up channels for oxygen, nutrients, and water to reach the root system.  Aerification is arguable the most important agronomic practice we do as superintendents and doing it this time of year is almost like hitting the “reset button.”  We will be topdressing and fertilizing them heavy along with the aerification and come next spring when growing conditions improve we should have great tees for the upcoming season.  Along with the core aerification, we will be using the plugs to fill in a select few bunkers (#8, #9, and #14).

#4 Green:  #4 green is now being mown at the same height as the rest of the greens on the course, which is .12 hundredths of an inch.  It is still a new green but I have been happy with how it held up all year to the stresses that come with growing grass outside Washington D.C.  The plan is to continue treating it like a new green through the winter but hopefully by the time spring comes around next year it will be mature enough that I can manage it the same as the other greens on the course.

Tree Work/Removal:  A big task my staff and I are going to focus on this winter is improving air flow around the course.  Whether that is clearing underbrush in heavily wooded areas, taking limbs off of trees, or taking trees down entirely one thing I noticed in my first year that there are a few areas on greens that struggle or stay wet entirely too long.  A major reason for that is poor air flow.  Obviously the houses have something to do with that as well but with areas like to the left of #17 green and to the right of #6 green and even to the right of #16 green we can go in there and clear a lot of material out that will not only improve air flow but to reduce shade and improve sunlight on areas that may stay overly saturated. 

Frost Delays:  It’s that time of year again, though it has been a mild fall so far FROST DELAYS are right around the corner.  Frost is essentially frozen dew that forms ice crystals on the outside of the plant.  Obviously the turf is resilient to foot and cart traffic during regular weather conditions but when the plant has frost on it, it becomes brittle and fragile.  And when pressure is applied to the turf plant in this state the plant tissue will be punctured by the ice crystals and plant cells will rupture.  Damage caused by traffic won’t be visible right away, it will take several days before you start to see the signs of frost damage.  On top of that, frost damage caused by cart or foot traffic coupled with dormant turf and poor growing conditions means we will be looking footprints and cart tracks until the spring.  So please, be patient when we say there is a frost delay it is better to play it safe vs. stare of photos like below all winter long.