Encouraging Bermudagrass Growth

This picture shows a dead spot of poa annua, which now has bermudagrass growing where the poa was.  Since our USGA visit, we have been transitioning the Newport fairways from a mix of grasses and encouraging bermudagrass growth.  We have lowered the height of cut on the fairways and reduced water use throught the spring.  After the memorial and Member-Member Events, we selectively sprayed some of the fairways with high bermuda populations with the herbicide Revolver.  We also sprayed the rinse water cleaning up the Revolver on some fairways.  Revolver is a selective herbicide that is safe to use on warm season grasses, but slowly kills or supresses the cool season grasses and weeds (especially the ryegrass and poa annua).  We did not touch any areas that had more cool season grass, like 17, 13, 11, 8.  We sprayed parts of 3, 4, 5, 14, 15.  We sprayed rinse water on 18, parts of 15.  Per the USGA recommendations, we have already made three fertilizer applications to Newport fairways. We are going to fetilize at least two more times this summer.  That plus the use of the growth regulator Primo Maxx should take full advantage of the increased fertilizer inputs.  We will then apply the herbicide Barricade in September to attempt to keep the poa annua in check going into the dormant season.  The new fairway mowing equipment will also help the spread of the bermudagrass.  When I came to OCGC, I saw the potential of the bermudagrass fairways.  The USGA confirmed this.  I hope to create fairways the membership can be proud of.