More Irene Pictures

We Were Lucky This Time!

I am pleased to post we have appeared to have lost zero trees to Hurricane Irene.  I kept dumping my personal rain gauge and had a grand total of 9.1 inches.  That means over 1.5 trillion gallons of water was dumped on OCGC!  Here are some pictures I took this afternoon.  The main issue will be tidal flooding and how soon we can mow turf areas without damaging them. 

Why Do You Water During the Daytime?

As the summer progresses, the root systems (particularly on Seaside) become very short.  We try to encourage root growth in the fall and spring.  The tiny grass plants survive on these root systems.  In May, roots average about 4 inches in depth.  Now, the roots are 1-2 inches on Seaside and 1-6 inches on Newport.  The shortest roots are on the greens that are shaded or in pocketed areas. 

As the roots shrink in size and as the humidity starts to drop, wilt occurs rapidly now.  Now, you will see the greens heads pop on for 1-2 minutes.  The goal is to cool the turf and slow down the loss of water (a term called ET).  The upper 1-2 inches of soil need to be kept moist for the plants to survive.   So when you see heads running this time of year on greens, it usually is to slow down some wilt.

Aerification...of course it finally rained!

Of course Murphy's Law applies to OCGC aerification.  Last weekend it rained 2.75 inches.  Today, we were to start Newport Bay.  With the fairways saturated, we decided to try tomorrow, switching to 3/4 inch SOLID tines.  We saw less of a need to pull cores, because we are trying to create a monostand of bermudagrass.  The grass is not very thatchy yet.  The cleanup with more rains today would really become a mess.  We were able to aerify all of the greens with 3/8 inch holes.  We aerified the collars and approaches with 1/2 inch holes.  Of course, there are always speed bumps.  Our topdresser stopped working early on and appears to be in for an overhaul.  Luckily our friends at Ocean Pines CC were not using theirs until the 30th.  We are using their "spin" topdresser shown above, which slings the sand through two discs.  We try to apply just enough sand to thin the thatch and for the turf to recover from the summer.  On the weaker greens, we are adding a little more sand and interseeding with the newer ALPHA variety.  The hope is the new bentgrass will fill in where the poa annua struggled this summer.  My learning experience is ongoing.

Interesting Information Statement from UVA Regarding Turf Heat Stress

                                                                          Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences

                                                                 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

                                                                                            420 Smyth Hall

                                                                              Blacksburg, Virginia  24061-0403

                                                                             540/231-2951 FAX: 540/231-3075

                                                                                            goatley@vt.edu

                                                                                                                                                August 4, 2011

Dear Virginia Golf Course Superintendents:

                While the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Team is in general agreement that the summer of 2010 resulted in a far greater number of calls regarding issues with the health of golf turf, the heat wave of mid-June through August in 2011 has finally started to play havoc with our cool-season grasses on many courses statewide.  As usual, creeping bentgrass and/or Poa annua (annual bluegrass) putting greens throughout Virginia are experiencing difficulties associated with summer heat stress. However, many cool-season fairways are also in less than desirable quality and in many cases the reason is as much ‘financial’ as it is ‘environmental’.  During this economic downturn, many courses simply do not have the budget to apply fungicides on a regularly scheduled interval to such large acreages as they likely have done in the past.  Whether it is greens, tees, or fairways, the effects of the extreme heat are basically the same.  Heat stress results in the grass becoming weakened to the extent that it becomes much more vulnerable to both mechanical and biological stress.  Summer decline is therefore a complex of individual factors that can interact to cause more summer problems than each individual stress acting alone.

                The challenges of high relative humidity combined with persistent daily highs in excess of 90^o F and night temperatures that do not dip below 70^o F present a powerful combination for a superintendent to try to manage, much less overcome. Close-cut putting green turf can tolerate brief periods of heat, especially if the soil temperature remains cool.  However, the fact that such high temperature extremes have relentlessly persisted throughout July has resulted in direct heat stress injury, as well as increasing the greens’ vulnerability to damage from other summer related stresses (e.g.; excessively close mowing, traffic and wear, warm weather fungal diseases, poor water quality, poor soil drainage, poor air movement, algae, nematodes and for the first time on a significant scale in Virginia, reports of bacteria associated with creeping bentgrass).  As a result, heat related injury and the associated decline in turf quality results from a complex of individual factors acting together.  Stated quite plainly, during a period of mid-summer heat stress, the grass plants are more vulnerable to anything that can cause damage.  During cooler times of the year these stresses are most often negligible.  And remember that besides air and soil temperatures, another extremely important environmental influence on the plant’s ability to cool itself is high relative humidity.  High humidity reduces evaporatranspiration rates and plants are more prone to heat buildup and direct heat injury.

                An important point to remember in measuring heat stress is that standard meteorological weather data records temperature at 5 feet above the ground and that temperatures at the turf canopy level may exceed the recorded high.  For example, with air temperatures of 90^o F, the actual temperature at the surface canopy of most putting greens will likely be in the 105-110^o F range.  Prolonged heat stress significantly increases soil temperatures and this directly impacts root growth, root health and function.  High air temperatures in the spring are less damaging since the soil temperatures remain relatively cool (i.e. the soil is much more buffered against changes in temperature than the air). However, that high buffering capacity of the soil means that once it does warm significantly, it resists rapid cooling.  Root production declines significantly under these conditions. The soil’s high buffering capacity to resist temperature change is not inherently bad.  This is something we consider beneficial in the fall when we can optimize fertilization, recovery, and establishment of our cool-season grasses.

                A profile of each golf course and isolated microenvironments will involve a number of “inventories” as they relate to susceptibility to prolonged heat stress.  Conditions and brief explanations of how they might influence summer decline of cool-season grasses are as follows:

Creeping Bentgrass vs. Annual Bluegrass Greens:  Annual bluegrass is not nearly as heat, drought, or traffic tolerant as creeping bentgrass.  The heat may have killed some annual bluegrass but its departure is likely only temporary.  Tremendous amounts of annual bluegrass seeds remain in the soil where it has been growing.  These seeds will germinate this fall and reinfest the green.  For greens that have been severely thinned, measures should be taken to reseed the greens with creeping bentgrass in late August/early September in advance of the annual bluegrass germination.  Seeding at 1 to 2 lb. per 1000 square feet is appropriate.  Higher mowing heights and traffic control (maybe even temporary greens) may be required for a good stand of creeping bentgrass to get established.

Drainage and Water:  Greens with good internal drainage (USGA-type sand construction), and good surface drainage have the benefit of being able to avoid excessive soil water buildup.  Frequent syringing and/or hand watering is most appropriate in severe heat stress.  However, even well drained greens can be excessively moist if “Mother Nature” produces frequent rain showers (a constant complaint by many in 2011) or the greens are over watered.  For courses closer to the coast, don’t forget that salt build-up in the soil from brackish irrigation water imparts an additional physiological drought stress to the turf.

Air Movement:    Trees and turf are at no more greater odds with each other than in periods of heat stress.  Any trees that block air and wind movement should be removed or greatly thinned to provide adequate ventilation for putting greens.  Putting greens, that by hole design are in low areas or surrounded by mounds, will also suffer from lack of air movement.  Oscillating electric fans are part of the solution but they do not make up for poor design or natural air movement that is blocked by trees or other vegetation. 

Mowing Heights and Frequencies:  Heat hardiness is reduced at short mowing heights.  Close and frequent mowing during heat stress will result in greater turf decline than if mowing heights are raised and frequency reduced. Increases in soil temperatures are more likely under shorter mowing heights.  Golf courses, whether public or private strive try to deliver the highest quality putting greens year-round, and this usually involves close and frequent mowing. To continue to mow in this manner invites summer decline, especially with how severe the heat stress has been in mid-summer 2011. 

Traffic Stress:  Golf courses with high amounts of play are likely to be most affected during periods of summer stress.  Traffic damage will be slow to recover with reduced plant vigor.  Higher mowing heights will help.

Public Perception and Maintaining Maximum Playability:  Seasonal environmental conditions will often dictate what should and should not be done to the grass to maintain “playability”.  Often club officials that determine the standards of maintenance strive for maximum playability all year! This is fine when the grass is not overly stressed.  However, a turf management program should be flexible to “ebb and flow” with the vagaries of weather, especially in the mid-Atlantic transition zone environment.

Summer Diseases and Other Pests:  Heat stress weakens plants and they can become more susceptible to disease activity at a time of year when the disease pressure is the greatest.  Summer fungal diseases are often the most difficult to control.  Damage from Pythium (both Foliar Blight and Root Pythium),  Rhizoctonia Brown Patch, Summer Patch, Fusarium Blight, Take-All Patch, and nematodes is often most severe during periods of extreme day and night temperatures. There is a great deal of talk this year regarding bacteria-incited diseases on bentgrass.  The number of reports of bacteria associated with bentgrass around the state and region are unprecedented in 2011.  However, pathologists are debating the overall relevance and significance of this problem. There are no clear-cut chemical alternatives to bacterial-related problems at this time and there is no doubt that this topic is going to be closely scrutinized in the coming months. In general, disease control programs will increase their frequency and rates on bentgrass/Poa greens during summer stress periods, but superintendents must still use caution and follow label directions.  It is highly possible that excessive chemical management approaches can actually exacerbate problems rather than correct them. If nematodes are suspected, have the soil analyzed to confirm if problems really do exist.  Chemical strategies for managing nematodes are quite limited.

Soil Aeration:  The soil must be well aerated for plants to function.  Soils that become sealed off at the surface, from compaction or from algae formation, will impair root growth and function and the ability of the turf to cool itself.  Tight soils will not readily absorb water and it can make efforts at irrigation difficult.  Tight soils, once wet, can often stay wet too long.  The result is what is called ‘wet wilt”, when a near saturated soil condition exists which also reduces plant vigor and function.  Venting the greens with pencil tines etc. continues to be a very sound philosophy to keep the rootzone oxygenated, even during the stressful environmental periods.   However, it is always prudent to perform venting during the least stressful periods of the day.

Fertilization:   Although it seems somewhat counter-intuitive, it is appropriate to continue to feed heat-stressed greens small amounts of Nitrogen.  Note the emphasis on ‘small’!  Anywhere from 0.1 to 0.15 lb N/1000 sq ft every 2-3 weeks will benefit overall plant health and recovery potential, and then initiate more aggressive N fertilization programs when the consistently cool temperatures of fall arrive.

                In conclusion, summer heat injury is highly complex and it is frustrating with how quickly it can and does happen even with our best preventative efforts.  I hope this information helps in your understanding and your ability to communicate the complexities of heat stress on cool-season grasses to your clientele.  Please let me know if I can assist you with any of these challenges. 

                                                                                                                Sincerely,

                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                Mike Goatley, Jr. 

                                                                                                                Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist

                                                                                                                CSES Department, Virginia Tech

GCSAA Statement On Golf Course Heat Stress This Summer

Heat Wreaking Havoc on America's Golf Courses

Prolonged periods of high temperatures and, in some cases, excessive rainfall and high humidity have made life uncomfortable for golfers and golf courses alike, with Mother Nature holding all the cards for true relief.
"The simple fact is the cool-season turfgrasses such as bentgrass, fescue, bluegrass, annual bluegrass (Poa annua) and others are stressed when temperatures climb and humidity is high," Clark Throssell, Ph.D., director of research for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, said. "Golf courses in many parts of the country experience this every year, however, what makes the situation so dire this year are the high levels of extended heat and humidity, and the sizeable part of the country affected (Midwest, Mideast, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic)."
According to Throssell, golf facilities and those entrusted with managing the golf course golf course superintendents ¬are not alone in this battle with the elements. However, the nature of their product makes their challenge greater.
"We are certainly seeing homeowners, athletic fields and businesses suffer turfgrass damage brought on by the conditions," Throssell said. "What makes it more difficult for golf facilities are the mowing heights are much lower and traffic is much heavier. That just adds to the stress on the turfgrass."
Throssell indicates that golf course superintendents are addressing the issue with a variety of management practices to make sure turfgrass survives. While there may be some short-term impact on playability of the course, the alternative is the loss of grass, the closure of the course and the additional costs of re-establishing playing surfaces (primarily putting greens).
He also cautioned golfers from thinking that water, whether from rain or irrigation, is the answer to the ills. There is a difference between heat stress and drought stress. Adequate irrigation will alleviate drought stress. Adequate irrigation will not alleviate heat stress. It is not only possible, but likely, for a turfgrass plant to be adequately watered and still suffer from heat stress under extended periods of high temperatures.
Among the practices that superintendents are implementing to manage golf courses include:
* Raising the mowing heights of playing areas, most notably putting greens.

* Alternating daily practices of mowing and rolling putting greens, with consideration to skipping a day if the schedule of play allows.

* Forgoing double-mowing, topdressing, verticutting or grooming greens.

* Watering to provide adequate soil moisture, but not over watering as saturated soil will cause the turfgrass to decline rapidly.

* Hand-watering as much as is feasible. If a green has a dry spot or two, superintendents will hand-water the dry spots only and will not water the entire green. When the entire green shows stress from a lack of water, superintendents use the overhead sprinklers and water the entire green.

* Avoid aerifying using large diameter tines that penetrate deeply into soil and remove a core of soil. If a superintendent feels the putting surface is sealed, venting using small diameter solid tines or other similar technique is employed.

* If fertilizer is required, small amounts of fertilizer are applied via a sprayer and observation of the response occurs before fertilizing again.

* Monitoring and adjusting golf car-traffic patterns to minimize stress to turf.
Throssell indicated that during periods such as this, it becomes easy to compare golf course conditions and pressure decision makers into actions that might prove detrimental to the long-term health of the playing surface.

"Communication is vital," Throssell said. "Superintendents, golf professionals, owners, managers and others must be in constant contact with golfers to educate them on what is happening at the facility. But golfers must also understand that golf courses are like snowflakes ¬ no two are alike. Some courses may be able to withstand the challenges of Mother Nature better than others because of better drainage and soil conditions, better air flow due to the placement of trees, less traffic or the presence of greater financial resources.

"We know the weather conditions will become more agreeable. What is important right now is to manage the golf course in a manner so that turf can be kept alive until that point."
The above story is courtesy of the GCSAA. For additional information, visit http://www.gcsaa.org/.

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New Bermudagrass Cultivar Planted at OCGC

Last week we were given a sample of new LATITUDE 36 Bermudagrass.  This grass was developed by Oklahoma State University.  It is the latest offshoot of Patriot Bermudagrass, which is used at Glen Riddle Man O War, Nutters Crossing  and Hog Neck.  This cultivar seems to be finer bladed and matches up very well with our existing Midlawn.  Latitude 36 is expected to be much more cold tolerant than currently available bermudagrasses.  This cultivar also is more shade tolerant.  We look to build on our Newport success this season and plug this cultivar in after some selected tree removal this winter.  You can look at the new grass on #5 Newport, marked with a green circle.

Mid Atlantic Region USGA Update

Is The Worst Over?

By Stanley J. Zontek, director, Mid-Atlantic Region
August 3, 2011

July soil temperatures from a course in Richmond, Virginia shows just how hot soil temperatures became along with the air temperatures.  With the elevated levels, the roots of cool-season grasses become less functional.

It's official, July, 2011 was the hottest month for the number of days above 90 degrees F in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.  Seemingly everyone in the country is dealing with oppressive heat and humidity and it has taken a toll on golf course turf. 
The following update will pass on a few agronomic points that worked or didn’t work this summer (in no special order):
Location, Location, Location.  The worst damaged greens were generally located in areas of shade or pockets of poor air circulation.  Grass growing in the shade is always weaker than grass growing in full sunlight. 
With prolonged heat stress, weaker greens suffered.  The solution is simple, clear underbrush, selectively remove trees, or install a fan. 
Water Management.  Over-watered greens suffered more than carefully irrigated, hand watered greens.  At the risk of causing a controversy, it is difficult to lightly syringe a green with the perimeter irrigation system.  Better water control is achieved with hand watering/hand syringing. 
Most often this is a budget item, but when it is as hot as it has been, too much water is worse than too little water.  Grass recovers better from dry wilt than it will from wet wilt. 
Soil Moisture Meters.  These devices have proved to be an effective way to monitor soil moisture and to carefully irrigate greens.  They also have helped to train staff to know when and how much to hand water an area as well as when to skip an area and recheck it later as greens dry through the day.  While expensive, they are a good investment.  Bad grass is much more expensive.
Conservative Turfgrass Management.  While every golf course reacts differently in the heat, following a conservative putting green management program saved grass. 

• Mowing and rolling programs, i.e., mow greens one day, roll the next, Consider skipping a day of mowing and rolling altogether to help reduce turf stress. 
• Switching to solid rollers and slightly raising mowing heights helped the grass survive.  Did the greens putt a bit slower?  Yes, however the old agronomic adage is worth repeating, “slow grass is better than no grass.” 
• Compressed spray schedules, spoonfeeding and light growth regulator applications all have worked well. 
• Surface aeration and venting helped the turf. 

Disease problems would have been worse if we had a hot, humid and wet summer.
This summer, turfgrass management in many parts of the United States is an absolute challenge, and we still have more days of weather stress to get through.  Hopefully, some of these points will help everyone appreciate that maintenance work does not stop in the heat, but it changes to a much more careful management program. 
The golfers can help by understanding and expecting less in terms of green speed and many details of golf course manicuring, which have to be deferred with so much handwork needed to keep the greens alive. 

The Mid-Atlantic Region agronomists are part of your agronomic support team.  If you have a question or concern, give us a call or send an e-mail.  You can reach Stan Zontek (szontek@usga.org) and Darin Bevard (dbevard@usga.org) at 610/ 558-9066 or Keith Happ (khapp@usga.org) at 412/ 341-5922.

It Rained, So Why Are You Irrigating?

I was asked this question yesterday.  Many times, we spray different fertilizer/pesticide combonations for different things.  If I am using an insecticide, it needs watered in to avoid burning the tips of the grass and to work the insecticide into the root zone.  Preemergent herbicides are activated by water.  Root pathogens have to be sprayed for and watered in.  Yesterday, we spray fertilized the Newport fairways with feed grade (cheaper) Urea and Hydrexx (a nitrogen stabilizer).  We found that cart traffic before the spray has had time to dry resulted in leaf tip burn, which is not great to look at. We generally are spraying with very little water carrier...like fairways spray at 30 gallons per acre.  This means the fertilizer is very concentrated when it is applied.  One three minute turn of the sprinklers in the fairway, washes the fertilizer off the leaf tip and dilutes the fertilizer, so it is safe to drive on.  Most times on the greens, we plan our applications around rain events so we are not oversaturating them.  So there is the explaination why the crazy golf course superintendent is irrigating after it rained last night!

addition to the last post

To complete the last thought, if the grass plants are swelling in survival mode, then if you attempt to maintain the same mowing height, scalping and injury occurs rapidly.  I am still familiarizing myself with the property and the equipment, so my feeling is the conservative approach is the safest for now.

Why Are the Greens Slower In the Summer?

 Everyone has to remember, bentgrass and poa annua are cool season grasses.  The OPTIMAL temperature fot cool season grasses is 60-75F.  July our average temperature was 82.  With the ocean being so warm, the nighttime temperatures averaged 73 for July.  Combine this with almost 6 iinches of rain, the cool season grasses thin out.  Remember, the grass cannot go inside to the air conditioning.  The grass also undergoes a phisiological change when it is hot.  The plant swells as a survival mechanism.  I also observe not as clean of a cut during hot weather.  We do everything to protect the turf.  Being new, I have opted for a turf health approach to managment.  On July 8, the USGA issued a regional advisory.  I will post some of these going forward.  The long term outlook was for hot weather.  They advised raising mowing heights and changing the greens rollers from grooved to solid rollers as a pro-active approach.  We made the decision to raise the height by .005 inch on both golf courses.  We opted to protect Seaside greens, due to their construction by raising another .005 this week.  Solid rollers were put on the greens mowers.  Today, we put them on Newport.  What is the difference?  Take a look at the picture.  The roller on the left is a Wiele or grooved roller.  The grooves pinch the grass and stand it up for a more aggressive cut.  The right roller is a traditional smooth roller.  The ones we are using are 20 pounds.  The smooth roller being less aggressive, helps further thinning of greens.  You will notice most of the thinning greens have a lot of trees around them.  It does not take much to tip the scales in a negative direction.  We utilize a spray program of various growth regulators, fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides and biostimulants.  One wrong mix spells disaster.  The weekly spoon feeding of fertilizer products help manipulate the plant into thinking it is in 75 degree comfort.  Think about it.  We also treat the greens every two weeks with a soil spray to help prevent our root systems from becoming dysfunctional.  Ever see a putting green look very pale or almost white?  That is a possible sign of root dysfunction.  When the roots cannot absorb water and nutrients, the plants can die rapidly.  It truly is a delicate balancing act in summer.  While this is the basics, I just want to inform everyone there is more to it than meets the eye.  When it is hot and humid, the best things we can do is deal with the slower speeds, understand what we are doing, vent the greens with small aerifier tines and this fall, we will have some of the finest putting surfaces around.  In July and August, I definitely manage defensively.  Defense wins championships!

What Is the Brown Spot on the Front of #15 Green Newport?

If you notice, the front right of the green is the lowest point.  After the storm of the 24th which dumped 2.25 inches of rain on OCGC, the hot temperatures caused a phenomenon known as "WET WILT".  Wet wilt occurs during hot, humid weather, generally after a rain event.  The soil is saturated from the rain.  There is no oxygen in the root zone for the green.  It literally boils the root system.  Obviously, a syringe of water won't make it bounce back.  The only option is to vent the area with aerification holes.  The hope is the holes allow the soils to dry out and if there is any good root system left, it will regenerate.  Many people have asked if I am glad we have received a lot of rain lately.  In July and August, my answer is NO!   Turf quality is much better if we can control the water in the summer.

Clean Up Almost Done

This is our maintenance staff at OCGC.  These guys worked really hard to clean up the debris from July 24th microburst thunderstorm.  The huge pile behind them is at the back of the driving range.  In all 20 trees were downed and countless other branches were snapped.  It was a storm I won't soon forget.