Inclination for Cultivation

Last week we completed our first round of slicing to our Back 9 Fairways. The minimal disruption of the surface will have little to no affect on play ability, and will improve turf health by allowing gas exchange so the roots can get some much needed oxygen. The process may also stimulate horizontal growth, by cutting and laying over stolons produced by the bermudagrass. We have plans for more aggressive methods of cultivation coming in the future. On July 12th, we have a scheduled core aeration to all of our tee boxes for a second consecutive year. We also hope to extend this core cultivation to our Back 9 Fairways in the near future. 

Bunker Edging Underway

#2 Fairway Bunker after recent edging

In an earlier blog post we discussed the different ways that we maintain bunker edges. Occasional sod, blowing sand off faces after strong winter winds, and proper raking are all important factors involved in maintaining a proper bunker edge. Now we are to the point in the year where we begin the more classic form of bunker edging, where we go into the bunker are cut out vegetative growth from the inside of the bunker. We also take this time to check sand depths, and redistribute or add sand as needed. This year we will first edge our fairway bunkers, and then move onto the green side bunkers next. This process is very labor intensive, but the results speak for themselves. 

Sedges Have Edges

Weeds in the sedge family have triangular stems, which is where the
common (at least to me) expression "sedges have edges" comes from

Sedges are a triangular stemmed, mat forming weeds seen in the picture to the right.

 There are different types of sedges that can usually be identified by their underground plant parts. Sedges present a problem for golf courses, because during wet, warm weather, they can grow vertically faster than the turf, but can also overtime form dense mats that compete with the turf. We have started spraying sedge in high profile areas (around the putting green) and will focus more of our efforts toward its control once we complete our broadleaf weed spray tomorrow.

Chemical control of nutsedge

Sand, Sand Everywhere

Topdressing is a regular part of golf course maintenance. We do many different types of topdressing here at GCC. Heavy topdressing allows us to incorporate sand back into the soil profile after aeration. Light, frequent topdressings (pictured above) keep the putting greens smooth and firm. Topdressing of seams of sodded areas can help level them out and facilitate grow in. Members topdress every day when they fill in the divots made during play with sand. Pictured below is a traditionally wet area on #7 that we have topdressed. We hope that with multiple topdressings of the area this year, we can slowly begin to improve it's playability after heavy rains. Sand topdressing is a big part of our plans for 2016. If you have a question about what we are trying to accomplish by topdressing a particular area, please do not hesitate to ask.

Broadleaf Weeds on The Golf Course

The picture to the right is indicative of the type of weather we have experienced over the last couple weeks. This cool, wet weather provides excellent growing conditions for weeds, but not enough warmth for the Bermudagrass to truly compete with them. As a result, we currently have a fair amount of weeds out on the course. As temperatures improve, the healthy Bermuda will compete with the weeds, and the number of chemical control options we have to control these weeds will increase. In the mean time, we are keeping the weeds in check with increased mowing frequencies, and selective chemical applications. Once warm, dry weather arrives, we can quickly get a handle on the broadleaf weeds on the course.

Member Flower Planting Party

On Monday, May 2nd, we held our second annual Member Flower Planting Party. Members who attended came at 5:30 PM, got a quick run down, and got down to business. Afterwards, we enjoyed some subs and cold beverages to celebrate a hard evening's work. Thank you so much to all who attended. Community events like this are a large part of what makes Greenbrier CC such a great place.

Maintaining Defined Bunker Edges

After last year's Better Billy Bunker renovation to our greenside bunkers, we saw an overall improvement to bunker playability. One of the more important aspects of maintaining these new bunkers is keeping sand in place,  and keeping a well defined edge between the hazard and the surrounding rough. Because the new bunkers drain so well, the sand tends to stay drier, and is more susceptible to the strong winds that we experience in the winter and spring months. Outside of cutting back grass that grows over the bunker edge in season, we also take a backpack blower around in the winter months and blow sand back into the bunker. In areas where enough sand blew over the edge to affect turf health, we have re-sodded in spots the re-establish the edge. Maintaining a well defined bunker edge is a year-round process, that requires multiple methods to be successful.