Trees tagged for discussion

There are a number of trees that have been tagged throughout the golf course that are being considered for removal.  Many of them are large oaks and hickory trees that prevent valuable sunlight from reaching important playing surfaces.  The trees were tagged to initiate a discussion so that the Golf Long Range and Green Committees could examine the trees that impact growing environments and playability of the golf course.  Once the committees have reviewed the marked trees, we can develop a schedule and a budget for the work. 

We have a number of greens that are surrounded by trees, hills and rocks, especially holes 3, 4, 5, and 13.  While specimen trees can provide character and strategic interest on a golf course, trees should not be located around greens, tees and near fairways where they will be in direct competition for sunlight, water, and nutrients .  Pine Orchard has a few trees that could be considered specimens, but many are lost among less desirable pines and spruces that were planted more for their rapid growth rate rather than for the value of their mature size and form.  Many of the hardwood trees surrounding the greens were much smaller when the course was originally carved out of the landscape, and slowly grew without attracting much attention.  Over many years they have grown to the point that their negative impacts on the playing surfaces outweigh their value as a mature tree.

I thought I would take a moment to share an explanation of the recommendations, and why certain trees are a higher priority than others.  The most important consideration is sunlight.  Everyone knows that the energy from the sun provides plants with energy and helps them grow.  Few people understand that turf generally requires eight hours of direct sunlight to thrive, and that plants utilize the energy most efficiently in the morning when the when the air temperature falls within an ideal range.  Above a certain temperature, chemical reactions that drive the plants’ metabolism begin to slow down, and the turf can not utilize the sun’s energy as well.  Morning sun also helps reduce disease pressure by drying the surface, and driving air circulation by warming the air just above the ground, which is displaced by heavier cool air from above.  Trees that are located to the northeast and east of playing surfaces block the morning sun, and therefore reduce the ability of the turf to convert the sun rays into energy that can be used for growth and recovery.

 After sunlight, the second most important consideration is root competition.  The roots that supply trees with water and nutrients are primarily found in the top twelve inches of the soil, and extend approximately twice as far as the drip line of the tree.  When trees are located close to greens, their roots often extend half way across the playing surface.  As soil temperatures rise due to the heat of the summer, the roots on the turf begin to decline making it more difficult to compete with the much larger trees.  Pruning the tree roots provides temporary relief from competition, but over time this process results in a more vigorous root system for the trees, and the benefits are rather short lived.  The solution is to remove trees that are located less than twice as far from a green than the width of the canopy. 

The majority of the trees that have been tagged this fall are located on holes 3, 5, and 13, our most challenging growing environments.  For many years there were many more trees surrounding these greens, and many have already been removed.  The condition of the turf has improved as a result of the additional sunlight, so some may feel that there is no reason to take more.  After watching these greens struggle through the heat of summer and the rigors of our maintenance programs, it has become clear to me that we need to minimize the amount of shade and root competition so that we realize the maximum benefit of our cultural and fertility programs.

On the 3^rd hole, the removal of the trees would eliminate shadows during the mid morning and late afternoon, and would eliminate the significant mess that the trees make in the approach.  The fifth hole has so many strikes against it that any additional sunlight and air movement will help, especially since the left side lies in the shadow of the rock formation.  The trees surrounding the thirteenth green have roots under close to 50% of the green surface.  The left side of the green has three strikes against it; it slopes to the north which affects light intensity, it serves as the walk on/off, and has to compete with roots from mature oak trees on all sides.  The trees on the hillside block the morning sun, especially in the spring and fall when the sun angle is much lower. 

I am certain that some, if not all of these recommendations will be unpopular, but I assure you they have been well thought out and researched.  I have no expectation that all of this work will be completed at once, but we should at least begin the conversation and prioritize which trees should be removed first, and how aggressive we need to be to address these issues.  Once we have established priorities we can develop a timeline and a budget for the work.

I understand the emotional attachment that is often associated with mature trees, but I have a better understanding of what it takes to maintain high quality turf and meet the expectations of modern golfers.  Trees can provide a lot of character to a golf course, but this usually happens when the tree stands alone adjacent to the landing area in a fairway, and this description fits none of the trees that are tagged.

The difference between rain and irrigation

There is a significant difference between natural precipitation and irrigation, and it is quite evident just 24 hours after the first significant rain event in almost two months.

I took the top picture at the end of August when the course was being prepared for the Club Championship Weekend. We had not had rain since the middle of July, but the cool temperatures and low humidity made it possible for me to conserve water and keep the course as dry and firm as possible knowing that everything would green up with the first rain storm that rolled through the area. 

In the weeks that followed we watched rain events fall apart as they approached the area, one after another. 

I do everything I can to conserve water for a few key reasons.  First, we purchase our irrigation water, therefore conserving water helps me manage the line item in my budget. Second, it is better for the golf course and the turf. Coastal golf courses are meant to play firm and fast with well played drives bounding down fairways and poorly played approach shots bouncing off greens.  Drought stress places selective pressure on the turf, and each season the turf that cannot survive the stress is replaced by more durable, reliable plants through over seeding, or by healthy, resilient plants creeping to fill voids. Finally, fresh water is the most valuable natural resource on the planet, and golf is a luxury consumption of that resource. Ultimately this boils down to sustainability.

Each time I water fairways I use over 50,000 gallons of water, so I work very hard to rely on irrigation solely for the purpose of getting from one rain event to the next. In order to keep the course lush and green this summer I would have had to run irrigation cycles four or five times per week instead of once or twice. Not only would that break my budget, it is irresponsible from an environmental standpoint and would have ruined the playing conditions that we work so hard to produce.  For the majority of the season the contrast of the dark green fairways against the bronzed rough was as appealing to most golfers as the extra twenty yards they were getting on their drives.  As the drought persisted, some fairway areas thinned a bit more than I intended, but rarely to the detriment of the playing surface.

The bottom photo was taken one day after the first significant rainfall in over two months, and thanks to all the aeration, seeding, and fertilizing we have done over the last few weeks in anticipation of the rains that I knew had to come eventually, the course is beginning to return to its healthy green color.  Was I always pleased with the condition and appearance of the course?  Certainly not, but I was certain that the turf was resilient enough to recover once the favorable conditions returned, and I am proud of the fact that I was able to weather the storm (or lack of storms) without wasting valuable resources.  In the long run the turf will be more resilient due to the stress that was imposed, and for the lessons we learned along the way. In the coming weeks I will be reviewing my programs to see where I can make adjustments and improvements so that we can continue to satisfy the golfers that enjoy a firm, fast golf course without upsetting the club member who prefers more of a parkland look to the property. 

This post has inspired me to begin a series on sustainability, and what this concept means to the future of golf.  The decisions I made this season were sometimes unpopular, but they were all well thought out and intentional.  No one forced me to conserve water or scale back on fertility.  I did it because it is the right thing to do, and the weather conditions were ideal to test this philosophy.  This won't always be the case.  There will be years when excessive heat, humidity, or other extreme conditions require reliance on additional inputs.  In my corner of the world, this was the year to turn the water off.  Many superintendents have admitted they did not, and their courses remained lush and green, and in some cases soft. 
If the golf industry doesn't take the lead on matters such as water conservation and responsible use of fertilizers and pesticides, someone else will do it for us.  As a good friend of mine often says "It's better to have a seat at the table than to find yourself on the menu." 

Course Conditions Update

After almost four inches of rain fell yesterday I am pleased to report that the course is not only open with carts, it is surprisingly dry.  The forecast was for 1”-2” which we desperately needed, and the crew was out preparing the course so that we would capture as much of the water as possible to recharge the soil rather than watching it run off into the ocean.

On Monday we needle tined the greens to create pore spaces and reconnect the old aeration holes to the surface.  This was followed up by an application of a wetting agent that not only helps water penetrate the surface; it also helps the turf dry out once the rain stops.  The two steps combined beautifully to recharge the soil moisture and reinvigorate the turf by purging the root zone of stale gases, replacing them with a fresh supply of oxygen. 

We also spiked some of the rough areas that were suffering from drought stress and cart traffic, and the heavy rains seem to have alleviated some of this stress for the time being.  We will continue to aerate the rough and will begin to add seed in the coming weeks to promote recovery and develop a more resilient stand of turf for the future.  There are still a few areas that have remained dormant, but with continued cool weather, a few more rain showers, and perhaps a dose of fertilizer we should see a bit more green return to the course as we head into the best part of the golf season.

Thankfully the course was prepared to handle the extreme rainfall, and we should return to the firm fast playing conditions we had enjoyed over the majority of the golf season.  I have received a number of compliments that the rough is just penal enough, yet manageable, and people seem to enjoy the extra few yards on their drives that find the fairways.  The greens are a different story.  The rough is lush and “aggressive”, which makes chipping to the firm, fast greens a significant challenge.  This provides a distinct advantage to those who find the putting surface with their approach shot, and punishes those who short side themselves. 

We are looking forward to preparing the course for the club championships at the end of the month and I expect to have the course as good if not better than we had it for the Invitational at the beginning of the month.  On Monday September 8^th we will be aerating the greens followed by tees, approaches, and fairways.  We will keep you posted regarding days the course will be closed as well as course conditions so that you can schedule matches and bring guests on days when the course will be in the best condition. 

Off and running

The golf season is right around the corner, finally.  For many it will be a relief to get back out after a tortuous winter marked by record cold snaps followed by a very persistent blanket of snow. For me it is the end of a season of rest, recouperation, and growth ( both personal and professional).  

The winter prevented us from completing many items on our "to do" list, but we were able to make some significant improvements to the course, our equipment, and our maintenance programs.  If you have not learned about these changes in blog posts, newsletters, or emails, you will certainly recognize them the first time you return to the golf course. The most obvious and important have been covered in previous posts, so I will shift our focus to the future. 

We are in the process of completing a few capital projects on the course, including installation of new artificial mats on the range, renovating the rough on the 1st hole, repairing and expanding the irrigation on the 1st hole, and replacing trees and shrubs that were damaged in the hurricanes. These projects will be moving along rapidly over the next two weeks, and we hope to have most of the work completed by the opening golf breakfast. Much of this depends on the weather, and I am trying to remain optimistic after the heavy rains this weekend. 

On Wednesday we will take a short break from projects to complete our first aeration on the greens. It will be a similar process to the one completed last September when we cored the greens one day and deep verticut them the next. This will be the cornerstone of our cultural program for the year, allowing us to rely on less invasive practices throughout the season, which will minimize the disruption to the surface during the peak golf season. The putting surfaces will be severely disrupted for the first half of April, but I expect them to be healed in time for Opening Day, and in excellent condition for the Spring Member-Member. 

During the season we will be completing minor cultural practices on greens, tees, and fairways, on close to a weekly basis. I have an initial schedule worked out that I will post on the club calendar, and will post any changes on the blog or via social media. I am still working out the details and will provide more information in a future post or email. 

Looking out the window it is hard to think that spring is here and another golf season is upon us, but I am eager to completethe capital improvements and shift our focus to building on the progress we have made on the course over the last few years.   I am confident that we are well on our way to another exciting and successful season, and we look forward to seeing you all again enjoying the golf course. 

USGA: North-Central

www.usga.org/course_care/regional_updates/regional_reports/northcentral/A-Lose-Lose-Situation---March-2014

We have been monitoring the greens at Pine Orchard  for the last few weeks.  We were free from snow at the end of January, and it probably took a week or two for ice to form. I estimate that we are close to 35 days under ice which should be fine. 

A more dangerous situation arises when we clear snow and ice and rapidly expose turf to the sun causing it to break dormancy prematurely. Rapid drops in temperatures in this case can cause significant damage and turf loss. 

My first spring here was similar to this situation and we suffered very little damage, and none on greens. I expect the late season deep aeration and heavy topdressing will serve us well over the coming weeks. I will keep you posted. 

Here are two photos from March 2013. I was very scared at first, but the turf survived and the green performed beautifully that summer. 

Pete Gorman

Golf Course Superintendent 

Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club

Branford, CT

Greens Maintenance Days

The 2013 golf calendar includes new events called greens maintenance days.  These are days that were built in to allow us to complete our routine cultural practices such as grooming, topdressing, and venting the greens.  The timing of the events allows us to prepare for and recover from the premier golf events.  The nature of the practices will vary based on their proximity to tournaments or other cultural practices. 

Yesterday we verticut the greens to thin out the turf and smooth the putting surface in preparation for the Sid Noyes Championship this weekend.  Essentially this was more of a grooming and less of a verticutting, therefore the disruption to the putting surface is minimal.  What does this mean?  Not much to the average golfer, but to turf nerds like me it is exciting. 

 

Verticutting is an important tool that we use to control thatch and smooth out the surface.  Earlier this spring we used the Graden to remove a lot of material from the surface, which produced the firm smooth surfaces we have enjoyed this spring.  This time we just tickled the surface, but we did it in three directions.  In a couple of weeks we will be a little more aggressive and lower the blades to help with our topdressing application. 

So how does this affect the average golfer?  
In addition to the short term benefits realized by the tournament participants, and the long term benefits over the course of an entire season, golfers will be able to check the calendar before they invite guests out to enjoy the course or schedule an important match.  Additional information will be available on the blog to inform golfers about the level of disruption they should expect, and how long it will take for the greens to recover. 

Here is a link to a USGA video that explains the "Venting" process.

 

It won't be long now...

What a difference a year can make!  This time last year I was just getting the first glimpse of my lawn in the Hartford area.  This year I think I shoveled more snow in October than I did in December, January, and February combined.
I have been getting a fair amount of pressure to open the greens over the last few weeks, mostly from the same person.  I am well aware that he is not the only person that wants the greens open, but he is the only one that has approached me directly about it.  He happens to be on the Green Committee so I feel it is appropriate that he do so, and I appreciate that he comes to me directly, makes his argument, and leaves me to do what I feel is best for the course in the long run.  I also appreciate the fact that the rest of the members that are just as eager to get out and play have not been beating down my door pressuring me to open.  That would put me in a difficult situation; make the easy decision to satisfy the group of members that want to play early, or make the difficult decision that is in the best interest of the entire membership and wait until the greens are able to recover from ball marks.  In both cases I have been allowed to make the recommendation that I believe gives us the best opportunity to start the season off on the right foot.

We discussed the issue at the Green Committee meeting the other night and I want to share some of the things that I consider each year when we make the decision to open or close the greens;

1. This is not my golf course.  I am hired by the members to make recommendations that are in the best interest of the members first, and the golf course second.  
2. I resist the temptation to compare your course to others in the area that may be open (or closed) at a given time.  Our situation is extremely unique in that the majority of our greens receive twice the wear and tear per 18-hole round relative to most golf courses, since we play all but one of our greens twice each round.  To those that may say that I tend to be too conservative I would argue that this is the most important risk/reward decision of the year.
3. Once I feel that the turf is able to withstand the rigors of preparing the greens for play, I begin daily conversations with the Green Chairman.  The first conversation describes the steps that will be taken, and when we will be able to begin the process.  The last few conversations do not occur on the phone or via email, they happen on the golf course.

At the Green Committee meeting on Tuesday I gave a brief description of the steps I intend to take to prepare the greens for play, and how long I expect it will take.  On Wednesday I toured the course with my assistant and equipment manager to see which greens might be ready, and if there were any that might give us reason for concern.  We determined that the mild winter was very kind to the course and agreed on a series of steps that we would take to get the greens ready for play.  This will help us prepare the  equipment and personnel so that we are ready as soon as the time is right to initiate the process.  Again, the conversation took place on the golf course, not in my office.

"So, what is the process" you might ask.

1. First, we will roll the greens to ensure that the surface is firm enough that the triplex mower used in the subsequent steps will not damage the surface.
2. The second step is to verticut the greens to redistribute the sand topdressing that was applied in December.  This will help provide a firm, smooth surface in the coming weeks.  
3. Next, we use brushes to help work the sand into the surface to protect the mowers that will be used for the first mowing.  A little rain after this step also helps in the process.
4. Once we feel that the sand has been worked in, we will roll the greens again before the first mowing.  This mowing cleans up any growth left over from the end of last year, and triggers a growth response within the plants.  The next few mowings usually take place every 4 or 5 days.

We should be able to complete steps 1-3 on most greens in a single day if the conditions are right.  The weakest greens in the poorest growing environments may require a less aggressive approach or an individual timetable.  The 4th step will be completed based on the success of steps 1-3, as well as the weather.  Subsequent mowings will take place as needed.  We will begin the process early next week, and I expect to complete the initial mowing prior to next weekend.  I will provide regular updates on our progress, as well as a description of what you can expect over the next few weeks, but rest assured, it won't be long now.
One final thought to keep in mind, especially when the daytime temperatures climb into the 60's; plant growth and recovery is based on soil temperature, and overnight lows have a greater influence on soil temperature this time of year than the daytime highs.  This means that the putting surfaces will be inconsistent until the different types of grass break dormancy.  But that is for a later discussion.

#5 Green - March 11, 2011

Opening Day

Welcome to the Superintendent’s Blog for Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club.  This is a new communication tool that I will use to keep the members informed and educated regarding course conditions and maintenance practices, and more importantly how they will impact your golf experience. 

The posts will offer a variety of information including my own personal thoughts and observations, descriptions of maintenance practices, and in the moment updates regarding course conditions.  I will provide detailed explanations about the nature and necessity of our cultural practices including greens aeration and topdressing.  Less formal updates will describe how the course is recovering from maintenance practices, or holding up to extreme weather conditions.

By signing up as a follower you will be alerted each time an update is posted, and you will be able to add comments that provide feedback or ask for more information.  The archive provides a historical record of posts that you can revisit to learn how our programs and the conditions they produce evolve over time.

 I hope you will find this information interesting and useful, and I encourage you to participate by sharing your thoughts and ideas so that I will have a better understanding of how the maintenance operation affects your ability to enjoy your time on the golf course.

I am grateful to everyone who has gone out of their way to welcome me to Pine Orchard and look forward to meeting many more of you over the course of the season.  I am very excited about the coming season, and look forward to seeing you on the golf course.