Riding the Heat Wave

The heat wave of the last ten days has been challenging to say the least. It has revealed the strengths and shortcomings of our cultural programs and the limitations imposed by the heavy soils found throughout the property.
The prolonged drought that provided the firm, fast conditions we have been enjoying all season has limited our ability to irrigate the fairways and rough, and much of the course is starting to burn out. The heavy soil that is found throughout the property is very difficult to re-wet once it dries out. Over the past few weeks I have been very conservative with my irrigation applications in an effort to provide firm conditions and operate in an environmentally responsible manner. Had I known we would be facing an extended stretch of 90+ degree weather I surely would have been more liberal with the water. There are a variety of issues facing the golf course that I thought I would share so that you would understand why the course looks and plays the way it does. It will also help you understand just how difficult it is to cope with these extreme conditions.
The first thing you see as you enter the club is the back tee on the second hole. The new tees on 1 and 2 were built using soil dug out of the pond on the first hole, and were capped with a layer of sand. The irrigation coverage on these tees is less than ideal with a variety of heads providing water to make sure the tee surface is covered. Under normal conditions these tees perform rather well and require slightly more attention than the original tees on the rest of the course. On Monday July 5th I was touring the course providing irrigation to areas that were showing signs of stress. When I left the course late in the afternoon these tees were in good shape. When I came in on Tuesday morning half of the back tee was black, and the turf had gone dormant. Once the extreme heat passes we will be able to determine the extent of the damage and develop a recovery plan that will include aeration, fertilizer, and a lot of TLC with a hose. I expect much of the turf to recover this fall and the rest will be top-dressed and seeded
The fairways are extremely difficult to manage during periods of extended heat and drought. The heavy soils and thick thatch layer make the turf very prone to Summer Patch, a fungus that attacks the roots of certain grass species. Chemical control of this fungus is extremely expensive so we try to manage the disease with proper fertility, effective irrigation, and cultural practices. The weakest link of this strategy is our lack of a fairway aerifier. Our fairways should be aerified 2-3 times each year based on the nature of our soils and turf species, but we are only able to complete the process once since we have to hire a contractor each year. We should see some recovery once we get some natural precipitation and the extreme heat passes.
The greens are holding up very nicely due to the management programs we have employed over the past few years. The bentgrass is thriving in the heat and has a noticeable competitive advantage over the weaker Poa annua. This is due in large part to the growth regulator we have been using. Under normal conditions the Poa annua would be regulated more than the bentgrass that dominates our putting surfaces. The addition of the extreme heat and humidity has the weaker grass on the verge of collapse while the more reliable bentgrass is performing beautifully. We will be scaling back our management programs to allow the Poa annua to survive the next few weeks until the weather allows us to resume our efforts to eradicate the weaker grass in favor of the more resilient creeping bentgrass.
Looking forward the most pressing issue is the lack of natural precipitation. As of Saturday Clay Creek no longer flows into Muddy Brook. If we do not receive natural precipitation to recharge the groundwater reserve that supplies the brook we will be forced to stop watering much of the golf course. I expect to stop watering rough this week, followed by certain areas of the fairways, and then tees. This would leave landing areas in fairways and greens as the only areas receiving irrigation. The key thing to remember as the course starts to brown out is that most of the grass is going dormant. The weaker grasses will die leaving only the more resilient turf grasses to thrive in the fall when the mild weather returns. This actually helps us in our efforts to convert our greens and fairways to creeping bentgrass which will allow us to reduce our reliance on chemicals to control insects and diseases and reduce the amount of water we must apply in the form of irrigation. The best news is that the course is playing very well, if you like firm fairways and greens, and it is much easier to play out of the rough.
We will keep you informed as we are forced to modify our management programs throughout the rest of the season. Hopefully we will get some rain and the temperatures will remain in the 80’s for a while so we can recover from the extreme weather of last two weeks. If you have any questions or concerns about the golf course please feel free to reach out to the members of the Grounds Committee and we will address them at our next meeting.

What a difference a year makes...

As we head into the dog days of summer I thought it would be a good time to share a few thoughts and ideas about the golf course this year. We have been receiving many comments about the condition of the golf course from members and guests, most saying that the golf course is in the best condition in years. My experience at Suffield only goes as far back as 2007, but one member has been playing the course since it opened, so I will certainly take his word for it. We appreciate all of the kind words and support, and are pleased to see so many people out enjoying the golf course this season.
I thought I would try to explain some of the things that contribute to the improved conditions we are enjoying this year as opposed to years past. The most obvious is the weather. The heavy soils and varying topography make it very difficult to maintain premium conditions during periods of heavy or persistent rain, as we learned over the last two years. This year has been warm and dry right from the start. The golf course has been firm and dry most of the year, which makes the game much more interesting, especially around the greens.
One of the keys to the good conditions that people may not realize is the replacement of the rough mower. The old unit was worn out and undersized for our application. The decks cut unevenly and scalped, and the motor was not powerful enough to handle the thick rough we have in wet areas during the early part of the season. The “new” machine is more powerful and versatile which enables it to maintain power in thick rough or when mowing steep slopes. The result is a healthy, uniform stand of turf throughout the golf course. The key difference is the amount of time we save on repairs and maintenance. At the end of last season we could not keep the old machine running for more than five or six hours at a time without something breaking or needing adjustment. The new machine requires very little maintenance at this point, which allows us to complete other tasks more efficiently.
The greens have been in great shape most of the year. This is the result of a number of programs that we are constantly tweaking. Our aeration programs over the last three years have produced healthy turf that has held up during some periods of extreme heat and humidity early this month. The surfaces are firm yet receptive, and very smooth and true. There will always be a small, and sometimes vocal portion of the membership that would like to see the greens a “little bit faster”, but I feel that the speed has been consistent and appropriate considering the undulations in the greens and the skill level of the average member.
One final contributor to the condition of the golf course is the amount of work that has been completed behind the scenes and under ground. Over the past few years the maintenance staff has been working very hard to repair and expand drainage, improve growing environments, and complete a number of projects that improve the general appearance of the property. The majority of this work is completed in the off-season and goes unnoticed or forgotten. Some projects are very prominent such as the recent work on the seventh and eighth holes, but for every obvious change there a dozen minor changes that go unnoticed. I expect we will be talking about the tree on eight for years to come, but how many people remember what the asphalt path looked like on the sixth tee? The new design of the seventh hole comes up almost every time people play the hole, but how often do we mention the seepage that used to plague the hill on nine? All of these projects, big or small, are the result of the hard work and dedication of our staff. We have been working with a reduced crew for the past few years and have still made steady and significant progress on the golf course. This fall we hope to complete more projects funded by the “Bunker Bash” and build on the success we have enjoyed over the past few years. Your support is always appreciated and we are pleased to see so many people enjoying the golf course. I hope to have more positive new to report in a few weeks after we begin planning the projects funded by the golf tournament on July 11th.

A Spring to Remember

It has been a few weeks since I had time to sit down and update the blog. The weather has been extremely cooperative and the many long-time members have shared comments that the golf course has never looked so good this early in the season. The warm spring and dry weather has the greens nice and firm, and we have finally been able to catch up on some of our early season maintenance.
We charged the irrigation system early last month and found numerous heads that had heaved and broken over the winter months. Leveling and repairing the heads has consumed a large amount of our valuable labor resources, and there are a number of issues that still need to be resolved before the hot weather arrives in a few weeks.
Spring clean up was a bit of a challenge due to the early arrival of spring. The warm weather in late March and early April coaxed the grass out of its winter slumber weeks ahead of schedule and forced us to mow on a regular basis when we would normally be wrapping up our winter projects. To complicate matters a bit more, there were regular wind storms that brought down limbs and debris and forced to clean up over and over again.
Finally we have been able to refocus our attention on the drainage project on the 7th hole. The sumps behind the green have been finished, and we hope to extend the drains in the approach starting early this week. We will be installing catch basins in the middle of the fairway to collect runoff and drains extending across the approach into the rough to improve the condition of the area in front of the green. Finally we will provide surface drainage for water that used to collect in the trench left of the approach in the rough. Sod will be installed over the trenches on the left and rear of the green. The next priority will be grinding the stumps on the 4th, 7th, and 8th holes. I hope to rent a machine in the next week or so and cover the scars with sod left over from the drainage project.
Looking forward we will be discussing future projects to be funded by the “Bunker Bash” scheduled for later this season. Potential projects include installation of drains in front of the 3rd and 8th greens, purchasing a truckload of sand to repair the practice bunker and replenish the bunkers on the 1st and 2nd holes. Larger projects such as the 4th fairway and the hill on 6 remain high on the priority list but require more money and labor than we can afford at the present time. We hope to use smaller projects and improvements to inspire future investment in the large scale projects that will likely require outside contractors for planning and completion.
We have an exciting golf calendar in the next few weeks and I for one am looking forward to shifting our attention from completing projects to improving playing conditions throughout the golf course. The greens are playing nicely and the fairways are nice and firm thanks to the warm dry weather. Soon we will be able to work on improving the smoothness that will restore the speed that will have even the best putters scratching their heads.
The guys have been working extremely hard this spring, and we appreciate all the positive feedback we are receiving. Your continued support and participation will serve as our inspiration to keep improving the golf course and maintain a positive outlook for the future. If there are any issues you would like me to address in future updates, or projects you would like us to consider, please feel free to post a comment on the blog or share your thoughts with a committee member. Thanks again for your continued support, and we hope to see you on the golf course soon.