Tracking Fertilizer Inputs

Since 2009 I have been tracking fertilizer applications made to the 78.5 acres of maintained turf we apply it to. At the end of the year this data provides me with a "big picture" look at what our fertility inputs really look like. I also break it down per area applied i.e. greens and approaches, tees, fairways and roughs. Fertility plays a very integral role in the performance of our turf. By having  this data it aids in determining how our fertilizer inputs have positively or negatively impacted the turfs performance.

For example. We like our greens to role at a certain speed. But we also need the turf to have the ability to recover against wear, defend against diseases and perform under environmental stresses. All these factors can be directly impacted by fertility. Too much nitrogen and the greens are lush and slow, as well susceptible to certain diseases. So on a season where I hear a lot of positive feedback regarding green speed I can look to the fertility values and correlate that data with conditions. I think that last season our greens consistently performed better than they have during my time here. One of the biggest factors was the fertility plan I had in place. It only took me 8 seasons to dial it in! Below is a graph showing the total of macro nutrients applied to the greens since 2009. Through the course of the season I believe I want to be applying around 2.75lbs - 3lbs of Nitrogen/1000ft sq (Click on graph to enlarge).

Not only is this information a good tool for the aforementioned reasons, but when you look at total quantities it makes me at least think about the environmental impact. Being located in the Lake Nepahwin watershed we have a responsibility to ensure that our inputs don't cause any undue harm to that water source. For that reason I have chosen to stop any granular applications of phosphorus on the property. There are two exceptions to the rule though. One being is if we have a phosphorus deficiency, second being if we are growing from seed. We do however apply it in very minute quantities in liquid form which is taken up readily by the plant and greatly reduces the chances of leaching. The greens and approaches and the fairways are the only areas where it is applied. The graph below shows the significant decrease in phosphorus applied to the 78.5 acres of maintained turf on our property since 2009 (Click on graph to enlarge).

Since phosphorus is always the nutrient that is the topic of contention, I will use it to put things into perspective. The average square footage of a Canadian home is 2000 square feet. If we follow our input amounts in 2016 that would be like spreading .2lbs of baking flour evenly over that area. On top of that it is being applied in the most economical and environmentally friendly way which is through our sprayer in minute quantities. For example the amounts range from .001lbs -.1lbs/1000 ft sq. I hope this gives some insight at just how much we monitor fertilizer inputs and how they impact the turf on which you play the game. I love a good graph!

Jay Sisko
Golf Course Superintendent

New Techniques

I've always said the most challenging part of being a turf manager in Northern Ontario is coming out of winter in good shape. While we don't have any control over mother nature we do have some control over altering negative conditions to the turf that she produces. Remember I said some. So I had been thinking, if I feel winter turf survival is the greatest challenge then maybe I should invest more into techniques that may increase the turfs chance of doing so. When I say turf I'm pretty much exclusively referring to the greens as their condition in the spring is the true measuring stick and really all that matters.

What we are trying to protect against is prolonged periods of ice cover. Turf continues to respire throughout the winter months so if it can't breath it dies, as simple as that. So the techniques below are trying to eliminate ice formation primarily but also provide an air layer/barrier in the event ice does form.

Surface Drainage
The single most important factor in my opinion is surface drainage. I you have positive surface drainage, water will not stay on the green and freeze. So improving that where we can without negatively comprimising the playability and intregual design characteristics I have tried to do so. In green design, drainage points are created through slope in some cases they were inadequate or have diminished through years of top dressing which is referred to as a collar dam. Below shows the changes we have made to improve this. Absent form the pictures is three green which the procedure was done to as well.




10 GRN extenuating drainage point

9 GRN extenuating drainage point

Protecting the CorwnThe crown is the growing point of the plant so protecting it is key. The plant has it's own mechanism by which it protects this. Through insulating with it's leaf blades and mat layer as well producing a natural antifreeze which prevents it from freezing. Our covers which we use are another form of protection but a heavy layer of sand was also applied before the covers to add another layer. Sands sub angular shape doesn't allow it to compact to a level where no pour space is left available so in theory maybe some air space could be created between the plant and ice where the sand is?

Another tool we tried this season is using a 5/8" bubble tarp (pool solar blanket/packaging bubble wrap that you love to pop) to cover the green. So bubbles down and then our traditional covers over top. This in theory will create a pretty substantial potential for air between the turf and ice if any forms, hopefully providing what is needed to get through those tough times.

18 GRN Heavy Top Dress




5/8" bubble tarp

1 GRN Bubbles Down getting ready to put on traditioanl tarp over top (10 GRN was done the same)

OxygenJust like us plants need oxygen. When ice forms on the turf it seals off any potential of the plant being able to access more oxygen once what is there is depleted. So this year I tried using a system where by I can blow air under the covers if needed. Not only will we be able to that but it provides the potential for us to elevate the tarp/ice from the surface if needed. I tried two different methods. One is whereby we created a stand for 3" pvc pipe to sit in elevating the pipe thus tarp. The pvc pipe also had holes drilled into it and day lighted to allow for ventilation if deemed necessary. So not only can we get some air circulation happening but were eliminating a low spot and creating positive drainage. The second method is whereby every 5-10' a poly tubing with holes in it is laid the length of the green and daylights to 4" drainage tile where we can blow air in expanding the tube and venting the green. It's all about getting that air space between the turf and tarp if ice forms.



12 GRN Elevated PVC with vent holes

12 GRN PVC through low spot

12 GRN vent access

3 GRN poly vent tubing

3 GRN poly vent tubing

9 GRN vent access



 These techniques are not meant to be the silver bullet but they are meant to give the turf a greater chance at survival. If were not trying new things were not evolving and getting better.

Jay Sisko
Golf Course Superintendent

Growing through what winter left behind

Now that most have been out to play the golf course you have seen just how unfavourable winter weather can have a negative impact on conditions. What else is also very visible out there is some of our deficiencies and the one that I think is the most visible is surface drainage. Clearly any area that collected water suffered damage. For now I’m just going to focus on the greens because of course they are our bread and butter. Here's a couple of points of interest regarding those damaged greens that I believe are some of the underlining reasons why they suffered through this particular winter.

·         1 Green – Back right section was elevated to increase pinnable area redirecting surface drainage through the middle right of the green instead of the original back right run off area

·         3 Green – Re contoured and resurface however middle right and back left run off location were never graded to allow water to exit the green

·         6 Green – This isn't the first time a green has been killed because of harsh winters. It happens

·         9 Green – Re contoured and resurface however the green has no surface drainage. It’s essentially a bowl.

·         14 Green – Middle left section was elevated to increase pinnable area eliminating one of it’s vital surface drainage locations.

·         15 Green – Recontured and resurfaced to increase surface drainage just not aggressive enough

·         16 Green – Middle left section was elevated to increase pinnable area eliminating one of it’s vital surface drainage locations.

·         17 & 18 – In my time here these greens have wintered well however 17 if you look all it drains to the front but this area is higher and could be improved through regrading.

Surface drainage is key to our winter survival here because the ground is almost always frozen thus stopping all possibility of surface water moving through infiltration. As the season wined's down this year two musts for me is to address the surface drainage on 3 and 9 greens. I’m pretty confident that I can resolve the damaging conditions.

1 Green this April drainage path

So what’s up with the recovery of the greens. I think we can all be happy with the results on 6 and can even see the light at the end of the tunnel, 1 and 9 are a slightly different story. Those two greens clearly show just how by having a poor growing medium can stunt recovery. The exact same techniques were used on those greens as were used on 6. The key difference in my eyes is the soil that is under those greens. While all three are native “push up” greens the material on six is sandy and the other is a heavy silt/clay high organic combination which has terrible draining capabilities (There’s that talk about drainage again).

 The outlook

·         1 Green – A few days of plugging out areas slower to recovery and the green will be back in play in no time

·         6 Green – A couple of top dressing’s and patience is all that’s needed for this one.

·         9 Green – The reality is this green will not be one of our strongest for sometime. We have slit seeded it again in two directions and will see results in a week. The right side that was sodded last year is not allowing seed to establish so I have just enough sod from our nursery to repair that. Continuous plugging will also be employed. When the green does open there still will be damage but at least this green has spots for pinning.

·         Practice Greens – Once night time temperatures start to hover around 13C (55F) we will seed these greens and have them ready for the end of June.

     

      Below are a couple pictures to show that things will recover, remember how 10 green turned out last year.

1 Green May 15, 2015

10 Green May 20, 2014

Yes the golf course is not in the condition that we all would like at the moment but I’m confident that sooner than later it will be back to meeting expectations. Just like how the phoenix rose from the ashes the greener grass will grow through the death of winter.

Jay Sisko

Golf Course Superintendent

The dust has settled

Did that seem like a long winter? Well here are a couple of number that would say it was. The greens were under a tarp (essentially a sheet of thick plastic) for 154 days. Also anywhere that ice had formed I have it calculated at 104 days. To say the least it was a tough winter and a few areas visibly struggled. I wasn’t able to get this information into the newsletter because I simply didn’t know exactly what was going on with every location for the submission deadline. The following is what I would consider I know at this point:

·       Yes the greens have suffered some winter kill. The green that has been hit the hardest is #6. We are estimating that 90% is damaged. My initial thought of action to repair it will be to do exactly what we did with 10 green last spring. I’ve learned many things over the years that I believe will contribute greatly to its successful recovery. This was completed on April 16^th

·       Greens 1, 3, 9, 15, 18 will also require the above action to repair them however the level of damage is much less severe.

·       Greens 2, 16, 17 are candidates for repairing the damage with our green height sod from the nursery on hole 8, with 17 being the largest. Completed April 17^th & 18^th

·       I would anticipate we will have some temporary greens to start the season, it’s just too early to say exactly how many but no more than 4. What’s the upside? BIG CUPS!!  We’ve gone from our usual 6” to 8” for added enjoyment. ;-)

·       Tees are all in good shape including the newly constructed tee on 15.

·       Fairway damage is increased from last spring and if you are familiar with the property you know the “spots”. It’s more of a short term inconvenience though as they always make a decent recovery.

What’s next and what needs to happen to get our golf season started?

·       There is still an incredible amount of frost in the ground and many of the drain lines are still frozen which is hindering drainage on the course. From the greens to the fairways to bunkers the frost needs to subside so the drain lines can do their job and the course can start to dry out.

·       The week of April 20^th we will begin the cleanup process. It’s the usual suspects that require the most work 1,2,3,4,5. Winter came upon us so quickly we didn’t get to cleaning up our normal amount of debris. This will not delay the opening however, it’s just standard business.

·       Then of course the final details. Mowing of all areas and getting all the hardware out to turn this place into a golf course.

·       We are right on schedule to open when we historically do.

Winter kill is always a disappointment but during my tenure here I would have to say it’s just a reality of our property and winters. I have a plan in place which I’m confident will lead to success and in turn some great golf course conditions before we know it. Once again some patience will be required because as I’ve come to realize it’s not how you overwinter it’s how come back. Don’t let this information concern you we have it all under control. I just want to keep you in the loop so you know what to expect when you come out and play your first round. After the conditions that we endured here on our property this winter by the time we open I feel we all will be pleased with where the condition of the golf course is at including myself (and I’m our hardest critic). Plus we have a very exciting project taking place this spring that I truly believe will enhance holes 6, 7 and 8 through the sale of the land to the hospital.

Perpetual Waves

I find the work load of the golfing season comes in multiple waves. In the spring after snow melt there is always a pretty decent “set” of waves that roll through because of what Mother Nature has dealt us. We in the north can say that more often than not we have to repair turf damaged from the winter conditions. Five out of my six seasons with the club 10 green has suffered damaged, three of those seasons the damage has been significant (temporary green required). I would bet on those stats, 83% of the time that green is going to have some form of damage. Moving forward that stat is going to change if it’s the last thing I do!! So anyways back to these “workload waves”. It seems as though there is almost always a little break in the action mid-June but this season the set just kept on rolling. Because of all the damaged areas on the course that required attention we weren’t able to get to the projects that we had left unfinished from the fall. Where the number of projects ongoing and complete normally would be were not so there was no break in the “set” and we just had to keep rolling full steam ahead.

All of a sudden here comes the next set of waves, The Ladies open and the Men’s Invitational. This season to me just seemed like it was tough to get our heads above the water. Thankfully Mother Nature has made things so much more manageable because of the temperate climate and timely rains. Now we are into those maintenance waves for the remainder of July up to the greens aeration. Two more sets and that’s a season which means pretty smooth waters. Don’t get me wrong I’ve enjoyed the challenge and pace of work that has been set so far this season it just seemed to me like it was a little more difficult to get our heads above water and breath. From getting all the greens back into shape, repairing major damaged areas in the fairways and roughs, adding almost 1000’ feet of drainage, the Audubon initiative, grinding 160 stumps, the endless tree work that we have, rebuilding a chipping green, filling a ditch, improving your chances of finding an errant shot on 11/12 and ultimately the need to improve upon what we have and not just repair damage. Without a doubt my turf team has been incredible and everything that we have achieved to date would never have been possible without them. My turf management mottoes sure have rang true so far this season, “No pain, no gain” and “you can’t make hay when it’s raining”.

Have you noticed that the collar around green #1 is much smaller than the rest of the greens? As a test trial I converted this collar to a smaller one to see if it would be possible to do this to all of our greens thus increasing the amount of putting surface. On #1 we gained 650ft² of putting surface and on average we stand to gain a total 17 500ft² of putting surface if we do it to all 18. Do you like it? You can express your thoughts on the Idy Turf Department Facebook page, on Twitter @IdyTurf or you can email me at jsisko@idylwylde.com .

Existing Collars

Proposed and #1 Collar

 

What about how we are cutting our fairways. We call it the “classic cut”. That was the most practical way to cut the grass when a horse pulled the mower. Since we have started this we have also been collecting the grass clippings instead of going back out and breaking the clippings up with a rope being dragged. It does add one more employee to the task but this position has proven to be invaluable. While the fairway units are mowing the “clippings trailer” person is filling literally thousands of divots and on some days manually pulling hundreds of plantain weeds from the fairways. Efficiency is a beautiful thing! I cannot help but to improve the condition of our landing areas.
 

Look no clippings!

One final thing that I wanted to mention because I hear it every year, “Oh you’re really doing a lot of work to get ready for the Men’s Invitational.” Please believe me when I say even if we didn’t have that tournament the exact same amount of work and improvements would be done to the golf course. The conditions are always going to peak right around the third week of July because of timing, weather, the improvement in the staffs quality of workmanship as well our earlier improvements are back in play. The few things that we do alter however are the mowing heights of the greens and really just cranking up our mowing regime. We plan work projects and make improvements with the best interest of the entire Idylwylde Golf & Country membership in mind that I promise you.

 

Sorry for taking so long to get my next post up but thanks for your interest. See you on the course, play well and if you’re not enjoy the walk and scenery.