Attacking our Problems from Top to Bottom

Attacking our Problems From Top to Bottom

Prepared by Craig Loving

 Superintendent, Cowan Creek

​Hopefully by now everyone has somewhat of an idea of why we perform many of the cultural practices needed to promote long-term healthy greens surfaces. There’s no question that these practices are temporary inconveniences to golfers. But without periodic aerifications, topdressing applications, and verticutting, the greens would fail and we would be switching to artificial turf or putting on dirt. There are multiple benefits for these “destructive” techniques (decreasing compaction, removing thatch, decreasing grain, displacing soil), but the primary goal is to promote air and water movement through the soil profile. Just like us, the greens need to breathe…

​So what happens when we perform all these tasks successfully but we still have substantial turf loss in certain areas? The spring of 2012 helped us discover literally an underlying issue in many areas of the greens at Cowan Creek. Crushed/cut drainage pipe and improperly constructed drainage systems will eventually only take you so far before your greens fail, which we saw early last year. The good news is, we are well on our way to alleviate these problems. The following paragraphs will further discuss the current issues we are facing and how we are addressing these problems from the bottom-up.

​Needless to say, we were scratching our heads last year when #6 green struggled through the spring and we had to re-sod over 1,000 square feet of the green. The green gets full sunlight throughout the day, there is plenty of airflow across the green’s surface, and all of the cultural practices were sound. We did some digging around to find that the original drainage pipe was cut during construction to allow room for irrigation pipe. This issue has since been fixed, and the failing of this green served as a catalyst for an overall drainage inspection. We went to other greens with weakened turf (#9, #7, #13, #4, #2, #5, etc) and we found these additional problems: the pea gravel layer in some drainage systems was 23” deep, the drainage outfalls were not on a sufficient slope to allow water to flow out of the pipe, and the drainage pipe daylighted into dirt and brush. All of these factors keep water and anaerobic gases locked in, which in turn attributed to poorly performing greens surfaces.

​It took several years for all of these factors to catch up with us, but over time the sub-surface conditions gradually became bad enough for substantial turf loss. No matter what we did culturally from the top, we still weren’t getting positive results. Our solution to this problem was to promote sub-surface airflow up through the soil profile by blowing air into the existing drainage pipe.

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Most greens drain differently with respect to the slope of the green and surrounding areas. The above diagram is representative to what we found on #9 green. The drain leaves the green from one pipe on the left side of the green. We installed a 4-way and knife valve so we could isolate the drainage system and inject air into it using a backpack blower.





​As the air enters the pipe, the knife valve restricts airflow from leaving the drainage system so the air blows through the pipe and into the gravel layer. After the air completely fills the pore space in the gravel layer it is evenly distributed up through the rootzone.




Figure A is a photo of one of our backpack blowers set up. It takes less than 2 minutes to close the knife valve, set the stand up, and put the backpack blower in place. We generally run one full tank of gas on each green 1-2 times a week, and we typically run the blowers in the morning in front of play. Figure B is a photo of what the 4-way pipe and knife valve look like in the soil.

​The ultimate goal of this practice is to create a well-aerated soil profile that promotes healthy populations of aerobic soil microbes, which serve multiple roles for plant health. On the contrary, without sufficient air and water movement through the soil, anaerobic microbes can have a detrimental effect on plant growth. In poorly drained soils, anaerobic microbes can reduce sulfur to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which produces black layers that are toxic to the plant. We have seen such black layers in plugs taken from weak areas on the green.

​With the implementation of our makeshift sub-surface airflow practice as well as our current cultural practices, the greens should return performing to their potential. Fixing improperly installed drainage systems is an ongoing and painstaking process, but we are making significant progress weekly. We have now fixed the drainage on #6 green, and we have set up #5, #7, #9, #11, and #13 with 4-ways and knife valves for injecting air. We are optimistic that by attacking our problems from top to bottom, we should transition into the growing season with much better results than in years past.

 

 

Cowan Creek Driving Range Repairs

In the fall of 2010 we had a large rain event causing a large amount of flooding on the golf courses. One of the largest areas impacted by this flooding was the bottom of the landing area on the Cowan Creek driving range. As you can see from the photo below it caused some major erosion in the areas between the target greens which in turn made it difficult when the range balls needed to be collected.
This past Monday with the effort of the combined maintenance staffs we were able to address the larger areas that needed the most attention. The areas were leveled out with topsoil and then sodded with 419 Bermuda grass. The sod was then tacked down with turf staples to prevent any washouts during the time it will take the sod to take root.

White Wing Greenside Bunker Sand Modification

The introduction of new sand into the White Wing greenside bunkers started today. Over the past couple of months we had been removing a few inches of the Sure Play sand from the bunkers so that we could incorporate another sand (Caylor White) into the bunkers. The Caylor White compacts easier than the Sure Play sand which in time will improve the overall playability of the bunkers. Initially the sand will be soft and may appear that nothing has changed, this is not the case. With all new sand installs there is a period in which the sand seems to be "fluffy" but with daily bunker maintenance it will soon start to firm up.

Below you can see that the sand removed from the bunkers was then used to topdress different areas of the fairways. 

Cowan Creek #6 Drainage Project

Now that the holidays have passed and we are back on our closure rotation we started the year off with a much needed drainage project on #6 at Cowan Creek. The area that is located left of the 150 yard marker running toward the center of the fairway on that hole stayed continually wet even from normal irrigation and even more so after a rain event. On Monday the combined maintenance staff went in and dug a new drain line by hand. This type of work can usually be accomplished with a trencher must faster but the end result is much messier. By completing the work by hand we are able to do a much neater job which results in a faster heal time and is better from a playability stand point. Below is a picture of the finished project which consisted of 180 feet of new drainage.

December 2012 Course Conditions Update

Although we had a rough start to the 2012 season we finished the year out very strong and have made great improvement on our weak areas throughout the courses. The extreme drought during the summer of 2011 left the turf very weak going into the winter of that year and it showed in the spring of 2012. This and the addition of underlying greens drainage issues at Cowan Creek lead to a less than stellar transition period coming out of dormancy in the early months of this year. During that period we brought in the USGA and the people from ISTRC to help analyze our problems and give input for measures to be taken not only to correct the problem but also avoid it in the future. Many of the greens with problematic issues in the low areas have been identified and measures have been taken to help alleviate problems in the future. The installations of slot valves and four-ways (to allow air to be blown in the greens) have been installed on a number of these and we will continue to work on this until they have all been addressed. An aggressive Aerification program was also put in place per the USGA’s recommendation and the results have spoken for themselves. The hard work and attention to detail in these areas has shown great improvement over the year and the condition of the Cowan Creek greens are much improved from eight months ago.

Overall conditions of the golf courses also improved over the course of the year and the cultural practices over the past few years are paying off. Fairways, roughs and tees that were once beaten down from cart traffic are starting to grow taller and are healthier due to aerification practices and adjustments to our fertilization and watering of these areas. We also found that some well timed rain from Mother Nature has also helped us out this year and we are much healthier going into the winter this year than last. That being said we have to wait and see what she throws at us next year!

In closing I would also like to mention the fact that most of the achievements and gains we have made this year could not have been possible without the help of the entire CA staff (not just golf staff), the Golf Committee, Golf Ops Sub-Committee, Safety Sub-Committee and the Playability Sub-Committee. Sun City has a lot of moving parts to it and when we (Golf Maint.) are dealing with issues on the golf course it helps us focus on the task at hand when we have such a great support system backing us. Thank you.

Dillo Dirt

Dillo Dirt

Submitted by Craig Loving

            We’ve recently discovered and implemented a new method of re-establishing weak areas throughout the courses at Sun City.  The 2011 drought, along with excessive cart traffic, resulted in numerous areas where we lost small patches of turf.  These areas were primarily in the rough and along cart paths, and beginning in late spring we began topdressing them with Dillo Dirt, as opposed to straight sand.

            Dillo Dirt is a compost made and trademarked by the City of Austin Water and Wastewater Utility.  This type of compost is different from normal compost in that it contains treated municipal sewage sludge in addition to yard trimmings collected curbside by the waste management department.  There are several processes involved by City of Austin to decontaminate the compost to make it available for landscape and turf use.  The particle size of Dillo Dirt is larger than sand/soil, but smaller than regular mulch.

            The largest benefit of using Dillo Dirt over regular topdressing sand is its ability to retain moisture.  Sand would in most cases be preferred as an ideal growing medium for turf grass due to its higher water infiltration rates, but we found that a thin layer of Dillo Dirt or even a mix between Dillo Dirt and topdressing sand has proven to be more successful for recovering weak areas of turf.   During the heat of the summer, Dillo Dirt needs little more than routine irrigation to keep it wet, whereas topdressing these areas with sand would require constant daily attention in order to recover these areas.  We also believe that trace amounts of nutrients stored in the material have helped expedite the recovery process.  As you can see, the new growth (which is greener) is filling in these worn areas, and we have saved many hours of labor by using this method.

            As the grass becomes dormant, we will back off on our Dillo Dirt applications, but we will continue this process in the upcoming spring to help reduce future worn areas.

Cowan Creek Winter Cultural Practices

Cowan Creek Winter Cultural Practices

Prepared by Craig Loving, Cowan Creek Superintendent

This year we have altered our agronomic plan for the winter months to provide optimal turf health without affecting playability.  The ultimate goal during the harsh months of the winter and early spring is to provide air movement and water infiltration to the roots to prevent sealing off at the surface.  There are still subsurface drainage issues that need to be attacked over time due to improper drainage construction, but hopefully we can prevent most of the issues that arise using a different technique, while still maintaining a consistent ball roll.

Last year’s cultural practices to prevent and recover from weak areas on the greens were absolutely needed, but due to abnormal temperatures and being more aggressive than needed, we had extreme difficulty recovering turf using these practices.  This year we plan on aerifying greens using a 1/8” pencil tine on an as needed basis.  This process is much less aggressive than the Planet Air or even a star-tine, but will still be very effective in accomplishing our goals.  Both the Planet Air and the star-tine are great ways for opening up air pockets below the surface, but generally require topdressing afterwards to fill in the voids.  This practice works extremely well when the grass is actively growing, but in the colder months may take weeks to recover, if at all.



(star-tine holes after 1 week, no topdressing)

We ran a trial on the lower chipping green using both the star-tine and the 1/8” pencil tine.  The holes marked with the red circles are examples of what the star-tine leaves behind.  As we stated earlier, with a light topdressing and ideal growing conditions, this is a great practice to maintain because the recovery is quick and there is very little impact on playability.  However, when the growth slows down, these areas recover much more slowly.   

 

 The green boxes display the holes left by an 1/8” needle tine.  These tines are much less destructive to the turf, but still very effective.  We ran a Salsco tournament roller after we aerified with the 1/8” pencil tine, and the results had virtually no impact to the ball roll.

This photo was taken to compare the size of the two tines relative to the soil profile.  The target depth for aerification (marked by the blue line) is just below the root zone.  The darker area in the picture can sometimes build up excessive thatch, organic matter and anaerobic materials that will impede air and water movement through the soil profile.  The goal is to poke through this area to prevent sealing off on the surface.  As you can see from this photo, the pencil tine is much thinner than the star-tine.

           

Here are two more photos showing the comparative difference between the two tines.  In the 2^nd photo, the red circle represents the size of the hole the star-tine leaves.  The green box represents what an 1/8” pencil tine leaves.  Theoretically, the larger hole promotes more air and water movement.  However, if we use smaller holes and increase the frequency of our aerifications we can attain the same goal without affecting playability whatsoever. 

We plan on beginning this practice very soon, in addition to very light topdressings throughout the winter (to decrease thatch buildup), with hopes that next year’s spring transition from dormant to actively growing turf runs much more seamlessly. 

Frost Delays

Prepared by: Jonathan Ayers, White Wing Superintendent

Frost delays are not a fun way that the course superintendent and staff can mess with the golfers on a cold winter morning. We are all at the mercy of Mother Nature and always try to get you golfing as soon as possible. The maintenance crews are unable to work also when there is a delay and need to be allowed to get out in front of play to set the course up for the day.

Frost is dew on the grass plant that crystallizes making the plant hard and more susceptible to damage from traffic of any kind. Once damage occurs on a frozen plant it may not be noticeable for a day or two but the damage is irreversible.

There are many factors the can play a part in having a frost and how long it last. Temperature is of course the main issue and also part of the misunderstanding. It can definitely frost above 32 degrees and we see it regularly in this area. Most temperature readings that you see are not taken at the soil surface and most likely the air temperature about 6 feet off the ground. On a clear, cool night with little wind the surface temperature can be several degrees cooler. When the plant is cooler than the surrounding temperature it will begin to have moisture from the air condense on it. When this moisture (dew) is present and the temperature dips near freezing it will form the frost.

Watering the night before can have a positive affect on the amount of frost the next morning by keeping the soil temperatures above freezing if the irrigation takes place before a freezing temperature occurs. Also there are chemicals that can be sprayed that will make a plant unable to create dew, thus no frost. Also water can be applied in the morning to physically melt the frost. This method if not done properly and at a high enough air temperature can cause a light frost to turn to ice and a longer delay will happen. The best practice is to be patient until the frost turns to dew under normal conditions and enjoy another cup of coffee.

Images below show frost damage from normal foot and equipment traffic when no delay was taken. The picture of the white foot prints show the walking pattern of just one foursome.

Cowan Creek #6 Native Project

This week we were able to tackle the big project on #6 at Cowan Creek. With the course being closed on Monday it allowed us to work on this uninterrupted and complete it in a very efficient manner. This project not only helped the aesthetics of this area, it also improved the drainage which will help during large rain events. This improvement will also greatly help with pace of play on an already difficult golf hole.

Special thanks go out to Charles Moore and his “Loggers” for helping the golf staff complete this project so quickly. Below are the before and after pictures of this area.

#6a Before

 #6a After

 #6b Before

 #6b After

 #6c Before

 #6c After

Adopt A Hole Appreciation BBQ

I would like to thank all of the Adopt A Hole volunteers for coming out for golf and the appreciation dinner we had on Sunday Nov. 4th. The work you all do has made a dramatic impact on the golf course and you are all greatly appreciated. If you know of any volunteers that did not make it last night please pass along our thanks. Thank you also to the entire CA and golf staff for helping insure the BBQ was a huge success, everyone seemed to have a great time! Below are a few photos from the event. We look forwad to many more!