The Farms Country Club's Golf Course Superintendent, Paul Sabino

COURSE UPDATE! What have we been doing?

2012-02-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

What a difference a year makes. No roof rakes this winter! It's been awesome!

Storm Alfred sure threw us a curveball in October and we had considerable damage to the trees on the course. Our goal after the storm was to make the course safe for our members again. To accomplish our tree repair goals, there were turf areas that had to suffer. We made sure that in-play areas were disturbed as little as possible. All turf repairs will be addressed early this spring. In fact, members will be pleased that many in-play areas should actually improve.

The mild winter has afforded the maintenance staff the ability to address some long standing drainage repairs to systems that were installed over 20 years ago. We have prioritized our repairs in areas where members will notice a difference and we can reduce cost to our labor budget. We have also prioritized our repairs and improvements by maximizing the use of left over materials from previous large-scale jobs. Our material expenditures have been insignificant. Some areas have been maintenance patches while others have addressed immediate problems while preparing for future improvements. A good example is number thirteen men's tee. We are fixing the immediate issue at the cul-de-sac but have prepared the area for future drainage expansions when funding becomes available.

Here are some pictures of the drainage work in progress...

Drainage fixed in front of #11 tee

#11 tee drainage outlet cleared

200 feet of broken pipe replaced between holes #15 & #17

Same area between #15 & #17 being graded for pipe and stone

#13 men's tee area before repairs begin

Chris Berry saw cutting path for pipe

Trench dug across path

Team continues to expand on trenching

Rough trenching done

Trenches flowing and waiting for ground water to recede

Final Coat of Topdressing Sand & Storm Cleanup

2011-12-17T08:28:00.002-05:00

The final coat of topdressing sand was applied to the greens yesterday. The heavy coat of sand protects them from winter dessication.

Andy applies final coat of topdressing sand

The tree company is still working hard to prune the damaged trees created by Storm Alfred. The extensive damage left an incredible amount of hazardous situations throughout the "in-play" areas on the course. We will continue work on these areas until we are confident we are providing a safe environment for our players.

Arborists climbing trees on left of #14. Bucket trucks would cause turf damage in this area

Climbers pull themselves high into the trees to set up for pruning

We Are Deep-Tining Greens

2011-11-28T08:59:00.000-05:00

We started deep-tining the greens today. Deep-tining is an important maintenance practice which relieves compaction, improves drainage and increases oxygen levels in the root zone. We are using 1/2 inch solid tines that penetrate to a depth of six to seven inches. Once we have completed the greens they will be rolled to reduce bumpiness.

Chris aerating #1 green

Closeup of the size and spacing of holes

USGA Regional Update & What's Happening at The Farms CC

2011-11-21T08:07:00.003-05:00

The Farm's CC continues to experience moderate temperatures for this time of year. We are going to be preparing our greens for closing over the next couple weeks. We will start with deep-tine aerification. Remember that we still had excellent putting conditions after this practice last year (see... Deep Tining Not The End of Great Greens). The second step is the application of plant protectants to greens and tees. Our last step is to apply a heavy coat of topdressing sand to the greens. When topdressing has been completed the greens will close. The timing of topdressing is dictated by the ground freezing. At this point I don't see anything in the long range forecast that indicates a ground freeze. It looks like we will be playing golf for a while!

Below is the re-print of the USGA's Northeast regional update.

Winter Preparations

By Jim Skorulski, senior agronomist, Northeast Region
November 16, 2011

It is hard to believe it is mid November with the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner. This year provided heavy snow, spring flooding, 100 plus degree temperatures, a tornado, an earthquake, a tropical storm and hurricane, and a freak winter storm has many of us wondering: what’s next?
To say the extreme weather has taken its toll on the Northeast states is an understatement. The physical, emotional and financial strains have been difficult. The landscape in many areas has changed forever, and repairs and clean-up will continue for a long time. But life goes on and so too the preparations for the inevitable winter weather that is ahead.

Late fall is a time when the grass is supposed to gradually acclimate to cold temperature. During this time we hope the plants are exposed more consistently to temperatures at or just below freezing temperatures during the day. Turf growth rates will continue to decline in the next few weeks, and there should be a gradual transition towards the purpling and khaki colors associated with winter dormancy. Maximum cold temperature acclimation is achieved in early winter when the plants are exposed to colder (below freezing) temperatures. Some areas have experienced colder temperatures already, but temperatures have not been consistently cold enough yet to make managers comfortable that the turf is ready for what lies ahead.

Winter Covers

Those who utilize cover systems to protect annual bluegrass from cold temperature injury are being challenged by the warmer-than-usual temperatures. Installing the covers too early will prevent the plants from fully acclimating to the cold; waiting too long risks headaches associated with a significant frost layer or a flash snow storm. Managers utilizing covering systems are encouraged to wait until a colder and more consistent weather pattern sets up in the region. That may not be until December in central and southern parts of the region, but courses further north are probably closing in on the time when covers need to be installed. Waiting an extra week in my opinion is worth the risk.

Temporary Greens

Now is the time to develop temporary greens that will be used for winter play. Temporary greens are never popular with most golfers, but are the best means to protect the primary greens after the turf is dormant and there is frost in the ground. Take advantage of the warmer weather to topdress and roll the temporary greens, the winter golfers will appreciate it!

Most, if not all, aeration practices have been completed by this time. Late fall topdressing also has gained popularity as a means to apply more sand to playing surfaces without disrupting play or damaging mowing equipment. The late season topdressings may also protect the plants from wind desiccation and warm the surface more quickly in spring. You are fooling yourself, however, if you try to use the late fall application to compensate for limited or no topdressing in season. Sporadic topdressing with heavier rates of sand creates distinct layers in the root zone and does not produce the homogeneous soil mix provided with more frequent and light topdressings. Avoid dragging or aggressive brushing once the turf is dormant. Finally, consider dimple seeding the greens prior to the final dressing. The extra step will not require much additional labor or cost, and can provide new bentgrass seedlings in spring.

Tree Evaluations

Late fall also is a good time to evaluate your tree plantings. The October snow storm probably culled most of your weak trees or severely damaged those with susceptible branching. Use this time to evaluate the condition of the trees and look for poor branch structure and external signs of internal decay. Trees shading playing areas or encroaching into sight lines or play corridors should also be noted so that action to remove or prune the trees can be taken in the next few weeks or over winter.

The Green Section Northeast Region thanks you for your interaction and support this season, and we hope that we have been helpful to you in this year of extremes. We wish you all a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday and let us hope that the winter ahead is a little more kind and gentle.

Front Nine Open Saturday

2011-11-04T16:47:00.000-04:00

We will have the front nine open tomorrow, Saturday. Carts will be available. The back nine will remain closed for the weekend due to the excessive tree damage. We hope to have the back nine safe for players early next week.

Ed mowing the front nine greens late this afternoon

When Will The Course Re-Open?

2011-11-02T14:21:00.001-04:00

It's hard to say how long it will take for the eight inches of snow to melt. I'm guessing that 75% has melted in the four days since the storm. Once the snow has melted, the ground needs to dry enough to support maintenance and player traffic. We can't clean things up until it is dry enough. One of the things working against us is the low angle of the sun in November. Many areas of the course are in the shade all day long. The below picture of #1 fairway was taken at 1:30 PM this afternoon. Notice the amount of fairway that is in the shade for the entire day. We will do everything in our power to get the members back on the course as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience!

#1 Fairway at 1:30 PM

Head Golf Professional, Jim Hanlon, Joins Maintenance Staff!

2011-11-02T10:32:00.000-04:00

You have to love the guy! Jim approached me and offered his assistance. I gladly accepted. He's now one of "the guys".

Jim Dragging Brush

"No job too small"

"I can lift two of these over my head!"

We even put Sean to work!

Superior Rental Stands By Their Product!

2011-11-01T17:43:00.000-04:00

We rented a twelve inch wood chipper from Superior rental in Southington to help us with the clean up of Storm Alfred. The chipper was working great and we were definitely putting it to the test! We had a question about the equipment and they sent out technician Randy Perzan first thing this morning. He inspected the chipper and made sure we were good to go.
We accomplished a huge amount of work today! At day's end we had a concern that we might have a problem with the piece of equipment. I called and Randy again responded immediately. He was on - site within twenty minutes. He immediately fixed what was a minor issue and we are ready for another day of clean up!
I'm not big on "testimonials" for companies but I have to say... These guys are good!

Bandit 200 Being Put To Test

Randy Perzan Making Sure We Are Set For Tomorrow!

Storm Alfred Course Update

2011-11-01T16:17:00.002-04:00

The maintenance staff is working hard on cleaning up debris from the storm. There is much more damage from storm Alfred than from Hurricane Irene. Our only focus at this point is to cut and chip damaged trees to limit the amount of outside work that will be required by licenced tree professionals. The damage from Irene was mostly in the form of debris that was blown onto the ground. Alfred has left us with considerable damage that is dangerously high in the trees. The course is unsafe and we need to address that issue once the snow melts and the selected tree company can rectify our safety concerns. In the mean time, our staff will continue to do everything they can to reduce the amount of outside service assistance.

I will continue to keep you updated on our progress.

Storm Alfred Shows His Teeth!

2011-10-30T09:42:00.000-04:00

COURSE CLOSED!

What else can Mother Nature throw at us this year! It took us a while to even get to the maintenance facility this morning. We had a tree down in the driveway and had to clear it before we could get the plow truck out. The maintenance staff is well on their way to getting the clubhouse plowed and open for business.
We have power!!!

Marshall cuts big branch so Ed can clear lot

Chris clears heavy snow from carport area

No Carts Today!

Golfer / Postman Pledge???

2011-10-29T12:58:00.002-04:00

"Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow, Nor wife's "Honey-do" List Shall Keep us From Our Appointed Round."

Bergmark, Tyler, Villecco, Wood

These guys got game!!!

I guess this storm will not start as rain after all!

12:50 pm... Looks Like I'll be Plowing Soon!

Winter Storm Warning in October?

2011-10-29T08:13:00.004-04:00

WHAT ARE WE IN FOR?

Storm Benedict

I'm hoping we don't have a run on roof rakes today! There is a winter storm warning in effect from now until tomorrow morning due to the unprecedented, forecasted six to ten inches of snow...

Northern New Haven County Winter Storm Warning Forecast

Get your round in early today! We are open and the course is in great shape!

The course will re-open as soon as the snow melts and ground conditions are acceptable!

Maintenance Staff Goes Fishing After Tournament Starts!

2011-10-22T11:03:00.000-04:00

The maintenance staff has some die-hard fishermen. A few of them decided to hit the Naugatuck River on Friday afternoon after preparations for the Men's 2-day Member Guest were completed. They kept sending me pictures and video of their successful afternoon. The river was recently stocked with salmon and these guys know how to catch them!

Andy

Marshall

Chris

We Are Aerifying Tees

2011-10-18T08:48:00.001-04:00

We are aerifying tees this week. We hope to have the front nine completed today. Tomorrow's forecast is for rain so we are unsure of how much more we will be able to accomplish by week's end. The Men's 2-Day Member Guest starts on Friday, so we will be shifting gears toward preparations.

Chris aerifies #1 tee with 1/2 inch tines

Andy loads the hopper in the staging area

Andy spreads topdressing sand on #18 tee

Aeration of Greens Complete!

2011-09-26T09:58:00.001-04:00

We are puting the finishing touches on aerifying #17 green today. That is the last one! If the weather is good over the next week and a half, it will speed the healing process.

I found this terrific video by Pace Turf. It gives an excellent and detailed explanation of greens aerification including its benefits to both the turf and the golfers.

Please take the time to review it...

My Latest CTGolfer.com Entry

2011-09-24T15:27:00.002-04:00

Superintendents... Aerifying... Budget

http://www.ctgolfer.com/blogs/paul_sabino/

Eighteen Greens Aerified & One to Go!

2011-09-23T13:51:00.001-04:00

We took our shot this morning and it worked out. We beat the rain! We were able to aerify greens #10 & #11. We also got the initial topdressing down. We are now knee deep in heavy rain. One inch so far and it's only 1:45pm. The rain will help wash some of the sand in. Let's hope this stationary low moves out soon or we are in for days of unforcastable, periodic rain.

Only one green remains to be aerified... #17!

Stay tuned.

Weather Co-operates Enough to Complete Sixteen Greens!

2011-09-22T17:10:00.000-04:00

We lucked out today and were able to finish sixteen of our nineteen greens. We will still do our normal light topdressing one week later to smooth out any bumps that remain. Aerification of the remaining greens... #10, #11 and #17 will take place as soon as the weather permits. The good news is, we will just make them temporaries for the time necessary to do the job. In the mean time, the course will be open as normal, unless weather dictates otherwise. Standard operating procedure!

Thank you for your patience!

Aerifying Greens Started Today!

2011-09-20T15:36:00.000-04:00

The weather is co-operating so far today. Punching the cores is the easy part. Even with the early showers today, we will still accomplish all the core punching we had planned on. Our long-term success relies more heavily on topdressing.
Successful topdressing of the holes is completely reliant upon dry weather. Filling of the holes is important for quick recovery and for agronomic reasons.
I will keep you updated!

Chris Berry punching holes on a 1.5" x 2" spacing

Marshall & Ryan doing the core harvesting

Congratulations To The Winners Of The Men's Fall Member Member!

2011-09-11T17:50:00.000-04:00

Dennis Damato & Hugh Kurtz

Thanks To The Maintenance Staff!

2011-09-03T06:59:00.001-04:00

It's been an interesting year and the maintenance staff has not missed a beat! The "icing on the cake" is their performance this week dealing with Hurricane Irene. The course was closed Sunday during the weather event and Monday for cleanup. We opened for member play on Tuesday knowing those that played would still have to deal with chain saws, blowers, sweepers and more. Wednesday we hosted the delayed first round of the CSGA Mid-Am and we haven't looked back. We still have to accomplish a large amount of debris cleanup inside the woodlines, brush chipping and tree work that can't be safely accomplished "in-house". We will chisel away at it with our reduced staff. Remember, we have now said goodbye to summer staff (3 less employees).

The maintenance staff is mostly comprised of veterans. Yesterday we bought them a pizza lunch to express our thanks. Thanks go out to Sean for insisting on this!

Green and Gounds Chairman, Barry Burke, made it a point to attend and share his thanks with the staff. He really made them feel like they are appreciated! He shared stories of his experiences in his line of work and made them understand what it may feel like to think you go unnoticed until something goes wrong. He was incredibly motivational to say the least!

I and my staff are lucky to have an eleven year chairman who donates his time like this and really cares about the club and the people that make it run. We row the same boat!

Thanks for coming Barry!

24th CSGA Mid Amateur Gets Started One Day Late

2011-08-31T17:26:00.001-04:00

CSGA Official Readies #1 Tee For The 7:30 Tee-Time

It took two days of "dawn-to-dark" hustle for us to get the course ready for our members and the 24th CSGA Mid-Amateur tournament. Hurricane Irene certainly gave us a test. The course was open for member play yesterday but they had to deal with our chainsaws, blowers sweepers and mowers. The mid-am tournament was supposed to be played yesterday and today but Hurricane Irene made it impossible to accomplish that. Instead, the first round was played today and the finals will be played Wednesday, September 7th.

I am very proud of the maintenance staff for piecing the course back together and giving today's players an excellent venue to play.

We completed a massive amount of cleanup and mowed most in play areas. Woodlines still had heavy debris.

I'm very proud of the staff's accomplishments. The greens rolled at a smooth 10.5 feet today. A major feat, considering. They were triple cut on Tuesday and double cut and rolled today. They would have been better but they are still soft from the five inches of rain.

The best part of our storm preparation was drying the course out well in advance. It was hard as a rock. I am actually seeing wilt in some areas this afternoon!

Mid-Am players warming up on practice green

Storm Cleanup Going Well!

2011-08-29T15:20:00.001-04:00

The course will be open tomorrow morning for member play. The CSGA Mid-Am tournament will not be played here tomorrow. It will be played Wednesday, August 31st and Wednesday, September 7th.

The front nine will open at 9am and the back nine will open at 11am. This should give the maintenance crew enough time to complete the tasks necessary for play.

Substantial debris on the course needed to be cleared before normal maintenance and course preparation could resume. Debris clearing was our only focus today.

Carving a path to access golf course

Blower and sweeper in action

Irene at The Farms... 8AM

2011-08-28T09:09:00.002-04:00

So far so good! The storm is weakening as the eye approaches The Farms CC. I made a safe perusal of the property from Parker Farms Road and the clubhouse area. I see small debris and branches down but nothing major. Heavy rain totalling five inches so far. The only trees down are around the maintenance facility and have not caused any damage to our buildings. I am not going on the course until conditions are safe! The course will definitely be closed tomorrow and I will continue to update you.

Hole #6

#4 Tee & #7 pond (which was empty yesterday)

Hole #7

Hole #3

Clubhouse Lawn

Practice Green

#18 from Parking Lot

Stream at Exit of Club Driveway

Time to Ride Out The Storm

2011-08-27T12:36:00.000-04:00

We are as prepared as possible on the course. It is time to ride out the storm and see what Monday brings. I will send out a course update sometime on Monday. Stay tuned and be safe at home!

We Are Prepared For Hurricane Irene!

2011-08-25T16:35:00.006-04:00

Our maintenance program has shifted into a new gear. We are, and have been, preparing for Hurricane Irene to make landfall sometime on Sunday, August 28th. We have a written plan in place. There are some things our members may notice over the next couple of days. We are slowly removing some of our susceptible course accessories, ponds are being lowered and course conditions are very firm. Our goal is to be very pro-active before the anticipated event. We want to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

What is the golf course maintenance staff doing to prepare?

• Bring in / secure course accessories that can be effected by high winds

• Lower water levels in ponds to reduce flooding

• Secure any loose “debris” on our 150 acres

• Clean all drains and surrounds of those drains

       o On course drains

       o All “in street” drains surrounding our property on Cheshire Road, Parker Farms Road and Gaylord Farms Road

• Prepare our gravel / dirt maintenance driveway for the heavy rain which could keep maintenance staff from accessing the maintenance facility
• Service, fuel and prepare all maintenance equipment that is needed for repairs after this significant weather event

       o Loaders / backhoes

       o Pumps

       o Dump truck

       o Maintenance vehicles

       o Chain saws

       o Blowers

       o Etc.

Contact tree company in advance to make sure we are the highest client priority in case of extensive damage that we cannot safely handle “in-house”.
Updated employee phone “tree” has already been instituted.
Maintenance staff is on call.
We will not put our maintenance staff in harm’s way of hurricane Irene and will make their homes and families a #1 priority.

Our advance planning will ensure their success both at home and on the job.

I feel confident we have put our team in the best possible environment to survive and succeed, regardless of what Mother Nature will throw at us in the coming days. We are prepared to recover quickly.

Maintenance staff will be on-site Saturday to mow many areas of the course. This may inconvenience some of our members playing in the Senior Club Championship. Hopefully we can limit this by our creative planning.
We want to be prepared for the one foot of rain being forecasted. One foot of rain means we may not be able to mow anything for several days. Our goal is to make sure we get the course playable, at a high level, as soon as possible after this major weather event.
We have also prepared turf by applying Plant Growth Regulators to greens, tees and fairways. This will reduce turf growth by an estimated fifty percent.

 My plan is designed to give our maintenance team its best chance at success. While players will make some slight sacrifices with some course ammenities in the coming days, playing conditions will be excellent. We will do our best to have everything back to normal as soon as possible.

Great Egret Has Been at Our Ponds Lately

2011-08-16T14:17:00.001-04:00

A Great Egret has been Lingering around our ponds on holes 3, 4 , 5, 6 & 7 lately. Especially early in the morning. This majestic bird, which was formerly on the watch list for endagerment, is a beautiful sight. We've seen them before but not very often.

More information can be found at http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?shapeID=962&curGroupID=1&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=1

The Fifth Annual Zwick Pro-Am a Great Success!

2011-08-11T07:55:00.003-04:00

What a tremendous day for everyone involved in this wonderful event. Our Head Golf Professional, Jim Hanlon, started the event five years ago and hasn't looked back. The event's success can be measured on so many levels. Not only do the participants have a fantastic day of golf, food and fun, but there is the feeling of "family" in the air the entire day.
Friends, family, club members, guests, CT PGA Pros and Farms CC staff all come together one day a year to remember our dear friend Leonard Zwick and raise money for this incredible charity, The Parkinson's Disease Foundation.

We love you Len!

http://www.pdf.org/en/event_calendar/event/337

PGA Championship Week!

2011-08-08T11:11:00.004-04:00

Follow the PGA Championship at the Atlantic Athletic Club through superintendent, Ken Magnum's blog at the Atlantic Athletic Club. Or located in link column on right side of my blog - labeled "Superintendent & Turf Blogs".

Ken Magnum

Links for other info:

Annual Bluegrass Weevil Damage is Localized

2011-08-05T14:15:00.000-04:00

Annual Bluegrass Weevil Larvae

It's that time of year again! Annual Bluegrass weevils are causing slight, isolated damage to our high populations of Poa Annua (Annual Bluegrass). We expect it and are dealing with the pest accordingly. You may notice some weakened areas on collars, approaches and fairways. I do think that we have had less damage this year than in previous years.

Green and tee surfaces have been completely unaffected!

I do think our new, early season scouting method, using pitfall traps, was helpful in our timing of spring insecticide applications. Unfortunately, this persistent pest will likely be a problem every year.
On the plus side... we continue to increase creeping bentgrass populations which are unaffected. There are now many areas we do not even spray. This not only improves cost effectiveness but is environmentally responsible. Areas which still contain small percentages of Annual Bluegrass are left untreated on purpose. The insect weakened Poa Annua allows the creeping bentgrass to dominate. The more desirable plant species which takes over, improves our chances at even less damage and cost in subsequent years. The trick is to balance the damage with playability to ensure member satisfaction.

Here are a couple of links to previous blog entries I have written...

http://farmsccsuperintendent.blogspot.com/2011/03/annual-bluegrass-weevil-adults-already.html

http://farmsccsuperintendent.blogspot.com/2010/07/annual-bluegrass-weevil-damage-is-very.html

Lightning Strikes White Pine on Hole #2

2011-08-03T12:49:00.002-04:00

The Thunderstorms that rolled through on Monday night packed quite a punch. Besides the 1.4 inches of rain, we had lightning strike a white pine tree on the far left of number two fairway, approximately two hundred yards from the green. The pictures below should give our players an indication of the damage that can be done from such a strong force of nature. This is the perfect opportunity for me to remind everyone why they are REQUIRED to leave the course when the horns sound. Safety first!!!

The following link on lightning safety is provided by the USGA ...
http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/usga_lightning_card.pdf

USGA Northeast Regional Report July 28th

2011-08-01T10:30:00.010-04:00

USGA agronomist Adam Moeller has posted his Northeast regional report. We have been experiencing very stressful weather at our location and have employed many of Adam's recommendations. This excerpt is very telling after the slower green speeds players have noticed over the past week.

"At this point, the best way to keep grass alive is to use defensive management practices that focus entirely on minimizing environmental and mechanical stress and less on overall playability. For most, this means slower green speeds, which are always better than dead greens."

I have re-printed his entire update below...

Summer Heat Is Hitting Turf Hard
By Adam Moeller, agronomist, Northeast Region

July 28, 2011

Frequent syringing has been necessary to cool the turf and combat the extreme heat.

The recent heat wave has caused turf decline across the region. Although multiple daily 100+ degree temperatures have been enough to cause turf loss, the night temperatures of high 70’s and low 80’s have been the most damaging. With these night-time temperatures, physiological decline and disease pressure have been extremely high.

The best way to keep grass alive in this heat is to do as much as possible to keep the turf cool. Syringing greens, tees, and fairways throughout the day and even into the early evening hours has been a necessity at most facilities. Oscillating fans have been a huge help in aiding plant cooling and soil drying. For those without fans, the use of rented industrial fans or portable blowers has been helpful in increasing air movement, which can make the difference in turf survival or death.

Many golfers would think rain would be a welcomed sight for golf courses that suffer from the oppressive heat. Actually, heavy rain, combined with hot weather, can cause severe turf loss in poorly draining sites. Essentially, turf roots can’t keep up with their cooling needs, and wilt develops even though the soils are moist. Frequent syringing, even if the soils are wet, is necessary to keep grass alive in this scenario. Venting aeration is beneficial in helping to dry saturated soils and minimize turf loss.

Localized dry spots also have been commonly seen, especially where automatic irrigation coverage and uniformity are poor, and hand-watering is not available due to labor constraints. Venting aeration, hand-watering, and wetting agent usage are helpful in battling localized dry spot. Turf suffering from drought stress is likely to be dormant (off-color/brown) until rainfall and cooler weather develops. Dormant turf should not be heavily trafficked, as this could cause severe turf loss. Note: Poa annua doesn’t go dormant; if it’s brown, it’s probably dead, and overseeding will be necessary.

Disease issues have been very common, with Pythium, brown patch, summer patch, and anthracnose causing turf loss on many areas of the golf course. Plant-parasitic nematodes have also been reported. If root decline has occurred more rapidly than usual, check for nematode populations.

At this point, the best way to keep grass alive is to use defensive management practices that focus entirely on minimizing environmental and mechanical stress and less on overall playability. For most, this means slower green speeds, which are always better than dead greens.

How Are We Doing?

2011-07-30T12:24:00.002-04:00

Now that we’ve been through a stretch of tough summer weather, I’m happy to report that the turf is doing great! We have our normal areas where we have experienced setbacks from slight disease and insect damage but we’ve been ahead of the game. The winter damaged areas are being “babied” a little to make sure these immature plants survive the summer.

I’m pleased that we have been able to carry out important maintenance practices that help balance turf health with playability. We have paid close attention to weaker areas during our golf calendar’s “off-peak” times. We have bolstered fertilization the last two weeks in an effort to combat turf stress. All reports from the members have been very positive!

I do want to point out that when we bolster green fertilization and back off on mowing, our members may notice a change in green speed during the day. Our growth regulator applications may not totally off-set the levels of fertilization. This is a delicate balancing act that is not entirely controllable. We continually adjust to weather and other uncontrollable variables. One thing you might notice is that the greens are slower as the day goes on. This morning I “stimped” the greens and they were rolling at over ten feet, at 6:30 AM after a single cut and roll. If it were not for an 8AM shotgun, we would have double cut and rolled. What is the difference? That double cut would extend the period of time that the greens would hold their speed during today’s tournament.

Recent and upcoming moisture levels and humidity will play a role in green speed over the next five or six days. Growth regulators that will be applied on Monday, weather permitting, will make a big difference in our ability to manage green speeds and their consistency for the beginning of next weekend’s club championships. We will also be backing off on Nitrogen levels to prepare for several of our important upcoming events.

Our recent venting (needle-tining) of greens and other imperative maintenance practices, which balance turf health and playability, have put your course in a position to finish the golf calendar with premium playing conditions.

We do our best to provide consistent green speeds during our peak playing season. We must remember that we have to give our predominately Poa Annua greens a chance to bounce back from the uncontrollable stresses that Mother Nature imposes or we will suffer the consequences. In my opinion, greens that are “running” at 10’+ at 6:30 AM… 9.75’ at 11AM and 9’ at 4PM , during the most stressful part of summer, are greens that are going to survive and perform well over the next few weeks of “prime time”.

If anyone would like to find out more about the importance of our maintenance programs, or how it affects your course on a daily basis, I encourage you to contact me! I love this stuff and am happy to explain every detail.

Paul Sabino GCS
Paul@farmscc.org
(203) 269-7512

The Mystery Blob in #8 Pond?

2011-07-21T13:49:00.003-04:00

Today I spent some quality time with my friend Tom, age 11, around #8 pond. Tom was here with his dad, Andy, our Assistant Superintendent. I love when Tom visits us because he always finds something cool for us to do.
Today he uncovered a mysterious blob in the eighth pond. After some work on Google, this is what Tom discovered…

Tom Drags "The Blob" to Shore

Close-up of Blob!

Tom said “hey Paul… Check this thing out!”

Upon further investigation Tom discovered that this “Jelly Blob” is actually called Pectinatella Magnifica.

This is a large colony of individual animals which eat microscopic plankton and live in a massive gelatinous ball. This grouping of organisms is estimated to have been around for over 500 million years.

Tom said that it felt like a big, slightly heavy, slimy, mushroom.

Tom Holding The Slimy Mass!

Tom and I found out that this “Blob” is actually a sign of a healthy pond environment.
If you would like to find out more about Tom’s amazing discovery, check out these links we found…
http://www.mvcommission.org/doc.php/bryozoan_blob.pdf?id=155
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=2335
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3KkxMlXyks

We're Havin' a Heat Wave!

2011-07-20T07:33:00.000-04:00

The recent heat wave looks like it will continue through Saturday with temperatures reaching well into the nineties. What do we do to help the turf through these incredibly stressful stretches of weather? We back off on some of the mowing, make sure we are on schedule with our plant protectant applications and focus on syringing turf during the heat of the day.

Here is a link to a blog entry I made last year about this very subject...

"What Happens When It's 100 Degrees?"

Ballmarks on Greens Always a Hot Topic!

2011-07-15T07:16:00.002-04:00

We are very lucky to have such a pro-active membership at The Farms Country Club . Our yearly "Divot Day" is a testament to our members' devotion to keeping their course in top condition. There has been recent talk about adding a "Ballmark Fixing Day". I've mentioned to the Green & Grounds committee that I thought it would be a good idea to select one green and put a golf tee in every ballmark so the players would get a better idea of the problem.

My good friend John Garcia, Superintendent at The Patterson Club, went ahead and did it. He used 468 irrigation flags to mark every ballmark on his 14th green. Then he took pictures, made a video and blogged about it. He did a terrific job! Thanks to John, I don't have to buy all those irrigation flags to get the point across. Here is the link to John's blog entry...

What's Ailing Our Greens?

3-Day Member Guest Was Awesome!

2011-07-09T19:13:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the overall winners, Neal Welch and Paul Young, along with shootout winners, Brad Manning and Mark Simms!

Neal Welch & Paul Young Lock Up Win On Hole #8

2011 Divot Day a Smashing Success!

2011-06-22T10:41:00.002-04:00

I’d like to thank Green and Grounds Chairman Barry Burke for organizing our 2011 Divot Day!

I’d also like to thank the near forty members who showed up this morning at 7AM to participate! A tremendous turnout indeed.

I’d also like to thank Jim McMahon Sr. who started this wonderful event several years ago. Without his continued efforts this event would not be possible.

The members were first treated to a quick breakfast by General Manager, Sean McLaughlin. At 7:30am, six teams of at least six “divot-fillers” hit the course. By 9am every divot on every tee and fairway had been filled. I think that is a new record!

I’m very proud to be a part of this outstanding team of members and staff. We all have the same common goal… Take care of our course!

It's Raining Here But It's U.S. Open Week!

2011-06-17T09:01:00.010-04:00

Six inches of rain in the last week and still climbing! Today’s heavy rain, coupled with the already saturated ground conditions, will ensure that our weekend’s course conditions will be soggy to say the least. I’m pretty tired of posting that “Carts must stay on paths and follow white lines”.

One positive of this weekend is the U.S. Open! One of my favorite tournaments of the year! This year the tournament is being played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. I was lucky enough to watch a little of the first round yesterday. While the course was set up long, 7,514 yards, it looked pretty fair.

Course Preparation!
Photo by the USGA's John Mummert

One thing I did notice was some of the areas on and around the greens where the creeping bentgrass was definitely stressed. Congressional went through a complete rebuild of the greens in 2009 and used an A-1 / A-4 creeping bentgrass blend. These are two of the newer, denser cultivars of creeping bentgrass on the market and are rated very highly. Included in the rebuild was a “state-of-the-art” Sub-Air system. This is basically a system which is attached to the drainage pipe network under the green and has the capability of sucking excess moisture out of the soil profile or pumping air in when oxygen levels are depleted.

The hot weather of late, in conjunction with the increased maintenance required for this type of tournament looks to have taken a bit of a toll on the turf health. No matter how good or how many tools are at the superintendent’s disposal, Mother Nature still holds the cards. I’m glad to see that no one is painting the turf green or hiding the brown spots with green camera filters. I think it’s important for the golfing public to see what happens to turf when we stress it to that extent.

I’ve been enjoying the “behind the scenes” blogging by Scott Hollister and his team at GCM. GCM is the official blog of The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America's, Golf Course Management Magazine. The entries have covered everything from first round course set-up, to course conditioning, to “what’s up with the greens”? They even have Twitter updates. Great Stuff!

Check out GCM’s Blog at… http://gcm.typepad.com/gcm/

Good luck to Congressional CC’s Director of Golf/Superintendent, Mike Giuffre and his maintenance team this week! I’m looking forward to one of my favorite things about Father’s Day, final round at the U.S. Open!

Greens To Get a Little Love!

2011-06-10T17:08:00.000-04:00

Next week is the perfect opportunity to perform some uninvasive maintenance practices that will help our greens survive the stress of summer. There is no outing on Monday June 13th and no events scheduled until the FWGA Super Senior event on Thursday June 16th.

Both the golf schedule and the long range forecast are perfect for us to accomplish our goals of balancing turf health with member satisfaction. While playing conditions won’t be ideal on Monday June 13th and Tuesday June 14th, the results for the rest of the week and beyond will be very positive. We are going to lightly verticutt, needle-tine (vent) and topdress the greens. Verticutting helps reduce grain and needle-tining helps get necessary oxygen to the roots of the turf plant. Topdressing smoothes the surface and enhances the results from both processes. By Wednesday or Thursday our members will notice the improved putting conditions and turf health will increase! A “win-win” situation!

We do our best to balance these types of health maximizing maintenance practices so we can increase and extend premium playability during the prime playing season. It is a delicate balancing act indeed.

I encourage you to continually provide me with feedback on our results. The maintenance plan is a program based on many ever-changing factors designed to maximize your positive experience. We take advantage of every “off-peak” opportunity to continually give you premium “in-peak” results.

Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying… Monday and Tuesday will not be so bad! Yes we will be busy and in your way from time to time, but the positive results will be long lived and well worth the minor inconvenience.

Check out my previous Blog entries explaining Needletining and light topdressing...

http://farmsccsuperintendent.blogspot.com/2010/07/we-are-aerifying-greens-with-needle.html

http://farmsccsuperintendent.blogspot.com/2010/05/topdressing-greens-has-many-benefits.html

Close up of Needle Tine

Playing "Catch-Up" Re-Print of My CTGolfer.com Blog Entry

2011-05-31T07:47:00.000-04:00

Recent heavy rains have put a strain on golf course maintenance crews around the state. Many courses have received over seven inches of rain in the last two weeks. This coupled with the warmer temperatures has turfgrass growing faster than it can be mowed. Every spring, golfers have to cope with thick rough, but conditions have been unusually tough the last couple weeks. Many areas on courses were un-mowable due to severe saturation. In addition to the inability to mow some areas for extended periods of time, the application of growth regulators has been delayed because many need to dry on the plant for them to work. Smaller labor forces, spring plant protectant applications, spring weed control applications, aerifying, landscaping and the weather have stretched every courses resources to its limits.

The good news is… it looks as if the weather is taking a turn for the better! Expect to see major improvements this week because course maintenance staffs will have better conditions to work with. Ground conditions will improve, allowing workers to mow, blow the heavy clipping piles and mow again. My guess is that most players can relate to that if they have a home lawn to take care of.

Playing “catch-up” will strain the labor force because it takes more man-hours to accomplish the desired results. Golfers must also understand that the necessary unseen maintenance practices reduce a courses available man hours needed to accomplish the tasks which are visible to the players. A good example is the application of plant protectants, growth regulators and weed control. These treatments must be done early in the year or players will certainly notice the difference later in the season.

Be patient and enjoy the fine weather and improving conditions which are headed your way!

This blog entry and all of my previous entries can be found at...

http://www.ctgolfer.com/blogs/paul_sabino/

USGA Regional Update May 26, 2011

2011-05-27T05:55:00.000-04:00

Here's what's going on with courses throughout the Northeast...

A Rough May
By Adam Moeller, agronomist, Northeast Region
May 26, 2011

A few days of dry weather has been a welcomed respite from the deluge of rain throughout the Northeast in April and May. With luck, drier weather will continue as we head towards Memorial Day, a prime golfing weekend throughout the country. Due to the frequent rain, golf courses have battled a multitude of weather-related and agronomic problems over the past few weeks.

Penal, thick rough has been a constant source of discussion on golf course visits recently. The growth rate of the rough turf, combined with saturated soils that are prone to tire rutting, has been next to impossible to keep up without damaging the soil structure or producing excessive clipping piles. The abundance of heavy rain also has been frustrating to many golfers who want to play, even though the course is nearly underwater. Playing on puddled and saturated greens is never good for the turf, and particularly damaging to soil structure. Golf cart restrictions have been necessary at most facilities. It is difficult to predict the damage potential from a few golfers playing on saturated greens, but everyone should agree that nothing good comes from golfer traffic in these conditions. Thankfully, these frustrations diminish as the soils dry.

Annual bluegrass weevil larvae were observed in the past two weeks in New Jersey. Frequent scouting for this insect is necessary to prevent significant damage.

Annual bluegrass weevil larvae (and slight damage) were observed at several New Jersey golf courses in the past two weeks. These larvae are likely to be active throughout most of the Northeast. Keep a close eye on areas with a history of annual bluegrass weevil damage. Discolored annual bluegrass (Poa annua) could be mis-diagnosed as drought stress when soils begin to dry. Scouting early and often is necessary to maximize control programs and prevent significant injury. Visual inspection of the soils in areas of past damage, soap drenches (lemon scented soap is ideal), and submerging turf plugs in a salt solution are excellent ways to identify insect numbers and life stages as you consider initial control and future action.

Golf courses that experienced putting green winter damage are still in recovery mode. Whether seeding or sodding was used, inconsistent temperatures and saturated soils have slowed recovery to some extent, especially when the greens were opened for play before the young turf was adequately rooted and healthy. Healing from winter injury is never easy, but golfer patience and conservative management practices will allow the injured areas to recover and survive through the stressful summer weather. Many winter-damaged greens may look bad, but they play fine after a few topdressing applications. It is important for golfers to focus on playability rather than aesthetics as much as possible, especially if winter damage has occurred.

Re-print of CTGolfer.com Blog Entry 5-21-11

2011-05-21T12:04:00.001-04:00

• Mowing frequency

• Height of cut

• Rolling

• Green size

• Drainage

• Moisture

• Shade

• Air flow

• Environmental stress

• Growth regulators

• Annual bluegrass seedheads

• Fertilizer

• Labor force size

• Labor force training

• Budget

• Soil type

• Turf species

• Thatch layer thickness

• Golf event calendar / schedule

• Maintenance procedures like: aerifying, topdressing, verti-cutting, venting, hydrojecting, etc.

"The envelope please..."

Name at least ten things that effect green speed and consistency. OK, that's twenty!

The list of factors that affect playability of greens goes on and on. Some factors like soil type, turf species, drainage and green size, etc., are fairly constant at most courses. Almost every other component to the equation is a fluctuating variable. The superintendent has a wide range of control of these factors varying from total control to no control. This is not simple math. One and one never equals two. We are talking about the un-natural manipulation of a living organism, under a wide range of uncontrollable environmental conditions in a micro-climate we have unnaturally forced upon it. We do everything we can to keep speed and consistency our priority regardless of the uncontrollable factors.

Let's look at the past week at my course, The Farms Country Club.

• Growth regulators (used for seedhead suppression recently) wearing off, causing grass to grow faster
• Even with an estimated 85% control, Annual Bluegrass seedheads still a factor in surface smoothness
• Unable to apply more growth regulators because of rain every day for last five days
• Over five inches of rain in past week made greens soft and un-mowable for three days straight (mechanical damage would have been unacceptable)
• Unable to roll due to heavy rain
• Fertilizer used to help greens heal from early spring aerification is forcing turf to grow faster

These are just my circumstances this week. Every course is different. Courses that just aerified might be facing additional issues like trying to keep mower blades sharp enough to get a quality cut. Maybe your course is trying to re-establish turf from winter damage. Maybe your course gets 100,000 rounds a year, the greens are the size of postage stamps and are located in spots that get limited sun or air flow. I could go on and on.

The point is that your superintendent is doing everything he / she can to consistently manipulate your greens, in an unnatural way, with many uncontrollable, inconsistent and unpredictable variables.

Regardless of budget size, equipment inventory or their labor staff's experience, every superintendent has to have the ability to consistently adapt and overcome the consistently changing environmental circumstances in which he / she is presented. To my chagrin, Mother Nature still holds most of the cards.

Maintenance Staff Pumping Bunkers Today

2011-05-19T14:00:00.000-04:00

The maintenance staff is hoping the heavy rains have ended. We are pumping water from the bunkers today and hoping they can be fixed tomorrow in preparation for the weekend tournament.

Andy Tests New "Porta-Pump" on #8 Greenside Bunker

Alan & Ron Tackle Big Bunker on #2 Green

Pumping Fairway Bunkers on #10

3 inch Trash Pump Pumps 300 Gallons per Minute

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2011-05-19T08:04:00.000-04:00

Rain totals have already surpassed the five inch mark. The course is completely saturated and unplayable right now. Weather reports indicate continued showers and thunderstorms today and tomorrow. The maintenance staff has been unable to do any mowing for the last two days. Hopefully the rain will subside and we can try to get at least the basic maintenance accomplished for this weekend's Founders Cup tournament. Expect some tough rough this weekend!
The pictures below give you an indication of what course conditions are like.

#1 Green Bunker

#8 Green Bunkers

#10 Fairway Bunkers

#10 Green Bunker

#11 Fairway Bunkers

Plenty To Do On Rainy Days

2011-05-18T07:49:00.001-04:00

Despite the continuous heavy rains this week, the maintenance staff has plenty to do. Mulch is being spread in the landscape beds and flower beds are being prepared for the arrival of our annual flowers next week.

USGA Northeast Regional Report 5-12-11

2011-05-14T08:41:00.000-04:00

Below is the re-print of today's USGA regional report. It is very informative. We at The Farms CC have high populations of Annual Bluegrass. It is easy to spot the Creeping Bentgrass on our tees, greens and fairways. They are the patches of turf with the "off-color" purple or brownish tint. Each spring we treat all tees greens and fairways with specialized growth regulators which inhibit Annual Bluegrass's seedhead production. While this may cause turfgrass to yellow, the applications have some important benefits. Instead of the plant using much of it's energy for reproduction, it goes toward root growth. There are less undesirable seeds in the soil that can germinate in the future. Playability improves because mowers have less dificulty getting a high quality cut (seedheads grow fast and are wirey in texture). Seedheads on greens make for a very bumpy putting surface. If you want to see a lot of seeding Annual Bluegrass... Just check out some of the rough for comparison. Especially in the shaded and/or compacted areas.

If I’m Sneezing, It Must Be Spring!
By David A. Oatis, director, Northeast Region

May 12, 2011

Off color bentgrass at this time of year is usually due to cool temperatures and mechanical injury.

Adjacent annual bluegrass may be unaffected. Newly established AB usually seeds prolifically and will likely be more susceptible to stress and disease later in the season.

Pollen levels have been off the charts in the Northeast Region recently, and even people who “don’t have allergies” have been feeling the effects. With luck, this isn’t a sign of the pain our turf is going to experience in the coming months!

It is always interesting to watch the growth and development of putting green turf in the spring. Initially, bentgrass outgrows annual bluegrass (AB) and turf managers everywhere are hopeful that bentgrass populations have increased. Typically, a few weeks later, hopes are dashed as the growth rate of annual bluegrass suddenly outpaces the bentgrass, giving rise to the concern that the “annual bluegrass is taking over!” This is where many courses are now. When temperatures rise a bit more and stay consistently warmer, this appearance will dissipate and the next phase will kick in: the “June swoon” of annual bluegrass. Once AB’s energy is expended in producing a seed head, the plants turn yellow and their growth rate slows dramatically. For turf managers with lots of AB, this also can cause concern. So what is the point of all this? Most golfers look at putting greens and think of them in a “singular” sense. However, each green is comprised of millions of individual plants, most falling into 2-3 species: annual bluegrass, creeping bentgrass, and perhaps velvet bentgrass. Note also that there are thousands of different biotypes of each species present, and the growth rates of these grasses vary. So if you are wondering why the greens are not smooth as glass, these are the reasons.
Regional Observations:

• Bentgrass throughout the middle and southern part of the Northeast Region now is showing the effects of cool nights and mechanical injury. Plenty of bentgrass is off color, has a bronze cast, and may be experiencing some thinning. AB right next to the bentgrass looks perfectly healthy. Many misdiagnose this as leaf spot, and while a disease may be involved, it usually is nothing more than the weather. When warmer temperatures arrive, the growth rate of the bentgrass will take off, and the discoloration will dissipate.
• There are plenty of AB seedheads throughout the region this year, especially at courses that did not treat preventively for seedhead formation due to injury suffered last summer or this last winter. Seedhead production is particularly heavy in areas that sustained damage. Keep in mind that the prolific seedhead production in the damaged areas is a sign that newer, weaker AB has become established. These weaker biotypes will be more susceptible to stress and disease later this summer. If your course has a lot of AB seeding in the damaged areas, more conservative management may be in order this year. In time, the weaker annual bluegrass biotypes will be replaced with better ones, and later with more bentgrass. However, for the first year or two after damage, they will be a bit more susceptible to turf loss.

Greens Improving Nicely After Aerification

2011-05-06T06:06:00.000-04:00

Spring aerification of the greens was completed three weeks ago. Cool temperatures slowed the healing process but we're in great shape now. A light topdressing this week smoothed out most of the remaining bumps and speed has increased. We are right on target with our spring height of cut reduction goals. Our goal each spring is to be at .120 inches by the third week in May.

Stimpmeter

Each Fall, we slowly raise the height to increase the size of the leaf blade. A larger leaf blade helps the plant increase food production through photosynthesis. The increased food production improves root growth, our primary focus in the off season. Stregnthening roots during this period of time increases our chances of turf surviving periods of stress, especially the summer months. When spring arrives we slowly reduce the height of cut to coincide with the golf calendar. Our goal is to give the plants every opportunity to reach its full health potential, while maintaining member satisfaction. Obviously, spring aerification reduces putting quality for a short period of time, but its season-long benefits afford us the ability to consistently maintain the greens to the level our members have become accustomed to.

USGA Northeast Update 4-28-11

2011-04-29T06:41:00.011-04:00

USGA Northeast Agronomist, Jim Skorulski, had this to say about courses trying to recover from winter damage this Spring...

Recovery From Winter Damage: What A Difference A Year Makes

The weather affects everything we do in the golf industry, and the record cold, wet, and gray weather in March and April (until recently) has made for a slow and difficult start. Growing-degree-day accumulations are a solid 14 days behind last season’s accumulations through April 25th. Cold and wet weather periods in a New England spring are not an anomaly, but this season’s weather has been especially hard to stomach for both turf managers and golfers.

Those dealing with recovery from winter injury are feeling the weather’s impacts most. The first reports of seed germination (covered greens) were heard earlier this week on coastal New England golf courses, but this is much later than last year. The warm nighttime temperatures of the past few days will help establishment, but expectations for early recovery of seeded greens are not realistic at this point. Here are a few tips when dealing with this situation:

• Keep the covers handy just in case a hard frost or freeze is anticipated in the next few weeks.
• Spike-seed areas where germination has been poor.
• Use soluble nitrogen sources to spoon-feed the establishing turf and begin lightly topdressing the damaged areas once the seedling plants have emerged.

Various covers and colorants are used to warm soil temperatures in hope of stimulating early seed germination in winter-damaged areas. The lack of sun and warm temperatures prevented early seed germination at many New England golf courses despite those best efforts

A call for “rescue sod” may be heard at locations where early seed establishment has been disappointing. Using sod to patch severe cupping or high traffic areas, or where severely damaged greens are kept open to play, is a viable option. The value of a good-quality putting green nursery will be fully appreciated at this point. If a sod nursery is not available, then harvest sod from a practice green or other severely injured green. A commercial sod can then be used to re-grass the greens where the sod was harvested. Patching damaged areas directly with commercial bentgrass sod is generally less desirable due to the surface inconsistency that will be created by using a pure bentgrass sod on an older green. Commercial sod blends of annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass are better suited for the patching work. The commercial sod should be soilless (washed) or grown on a root zone similar to your greens. Stay away from overly thatchy sod, which will be more difficult to establish.

Although tempting, do not be too hasty in abandoning the seeding approach in favor of sod, unless you have a good-quality nursery or other source of sod available on the golf course. The recovery from seed may seem painfully slow, but this method usually produces a more durable and consistent surface by midsummer. Commercial sod will provide faster results initially, but its establishment can be tricky and the effects on the playing surface may be noticeable long past the summer season.

Fairway Aerification Completed

2011-04-22T07:14:00.000-04:00

Fairway aerification and cleanup will be completed by the end of today except for some minor touching up. The weather may not have been ideal, but the maintenance staff did a terrific job!
That is the end of major aerification until the end of the season. The warmer temperatures expected next week should help the greens and fairways heal nicely and we can focus on improving playability. The intense early season maintenance provides the foundation for the highly manicured turf to survive the stress of summer. Our early season sacrifices will pay off during the peak season of mid-May through September.

Cores Being Dragged to Break up Soil

Remaining Debris Being Blown Off Fairways

Large Tractor Mounted Blower Cleaning Off Fairways

Sweeper-Vacuum Removes a Majority of Debris From Rough

Aerifying Fairways Began This Morning

2011-04-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

Fairway aerification began today. Some of the wetter fairways will have to be skipped for now. We will complete the skipped areas as soon as ground conditions improve. Once the cores are pulled, our staff drags the plugs to remove the soil. Then we use large blowers and a sweeper / vaccumn to clean up the remains. The key to our cleanup is sunny dry weather. Hopefully mother nature will cooperate and we will have the job completed by weeks end.

Turflinks Crew Aerifying #1 Fairway

Poor Weather Slows Aerification & Tree Work

2011-04-13T08:43:00.000-04:00

Weather conditions have been less than ideal this week. Clouds, fog and heavy rain have limited our progress on the course. I'm looking forward to the sunshine predicted for Thursday and Friday. We will be very busy the next two days finishing the aerification process on the greens. Aerification and overseeding is complete. Topdressing is the step that has been most limited by the weather. Topdressing sand needs to be dry for us to properly complete the task. Our goal is to have all the greens completed by late Friday.

The tree company has also been slowed due to weather but has made daily progress. They are using a bucket truck and a climbers to work their way through the pine trees. Wet ground conditions will play a major role in their ability to maneuver heavy equipment around the course in the coming days. We have already had two inches of rain since yesterday. There is significant work to perform in every pine tree and quality is the priority. They have removed the fallen tree at the tennis courts so the fence company can make the repairs as soon as possible.

Course supplies continue to be put on the course. Sand, soil and seed mix will be put on the course as soon as temperatures reach the desired levels to promote proper germination.

I look forward to seeing everyone Friday night at the Opening Day Reception!

Chris Drags the Topdressing Sand on #2 Green

Chris, Julius & Ron Dimple Seeding The Practice Green

Bucket Truck Working Between #1 Green & #2 Tee

Climber Works in White Pine Behind #1 Green

Greens Aerification Under Way

2011-04-09T07:35:00.000-04:00

We have started aerifying, overseeding and topdressing the greens. Eight greens have been completed and we will finish the remainder next week. Aerification is one of the most important maintenance practices performed on the greens. Below is a link to an outstanding article written by Senior USGA Agronomist Darin Bevard. Please take the time to read it and keep yourself informed.

Putting Green Aeration... It's More Important Than You Think

New Blog Feature Added!

2011-03-30T16:53:00.000-04:00

All you need to do is enter you email address in the "Follow By Email" box located on the top of the right side column. Every time there is a new blog entry, you will be notified by email! Take advantage of the feature and stay informed!

Annual Bluegrass Weevil Adults Already?

2011-03-28T07:30:00.001-04:00

The Annual Bluegrass Weevil is a common pest on golf courses in the northern states. We at The Farms Country Club see damage of varying degrees on a yearly basis due to our high population of Poa Annua (Annual Bluegrass). We have become quite good at controlling this pest through our regimented scouting, varied control methods, experience and the continual pursuit of the latest research results. Still, are we good enough? We have already employed a new method of scouting for the adults this year. Adults primarily “overwinter” in wooded areas and make their way to our fairways tees and greens where damage is most obvious. Adults lay their eggs in plant stems (sheaths) and the larvae that hatch actually do the most damage to the Poa.

Back to our new scouting method…

In an effort to see exactly when the adults are traveling to the fine turf areas, we decided to fabricate our own pitfall traps. The traps are very basic in design and are simply constructed with some 2” PVC pipe, a 2 liter soda bottle and some duct tape. MacGyver would be proud! We have installed the two traps adjacent to fairways one and ten which are excellent indicator areas.

These traps have already proven to be quite functional. We installed the traps on March 18th and already had trapped adults by March 21st. Our trap on hole number ten caught the most ABW adults, twenty-four! What does this mean? The timing of the movement of adults is earlier than expected. We will be adjusting the timing of our pesticide applications to improve efficacy. The improved timing should result in better control of the adults, which will reduce the amount of eggs laid. Less eggs means less larvae equaling less damage.

We are hoping that the improved timing of our pesticide applications will reduce visible ABW damage while maintaining the budgeted cost for its control.

For more information on the Annual Bluegrass Weevil check out my blog entry from July 23, 2010

ABW Pitfall Trap Design

Pitfall Trap on Hole #1

Pitfall Trap on Hole #10 Caught 24 Adults in Two Days!

Annual Bluegrass Weevil Adult Caught on Hole #10

Re-Print of My CTGolfer.com Entry... Spring is Here?

2011-03-25T08:14:00.001-04:00

Spring is Here?

Golf courses throughout the region are trying to kick off the season, but “Old Man Winter” keeps trying to throw a monkey wrench into the plan. Cold temperatures and the occasional light coatings of snow are inhibiting turfgrass from breaking dormancy at many facilities. The calendar says spring is here but we need Mother Nature to cooperate.

The recent weather pattern not only slows the opening of some courses but inhibits the superintendent’s ability to quickly improve course conditions. Golfers are chomping at the bit but must be patient. Soon enough the weather pattern will change and superintendents will be able to dramatically improve playing conditions.

In addition to normal spring cleanup, many superintendents are facing the added problem of repairing winter damage to golf course greens. Varying degrees of injury have been reported throughout the northeast after experiencing one of the harshest winters on record. Superintendents are prepared to initiate their recovery plans as soon as weather conditions are favorable. Warmer soil temperatures are the key to successful recuperation. Aerification, overseeding and sodding of injured greens must be timed accordingly for rapid recovery.

One of the toughest things superintendents will face is communicating to golfers the importance of staying off renovated areas of greens. Some holes will need to have temporary greens and some greens will simply have affected areas roped off. The worst case scenario for a superintendent is succumbing to the pressure of opening damaged areas too early. Tender young turf plants need to be “babied” until they are strong enough to support foot and maintenance traffic. Newly established turf plants must have every opportunity to mature if they are to survive the stress of summer which is only three months away.

The USGA Northeast Regional Agronomist, Adam Moeller, has published a very informative video on the subject. I encourage all players and course officials alike to spend thirteen minutes viewing his newly released webcast on Winter Injury on Putting Greens in Northern Areas.

Rarely Seen Pileated Woodpecker Photogtraphed at Maintenance Facility

2011-03-15T06:38:00.000-04:00

I was lucky enough to catch a few pictures outside the maintenance facility yesterday.

CT DEP Says...
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Description: The pileated woodpecker is the largest woodpecker found in Connecticut (16-19 inches). It has a solid black back and a conspicuous red crest extending from its forehead to its nape. Males are larger than females and they have a red forehead, red crest, and scarlet mustache. Females have the red crest but a black forehead and black mustache.

More info at...

enature.com
CT.Gov.DEP

Snow & Ice Melting Fast

2011-03-11T12:24:00.000-05:00

The snow and ice is melting fast and course conditions are extremely wet from the additional heavy rain. The maintenance staff used a snow blower to remove the snow from thirteen green on Wednesday. We wanted to expose the underlying ice so the warm rain could melt it. We have some turf on a few greens that looks discolored so we have taken sample plugs and brought them into the office. By warming the plugs inside they will break dormancy and we can see if there is any damage. We should know what we are facing in a few days.
There has been snow mold damage to areas in the rough and fairways but nothing too significant. It may look bad but generally grows out after the turf breaks dormancy.

Greens and tees are going to remain closed until the ground firms up enough to support foot traffic. Walkers can tee the ball up in the rough and play the temporary greens. Please refrain from walking on any tee or green surface. You will cause damage to the turf!

#13 Green on 3-9-11 After Snow Blown Off

#13 Green, After Rain Today

Sample Plug From #16 Green Brought Into Office to Stimulate Growth

Snow Mold Fungus on #15 Fairway

Re-Print of My Blog Entry on CTGolfer.com. Ice Layers on Greens!

2011-03-05T08:48:00.000-05:00

I’ll be attending the New England Regional Turfgrass Conference in Providence, Rhode Island this week and guarantee the hot topic will be ice layers on greens. Guest speakers, superintendents and industry professionals will share every tidbit of information they can to help each other get through the next few weeks of critical course management decisions.

When an Ice layer forms directly on a green’s surface, the turf beneath is sealed off from the air exchange necessary for its survival. Carbon Dioxide and other toxic gases build up under the ice and Oxygen is slowly depleted (anoxia). If the ice doesn’t dissipate within a certain amount of time, turf damage can occur. In the Northeast, we are concerned with two species of turfgrass on greens, Poa Annua (Annual Bluegrass) and Creeping Bentgrass. Poa Annua is the most susceptible to this type of damage. After an estimated forty days, anoxia may kill Poa Annua. Creeping Bentgrass is genetically more resistant and may not be affected until ninety days. Notice my careful choice of words. There is no exact formula to predict the death of either variety of turfgrass. Superintendents rely on their own experience, course conditions, university studies, peer experiences and every other morsel of information available to them to make the right decisions in preventing damage to their course’s greens.

To further complicate the issue, the extreme variations in conditions from course to course, within a single course or on one green, make it impossible to analyze this subject in “black and white”. The differences in climate, soil type, turfgrass species and management techniques make every courses situation unique. Superintendents are faced with making difficult decisions without a solid foundation of facts to support them.

The big question is if superintendents should try to remove the ice layer and when. Successful results and methods are spotty at best. I’ve seen courses have success with snow removal using snow blowers, heavy equipment and dark colored topdressing materials. I’ve also seen those same techniques cause more mechanical damage than if nature was left to take its course.

Here is one last fact to complicate the issue. If the snow and ice have been removed and the turf is exposed, it is now susceptible to extreme fluctuations in temperature because there is no insulating blanket protecting it. After a couple of warm days the turf starts to absorb water and break dormancy. Cell walls get thinner and it is now susceptible to a drastic drop in temperature. Two or three days where temperature reaches fifty degrees then a night that drops into the teens can spell disaster. Welcome to March in New England!

We can’t all be as lucky as my old friend Eric Morrison, the superintendent at Shennecosset Golf Course in Groton, CT. His course is already open!

Golf Course Condition Update

2011-03-04T13:02:00.001-05:00

I was able to take a thorough tour of the course today and check for more tree damage and measure ice thickness on greens. Tree damage has been mostly contained to our white pines in the form of broken branches. We did have a couple of perimeter trees that fell during the winter and caused minor fence damage. Most significantly, a tree fell across the north side fence of court #5 at the tennis facility. While tree damage has been more than average this winter, no major damage was sustained and our feature trees look good. Cleanup will begin as soon as ground conditions allow.

The course still has a coating of snow and ice that averages one foot in depth. The recent heavy rains have left an ice layer on the greens that varies in thickness. Higher areas on greens have a thin layer and low areas have as much as two inches. Ice layers can be damaging to the greens if they exist for extended periods of time. Snow and ice removal on greens is not an option at this stage and we are hoping that melting continues at a rapid rate. I will keep everyone updated on conditions over the next few weeks.

Once the snow and ice have dissipated, I expect ground conditions to be very soft. Soft ground conditions will likely inhibit cleanup and the eventual opening of the course. Looks like we are still a few weeks away.

Fallen Tree Across Tennis Fence on Court #5

White Pines on Right Side #4 Green

One Foot of Snow & Ice Covering #16 Green

Two Inch Ice Layer Covering Turf Surface on Front of #16 Green

That Was Then This is Now... Installment #3

2011-02-22T06:53:00.000-05:00

Front Entrance Sign "Then"

Front Entrance Sign "Now"

Front of Clubhouse From North "Then"

Frontof Clubhouse From North "Now"

Tennis Courts "Then"

Tennis Courts "Now"

That Was Then This is Now... Installment #2

2011-02-10T07:15:00.000-05:00

Irrigation Pumphouse #3 Pond "Then". Notice Small White Pines & Large Oak #7 in Backround

Irrigation Pumphouse #3 Pond "Now"

North Side of Clubhouse "Then"

North Side of Clubhouse "Now"

Pool Area View From Clubhouse "Then"

Pool Area View From Clubhouse "Now"

That Was Then & This is Now!

2011-02-09T07:54:00.000-05:00

I have some old black and white pictures that were taken of various areas around the club. Most were taken some time in the 1960's. I thought it would be fun to take new pictures from the same vantage points and convert them to black and white. Here goes my first installment of "That Was Then & This is Now"!

Entering The Club "Then"

Entering The Club "Now"

Pool Area & South Side Clubhouse "Then"

Pool Area & South Side Clubhouse "Now"

Back of Clubhouse From #18 Green "Then"

Back of Clubhouse From #18 Green "Now"

Golf Course Industry Publishes My Article on How The Farms Country Club Survived The 2010 Season!

2011-02-01T08:03:00.000-05:00

Golf Course Industry Magazine / Website asked superintendent bloggers from around the country if they would be interested in writing an article about how their respective courses survived the 2010 season. The cover story is a compilation of articles from those selected bloggers.

The Title... "After a Perfect Storm"

The entire article appears in the digital version of Golf Course Industry Magazine and begins on page 28 (click here). The article I wrote appears on page 34 (click here) and is titled...

"Just Do It"

Ice Dam Or Dam Ice? Removing Ice From Maintenance Facility Roof

2011-01-31T11:08:00.004-05:00

The ice is about a foot thick on the gutters of the maintenance facility. In an effort to reduce ice damming, we are trying to clear the gutters and cut channels for melting snow to flow off uninhibited. No easy task. Even with the use of the steam cleaner and calcium chloride.
Heavy snow is expected again Tuesday through Thursday and again on Saturday!

Chris Berry Works From Bucket While Andy Fenn Maneuvers The Loader

Chris Applying The Calcium Chloride

Shoveling The Calcium

Clearing Down-Spouts

Channels Cut Through Ice So Water Can Flow To Gutter

Getting There After 5 Hours!

Last Night's Storm Dumps Another 15 Inches! Snowfall Records Broken!

2011-01-27T16:28:00.001-05:00

Last night's storm helped break the record for most snow in any month EVER! We also broke the New Haven County all-time record for most snow on the ground at one time. I love snow but enough is enough. Light snow expected both Friday and Saturday with a possible Nor'easter again on Tuesday. Where will we put it? The parking lots are getting smaller and smaller!

#4 Tee

Snow Now Reaching Top of Fence at Pool!

The Storms Just Keep Coming! Staff Repairs Sander

2011-01-25T10:15:00.000-05:00

Three inches of snow so far this morning and it's not over yet! We are expecting another six to twelve inches of snow and sleet to accumulate between Wednesday night and Thursday.

The sander's engine mount base needed to be repaired this morning because it has rusted away from the frame. Head equipment manager, Ed Smeriglio, solicited some help from Chris Berry, our resident certified welder, to quickly fix the problem.

Angle Iron Tacked In Place Before Welding Completed

Chris Berry Uses MIG Welder To Weld The Support Bracket

Close-Up of Welding

Winter Storm Damage 1-18-11

2011-01-19T17:08:00.001-05:00

Heavy snow and freezing rain has caused tree damage on the course. It is nothing to be alarmed about. The white pine damage on the front nine is actually normal for us. We actually budget for this type of cleanup every year. The white pines that seperate the front nine fairways on holes two through seven were planted 40+ years ago because the club could not afford to plant acceptable golf course trees at that time. Eastern White Pines were a compromise that afforded the club a way to segregate the holes at a limited cost. Every winter we experience damage. We continually try to rectify the issue by replanting with desirable hardwoods when finacially feasable.

Picture of Hole #7 From Early Sixties

Birch Tree damage Between # 7 Tee & #3 Green

Eastern White Pines Behind #3 Green

White Pines Between Holes #6 & #7

Turf vs. Cold, Snow & Ice

2011-01-19T08:46:00.000-05:00

Here is the re-print of my CTGolfer.com Blog entry:

Let’s talk about winter. Not unlike the summer of 2010, this winter is certainly shaping up to be one of a kind. The average snowfall for Connecticut ranges from thirty to fifty inches depending upon your location in the state. Most of our state has already reached or surpassed those numbers with sixty days of winter remaining.

How does winter weather effect golf course turf? You may be surprised to find out that there are both positive and potentially negative effects dependent upon the type of precipitation, temperature and longevity of snow and or ice cover.

The best precipitation for turf is powdery snow. A thick blanket of snow provides an insulating, protective blanket that protects turfgrass from dramatically fluctuating temperatures. Superintendents welcome this because it reduces the chance of damage from dramatic freeze / thaw cycles. When exposed turf thaws in winter, it will begin to break dormancy and root systems will start to absorb moisture. Cell walls get thinner and become more susceptible to damage from a sharp drop in temperature. If temperatures drop dramatically, these swollen cells can be damaged and turf loss can occur. This type of damage is most likely to occur in late winter when freezing and thawing is most common. A nice blanket of snow will limit the dramatic swing in temperature.

A powdery blanket of snow will protect fine turf from winter desiccation. Desiccation is the drying up of turf when exposed to winter winds while not being able to extract moisture from frozen ground. The wind removes moisture from the turf and it is unable to replenish itself because the water is frozen in the soil profile. If turf is exposed to these conditions for extended periods of time, it will die. Superintendents don’t solely rely on snow for protection. Specialized covers or heavy sand topdressing may be installed or applied at the end of the season to protect the turf from desiccation. While these maintenance practices aid in protection, there is no substitute for a blanket of snow.

Ice cover on turf, especially greens, is UNDESIRABLE! When a layer of ice forms on the immediate surface of a green it can cause problems. There is no immediate threat, but a long lasting layer allows toxic gases like Carbon Dioxide to build up. If levels of toxic gases are not able to escape for several weeks the turfgrass will die. Poa Annua, Annual Bluegrass, is more susceptible to this type of damage than Creeping Bentgrass. Unfortunately many courses have high percentages of Poa Annua on their greens.

How does a toxic gas like Carbon Dioxide get there? Without getting too technical, it is the byproduct of cell respiration. Turfgrass under the ice layer is alive. Its cells are still utilizing stored food to survive even though the rate is much reduced in its dormant state. The conversion of food to energy releases several byproducts including toxins like Carbon Dioxide.

How can we save turf from toxic gas build up? There is no easy, sure-proof way to achieve this. Superintendents have tried everything from snow blowing to dark colored sands to aerification and removal of ice layers. Sometimes these practices work and sometimes they cause more harm than good. Many times, the mechanical damage caused by the physical removal of snow and ice is far worse than the speculated, unknown damage beneath the layer. Sometimes hoping for the best and preparedness is the proper course of action.

Being prepared for winter turf damage of any type is always key. At my course, The Farms Country Club, we always take core samples from suspect areas on greens when the ground starts to thaw. These samples are brought into the maintenance center where they can be warmed. By simulating growing conditions, we are able to determine the extent of the damage and take the preparatory steps for repairs. Being prepared includes having a solid plan and having the necessary materials and labor on hand to accomplish our goals as early as possible. It is imperative to overseed, sod, fertilize and topdress as early as possible to give us the best chance of a speedy recovery. Repaired areas don’t have long to establish because the heart of the playing season is not far off. Juvenile turf will soon be subjected to the stress of summer weather and needs to be healthy to survive.

Besides the solid agronomic plan, communication to golfers is critical to success. Superintendents must keep people informed of the situation and the process of its rectification. It is imperative that players understand the severity of the damage, how it will be fixed and the sacrifices they may need to endure to get playing conditions back to normal. Early season restrictions may be in the form of temporary greens, roped sections of greens, higher heights of cut, etc. No one wants to endure these playing conditions, but early season sacrifices will give players the best chance at good greens during the peak of the playing season. Courses that don’t take the necessary steps to fix damaged areas will chase poor turf conditions the entire season.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for powdery snow the rest of the way!

Plane Crashes Three Tenths of a Mile From Clubhouse!

2011-01-14T07:37:00.002-05:00

Plane Crash Pic by Brad Horrigan (N.H. Register)

For those of you who didn't catch the news last night, a small plane crashed three tenths of a mile away from the clubhouse. Thankfully, both the pilot and his lone occupant were unharmed in the crash. The pilot, age 25, and his father (age 53), reportedly had engine trouble and made an emergency landing in the field adjacent to Gilbert Lassen's home on Boulder Road (Cheshire Road) in Cheshire, CT.

Check out the complete story on WTNH Channel 8 News

Google Earth View Of Site Location

Small plane crashes in Cheshire: wtnh.com

Storm Benedict Dumps Over 20 Inches of Snow!

2011-01-12T15:13:00.001-05:00

We are through the worst of it. Storm Benedict dumped over twenty inches of snow on us today. We have been plowing, blowing and shoveling since very early this morning in an effort to keep up. The staff is still going strong! We will soon be heading out to dig out our own homes. We will tidy up the remaining mess tomorrow.

View From Front Doors Toward #10 Tee

Ed Plowing Parking Lot in Front of Clubhouse

Chris Berry & The Snow Blower

Nick & Ryan Shoveling The Back Stairs & More!

Front of Clubhouse

Sun Trying To Come Out After Storm

Bridge to Practice Tee

Front Entrance

Hole #7

Heavy Snow Expected Again!

2011-01-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

We've already experienced a couple of good sized storms this winter and we're expecting another one to start tonight and last through the day tomorrow. The forecast is predicting over one foot of snow from this typical Nor'easter.

Snow cover is actually good for the turf because it provides a protective insulation blanket from the dramatically fluctuating temperatures and harsh winter winds.

The pictures below were sent to me by Toby Brimberg. The shots were snapped as he was cross country skiing around the course last weekend.

Thanks Mr. Brimberg!

Stairs to #8 Men's Tee

Bunker On The Right Side of #8 Green

View of #9 Green From South Side of #9 Pond

#9 Pond

Winter Equipment Service in Full Swing!

2010-12-08T10:17:00.000-05:00

The maintenance staff is busy cleaning, repairing, sharpening and servicing the equipment inventory. We do all of our own preventative maintenance and repairs to over seventy pieces of equipment during the winter months. Winter maintenance not only increases the equipment life but reduces “down-time” during the playing season.

Alan Pressure Washing a Toro Mid-Duty Workman

Chris Removing Greensmower Reel Seals

Greensmower Reels Completely Disassembled for Service

Ed Installs a New Hydraulic Line He Just Made

My Blog Has Reached its One Year Anniversary!

2010-12-06T11:49:00.001-05:00

Friday December 3, 2010 was the first anniversary of my blog. I thought I would share some statistics with you.
In the first year:
• Blog voted “Super Blog Of The Month” by Golf Course Industry Magazine July 2010
• It received 11,434 overall hits (not including mine)
• It received hits from over 37 countries
• I made 127 blog entries
• 73% of viewers used the Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser
• 84% of viewers used a version of Windows, 7% Macintosh
• The top 3 entries viewed were:
     1. July 23, 2010 “Annual Bluegrass Weevil Damage is Very Localized So Far”
     2. July 10, 2010 “2010 Men’s Three Day Member Guest Champions!”
     3. September 4, 2010 “ Striped Skunk Damages First Cut on Hole #5”

I would like to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments about my blog throughout the 2010 season! I’m looking forward to year two!

Maintenance Crew Races to Beat Impending Weather!

2010-11-30T16:36:00.004-05:00

The weather forecast is for rain tomorrow and cold temperatures to set in immediately following. We have finished topdressing the greens except for portions of the practice green which will be completed on Thursday. We spent a large amount of our man hours today preparing and sodding some patches on the practice green and the newly installed drain area in #18 approach. We didn't finish completely, but accomplished more than I thought we would considering our limited work force. The "finish" work will be completed on Thursday. The long range forecast shows consistent overnight temperatures in the twenties and highs in the low forties. This means frozen ground that is unworkable. Looks like we are going to win this battle by a hair!

Chris Uses The Sod Cutter On The Practice Green

Stripped Areas Being Prepped & Sodded

#18 Approach Being Graded & Sodded So Surface Water Runs To New Drain

Greens Being Fertilized, Topdressed & Closed Today!

2010-11-29T13:43:00.000-05:00

We got a slow start to closing the greens today. The low temperature this morning was 27 degrees. The course did not thaw enough for us to start the fertilizing and topdressing until noon. We will accomplish as much as possible today and finish tomorrow. The greens we don't topdress today are still not open because they are frozen. All greens are now closed for the winter.

#8 Pond Frozen Today

Chris Berry Fertilizing the Greens

Andy Fenn Topdresses the Greens Heavily After Fertilization

Winterizing Greens Begins Monday November 29th!

2010-11-28T05:25:00.001-05:00

I have been reviewing the long range forecast closely and it shows a significant change in the weather pattern. By late in the week we will consistently see low temperatures in the twenties and highs in the low to mid forties. There is even a chance for light snow and mixed precipitation.

We will begin preparing the greens for closing on Monday. The last step in our “winterizing” process is the application of a heavy topdressing. Once this protective blanket of sand is applied, the greens will be closed for the season.

The course will remain open with temporary greens being used in the fairways. Frost/freeze delay procedures will remain in effect each morning. If there is frost or frozen ground, play will be delayed. The use of carts will still be allowed as long as ground conditions are not prohibitive.

It’s critical to protect the greens in the winter months. Damage sustained in the off-season can affect the health and playability for months the following season.

Thank you for understanding and supporting the maintenance staff while we protect one of The Farms Country Club’s most important assets.

Course Supplies Being Removed but Greens are Open.

2010-11-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

We are bringing in the course supplies like rakes, signs, stakes, ball washers and ropes. The greens will remain open as long as weather allows. Carts will also remain available. Just remember to be careful where you drive since many signs and ropes have been removed.

For more information on "Golf Car Control", Check out this link to TURFNET for the funny and informative video.

Randy Wilsons Golf Car Control video

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Light Topdressing Being Applied to Greens Today

2010-11-22T09:05:00.001-05:00

We are making a light sand topdressing application to the greens today.

This is not the heavy application we apply when closing the greens.

Today's maintenance practice is the same as the season long, light applications we make which smooth the green surfaces. It will actually improve putting conditions.

For more information... Re-visit my blog entry from May 4, 2010

http://farmsccsuperintendent.blogspot.com/2010/05/topdressing-greens-has-many-benefits.html

Greens Mowed & Plant Protectant Applied Today

2010-11-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

We have mowed the greens for the last time this season. Once we apply the winter plant protectant we're unable mow the greens again. Further mowing would reduce the efficacy of the application and expose us to winter snow mold diseases.
Not to worry... The grass is not growing anymore and we can still roll on occasion. Rolling the greens will continue to provide a quality putting surface.
The greens are stimping at 10 1/2 feet today!
The last step in preparing the greens for winter will be a heavy coat of sand topdressing. Once the topdressing is applied the greens will be closed for the winter. At this point, the long range forecast looks promising so I don't have a closing date in mind. I will continue to monitor the weather and will keep you updated. In the mean time, hit the links! Conditions are great!

Marshall Mowing #4 Green

Alan Spraying #6 Green With Plant Protectant

Deep Tine Aerifying Greens Isn't The End Of Great Greens!

2010-11-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

We have deep-tine aerified the greens. This is an important agronomic step in preparing the greens for the stresses of winter. After aerifying, the greens are double rolled to smooth them. We had tremendous success in achieving our agronomic goal while still providing players with excellent putting surfaces. Don't think the golf season is over yet! You will be thrilled with the conditions!

The Greens are stimping at 11 feet today and the ball roll is smooth!

Check out this video of Head Golf Professional Jim Hanlon putting on the eleventh green...

Almost No Bumpiness

Chris Deep-tining # 12 Green

Close-up of Hole Spacing

Alan Smooths The Greens With a Double Roll

Two Inch Irrigation Pipe Breaks on #12 Fairway

2010-11-09T11:02:00.000-05:00

A two inch irrigation pipe broke on #12 fairway last night. It was actually discovered by Gary Damato early this morning as he walked the course. Thanks Mr. Damato!
There was some damage to the turf but it will easily be fixed once the pipe repairs are complete.
These types of breaks are commonly associated with irrigation systems that are near fifteen years old.

Golf Course Maintenance and the Economy. Re-Print From my CTGolfer.com Blog

2010-11-09T06:43:00.004-05:00

Here is my latest entry from my blog at CTGolfer.com. I thought you might find it interesting.
http://www.ctgolfer.com/blogs/paul_sabino/

All golf course maintenance budgets have been feeling the effects from a suffering economy. Private, public, municipal and resort courses across the country have had to be creative trimming maintenance budgets while continuing to keep course conditions at the highest level possible.

Budgetary challenges have increased each of the past few years since the start of the downturn in the economy. Superintendents have had to revisit maintenance priorities and how they relate to golfer expectations. The key component to successful budget reductions is to solicit and analyze player feedback and close the gap between the golfers’ expectations and the superintendent’s perception of high quality course conditions.

Obviously greens take the highest maintenance priorities with tees and fairways being a close second. Greens affect an approximate seventy five percent of the shots in a round of golf. The reception of the approach shot and two putts on average.

What areas of the budget does a superintendent look at when making these cuts? Labor is number one. Reduction in mowing frequency during “off-peak” times will clearly help the bottom line but cuts must be deeper than that.

Trimming the size of the work force and the rate of hourly pay must be visited. Payroll taxes, health insurance and other related costs are reduced when labor reductions are instituted. Elimination of overtime, restructuring labor force type (seasonal vs. year-round, part-time vs. full-time) all play a significant role in responsible budgetary management. The superintendent must be careful because if labor cuts are too dramatic, players will definitely notice the reduction in day to day conditions. After all, you can have all the best equipment, fertilizers and supplies, but if you do not have enough properly trained and experienced employees to utilize these tools, the benefits are never maximized for the players.

Bunker maintenance is right there with greens maintenance as far as cost is concerned. Reduction of the type and scheduling of grooming can greatly reduce costs. Instead of the seven day a week complete raking of the bunkers, superintendents may skip some days or just rake small disturbed areas that have been unattended to by the player. Styles of bunker edging may be altered to be more “maintenance free”. Instead of the consistently clean cut bunker edge, which requires extensive labor to maintain, some courses have opted for a shaggier look. Allowing the turf to grow longer around a bunkers edge can not only reduce maintenance but provide an aesthetically pleasing contrast to the surrounding highly manicured turf.

Have you heard that brown is the new green? Superintendents are sending a message. Dark green, lush, perfectly manicured, weed-free turf is not necessarily the most healthy, playable, environmentally responsible and fiscally prudent way to maintain your course!

More and more superintendents are finding areas on their courses that they can convert to the “naturalized look”. Allowing native grass species to grow undisturbed can reduce maintenance, fertilizer and pesticide usage while enhancing the aesthetics of the course. Many clubs have embraced this practice and are benefitting from the reduced costs, increased contrasting aesthetics and beneficial environmental results without reducing the speed of play.

There are many more ways that superintendents are being creative in the approach to balancing budget cuts with player satisfaction. The world is changing and the play of the game with it. The true key to any courses success is in the knowledge of the players’ viewpoint, creative thinking, adaptability and communication.

Enough for today… I have to jump on a tractor and blow some leaves this morning. No job too small! Besides, I’m a salaried employee. Gotta save some labor dollars!

Light Sleet & Snow Temporarily Blankets Course

2010-11-08T09:38:00.001-05:00

A light blanket of sleet and snow covered the course this morning. While it may seem like winter is here, I think there will still be some good golf conditions ahead. The forecast for the remainder of the week is encouraging. At this time of year I continually check the long range forecast to decide when I will need to start the process of preparing the greens for the winter.
Winter preparation includes deep-tine aeration, application of snow mold protectant and finally heavy topdressing. In all, the process takes approximately one week. Continual consultations of the long range forecast and my crystal ball will help me hold out as long as possible before starting the "winterization" process. Enjoy the fine course conditions while they last. Winter is right around the corner.

November USGA Green Section Regional Update

2010-11-05T14:44:00.000-04:00

The USGA Green Section has posted their November regional update. Here is the reprint of the article which reviews the 2010 golf season.

Summer Lessons Learned In 2010
By Adam Moeller, agronomist, Northeast Region
November 4, 2010

July was the hottest month of the summer for the majority of the Northeast Region, and many courses experienced problems as a result of the stressful weather, and damage severity often was related directly to certain infrastructure problems that exist on the golf course. Correcting these issues will pay off the next time the course experiences stressful weather. Data source: weatherunderground.com.
As golf courses in the Northeast transition into late fall, many golfers, course officials, and golf course superintendents continue to reflect on the summer of 2010. The simple description of the summer conditions can be summed up with two words…extremely hot. The summer weather wreaked havoc for many golf courses, especially if certain infrastructure problems existed. For instance, putting greens growing in microclimates with shade and/or airflow problems were often the first to decline. Greens with poor drainage characteristics, combined with an ill-timed heavy rainfall and hot weather, likely had problems. Now that the dust has settled, it is important to identify where improvements can be made to prevent similar problems from arising during the next tough summer. Below are some common infrastructure problems.

1. Poor microclimates: Turf needs ample sunlight and airflow to grow. These basic physiological requirements transcend trees and vegetation. Large oscillating fans are excellent tools to supplement airflow and may be necessary on pocketed greens.

2. Drainage: Putting greens with poor drainage characteristics are prone to problems when heavy rain and hot weather combine. Poorly drained greens also tend to have poor soil oxygen, which is crucial for root health. Drainage can be improved by intensive core cultivation, topdressing, deep root-zone modification, internal drainage installation, and/or reconstruction.

3. Irrigation Capabilities: Complete reliance on automatic overhead irrigation often leads to overwatering in low swales or where coverage overlaps, increasing the likelihood of turf decline. Indeed, having the ability to provide supplemental hand watering and syringing is highly valuable and recommended. Budget constraints often are the primary reason for complete reliance on automatic overhead irrigation.

4. Surface Preparation: Mowing is a necessary cultural practice, but also it is a form of mechanical stress on turf. Ultra-low mowing heights, often in response to golfer expectations for fast greens, predispose putting green turf to numerous maladies during the summer. A sustainable mowing height and green speed range should be established based on the play volume, skill levels, and undulations that exist.

5. Concentrated Traffic: Many putting greens have bunkers, trees/vegetation and/or mounds located adjacent to the primary entry/exit location for golfers playing the hole. Adjusting traffic patterns can be accomplished by altering these features or through proper cart path design.

If more than one of the infrastructure problems listed above are present at your course, the potential for turf problems to arise is elevated, especially during tough weather. In many cases this summer, infrastructure problems were not severe and the weather alone was still too much for the turf to handle. However, golf courses with severe infrastructure problems were hit hardest, highlighting the need for corrective measures in the future.

Current Golf Course Activities

Golf course maintenance over the past few weeks has scaled back at most facilities. Turf growth has slowed significantly since the recent hard frosts. Mowing of putting greens, tees, and fairways should be performed as needed over the next few weeks until turf growth ceases completely. Leaf cleanup is a considerable focus for the majority of courses. This activity can be a very labor intensive and time consuming task, especially for those with limited staffs. Irrigation systems are being blown out to avoid damage that can be caused by freezing and thawing inside pipes during winter. Preventative snow mold disease applications are being performed throughout the region. Finally, many golf courses are preparing temporary greens on approaches or fairways to avoid damaging the putting greens during winter play.

Drainage on #18 Approach Progressing Smoothly

2010-10-26T15:36:00.001-04:00

We accomplished a great deal today. The maintenance staff worked hard to get the pipe and basins installed in anticipation of tomorrow's predicted rain. Here are a few pictures.

Basin & Pipe Being Set to Grade & Encompassed in 1/4 inch Pea-Stone

Large Basin & Laterals Being Set to Grade

Large Basin on Edge of Approach

Special Sand/Soil/Peat Mix Being Installed Above Stone Layer

Special Mix Being Watered to Help Compaction

Drainage Project on #18 Approach Has Started

2010-10-25T15:12:00.001-04:00

We have started the drainage project on #18 approach. We are installing surface and sub-surface drainage throughout the approach to alleviate the ponding of water that occurs with almost every rain event. I expect the project to be complete this week except for some final sodding of the disturbed areas. The project will be a major improvement both functionally and aesthetically.

Crew Hauling Supplies & Digging Trench

Pipe Being Installed

#18 Approach During Storm on 10-1-10

Thank You For a Wonderful Year Ladies!

2010-10-22T08:14:00.000-04:00

The ladies finished up the season with their closing day tournament yesterday. For those that braved the cool temperatures, wind and leaves, I applaud the effort. I hope everyone enjoyed the 2010 season!

Check Out The Air Bubble in #9 Fairway!

2010-10-15T09:32:00.000-04:00

We had 1.5 inches of rain overnight. The course is open today but carts must stay on paths.
Occasionally when we experience heavy rains, we get small patches of turf which separate from the soil beneath. There is a pocket of air trapped between the turf and the underlying soil. We release the air by cutting the turf with a knife. The turf lays back down and everything is fine.

Bubble in #9 Fairway

Knife Cuts Hole To Release Trapped Air

Front Nine Tees Aerified & Greens Lightly Topdressed

2010-10-12T10:23:00.000-04:00

We aerified the front nine tees yesterday. We will complete the back nine tees as soon as the weather and golf schedule allow. We also took advantage of the good weather yesterday and lightly topdressed all nineteen greens. The light topdressing will further improve surface smoothness.

Marshall Aerifying #3 Tee

Chris & Justin Cleanup The Cores

Andy Topdressing Tees

Andy Lightly Topdresses Greens

Chris Drags #16 Green

Frost on the Pumpkin?

2010-10-11T07:29:00.000-04:00

It’s not the pumpkins I’m worried about. It’s the turfgrass.
Frost delays in the spring and fall are common. The delays are an inconvenience to both the members and the maintenance staff.
Frost is the formation of ice crystals in and on the grass plants due to low overnight temperatures. Foot and cart traffic will rupture the plant cells causing severe injury or death. We make every attempt to provide an accurate estimate of the time that we can allow play to begin. This can be difficult because there are several factors that effect this decision. Density of frost, temperature, tree shade and sun angle all play an important role in the estimation.
Once the frost has melted, the grounds crew still needs to complete leaf blowing, mowing, course setup and bunker maintenance prior to play.
We appreciate your patience while we do our best to protect your golf course!

Check Out This Informative USGA Video!

Illustration of How Just a Few Golfers Would Kill Frosted Turf

Fall Landscape Display Is In At Clubhouse!

2010-10-08T16:17:00.000-04:00

Enjoy our annual autumn display!

Two Inches of Rain and Counting!

2010-10-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

What does the course look like during a heavy rain event?

Hole #7

Hole #6

#9 Fairway

#18 Green

In Front of #10 Tee

#15 Green

#17 Fairway

#18 Fairway

We Tried To Mow The Greens This Morning

2010-10-01T08:03:00.000-04:00

The maintenance staff worked hard to get the greens mowed this morning before the heavy rain hit. Mother Nature won the battle after eleven of the nineteen greens were completed. We are expecting two to four inches of rain and heavy winds today. Looks like it will be tomorrow morning before we can continue mowing and cleaning up the debris.

Ed Finishes Mowing The Practice Green in The Rain

Greens Improving Rapidly After Aerification!

2010-09-30T06:23:00.001-04:00

It has been one week since we aerified the greens. I am very pleased with the rapid rate of turf recovery. Playability will improve significantly in the next few days. The days that immediately follow aerification make it difficult to achieve a clean cut because of the sand topdressing. While the sand helps with long term playability and improved health, the short term result is a poor turf cut. The sand wears the mower blades almost immediately during a mowing. We are already on our third blade sharpening in one week. Under normal conditions we sharpen blades once per week.

Other factors that influence the post-aerification playability are fertilization and growth regulator applications. Before, during and after aerification we increase fertilization and stop applying growth regulators. This promotes rapid healing and leaf growth. Once I am confident we have achieved substantial recovery, we reduce fertilization and begin applying growth regulators again. We made our first growth regulator application yesterday. The substantial rain we expect in the next twenty four hours will further enhance recovery but will limit our ability to mow. I expect us to be able to mow by Saturday morning at the latest.

We are turning the corner and the putting surfaces will markedly improve over the next few days.

Thank you for your patience!

Practice Green Gets Aerified More Agressively

2010-09-23T09:11:00.000-04:00

We are being more agressive with the aerification of the practice green. We used 5/8 inch tines instead of the 3/8 inch tines used on the other eighteen greens. We also used a closer spacing. We need to be this aggressive so we can continue to improve turf health and get the best results possible with our overseeding plan. Everything we do between now and May 2011 helps to ensure the greens success next year. We are right on track! I am confident that the practice green will be much improved next season and play just like the rest of our greens. I thank you for your patience.

Andy Aerifying The Practice Green

Close-up of 5/8th's Tines in Action

Close-up of Enormous Amount of Material That Will be Removed

Aerifying Is Progressing Smoothly!

2010-09-22T16:19:00.001-04:00

I am very pleased with our progress! The two days with the course being closed are always very productive! We will complete all green and approach aerification, including overseeding and topdressing. We are also renovating all bare spots on fairways and green complexes. This is the perfect time to rejuvenate weak areas for next season.

Topdressing Green #2

A Double Topdressing Pass in Middle Helps Brushes Fill Holes Throughout The Green

Special, Engine Driven Brushes Fill The Holes With Sand

Special Brushes Working Sand In Without Excessive Abrasion To Turf

Light-weight Drag Brush Works Sand Into Holes To Further Smooth Surface

Watering The Green Helps Work Sand Into Holes. Topdressing "Touch-Up" Happens Tomorrow

Aerifying of Greens Began This Morning!

2010-09-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Greens aerification is in full swing this morning. The course will be closed today and tomorrow so we can complete the job as quickly as possible. The faster we get it done, the more rapid the healing process. The use of 3/8th’s inch tines, instead of 1/2 inch, will also help the holes close quicker.
I addition, we are aerifying the approaches and weak spots in fairways. Thin turf in all areas will be overseeded.
I will keep you updated on our progress.

Hole #8 Being Aerified

Alan Aerifies #7 Green

Close-up of Holes

Front View of Core Harvester Picking up Plugs

Rear View of Core Harvester

Chris Aerifies Approaches With Solid Tines

We Are Aerifying Greens Next Week!

2010-09-16T08:55:00.000-04:00

We will be aerifying greens next week starting on Wednesday, September 22nd. The course will be closed both Wednesday and Thursday. The September aerification will be performed with 3/8 inch tines (see photo below). This slightly smaller tine will be less invasive than last September’s process when we double aerified using both 1/2 inch tines and 3/4 inch deep-tines.
This year we decided to do our deep-tine aerification in early to mid-November to improve October playing conditions. Deep-tining of the greens will be performed with 1/2 inch tines instead of 3/4 inch tines. This will improve the early season healing in 2011.
Late September aerification always poses its challenges because the days are shorter and the temperatures are cooler. Obviously, shorter work days make it harder for the staff to complete the job quickly. Cooler temperatures and the lower angle of the sun means it takes longer for the sand to dry, in turn, lengthening the topdressing process.
In addition to the above mentioned challenges, we will be getting a slightly later start (Wednesday AM). Normally we get a head start because we can begin on Monday afternoon after the morning outside event. This year we have happily added a Tuesday afternoon outside event.
I would like to reiterate that aerification is the single most beneficial cultural practice we can perform on fine turfgrass. It is the cornerstone of our maintenance program. Without it we would not have been able to survive a summer like the one experienced this year.

We Will Be Using a 3/8 Inch Tine For a Quicker Recovery

Gas Line Repair Ahead of Schedule

2010-09-15T15:33:00.000-04:00

The repair to the sixteen inch gas main is going smoothly. The crew is ahead of schedule and will be backfilling the hole tomorrow if the repair passes the final inspection. It is quite an interesting process.

Pipe is Being Exposed

Cutting Away Outside Coating

Hammer Outside Coating

Ultrasound Testing The Pipe

X-Ray The Pipe For Corrosion

Do Not Enter Zone During X-Ray

Sand-blasting Corroded Areas

Sand-blasting Complete

Protective Pipe Coating Being Applied