USGA Report on the Greens, Part 6

This week we look at part six of USGA agronomist, Pat Gross’ December 2010 report on the greens at the Villages. This week Pat's report addresses moisture management on the greens.                                                                                                                
     Moisture management - Given the fact that Poa annua does not respond well to drought stress, maintaining adequate moisture without overly saturating the greens is a difficult balancing act. Ongoing practices should continue to emphasis occasional deep watering of the greens throughout the summer to dilute soluble salts naturally contained in the water and flush these elements away from sensitive turf roots. It was further suggested to continue the current practice of applying soil wetting agents, which will help improve water penetration and reduce localized dry spots. The purchase of two portable moisture probes was highly recommended to monitor moisture levels in the greens, assist with daily programming the irrigation system, and training employees on proper water management techniques.

Cartbarn Landscaping

Before

                                                                                                                                                                          

After

                                                                          

    

      






 
                

What's Your Sign?

We thought that those golfers with a handicap flag, that are allowed to drive within 30' of the greens (When the GREEN flag is up!), might like to know exactly how far 30' is. We will be rotating the signs  from hole to hole. Look for the large sign on the tees, with the smaller signs 30 feet from either side of the greens.

Greens Aerification April 11, 12 and 13.

It's that time of year again. Just when the greens are getting good, we go and mess them up again. As much as golfers hate it when we aerify the greens, golf course superintendents dread it just as much.
What exactly are we trying to accomplish with all this unwanted work? Two things: First, by filling the aerification holes with sand, we are increasing the amount of oxygen in the soil, and turfgrass roots need oxygen to survive. Second, the more sand there is in the soil, the firmer the greens will be. And firm greens make for a smoother and more consistant putting surface.


First the greens are drilled. The soil is cleaned up...

and the last remaining soil is blown off.

Next, we topdress with sand and aerify again.

The greens are rolled to smooth out the holes.

And the last step is to drag the greens to fill all the holes with sand.

USGA Report on the Greens, Part 5

This week we look at part four of USGA agronomist, Pat Gross’ December 2010 report on the greens at the Villages. This week Pat's report addresses sand topdressing.                 
     Sand topdressing - Routine applications of sand topdressing will be a critical aspect of your program to control thatch and organic matter and enhance the firmness of the greens. A demonstration of the current light sand topdressing procedure was done during the visit, and it was suggested to increase the rate of application and continue to apply topdressing at two-week intervals. Topdressing should be suspended when temperatures exceed 90° F. or after several days of heavy frost when there is very little growth evident on the greens. Light topdressing can be incorporated with practices such as vertical mowing, spiking, and venting of the greens to help incorporate the sand into the surface.

Golf Course Gardens Go Native

                        
In an effort to preserve the biological diversity of our region by protecting the existing native habitat and species, we are converting several of our gardens to native plants.
 
8 Tee

18 Green

18 Green

5 Tee

Fairway Aerification

A contractor came in and aerified the fairways on the 18-hole course on Monday. Because no 'plug' was removed with this process, no clean up was necessary. This process reduces compaction on the fairways caused by vehicle traffic. In the fall we will aerify, pulling plugs, that will need to be dragged and cleaned up.

Meet the Team

This month we introduce Agustin. Agustin has worked at The Villages since 1994. Agustin is the Head   Irrigation Technician                              

Raptors of the Villages G & CC

The White-Tailed Kite’s ability to hover or “kite” in the air gives is what gives this striking bird  its name.  It is also sometimes called the “Angel” hawk for its white feathers and the appearance of “floating” in the air.  It is a delicate and graceful bird of prey, and the only falcon-like bird  in California to have a white tail.  It is about 15″ long with a 39″ wing span.