Greens Update

 The weather has been unseasonably warm for a week and the greens are benefiting from it. The covers have been removed from all the greens but may have to be reinstalled if the temperatures drop to much. For the grass to begin growing the soil temperatures must be above 12 C. We are getting that required temperature during the sunny days but it will take some time for that temperature to stay consistent through out the day.

 Over the course of a week we are seeing more green on the greens and are planning to mow them before the end of the week.

The 4th green was hit the hardest but is showing some life.

Under the covers

The warm temperatures have helped us get the remaining ice off greens and tees. Under the covers on the greens we have had mixed results. Greens # 4,6,7,and 18 have varying amounts of desiccation from the winter. The tips of the grass plant seem to be burnt from the ice cover from the winter. Time will tell the extent of the injury and the weather will dictate the speed of recovery.

 This is under the cover on the 6th green. This area is the front left that holds extra water and in turn would have more ice build up over the winter.

The 4th green has the most injury. This green had the most ice cover and for the longest period.

Ice/Snow Removal

 The warm temperatures this week has assisted in the ice and snow removal on the golf course. Where the ice had built up on the greens we broke it up with pics and shovels.

 Tractor and snow blowers where used to move larger amounts of snow off greens and tees.

By the end of the week we have lost 70% of our snow cover and the long range weather for next week should finish off any snow that is left.

Jasmine Steinke

Jasmine brings 11 years of experience to her new position as Assistant Superintendent. She has worked at clubs that include Donalda Club, Beacon Hall, Capilano Golf and Country Club, Toronto Golf Club, and King Valley. She has a two year diploma from Penn State in Turfgrass Management and is a member of the OGSA and GCSAA. Jasmine lives in Toronto with her boyfriend Paul who is also an assistant.  Her experience, work ethic and drive will make her a great asset to our club.

Ice Formation

 Update on the ice on our greens

 Last week we had lots of days of sun that has helped decrease the ice build up on the greens. The shaded green sites like #4 and #15 still have considerable amounts of ice. We have removed any snow that has accumulated this week and aerated them again to help in the ice reduction.

 On the right side of the 4th green we are testing the use of sunflower seeds to attract sunlight and help in the ice melt. This area was choosen due to the fact it is very shaded this time of year and it is a low area where water will collect.

Ice Formation

Layers of ice have formed on the majority of the greens as a result of two rain events we had in January. On February 7^th to 9^th we attempted to brake-up this ice layer with our aerator. We were able to brake-up the ice to help the turf respire and assist in ice melting when we get warm days. We don’t want to remove all of the ice until we know the temperatures are increasing but we do want the grass to breathe. The ice is acting as an insulator and you don’t want to expose the insulated turf to colder temperatures. If the ice is present in mid March we will be breaking it up more and attempting to remove as much as possible.

There is no perfect process to removing ice except warm temperatures. The ice is at different thicknesses depending on green undulations. In breaking up the ice we do not want to damage the winter covers or physically damage the greens surface. The ice will be attached to the cover and the grass plant itself so being too aggressive may damage both.

There is the potential of damage to occur and the extent of any damage will depend on each individual area. On our greens the Poa Annua bluegrass will be more susceptible to damage from extended ice cover. The bentgrasses we have been over seeding with are hardier plants and have the best chance of survival. Once the ice has been removed, it will be important to provide some time for the greens to overcome this period of stress and recover from any damage that may occur.

The fairways also have a considerable amount if ice build up on them. This will be something we will monitor but at this time there is little we can do until mid to late March when we know warmer weather is coming.

Greens Aeration

 The Benefits

• Relieves soil compaction – compaction occurs due to golfer and equipment traffic especially when the greens are being rolled four times a week to maintain speed.
• Controls Thatch – thatch forms an impermeable layer that water and nutrients will not penetrate and this is also the area where disease spores and insects live.
• Improves water infiltration – by decreasing thatch and providing room for air to start penetrating into the soil.
• Increases soil oxygen levels – by improving infiltration of water – water pulls the oxygen into the soil.
• Vent Greens - during the summer methane gas builds up in the soil and aerifying vents these gasses.
• Enhances fertilizer and pesticide applications – by making them easier for the roots to uptake the products.
• Provides a site for new grass plants to grow.
• Disease Control - enhanced disease control on recently aerated areas due to the increased overall health of the plant reducing the number of pesticide applications needed.
• Dilute soil - removing aeration cores on greens and applying sand topdressing to fill the aeration holes helps to dilute the soil based greens and keeps the column open extending the ability of air and water to penetrate.

The Process　

• The greens are aerated and the cores removed.
• The greens are brushed and remaining debris is blown off.
• Topdress the greens with sand.
• Bentgrass seed is spread over the green and brushed into the holes.
• Cut the green to remove excess material.
• Roll the green to smooth the surface.

Cores being removed

The TimingWhy do most golf clubs aerify the greens at the end of August?

The grass plant is actively growing so will recover within days.
The sand dries faster in the drier weather.
This is the perfect time of year to over seed, with cool nights and warm days germination will happen quickly, the poa annua is weak from summer stress so new seedlings have time to strengthen before the winter.
The students are back to school by Labor Day leaving us with a smaller crew, the cleanup will be quick and less disruptive in August.

Three days after aeration and holes are filling in. The weather was perfect for aeration and the cleanup went smooth. Green speeds will take a few more days to speed up.