recreation centers of sun city - sun city, arizona · 4/4/2017 · putting greens ... was...

Recreation Centers of Sun City Sun City, Arizona Visit date: April 4, 2017

Present: Rich Hoffer, Board President Jan Ek, General Manager Chuck Manning, Superintendent, Willowcreek & Willowbrook Courses Neal Hladik, Superintendent, North Course Michael Murphy, Assistant Superintendent, North Course Rick Stoffel, Superintendent, Riverview Course Brian Duthu, Director of Golf Stella Van Ness, Board Secretary Carol Lawry, Board Treasurer Dave Wieland, Board Director Brian Whitlark, USGA United States Golf Association Brian Whitlark, Agronomist | Green Section | West Region 3677 E Turnberry Court | Gilbert, Arizona | (480) 215-1958 | [email protected] The USGA Green Section develops and disseminates sustainable management practices that produce better playing conditions for better golf.

| Course Consulting Service Report

The following report summarizes the discussions and recommendations made during the Course Consulting Service visit on April 4, 2017.

The focus of the visit was to review general course conditions and offer suggestions for short-term and long-range golf course improvement. Specific topics covered in this report include:

Overseeding

Putting greens

Green surrounds

Fairways

Tees

Bunkers

Roughs

Capital improvement projects

OVERSEEDING One of the most significant changes discussed during last year's Course Consulting Service visit was to move the overseeding date back to mid-October and overseed all the golf courses at the same time. Although this strategy does temporarily limit the golf available to the membership, the positive impact the changes have had on the overseeding quality is worth it. It was good to hear from the club leadership that the same strategy is planned for the fall of 2017. Another modification was to expand the overseeded acreage around the greens. Expanding the overseeded area around the greens not only improved cosmetics, but also has a positive impact on playability. Golfers that miss the greens found that their errant golf balls would bound down the hill and away from the putting greens when nonoverseeded, but this year, the overseeding helped to stop the ball from rolling so far away from the greens and therefore resulted in a more positive playing experience. It is important to note that there may be some potential negative consequences associated with this practice such as poor bermudagrass recovery from overseeding. Practices to enhance bermudagrass recovery will be discussed later in this report. Assuming the bermudagrass is able to recover in the green surrounds, overseeding in this area is a practice that should continue for the foreseeable future. There was some discussion about the overseeding mixture used to seed the fairways and green surrounds. The club currently utilizes a blend of perennial ryegrass and intermediate ryegrass. The intermediate ryegrass does not tolerate the heat at the same level as the perennial ryegrass and therefore will begin to deteriorate at the onset of warmer weather in April and May. This early dismissal allows the


bermudagrass to recover in a better fashion than when compared to 100 percent perennial ryegrass. However, the intermediate ryegrass has a slightly lighter green color and wider leaf blade when compared to the perennial ryegrass as well as a slightly more aggressive growth habit. There were some questions from the membership whether the club should switch entirely to perennial ryegrass. However, it is suggested to continue with the blend including the intermediate ryegrass given the importance of quality playing conditions in the summer, and the emphasis on “fluffy” lies, which provide a better surface for golfers to “sweep” the ball off the fairway.

A fairway that was mown at 0.325 inch the day prior to when this image was captured shows the actual height of cut at approximately 0.360 inch with some blades over 0.400 inch. This fairway was overseeded with 100 percent perennial ryegrass on a golf course in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This image shows a fairway on the North Course with an effective height of cut at approximately 0.570 inch. Notice the taller leaf blades at over 0.700 inch, which are the intermediate ryegrass blades.


PUTTING GREENS

NORTH COURSE Observations - It was good to see the putting green condition on the North Course has improved substantially and now provide consistent and smooth ball roll. The greens exhibited a healthy and dense stand of overseeded grasses and healthy emerging bermudagrass. Ball roll was smooth and appropriately paced for these greens. Thatch and organic matter management – It was good to see some accumulation of thatch and organic matter at the surface of the greens, which is a good indication that turf health is improving. It was unfortunate to hear that the aeration deployed last summer resulted in heaving on some areas of the greens. When soil heaving occurs, it is typically due to poor sod strength on greens that have not established good turf density. Samples collected this year clearly show that the sod strength is far superior than in previous years and soil heaving is not expected. That said, it is suggested to utilize 1/2-inch outside diameter tines on a 2-inch by 2-inch spacing for the planned core aeration in July. It is suggested to supplement with the Toro® deep tine machine with small (1/4-inch diameter) solid tines with the goal to penetrate 8 to 10 inches. The goal for these operations is to avoid compaction that occurs at the surface and continue to provide good water penetration into the surfaces.

A profile collected from No. 10 green on the North course shows a healthy bermudagrass rhizome population at the surface and little evidence of excess organic matter.


Sand topdressing is arguably the most important part of the thatch and organic matter management program. It was good to hear that the maintenance team is quantifying the amount of sand applied during sand topdressing events. As guideline, it is suggested to apply approximately 30 cubic feet of sand per 1,000 square feet annually (3,000 pounds of sand per 1,000 square feet). The sand should be supplied during regular topdressing events throughout the year in addition to sand applied during aeration and at overseeding. It was reported that the sand costs have increased substantially from your current supplier, and it is suggested to contact West Coast Sand and Gravel to inquire about their Premium Grade One sand for regular sand topdressing events. At aeration and at overseeding, it is suggested to use the less expensive greens construction sand. Surface management – It was good to hear that grooming and vertical mowing are being utilized on a regular schedule and will continue for the remainder of the summer. It was reported the height of cut on the mowers is set at 0.140 inch and the prism gauge indicated the effective height of cut in the field as approximately 0.110 inch. The prism gauge also revealed that the quality of cut is quite good and the results can be seen with the smooth ball roll conditions.

A prism gauge shows the effective height of cut of approximately 0.110 inch on the North greens. Nos.10 and 12 greens – There are a few thin turf areas on Nos. 10 and 12 greens, but the conditions are far superior than in the past. The thin turf conditions in these areas are likely a result of a combination of several components including excess wear from the perimeter mowing pass, golfer ingress/egress traffic from the green such as on the back of No. 12 and a lack of adequate moisture. A soil sample collected on the back portion of No. 12 on the right side revealed very dry soil below the 3-inch depth. A handheld soil moisture meter confirmed that the thin areas on the back portion of No. 12 are drier than the areas with healthier turf. It was good to hear that the agronomic team plans to conduct an irrigation uniformity test to better evaluate strategies that can improve water management in these areas. Furthermore, we discussed an irrigation spreadsheet developed by the USGA to help normalize the irrigation applied to each putting green. Please forward the following data to me and I will return a completed irrigation spreadsheet with information to implement the data into your irrigation scheduling program:

1. Square footage of each green including the putting greens 2. Number of sprinklers dedicated to each green 3. Gallons per minute for sprinklers for each green


WILLOWCREEK AND WILLOWBROOK COURSES Construction is planned for the Willowcreek putting greens and it is reported that this project will be deferred this year with the hope of initiating this project in 2018. In the meantime, the greens must be managed with the goal to continue to provide good playing conditions throughout the summer and through spring of next year. With that in mind, we discussed conducting a double aeration with the coring tines on both Willowcreek and Willowbrook in July. Ideally, this would be supplemented with a deep tine aeration using the small diameter solid tine machine. The impact of the solid tine machine cannot be understated, as it will help to relieve compaction, improve the ability of the greens to take water, help to increase the depth of rooting and have a positive impact on playability, given that golfers will find it easier to stop the ball on the greens.

RIVERVIEW COURSE This will only be the second summer for the new Riverview greens and this was the first overseeding. It was good to see that the bermudagrass is healthy and emerging well from overseeding. With new greens, especially those with coarse sand root zones, it should be expected that water and fertility management will be challenging for two to three years. This is the case on the Riverview greens where there is very little organic matter below the first half inch and therefore, it is challenging to maintain adequate water and nutrients. In such a scenario, it is easy to over fertilize, but it is important to avoid too much nitrogen (especially during the summer) because this will produce

This soil profile sample from a Riverview green shows a "grow-in" layer in the top 0.75 inch beneath the surface. This layer is holding water at the surface, which is not ideal, and contributed to algae and potentially fairy ring disease.


an excessive amount of thatch and organic matter in the top half inch. With that in mind, we discussed applying an organic fertilizer with the goal to apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in mid-May to supply nitrogen through the summer. The organic fertilizer should be supplemented with approximately a half pound of readily available nitrogen (e.g., urea or ammonium sulfate) two to three weeks following the organic application. More than likely, no additional granular fertilizer will be required until the fall. Small amounts of nitrogen in spray applications at 0.05 to 0.10 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet can be utilized approximately twice per month through the summer and following overseeding. Fairy ring control – Fairy ring was observed on the Riverview greens. The following suggestions are offered to prevent fairy ring symptoms during the coming year:

Field trials by Dr. Lane Tredway indicate two spring applications of Bayleton® at 1- to 28-day intervals effectively prevent fairy ring symptoms on putting greens.

Apply Bayleton at 1 ounce per 1,000 square feet once soil temperatures

(5-day average) reach 55 degrees Fahrenheit at the 2-inch depth.

It is extremely important to apply irrigation immediately following the fungicide spray and to apply with 3 to 4 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet. Wet to a depth of 0.25 inch into the soil.

There is no need to add a wetting agent or surfactant to the spray

mix; however, a wetting agent applied 10 to 14 days prior to the fungicide application will enhance efficacy.

The following information from Dr. Larry Stowell is offered for your consideration:

Threat temperature = 65 degrees Fahrenheit / infection temperature = 70 degrees and higher.

Control hydrophobic soil conditions with wetting agents

(e.g., Aqueduct®, Brilliance®, Cascade Plus®, HydroWet®, LescoFlo®, Primer Select® or TriCure®, Revolution®, products mentioned in the GCSAA wetting agent trial).

Use a wetting fork to treat edges of ring symptoms.

Curative fungicides that are effective:

Heritage® at 0.4 ounce per 1,000 square feet Endorse® at 4 ounces per 1,000 square feet Prostar® at 4.5 ounces per 1,000 square feet Insignia® at 0.9 ounce per 1,000 square feet


Water management – It was good to see that Mr. Stoffel is utilizing a handheld soil moisture meter to quantify the volumetric water (moisture content) in the putting greens on a regular schedule. To encourage transition, it will be absolutely essential to maintain adequate moisture and the meter can provide valuable information. One consequence when managing to maintain moisture levels above 25 percent is that algae can form in areas where turfgrass density is thin. Algae was observed in small, localized areas on No. 18 green. The following strategies are offered to combat algae:

Plan two fungicide applications spaced at 14 to 21 days apart utilizing a chemical such as Daconil® or Fore®.

Sand topdress the greens lightly every 14 days to help dry the surface and encourage the bermudagrass to fill in.

Utilize small diameter solid tines every 10 to 14 days to encourage water penetration from the surface and down through the soil profile.

Thatch and organic matter management – Although there is very little organic matter in these new greens (beyond the top 0.75 inch), there is an accumulation of thatch and organic matter at the surface. This small zone is retaining water as evidenced by soil profile samples collected during the course tour. Please consider the following strategies to help dilute the thin organic matter layer:

A regimented sand topdressing program will be paramount. Plan to apply approximately 30 cubic feet of sand per 1,000 square feet per year on an annual basis (3,000 pounds of sand per 1,000 square feet).

Utilize small diameter solid tines every 10 to 14 days throughout the entire

summer to break through the thin organic matter layer.

Consider conducting one core aeration event in July utilizing 3/8-inch diameter tines on a tight spacing; follow with a heavier than normal sand topdressing.

You may also consider using spikers or slicers on a frequent basis

to penetrate the thin organic matter layer without disrupting the putting surface.

Fertility program (all courses) – General guidelines can be followed for the fertility program for all the golf courses. In general, it is suggested to apply 4 to 6 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year. Adding more nitrogen than this guideline will only result in unwanted growth and excess thatch and organic matter. In some cases, only 2 to 3 pounds may be sufficient (such as on the Willowbrook and Willowcreek putting greens) where higher organic matter levels have already been established.


Should granular or liquid nitrogen be used? Ideally, a combination of granular and liquid fertility would be utilized. Granular fertilizer is likely only necessary two times per year during transition and during aeration. During transition, it is suggested to plan on two applications of nitrogen split applied with the goal of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. During aeration in July, it is tempting to supply a pound of nitrogen during this time to expedite recovery. However, this much nitrogen in July will produce excessive thatch and it is suggested to only apply 1/3 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Those are likely the only two times per year when a granular fertilizer should be required. For the remainder of the year, nitrogen can be supplied in liquid form. After aeration in the summer, very little nitrogen should be supplied. As a guideline, you may consider supplying 0.05 to 0.1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet every 2 to 3 weeks. Approximately 14 days following overseeding, the liquid nitrogen rate can be increased to 0.25 to 0.3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet with the goal to apply approximately 1 1/2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet following overseeding, and prior to the first frost. Continue with light liquid applications of nitrogen at a rate of 0.1 to 0.2 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet during the winter months for growth and color. When growth resumes in the spring under ideal temperatures, reduce the rate to only 0.1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet to discourage unnecessary growth. The fertility program should be based on nitrogen. In general, if you apply 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually, you should apply approximately 2 pounds of potassium per 1,000 square feet and no more. Phosphorus may not be required at all and should be based on the recommendations from soil tests. In some cases, golf courses that simplified their fertility programs were able to save a significant amount of money without sacrificing turf quality. Please feel free to forward a copy of the soil test reports to me for further discussion regarding phosphorus applications and other fertility recommendations. Green surrounds – It was good to see that the green surrounds were overseeded this year for improved cosmetics and playability. It is extremely important to note that the height of cut on the green surrounds should be lowered immediately on all courses to 5/8 inch (or even 1/2 inch). The higher height of cut has a significant negative impact on bermudagrass recovery. There are no plans to chemically remove the ryegrass in the green surrounds this year, but if the bermudagrass recovers poorly from overseeding, then we should discuss alternative options for next year. FAIRWAYS Several soil profile samples collected in fairways during the course tour revealed a healthy and robust bermudagrass rhizome population, which is a good indication that the bermudagrass will recover well from overseeding. It was good to hear that one core aeration is conducted every year on each golf course. However, one event does not sustain positive benefits throughout the entire season and must be supplemented with additional, but less disruptive and less laborious strategies. With that mind, it is suggested to utilize any means of slicing with a pull-behind


machine such as an Aerway® unit, to open up slits in the fairways and encourage water to penetrate deeply into the soil. TEES Tee leveling and expansion - Leveling and expanding the tees was recommended as a long-range program for improvement of the golf course. As a general guideline, 100 square feet of usable tee space should be provided per 1,000 rounds of golf played annually on par-4 and par-5 tees. This figure should be doubled for par-3 tees and tees Nos. 1 and 10. Tee leveling is normally required on a schedule of every 7 to 10 years depending upon the volume of play. BUNKERS There was some discussion during the visit about moisture content in the bunkers and the various raking methods utilized. As temperatures increase, the demand for irrigation increases as well; therefore, bunkers in the southwest portion of the country tend to be wetter in the summer due to irrigation. This is common for every golf course and is unavoidable. However, courses can decrease the moisture content at the surface of the bunkers by removing and replacing the sand every 7 to 10 years, and ensuring that the sand depth is adequate. In general, 4 to 6 inches of sand is adequate on the floor of the bunkers, but experience has shown that with some of the durable liners such as with the Better Billy Bunker™, it is often better to have 6 to 8 inches of sand in the floor of the bunkers to maintain dry sand in the top 1 to 2 inches.

Applying water to bunkers is unavoidable, and as water demand increases in the summer, the bunkers often become wetter. In bunkers where water accumulates such as this bunker on No. 18 (Riverview), ensure that sand depth is between 6 to 8 inches. This will provide drier conditions at the surface.


With regard to raking techniques for the North and Riverview, consider utilizing the "Aussie-style" of bunker raking. The faces of the bunkers are smoothed with the rounded side of the rake, a tennis court squeegee or even a thin-bristled shop broom, and the bunker floors are raked on a regular schedule. This type of raking allows golf balls to hit the face and roll down to the floor and fewer buried balls in the bunker faces. Furthermore, since there is less raking of the sand, it is typically easier to maintain the desired sand depth on the bunker floors, which yields better moisture content. The article A Bunker Tip offers more information on this style of bunker raking. ROUGHS Maintaining nonoverseeded roughs free of cool-season weeds is a significant challenge in southern Arizona. It was good to see such clean nonoverseeded roughs on the day of the course tour. Compliments should be extended to all the agronomic teams who have clearly deployed an intelligent preemergence/postemergence chemical control strategy. An opportunity available to improve upon this success is to apply granular prodiamine around the bunker edges. You may also wish to consider applying Roundup® in mid-December or early January at an accurately calibrated rate to clean up any volunteer cool-season weeds.

The staff has done a fine job of weed control in nonoverseeded rough areas, yielding a clean appearance.

Thatch management – Nonoverseeded roughs often become quite thatchy and encourage horizontal growth of stolons and stems. As such, it is suggested to rent or purchase a spring tine harrow rake to aggressively scarify the roughs in July and August to help stand up the bermudagrass turf. Follow this aggressive practice with scalping (a similar practice used for overseeding preparation), but when conducted in July or August, this practice will promote rapid recovery and improve bermudagrass

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/regional-updates/southeast-region/a-bunker-tip-and-fair-ring-alert.html


density heading into the dormancy period. Ultimately, the result will be better playability during the winter months. Mulching around the base of trees in turf – You may wish to consider installing mulch around the base of strategic trees in rough areas. Bermudagrass does not often grow well under trees and many golf courses have found it is best to simply remove the turf and replace with mulch to provide a cleaner appearance.

It was suggested to consider removing turf and installing mulch around the base of this pine tree in the rough on No. 16 North Course.

Hardpan areas on Riverview – Some thin, hardpan areas were observed on the nonoverseeded roughs in the green surrounds on Riverview. Rocks were visible at the surface, indicating a very challenging environment in which to grow healthy turfgrass. The following strategies are offered to encourage bermudagrass growth in these areas:

Utilize the aerator on a frequent schedule in these areas to help encourage water infiltration.

Set up small portable sprinklers to maintain adequate moisture.

Begin spot fertilizing with ammonium sulfate and plan to apply on a regular basis every week until the areas recover.

Consider finding a topdressing mixture that contains approximately

75 to 80 percent sand with less than 10 percent clay and less than 10 percent silt to begin to build up some improved soil on top of the rocks in these areas.


Supplement the topdressing with organic matter such as Milorganite®

or well-decomposed mulch.

Apply topdressing material frequently at light rates to avoid smothering the turf. Feel free to forward the laboratory analyses of the proposed topdressing mix and/or mulch that you may be considering to me for further guidance.

Although difficult to see in this image, rocks are visible at the surface in this hardpan area in a green surround on Riverview. It will be a challenge to grow healthy turf in this area where the root zone is minimal.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS Willowbrook and Willowcreek courses – It was good to see that the new pump station and new lake are online and these projects turned out just as expected. With such improvements, the courses are in a good position to be ready for the upcoming irrigation renovation. It was also good to see that the new golf course maintenance facility and the additional portion for the skilled trade section are nearly complete. The new facility will be a good addition for the agronomic team. In addition, you may consider an electronic job board for the new maintenance facility that can offer many benefits such as better tracking of labor hours for each task and for supervisors to be able to modify maintenance schedules when out on the golf course. For more information on this technology, please follow this link Task Tacker by ASB (Advanced Scoreboards LLC).

http://advancedscoreboard.com/index.php

http://advancedscoreboard.com/index.php


An image captured at a golf facility in northern California shows a monitor displaying work assignments for the morning maintenance schedule.

The new turf care facility offers a substantial improvement to the maintenance operation.


The renovated lake on Willowbrook includes a gunite edge and a shallow safety ledge that extends several feet from the lake edge.

The Watertronics™ pump station on Willowbrook will deliver the water volume and pressure to be successful with the new irrigation system.


CONCLUSION Thank you for the opportunity to visit and offer assistance with your turf maintenance programs. Best wishes for continued progress, and I look forward to being of further assistance on behalf of the USGA Green Section. Respectfully submitted,

Brian Whitlark, Agronomist USGA Green Section bw:dc Distribution: Brian Duthu, Director of Golf

recreation centers of sun city - sun city, arizona · 4/4/2017 · putting greens ... was...

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