Cultural Practices - What does this really include? Part 2

Topdressing is a major component of an effective aerifcation program.

• Topdressing adds new sand to dilute and reduce the amount of organic matter
• Todressing sand provides water/air channels through the green in the aerification holes

Typically there are two types of topdressing practices implemented

• Infrequent heavy topdressing performed after aerifications
• Frequent light topdressings or a dusting of sand throughout the year

Infrequent Heavy Topdressing

• Primary purpose is to fill all holes and enusre a smoother putting surface after an aerification
• Sand disappears approximately in 10-14 days during the growing season

Frequent Light Topdressing

• Primary purpose is to maintain smooth playability, firmness and dilute organic matter
• Sand disappears approximately in 5-7 days during the growing season
• Light topdressing offers the least amount of disruption to golfers versus infrequent heavy amounts of topdressing sand
  

Fairway Height of Cut

MDCC's Bermudagrass fairways, during the active growing season, are mowed at 1/2" in height. The fairway units are set by an Accu-Gauge measurement tool that measures to the thousandth of an inch to ensure each cutting height is exact. Measuring out in the field is nearly impossible without a prism gauge. A prism gauge allows the golf course superintendent or equipment manager to relate the height of cut to the actual measured height of cut. Below are pictures illustrating an Accu-Gauge measurement tool and a Prism Gauge with the actual reading of a fairway measurement height.

Accu-Gauge Measurement Tool for setting cutting heights



Prism Gauge Measurement Tool used to measure actual height of cut in the field



Below is the actual cutting height measured in the 13th fairway. The current reading measured is slightly above 1/2". 4 hours after mowing, approximately 1/3 of the total area sampled have leaf blades measuring up to 5/8". By the next scheduled mowing, which is every other day, an 1/8" to 1/4" of growth will have occurred.

Prism Gauge Measure of the 13th fairway

Cultural Practices - What does this really include? Part 1

Cultural practices would include, mechanical procedures preformed on turf to reduce stresses and promote proper health. Such practices include aerification and topdressing to name a few. Aerification is an extremely important cultural practice. Although it results in a temporary disruption of the green, aerification improves water penetration into the soil, reduces soil compaction, stimulates turfgrass root growth for a healthier plant, helps control thatch build-up, and improves overall growing conditions.

• Core aerification is necessary to maintain appropriate organic matter content, which over time decreases the lifespan of a green

• Not aerifing will cause organic matter to build and increase disease pressure and reduced gas exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen

Approximate Recovery Times after Aerifications:
(depending on weather)

• Spring Aerifications (March) have an expected recovery time of 3-4 weeks to heal 100%

• Early Summer Aerifications (May) have an expected recovery time of 2-3 weeks to heal 100%
  

• Summer Aerifications (June) have an expected recovery time of 1-2 weeks to heal 100%

• Fall Aerifications (September) have an expected recovery time of 2-3 weeks to heal 100%

Brief description of each aerification:

• Spring aerifications open the green's surface to allow more heat into the soil profile and increase growth due to warmer soil temperatures. Spring aerifications also remove organic material generated from the previous fall and winter months.
  

• Early summer aerifications remove orgainc material when the plants are at their hgihest peak of growing and generating orgainic material.
  

• Summer aerifications provide open water and air channels to allow thundershowers to past through the green and allow CO2 to escape from the green's soil profile and allow O2 in.
  

• Fall aerifications remove orgainc material from the stressful summer months when turf plants are performing their life cycle of growing and dying.
  

Golf Course Status and Upcoming Events

Located throughout the property you can see monthly updated information of the golf course status and upcoming events. This is information to keep the membership up to date with cultural practices, projects and other vital information for members to know. These informational sheets can be found on the Men's Locker Room Board, Women's Locker Room Board, Pro Shop Information Board, and each restroom located on the golf course.

Spring Dead Spot Disease

If you have noticed the dead patches in some of the fairways, the patches are caused from a disease. The disease is called Spring Dead Spot Disease or SDS. This disease attacks Bermuda grass in the fall from soil borne pathogens. These circular patches of turf can range from 6 inches in diameter to several feet and remain dormant as the surrounding turf turns green. The patches of dormant turf eventually disintegrate, leaving depressions in the playing surface. In the fall, the pathogen infects the turf and penetrates root systems inhibiting water and nutrients to be transported. Over the course of the winter when the turf is dormant, there are no symptoms evident and everything appears normal making it unable to predict the severity of the disease. In the spring, as the weather begins to warm, the infected turf is unable to draw water and nutrients to break dormancy. For decades this disease has plagued Bermuda grass in the transition zone and extensive research and trails have been performed with no luck in confirming cost-effective and reliable fungicide treatment. The magic bullet for solving this disease has not been found. To reduce the amount of time that these spots are apparent is achieved by continuously verticutting and reapplying fertilizers to encourage the healthy turf outside of the patch to fill in. Currently after our fertilization and verticutting, 3-4 inches of new growth encroaching into the patch has already been observed in the infected areas.

Spring Dead Spot

June 9th 2009



July 12th 2009

#6 Green Back Drop

#6 Green back drop transitioned to Master Plan of utilizing native grasses, pine trees, and hollies all native to this area and consistent with the surroundings of MacGregor Downs Country Club.

#6 Green Back Drop before Master Plan Transition



#6 Green Back Drop after Master Plan Transition

Creek Improvements

As part of the Master Plan, creek bed restoration has been a focus to restore our banks from eroding and allow to water to move through and off the property appropriately. #4 and #12 creek beds have been restored with more to come in the future.

#4 Creek Restoration In Progress



#4 Creek Finished



#12 Creek Restoration In Progress



#12 Creek Finished

Rain Event June 2009

Rainfall is a mighty force of mother nature. On June 16th 2009 the course received almost 4.5" of rain in approximately a 4 hour time frame. Illustrated in the photos are areas of flooding and the amount of debris that flows from upstream creeks littering our lake with debris. Full sized trees, paper debris and kids toys are just a few items witnessed being washed into MacGregor Lake. As the water begins to subside majority of this debris is deposited into our coves and shorelines were we continuously remove the unsightly items. Obviously the lake edges become more contaminated with debris after a rain event and constant effort is being made to remove this debris.

Flooding #16



Flooding #18





Flooding #4



Spillway Releasing Overflow



Debris being washed into MacGregor Lake





Upstream Creek following into MacGregor Lake

Identity of MacGregor Downs

Over the past several years MacGregor Downs Country Club has improved its facilities and aesthetics through various projects. These projects have, by design, implemented an overall theme or consistent guideline based on a Master Plan created for the Club by Bob Moore. This “theme” or “identity” adopts a range of landscape materials to introduce new elements and styles that are complementary to the strongest existing elements of the club, such as:

1. The Clubhouse, with its architectural style and associated construction material.
2. The main entrance, with its stone columns and walls.
3. The natural landscape character of the site, with its rolling hills, lob lolly pines, hardwood forests, and native ornamental grasses.
4. The central lake, which is perhaps the strongest single visual element.
5. The most attractive landscape areas throughout the Club grounds.

Meet the Crew

Every year during Tartan, before parading down to #18, the crew takes a family picture.

Air Circulation around Greens

Air circulation can be affected by many different environmental conditions, such as trees and hole routing orientation. Correcting these micro-environment conditions specific to each hole can be a challenge. One way of alleviating air circulation problems is the use of turf fans. Turf fans have become an essential way to reduce heat stress, circulate disease-causing stagnant air, and evaporate excess moisture that can result in algae growth. Because solar heat has a devastating effect on turf grass, the alleviation of heat stress is the primary reason for turf fan use on golf greens. Fan use can lower the surface temperature of a green up to 10 degrees and the soil temperature approximately 4 degrees, as well as cool the turf grass internally to create an overall healthier environment for plant growth. Hours of operation for turf fans vary from one green site to another. Every green has its own micro-environment where Mother Nature plays a role in sunlight, shade, air circulation, and angle of the sun to the green. Depending on environmental conditions for each area, some green sites need fan operation 24 hours per day, while others may require only 16 hours. Every green site is different, and hours of operation will be adjusted when necessary.



Core operating periods for fans are July and August, weather depending; operation will be required at times during June and September, but will be limited to stressful days of the week. During the colder months of the year the fans are not needed on the golf course; they are typically stored at the course maintenance facility from October through May. Fans are currently installed on holes 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and the chipping facility. Other holes do not have fans because there are no limiting micro-environments that warrant their use, such as holes bordering the lake where air circulation is not restrictive.

Syringing Greens

Syringe crews provide assistance to turf plants during the summer stresses. A syringe crew will monitor each green from late morning into the night, ensuring no turf plant becomes too stressed from high temperatures and lack of water. Each crew member is trained to apply just the right amount of water to allow cooling for the turf plant. Cooling occurs through evapotranspiration, which is water evaporating off the leaf blade similar to when humans perspire to cool our bodies. Cooling turf plants is only a temporary condition. Turf plant temperatures can be lowered 10 of 15 degrees for approximately 15 to 20 minutes when water has been applied. Syringe crews are vital to the survival of the greens and important that they quickly move from green to green. We appreciate your patience when crews are performing this task, and ask that you give crews the right of way. Turf plants can stress within minutes. If a syringe crew member is on a green when you are approaching to hit your golf shot, please allow them to attend to the greens in a timely manner to ensure that each turf plant receives attention.

Traffic Patterns

It is the heat of summer again at MacGregor Downs. With it comes stress to all of the turf types on the golf course. One area that sees a lot of stress is the high cart and foot traffic areas along the edges of the cart paths and green walk up areas. Traffic wear patterns show up quickly and can be difficult to maintain and alleviate. Ropes and cart signs used by the maintenance staff are placed in these areas to reduce the amount of traffic during play. Using these tools help us minimize compaction by redirecting traffic away from suspect areas. The signs of compaction are shown by reduced plant growth, browning out, and thinning of the turf areas.

#2 Green Walk Up



#5 Tee



#5 Green Walk Up



#8 Tee



Please follow any redirecting signage and help us prevent compaction in high traffic areas.

In these areas that receive high traffic, we are trying a product to help reduce the amount of compaction and the reason to resod those areas every year. #4 tee walk up has a product called Tuff Tracks installed. Tuff Tracks is a plastic honeycomb shaped track installed under the sod that restricts traffic from walking or driving directly on the clay soil and turf plants. Tuff Tracks allow turf plants to establish inside the honeycomb shapes under the point of where traffic occurs. Plants can survive and regrow in the track without compaction and stress. After the end of the year, #4 will be evaluated and determined if Tuff Tracks is a success. If a success other areas of high traffic will have Tuff Tracks installed as well.

Tuff Tracks

Fairway Vertical Cutting

Vertical Cutting takes place typically one to two times per year during the growing season for Bermudagrass. Vertical cutting is necessary for removing excessive thatch and encourage new upright growth of turf plants. Vertical cutting slices turf plants and trigger new plants to generate from each plant cut. Vertical cutting helps fairways to become more dense and provide a tighter playing surface. Typically after completion of vertical cutting, recovery time for Bermudagrass is generally 2 weeks to 100% uniformity throughout the fairways.

Vertical Cutting Equipment



Vertical Cutting



Our fairways are constantly groomed by the fairway mowing units. The fairway mowers are equipped with groomers or mini vertical cutting blades. The groomers are set to slightly engage the turf leaf blade each time a fairway is cut. Grooming only effects the top 10% of leaf tissue unlike Vertical Cutting that effects the lower portion of the plant. Grooming on a constant basis allows the turf to remain in an upright growth state and reduce scalping from turf blades laying over, resulting in a puffing turf canopy where cutting units can fluctuate in height.

Fairway Groomer



Upright Vertical Growth

Golf Course Care

The driving range tee has many divots taken out of the tee everyday and in an effort to minimize the disturbed area and minimize the amount of time for recovery, we ask that divots be made from front to back in your practice area. The picture demonstrates this from left to right. After each divot is removed, the ball should be placed on good turf behind the divot and then struck again. A longer, slender divot is much easier to repair and will heal much quicker. You should then allow one inch to two inches between rows so that there is a small strip of turf between every row.



Below is a view of divots which are in a large group and the area covers between 1-2 feet. This area is very difficult to get enough sand to transition between the removed area and the turfed area. Instead of filling this spot one time with sand, it takes 2 or 3 times to get this area smooth. These large group of divots are the areas on the tee that create high and low teeing surfaces causing an uneven playing surface.

Golf Course Care

Director of Golf, Ben Hynson and Golf Course Superintendent, Steffie Safrit offer an instructional video for proper golf course care concerning golf cart operations, raking bunkers, repairing divots and repairing ball marks.

Summer Annuals In Bloom

The summer annuals are planted and bringing color and life to the club. This years summer annuals consist of red and white begonias, yellow marigolds, blue salvias, and white mandevilla. Annuals beds are established around the club, pool, tennis, Highway 64 front entrance, and the golf course. MacGregor Downs's landscape division have done a terrific job keeping these annuals full of life and color for all to enjoy. The landscape division performs a routine schedule of hand watering regularly to help with establishment and vigor, weeding, deadheading and weekly fertilizer applications.