January 14, 2011 -- Volume 49, Number 2

The lower area of the Mid-Continent Region is in the coldest part of winter, and we are experiencing temperatures that call for attention.  Superintendents must make sure that their bermudagrass greens are well hydrated during freeze/thaw cycles, especially under windy conditions that can quickly lead to desiccation.  This is true for all dormant bermudagrass areas on the golf course - especially tees and mounds.

As a rule of thumb, most superintendents cover their greens when temperatures are going to be about 28�F or lower overnight, especially if it is windy or if the following day and night are colder-than-normal.  If the following day is going to be warm, say, above 50�, many superintendents do not even cover the greens at 28-29� or above.

With bentgrass greens, playing on frosted, frozen, or partially-thawed greens is the biggest dilemma, and often the most heated argument!  Golfers understand frost delays, but many believe that playing on frozen greens does no damage.  To a large extent, this is simply not true unless the frost line is three to four inches deep and play is extremely light. 

Read the rest of this update.

Obviously, this is a rhetorical question for golf course superintendents.  However, golfers are often unaware of winter work.  Although there are few agronomic issues to discuss in the Mid-Atlantic Region with recent weather patterns, the golf course maintenance staff still has a lot of important work to do.  With freezing temperatures and, in many cases, snow cover, golfers tend to stay away from the golf course and believe that the maintenance operation is dormant.  These same golfers may ask, "What can possibly be going on at the maintenance facility when there is no grass to mow or bunkers to rake?"  The answer is -- plenty.

Read the rest of this update. 

Several frosts have occurred since the previous regional update, and temperatures have dropped into the upper 20's at night on a few occasions.  These temperatures have caused warm season turf to stop growing and go off-color, especially on golf courses with increased golf cart traffic.  Several winter management strategies were discussed in the previous regional update and can be reviewed by clicking on the following link.

http://www.usga.org/course_care/regional_updates/regional_reports/florida/Jack-Frost-Is-Already-Nipping---December-2010/ 

I recently visited Vanderbilt Country Club in Naples, Florida where they have the fertility spray program down to a science.  Golf Course Superintendent Stuart Bothe has been gracious enough to share a few valuable tips on the success of this program.

Read the rest of this update.

One of the most important steps in estimating the cost of any golf course project is to accurately measure the area involved. This is easier said than done given the irregular shapes of greens, bunkers, fairways, etc. Fortunately, there is an on-line tool that makes the marking and measuring of such areas extremely simple and surprisingly accurate. Plus, you can save measured areas for future reference.

Google Earth is a program that most golf course superintendents have utilized to get a bird's eye view of their courses. While the free version allows you to perform liner measurements (is the 100 yard marker actually 100 yards from the center of #7 green?) it does not provide the ability to measure the area of polygons. By upgrading to the paid version, Google Earth Pro, any portion of the course can be easily outlined and the area calculated. Outlined areas can be saved and used in presentations and other documentation. Google Earth Pro costs $399 per year and Google offers a free seven-day trial period. Check it out for yourself at the Google Earth site.

This bunker was selected in just a few seconds and calculated to have an area of 3334.78 square feet and a perimeter of 381.44 linear feet. (Picture courtesy of Travis Moore, director of maintenance, Club at Sonterra, San Antonio, Texas)

Important Links