REDHAWK SPRING GREENS AERIFICATION 4/16 - 4/17

It's time again for our regular Spring greens aerification!  which means we will be punching holes in the greens to give them a much needed breath of fresh air after a long and strenuous winter.  Greens aerification is a very common practice done on golf courses all around the world to maintain high quality playing surfaces.

Aerification serves as one of the most vital agronomic practices we as golf course managers can do to maintain a healthy stand of turfgrass to handle mechanical stress caused by foot traffic and golf course equipment.  As well as the extreme desert climate conditions through the hot Summer months.

A question that I am frequently asked is, why do we punch greens this time of year when the greens are growing so nicely?...

The answer is dependent on the type of turfgrass you are aerifying.  Here at RedHawk, our greens are made up of Dominant Plus bentgrass.  Bentgrass is most actively growing in the Spring and Fall seasons, which makes this time of the year ideal for the greens to make a safe and speedy recovery.  If we were to perform these types of mechanical practices during periods of heat stress in the summer or slow growth in the winter, then we risk turf lose or prolonged recovery time of the holes.

Our scheduled dates for aerification will begin this coming Monday the 15th in the afternoon on the practice facility greens.  Tuesday, The front nine will be closed for aerfication while the back nine will remain open for play.  Our final day, Wednesday, will switch to a back nine closure for greens aerfication and the front will re-open for play.  By Thursday all 18 holes will be open for play.  Below are the dates to note for next week;

4/15 - Practice facility greens in the afternoon

4/16 - Front nine closed for greens aerifcation (Back nine is open for play)

4/17 - Back nine closed for greens aerification (Front nine is open for play)

We thank you for your understanding and patience with all of our efforts to make RedHawk Golf Club a fun and enjoyable golfing experience.

-Your Maintenance Team

IDENTIFY THIS... Localized Dry Spots

 

 

 



Let's take a closer look at some challenges we are facing here at RedHawk.  You may notice, through your observations while practicing or playing on the course, wilted brown irregular shaped turfgrass on some of the greens.  The picture shown below is a typical condition know as Localized dry spots (LDS).

Localized dry spots are irregular turf spots that show signs of drought stress causing discoloration and wilt of the turf.  The cause of LDS, can be found underneath in the soils in which the roots are growing in.  Even under a regular regimented nutrient program, LDS can still occur.  The formation of LDS can be a number of factors; excessive thatch (un-decomposed organic matter), soil compaction, steep sloping grade (water runoff), etc.  Typically, under these conditions the turf is responding to a lack of water in the root system causing the turf itself to wilt.  When LDS conditions continue to increase the soil will become hydrophobic making the percolation of water less uniform across the soil profile, causing these dry spots to appear.

Rest assured, we are currently addressing this condition from all the angles for the short and long term health and success of the golf course.  For questions or comments please email us or post a comment to our blog. 

Until next time, play well and enjoy the RedHawk experience!

-RedHawk Golf Club Maintenance Team

Course Updates:

As your new Golf Course Superintendent I look forward to serving all who come and experience our property by providing an outstanding experience from the moment you arrive to when you leave. 

As the manager of all greens and grounds here at RedHawk, it is my duty to ensure quality playing conditions each and every day while being conscience of the turfgrass health we all love and enjoy.  A big part of my job is to plan and execute agronomic and operational practices to maintain our most prized asset, the golf course.  The acute effects of some of these practices may result in less than ideal conditions.  However, with your patience and understanding, we can achieve a more sustainable golf course now and for the future!

What can you expect to see in the upcoming months?

This time of the year you can expect to see us beginning our aerfication practices.  As Spring temperatures creep up so does the active growth of our cool season blue/ryegrass tees, fairways, rough, and bentgrass greens.  The timing of this must be carefully planed when temperatures are just right in order to reduce stress on the turf to promote a speedy and healthy recovery.  Among many added benefits to aerification, relieving compaction from golf cart  and foot traffic, and providing oxygen into the root system will dramatically improve the overall turfgrass health and lead to increased quality playing conditions.  You can expect aerification to continue on in through the months of April and May. 

Also, as part of the rejuvenation of key design elements on the golf course, we are beginning to refine and enhance the bunker edges and conditions in hopes to showcase our expansive bunkers by giving them more visual appeal. 

In addition, areas of concern and maintenance challenges are currently being evaluated and prioritized to be taken care of in order of playability impact and turf health conditions.  Through out the logging of events on this blog, you will see some practices we do behind the scenes to solve these concerns and overcome these challenges.

Please stop by the website for more course updates and interesting practices we do here at RedHawk Golf Club.  If you have any questions feel free to email, call, or post a comment on this blog!

With Best Regards,

Your Maintenance Staff

Welcome to the Land of Enchantment's most beautiful and unique destinations, RedHawk Golf Club.  The object of this blog is to provide an in-depth view behind the scenes of the  golf course maintenance operations. We, as the managers and stewards of this property, are here to inform and educate our members' and guests' of new and exciting things we do to provide good quality playing conditions.

Please check back with us periodically as we progress through each day, week, and month to ensuring your golf experience is positive and enjoyable. 

With Best Regards,

-The Golf Course Maintenance Team