August Turf Management Update

Hard to believe that August has arrived already. With about 30 inches of rain year-to-date, this summer has been wetter than usual. I often say, “It’s better when I can control how much water the golf course gets,” but this summer has truly tested that statement. Fortunately, the golf course drains well, and it sure has kept the rough lush and green.

Managing Turf Stress
The extended wet conditions, however, have begun to stress the turf significantly. All the rain has led to a lack of rooting, weakening the turf’s ability to maintain its health. Additionally, when the turf is weak due to excessive moisture, it leads to disease and abiotic stress. (See photos and captions) Some of these diseases we seldom encounter, much less as many at once as we have seen this year. In the coming weeks, you will notice tee boxes and a few other areas being aerified. This process helps alleviate compaction, aids in organic matter reduction, helps dry out the soils, and improves moisture penetration into the soil profile—all to help the plant recover from the stresses of summer. Please be patient as we move through these maintenance practices.

Bipolaris Leaf Spot—This is a fungal disease that we have not historically seen, can be unsightly purple leaf to tan or melting out of the turf.
Dollar Spot—Fungal disease that is normally controlled through a normal plant protectant spray; this year’s pressure has been one of the highest we have ever seen.
Anthracnose – fungal disease that typically is a secondary disease that attacks Annual Blue Grass (Poa) I try to not treat for this disease as it is helping to eliminate the Poa Annua, but with the amount of Poa in the greens there is a fine line between let the disease ride and regrow in Bentgrass and still having quality turf on the green.
Necrotic Ring Spot—Fungal disease not seen very often, affects the roots of the turf ultimately killing the turf, best if treated preventively, normally found on blue grass banks.
Take-All Patch – fungal disease caused by prolonged wet and moderate soil temperature in the fall and spring of the year with symptoms not showing up until early summer.
Yellow Patch—Fungal disease seen in areas that typically do not dry out, which this year does not eliminate many areas. Tends to recover as we move into cooler, dryer times of the year, but can be quite unsightly as we go through times of high heat and humidity.
Fairy Ring—This fungal disease is dark green circles or even part circles that a fixate nitrogen, causing the darker green rings. Most of the time we only see some mushrooms growing from these dark colored rings. But there are times and conditions that can cause turf death if not treated.
Localized Dry Spots (LDS)—Areas of soil that stop taking moisture, need to make applications of wetting agents to aide in the recovery.
Deer Urine—If everything else is not enough there is always wildlife that can contribute to the turf stress. The smell of these spots give them away along with turf that dies with a dark green and excessive growth around the edges.

Greens Venting
I am also planning a mini tine or spiking of the greens, timing it carefully around weather conditions and club events. This procedure will allow the greens to breathe and provide slight compaction relief from daily mowing and rolling. This gas exchange and compaction relief will benefit both plant and soil health with minimal to no disruption to the playing surface.


Greens Interseeding Program
Our Greens Interseeding Program will continue August 20th and 21st. During this time, the nine holes being worked on will be closed to ensure we can complete this process smoothly, as the current plan is to slit seed in two directions, followed by a mow, double roll, and topdressing. We will reopen each set of nine holes as soon as possible and appreciate your understanding.

The interseeding process is a delicate balance as we aim to maintain an acceptable putting surface while timing is crucial. The summer months provide an opportunity to outcompete the annual bluegrass weakened by the summer stresses. However, the same stresses can also be tough on young bentgrass seedlings. For a few weeks following interseeding, the greens may need careful monitoring to help the seedlings survive.

The photo below shows the slits in the green where seed has been placed (left arrow) and the seedlings emerging from the soil (right arrows).

The arrow on the left point to the slits in the green where seed has been placed and the two arrows on the right show the seedlings emerging from the soil.


Long-Term Conversion to Bentgrass
Seeding the greens once is just a small step in converting the greens to the new cultivars of bentgrass. This process will be repeated every August and late October/early November for many years. It is not a sprint but a marathon. Fully converting the greens to the “Super Bents” while outcompeting the current Poa Annua/Bentgrass greens will take years.

Enjoying the Golf Season
Despite the wet summer, we have had a lot of good golf. While August seemed to sneak up on us, there is still plenty of summer left. August is always a fun yet busy month for golf, starting with the Invitational and moving towards the Club Championship. Good luck to all participants! Enjoy your club as the season transitions, with kids heading back to school and, before you know it, the leaves will begin to change color.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

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