Course update


As the 2013 summer is coming to an end, we have now begun
preparing for fall seeding and aerification.  Fall greens
and tees aerification will be September 24-27 and fairway
aerification will be October 1-11.  We will be pulling cores
in all areas this year and incorporating sand in the greens and tees.
Some holes will be closed during aerification for worker safety and
to speed up this process.  Check in with the golf shop for daily updates .
This year I will also be posting hole closures and the aerification process
on TWITTER @michaeloxmoor for your convenience.   


You will begin seeing a lot of areas turning white throughout the
course.  A new chemical has been introduced to the golf industry
that eradicates bermuda, Dallis grass, and goose grass in fescue, rye,
and bentgrass with little to no damage.  These areas turn white because
the chemical is inhibiting the plant from producing chlorophyll. 
This is a pretty exciting product that many superintendents having been
dreaming of for a very long time.  Something that can control Bermuda
in bentgrass is a miracle and will prevent us from doing total grass kills
to eradicate. The two pictures below, #3 rough, are our test areas to
see how effective this product will be and to test our rates out before
applying to the fairways.  You will continue to see this for the remainder
of the season.





Pictured above is a healthy Ash tree and below is a soon to be dead Ash.
Many of you have probably heard of the Emerald Ash Borer on the news.
It's now at Oxmoor and has started slowly killing these trees.  At
this time we have approximately 12 Ash trees infected with the borer.  We have
close to 70 Ash trees on the property.  We will soon be removing the infected
trees and treating the remainder.  All trees that are cut down will be burned
at the debris pile to help eradicate this pest.  I will keep you posted!



 

 

 

The Superintendent's Revenge is returning to Oxmoor on

Sunday, October 13, 2013.  All proceeds will go to the purchase

of Knockout Roses to be installed along #9 lake bridge side.

I have posted photoshopped pictures in the clubhouse for

what this space will look like.  I hope everyone can attend

this now annual event for a great time with friends and to
win prizes.   

 

Course update

The path leading to #4 has been installed.  Soil areas
have been seeded and strawed, much like we did with
#7 path, so it may take some time to establish with this
heat.

The railing for #7 will soon be installed. 

Some of the native areas will have large dead spots where we applied
herbicides to eradicate some unsightly Johnson Grass.







We are installing a different type of cart traffic barrier on #10, since someone
or something keeps cutting the ropes.  Check it out and let me know what you think.



This area, on the right of #11 fairway, has not received every fungicide
application this year.  This just proves how valuable these
products are to the golf industry.



Course Update

 

We have now received all of our 35 fairway heads
and 10 valves to replace some of the out dated irrigation
equipment.  11 of the heads have been installed,

though it seems mother nature doesn't really want us
to use it this year and I'm OK with that.   This will not
replace all heads in the fairways, but it is helping

us move in the right direction. 

Irrigation clocks are almost complete.  You may have noticed these poles
at some of the stations.  These are for satellite signals to the central
computer at the maintenance facility.  This will aid in monitoring
and fine tuning watering cycles more closely and should prove helpful
in reducing water usage.





All the native areas have been cut back and we will continue to clean
out the existing weeds over the next week.  We mow the native areas
not only to increase pace of play, but mowing also helps reduce the
weed population.  This also gives us the chance to eliminate
some of the hardier plants through chemical applications. 
We will not mow these areas again till late fall and early winter.

 



Work has begun on repairing bridges at #5 and #3.  We should
have these completed by end of next week. 



Course update

It is that time of year again where we will begin to see some browning in the fairways and this article describes why.  I thought this year I would present an article by the USGA on the difference between cool-season turfgrass and warm-season turfgrasses. Please read the entire article and take special note of the location  this article and that we are in the transition zone of the United States.  If you have any further questions please contact me at mcoy@oxmoorcountryclub.com.

Course Care: Cool- And Warm-Season Grasses

Posted: 8/29/2012

By USGA

What is the difference between cool-season and warm-season grasses? Extreme summer heat and the current drought have prompted discussions about replacement turfgrass options on our fairways. (Kentucky)

The difference between cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses comes down to basic plant physiology. More specifically, it is how the plant performs photosynthesis, or the conversion of carbon dioxide and light into oxygen and carbohydrates, the latter which serves as food energy for the plant. Cool-season turfgrasses use the C₃ photosynthetic pathway and respond differently to temperature extremes and environmental stresses than warm-season plants that use the C₄ pathway. If you’ve ever heard a plant referenced as either a C₃ or C₄ plant, now you know why.

Practically speaking, and as their names suggest, every turfgrass species has a specific temperature range in which it maintains growth. Cool-season turfgrasses grow best in cooler climates or during cool, moist periods of the year when soil temperatures are between 60 and 75°F. Bentgrasses, bluegrasses, fescues and perennial ryegrass are typical cool-season turfgrass species used for fairways in the U.S. In contrast, warm-season turfgrasses perform optimally in warmer climates or during warmer parts of the year when temperatures are between 80 and 95°F. Popular warm-season turfgrasses include zoysiagrass, bermudagrass, buffalograss and seashore paspalum.

Obviously these are general temperature ranges and every turfgrass species is best adapted to particular climatic zones or regions. Cool-season turfgrasses lack the heat tolerance to be extensively used throughout the southern U.S. and poor cold tolerance limits the use of warm-season species in the north. The regions of the U.S. where both cool-season and warm-season turgrasses are utilized are often collectively referred to as the transition zone. Not surprisingly, selecting a fairway turfgrass for use in the transition zone can be a difficult decision.

Course Update



Next Wednesday we will be removing some the bentgrass sod at the chiping
fairway and replacing it with fescue sod.  We will be removing all the bentgrass
behind the white line, pictured above, to improve this area during heat stress.     

 


 

All areas have now been sodded where trees were removed earlier this season.



The new electric greens unit is working perfectly and is performing beyond my
expectations.  Not only has the quality of cut improved, but cut time has decreased
and noise levels have been eliminated.  Since it is electric, there will not
be anymore hydraulic leaks or fuel burns from faulty lines and a fuel
savings of $2,700.00 a year.  



The fence on #16 is now complete and I would like to thank everyone that helped
in the installation.  I would also like to thank everyone who has helped weed
flower beds, add landscaping, and filled divots in our last
two Oxmoor "Ownership Program" evenings.   



 The Monday after the Crystal Classic we will begin cutting back all the native areas.
This will only be done once this summer and again late fall.  Doing this will improve
aesthetics and playability.

 

This past Monday was the first Oxmoor Ownership Program and it turned out to be
a great success.  We began installing a pasture fence along #16, trimming trees,
weeding flower beds, and filling divots.  We will finish up the fence next Monday, so
come out and join the fun.  I would like to thank all the members for their hard work
and in making this event a success. 

Master's just next week!


This is my favorite time of year, with the Master's starting next week, spring is sure to be on the way.  I have had several members asking when the spring aerification will begin and at this time it is unknown.  We are waiting for the new greens aerifier to arrive from the dealer.  I will keep everyone posted on the dates and times.  We will perform a solid tine aerification with a heavy topdressing, so play should not be affected.  Below are a few reminders and course cultural changes for the year. 

When you see the black posts, please return carts to the path.
This is done to reduce stress to approaches and keep green
banks healthy. 



We have extended the approach cuts on all holes with fairways.  In past
years we only mowed 10' of an approach, so now we have extended it to
~ 50 ft.  Hopefully this will aid in your short game.



We have now added a 5'3" step cut around all fairways to aid in improving those
lies adjacent to the rough.  The step cut circles the entire fairway and green complex.
So heights from fairways are now rough at 3", step cut at 1.25" and fairway at 1/2". 
Green surrounds are now rough 3", step cut 1.25", collar 3/8" and greens 1/8". I
hope this will help in turf transitions and your shots.



Spring is also the season when Poa annua is popping seed heads.
These seed heads can affect ball roll tremendously, so we have
applied a turfgrass growth regulator to suppress them.  This regulator
turns the turf yellow and makes the greens appear weak. This will
subside after a few weeks.   



All bunkers have now been edged and two semi loads of sand have been added.
A third load has been ordered and will soon be incorporated into the bunkers.

 


You may have noticed all these circle areas throughout the course.  These were
trees that had been removed and we have now prepped the ground for
sod.  Trees adjacent to greens cause a variety of turf issues, such as root
encroachment, shading, moisture loss and playability.

We have added two sand bottle stands to the course.  One is at the practice facility and
the other is at #10 tees.  Please place your empty bottles in the lower box to be refilled.





I have also noticed a large amount of ballmarks on the greens.  The rule of thumb is to

repair your ball mark and two others.  If you are unsure of how to properly repair
a ballmark, check the course conditions board next to the pro shop.
Repairing your divot and ball mark allows the golfers behind you to have your
same experience.  

 

Course Update

I hope everyone enjoyed last weekends warm weather and I certainly hope spring is just around the corner.  The seasonal maintenance staff is now beginning to ramp back up.  We should be fully staffed by mid May, so I appreciate your patience as we improve areas throughout the course.  Bunkers will soon be edged and today we will be receiving two semi loads of sand to the maintenance facility.

Through the winter we removed some trees around greens to improve air flow, reduce roots encroaching into greens, increase sunlight and improve overall bentgrass health.  The pics below show you the trees removed.


This Austrian Pine was on the back right of #2 green.  Notice
the weak turf in the foreground where roots are causing
the turf to decline.




This Austrian Pine was back left of #2 green.  Hopefully the bentgrass will recover
on the collar and green.

  


This Spruce was behind #7 green.  The rough, collar and green
should begin to recover.





This Spruce was removed from back right of #5 green.  The
roots encroaching into the green have been taking out
turf for a while now.





This Spruce was behind #15 green.





This pine was removed from right side of #1 green.



This winter we also built two divot sand bottle stands.  Hopefully
these will make great additions in improving turf quality.  One
will be placed at the practice facility and the other at #10 tees.