Seeding Winterkill Areas

It is well known that Bella Vista had one of the harshest winters on record. Many Bermudagrass areas were lost due to the cold, dry winter. We have replaced numerous lost areas with truckloads of sod and have also fertilized many areas to encourage recovery. However, since Mother Nature decided to skip spring and go straight to summer, we still have areas that need attention on our courses.

You will notice an area at BVCC, in the left rough on #18, has been roped off. This area has been seeded with Riviera Bermudagrass, one of the few cultivars that are available in seed. We have connected two temporary sprinklers to our irrigation system and have built a program that will turn these two sprinklers on for 10 minutes every two hours. Once germination occurs (the stage where you physically see the green turf emerging from the seedling) we will be able to reduce the frequency of water. It is crucial, that while we attempt to grow in this area, that you play it as “ground under repair”.

It is our goal, this summer, to not only repair this area, but also, a few other Bermudagrass areas around the course. This fall we will switch our focus to fescue areas. We have several areas at BVCC that are thin or even bare underneath trees. Bermudagrass requires at least 8 hours of sunlight every day. Fescue, the most shade tolerant of all grasses, only requires 4 hours of sunlight per day. These areas will present a little more of a challenge to grow in because the fescue will be competing with the tree roots for water. But with your help and cooperation, we are confident that we will enhance these areas with more turf coverage.

Thank you for your cooperation as we strive to make our courses the most aesthetically appealing and playable as we can. We look forward to successful results!