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#8 White Tee Box Kingswood

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On April 29 we had an irrigation mainline blow out under the white tee box. The line was buried 6 feet deep and in order to safely repair the line we had to dig a trench that removed half of the tee surface.

Instead of rebuilding the tee in it’s present location and risking another irrigation leak, we will move the tee to the right. This will allow us to build a larger tee and shape the slope to allow easier access. All work will be completed by the golf maintenance staff.

The tee should be ready for play by July 1. Until then, the white tee markers will be moved forward to the back of the red tee box.

Thank you,

Reed Holly, Kingswood Golf Course Suptintendent

More Recognition For Berksdale From Audubon International

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We received notice April 24th that our Water Quality Management and Water Conservation submissions were accepted. Many thanks to Chris Fuller and his team with the Lake Ecology and Water Quality department for sampling and providing detailed water quality assessments over the last couple of years.  We are proud to say Little Sugar Creek leaves Berksdale healthier than it comes in. Our water quality is further demonstrated by its ability to support the aquaculture program guided by Rick Echols. We are in our third year of helping raise stock for the Bella Vista lakes.

Water conservation on golf courses is a key topic nationally. While we sometimes suffer from over- abundance on Berksdale, we remain mindful of using our resources wisely. Our irrigation system is constantly monitored and adjusted to minimize water usage while providing satisfactory playing conditions. The restructuring from 18 holes to 9, coupled with our increase in naturalized acreage, has further allowed us to reduce water consumption. All irrigation water is pumped directly from Little Sugar Creek; we can take pride in knowing that this resource is protected for all forms of use.

Wendy Barnes, Berksdale Assistant Superintendent

Scotsdale GCM Update

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The Bermuda grass has greened up and is looking great and with grass coming out of dormancy comes one of the challenges of spring. While the plant is producing chlorophyll and has a green color, growth is still slow. The temperatures are still improving for the ultra-dwarf Bermuda grass greens, which really don’t hit their full growing stage until daytime temperatures start reaching the 80’s on a regular basis. The challenge with ultra-dwarf Bermuda now is getting the speeds where we would like them to be. The process requires gradually lowering the height of cut. Due to the slow growth and turf recovery during this time of year, we accomplish this process in small increments. After several mows at new height and when we see that scalping is no longer occurring, along with more normal clipping yields, we then will lower the cutting height again. By doing these small drops in height we prevent scalping damage that would look unsightly and would result in an area slow to heal. You will notice the speeds will slowly improve over the next several weeks. Our goal is to have them at consistent speed daily and we expect to have them at the height and speed we want to maintain in two more weeks.

Another application we continually perform to help insure that ball roll remains true and smooth is topdressing and vertical mowing, a method to remove thatch or dead plant material. Topdressing and vertical mowing not only help with thatch management but staying on a consistent routine of both programs provides a much better putting surface. It’s still too early and cool to vertical cut on a regular regime, but we have started topdressing. After topdressing, we broom and roll to help incorporate the sand into the canopy of the plant. This time of year, we are doing it once every two weeks but when we get into the summer months we hope to accomplish this once a week. In the warmer months, we will start incorporating more vertical mowing since the recovery is quicker. The applications of sand will be light and after the broom roll the surface is great. This method of light and frequent topdressing will be more beneficial to everyone and provide the least impact to play and equipment wear. Below are some pictures of our process of incorporating the sand into the canopy.

 

You will also be happy to know that unlike our morning maintenance days on the bent grass courses, these maintenance procedures will be accomplished in the afternoons. The ultra-dwarf Bermuda can withstand this work in afternoons and is a much cleaner operation allowing the course to be open in mornings for tee times or group shotguns.

We at Scotsdale GCM thank you for the support and hope everyone is enjoying the course.

Kyle Soller, Scotsdale Golf Maintenance Superintendent

#1 Green Update

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The project on #1 Green at BVCC is coming along nicely. The improved drainage continues to function well which has contributed to the overall health of the green. The sod, which has been transplanted for three weeks, has tacked down into the soil. The sod seams are growing in and the turf is beginning to put down some very healthy roots. This is a great sign of a successful establishment phase.

Now that the sod has established itself, we have begun the next phase of the project which is to begin getting it playable. The main concern with playability when you sod a green is getting it level so the ball does not bounce all over when you strike a putt. To help with smoothness, we have been mowing and rolling the green every 2 to 3 days.

Another practice we have been doing to help smooth and level the sod has been top-dressing. When we top-dress, we apply sand at a heavy rate. We then use a brush to “broom” the sand into the canopy of the turf. The low spots within the sod get a little extra sand as the brush goes across the sod. The turf then grows through the sand, which then helps to level out the green. An easier way to picture this is by thinking about when you fill a divot. When you fill a divot with sand, the turf around it grows into the sand which keeps the playing surface, whether it is a tee box or fairway, level. The same is happening on #1 Green except the green is also getting help from the turf underneath the sand. We will continue this topdressing program at least once per week until we get all the low spots level with the rest of the green.

An additional practice we will begin next week will be aerifying. When we aerify, we will be removing part of the sod layer than inhibits water, fertilizer and air from getting to the roots. Not only does this help with plant health, but it also helps with play-ability. After aerifying, we will roll the sod and use that same topdressing method to continue smoothing out the surface.

While the project on #1 Green has been very tedious and time consuming, we have been very pleased with the process so far and we continue to be thankful for your patience during this project.

Thank You!

Rob Dreesen
Golf Course Superintendent
Bella Vista Country Club

Scotsdale GCM Update

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Spring is here and with it has come hot weather the past couple of weeks. The greens at Scotsdale have come out of the winter and are looking and doing great. Ground temperatures have started to come up and we are starting to see all the Bermuda beginning to change. As we go into the season we will be working on greens to help improve the ball roll and smoothness. This will increase sand topdressing utilized with vertical mowing to help keep thatch levels down. If we didn’t do this the turf would get spongy and would be more prone to problems such as diseases and insects.

With our greens being Bermuda, our aerfication dates are in the summer. This is because when this grass is growing more aggressively and healing time will be shorter. Due to being a no till grow in, we will be doing 3 core aerfications this season to help make the profile more uniform and to relieve layering that has occurred. This will help improve soil air and water capacities to a more beneficial level improving root growth and overall plant health. These will be done late May, July and August.

Below is a picture of a green and how they have made the transition out of dormancy.

Thank you for the support and understanding with our work. Looking forward to a terrific 2019 golf season here at Scotsdale.

Kyle Soller, Scotsdale Golf Maintenance Superintendent

Spring Aeration

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The POA’s Golf Maintenance Department will aerate greens beginning April 16 on Berksdale. Kingswood and Dogwood courses will also be completed during the week of April 15 – April 20. Details regarding the aeration were provided by Keith Ihms, Director of Golf Maintenance.

By core aerating greens, water and air movement are allowed throughout the greens profile. Aerating the greens will promote the overall health of the courses’ turf, aeration also works toward removing thatch and building stronger root systems.

The main purpose of pulling cores is to manage the thatch layer on the greens. The thatch layer is mostly made up of dying and un-decomposed leaf and grass material. By pulling cores we are removing some of that material and preventing it from building up to an unacceptable level.

Thatch causes the greens to become soft and spongy, which can make for poor putting conditions. When thatch gets to this point it also can become a problem dealing with the other issues it causes, such as fungus growth, mower scalping and “localized dry spots,” which will not absorb and retain moisture.

Aerating creates openings in the surface for water and nutrients to be absorbed. As well as the sand that will be used to smooth the putting surface, fill in voids and amend the green profile.

A second sand topdressing will be necessary a week or so after aeration to complete filling of the aeration holes and smooth the surface.

Weather permitting, aeration and maintenance dates and locations will be:

  • April 15 – Berksdale Golf Course will be closed for aeration.
  • April 16 – Berksdale Golf Course will be closed until 11 a.m. for maintenance.
  • April 16 – Dogwood Golf Course will be closed for aeration.
  • April 17 – Dogwood Golf Course will be closed until 11 a.m. for maintenance.
  • April 17 – Kingswood Golf Course will be closed for aeration.
  • April 18 – Kingswood Golf Course will be closed until 11 a.m. for maintenance.

The Bermuda greens at Scotsdale are scheduled to be aerated May 28 & 29, July 8 & 9 and August 5 & 6. Brittany is scheduled for July 15 & 16.

#1 Green Sod

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Spring has officially arrived, and the temperatures have begun to warm up. Thanks to Mother Nature, we were finally able to install the sod on #1 green at BVCC! You will notice a difference in color between the sod on the front of the green and the sod on the back of the green. The front sod was laid 8 days prior to the back so the color is a little darker green. Given time, all areas of the green will start to blend in and look the same.

Our plan now is to fertilize and water the sod, so it will eventually “root” into the soil and the seams will grow together. When this happens, we will then be able to do other cultural practices that will help smooth out the sod and get it into an acceptable playing surface.

Thank you for your continued patience as we strive to get #1 green open for play!

Rob Dreesen

Golf Course Superintendent

Bella Vista Country Club

Scotsdale GCM Covering Update

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With the Bermuda grass starting to green up on top more and more, it is vital we protect them from a late spring freeze or hard frost. This means if the forecast is trending colder for a couple days with lows at 30 degrees or below, we would need to cover the greens to protect them. This weekend’s forecast has lows of 29 and 30 degrees. Due to these low temperatures we will be covering the greens on Saturday, March 30 – Tuesday, April 2 to protect the Bermuda grass and help prevent any injury that could occur. The course will reopen for play at regular time on Wednesday, April 3.

This is much different than a winter covering. The plants are starting to break dormancy and more live tissue is coming up on top, versus in winter when you have a layer of dormant turf that provides some protection from a heavy frost. With growing leaf blades on top, a freeze can do significant damage. When the temperatures are freezing and below, the cells inside the leaf blade could freeze and rupture causing a big delay in complete green up and significant damage to the plant. With the plants still being young, we want to do anything and everything to protect them and assure a great playing surface for the summer. I thank everybody for their patience and hope this helps with understanding why we do some of the things we do at different times of the year.

Kyle Soller, Scotsdale Golf Maintenance Superintendent

Scotsdale GCM Update: March 2019

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Spring is approaching, and it couldn’t come soon enough. After starting the month with temperatures as low as 8 degrees, the days are starting to feel closer to average temperatures again. We were prepared for cold weather as we had installed both sets of covers on the greens. I know it causes a disruption with playing this great course, but it made a huge difference and protected the greens very well. Now we are starting to see soil temperatures rise and soon everything will start blooming.

While temperatures are starting to trend up and the days are getting warmer, we will still have to be diligent about covering. Even through the cold temperatures we just experienced, the covers have helped, and the plant is beginning to green up in the lower stems and crowns. When the Bermuda greens start greening up on top more and more, it is vital we protect them from a late spring freeze or hard frost. This means if the forecast is trending colder for a couple days with lows at 30 degrees or below, we would need to cover the greens to protect them. This is different from winter covering, due to the plants starting to break dormancy and more live tissue is coming up on top versus in winter, when you have a layer of dormant turf that provides some protection, especially from frost. With growing leaf blades on top, a freeze can do significant damage. At freezing and below freezing temperatures, the cells inside the leaf blade could freeze and rupture causing a big delay in complete green up and significant damage to the plant. With the plants still being young, we want to do anything and everything to assure a great playing surface for the summer. While I would absolutely love to say we are done covering and can put them away in storage, I can’t. It’s better to be safe than sorry. We will do everything we can to protect them. Hopefully weather will be good to us and we can keep the greens uncovered so everyone can enjoy playing the course. I thank everybody for their patience and I hope this helps with understanding why we do some of the things we do at different times of the year.

Kyle Soller, Scotsdale Golf Maintenance Superintendent

Drill and Fill Aeration

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Bella Vista POA’s Golf Maintenance crews will begin drill and fill aeration in March on Bella Vista Country Club and Highlands courses.

The machine enables crews to drill a 10-inch deep hole and simultaneously back fill with sand. The advantage to this process is that, with time, the green will begin to develop the capability to move water through the profile. The process will help increase oxygen in the root zone and eventually create healthier green surfaces.

“This is only part of our management plan, along with continued use of conventional aeration to improve the green surfaces on these two golf courses,” Golf Maintenance Manager Keith Ihms, CGCS said.

“The drill and fill machine is very slow and will take a number of days to complete an 18-hole course,” Ihms said. “We will close the course that we are working on, in order to complete the task in an efficient and timely manner.”

The greens will be playable after the drill and fill process; however, as with any type of aeration, it will take time to fully recover. For this reason, we have scheduled the drill and fill project several weeks prior to our convention aeration on the other courses, scheduled to begin at Berksdale the 15th of April. This will ensure a minimum of 3 courses available for play that are not impacted by either aeration program.

The schedule for Drill and Fill is:

  • March 11th – 17th – Bella Vista Country Club
  • March 18th – 24th – Highlands Golf Course

The schedule for conventional green aeration is:

  • April 15th & 16th – Berksdale Golf Course
  • April 16th & 17th – Dogwood Golf Course
  • April 17th & 18th – Kingswood Golf Course