Top Dressing Greens

With the summer months beginning to kick into gear here, you'll start to seeing some sand appearing on the greens. This is simply part of our management plan for the Ultradwarf Bermudagrass. For the most part on weekly basis we try and put down a dusting of top dressing sand in order to keep the ball rolling smoothly and true. During aerification is when we'll take advantage of top dressing the greens heavily as this needed for filling holes. Get out and enjoy some golf!

Willy Plowman
Golf Course Superintendent

Chemical Application

 I have noticed some discoloration beginning to appear on the putting surfaces of our greens. This is typical of root rot disease beginning to take hold. Don't panic, every year we go through these cycles. What's important is to get a fungicide down to help in controlling the diseases.
As an example;
Bayleton: Treatment includes control of; Dollar Spot, Brown Patch, Rhizoctonia, Copper Spot, Powdery Mildew, Anthracnose, Southern Blight, Gray Leaf Spot
Heritage: Treatment includes control of; Pythium Blight, Brown Patch, Fusarium Patch, Anthracnose, Fairy Ring, Summer Patch
Banner Maxx: Treatment includes control of; Anthracnose, Brown Patch, Pink Patch, Rust, Leaf Spot,
Pro Star: treatments include control of; Brown Patch, fairy Ring, Yellow Patch, Southern Blight, Leaf Brown Patch

So here's what to attention to in the products listed above:
Blight Disease-wilting and dying of a affected part of the turf, especially young growing tissue
Root Rot Disease-disease by root decay caused by various fungi.

  If you notice in the products listed each one of these products cover these two ares of turf grass diseases ROOT ROT and PATCH DISEASES. So we simply rotate them out on monthly basis to keep control of diseases.

SUNDAY MARCH 27TH OUR SPRAY TECHNICIAN WILL BE SPRAYING A FUNGICIDE ON THE GREENS. AFTER THE APPLICATION IS APPLIED IT WILL BE WATERED IN.


Willy Plowman
Golf Course Superintendent

Chemical appication throughtout the course

Many of you may have noticed blue color on the turf in random areas. Here's what is going on;

1. Fence Lines-Our spray technician is spraying Round Up along the fence lines only where homeowners have planters along there fence line facing the golf course. Plus/or if we see a homeowner is edging the turf outside there fence line in order to keep the Bermudagrass from invading there San Augustine. This will help us tremendously in reducing labor time that is needed to weed eat all the fence lines. For all of the homeowners who do weed eat there fence lines on the golf course side "Thank You". I feel all of you would want this done only to improve your sight of the course. If you have a lawn maintenance crew doing your yard have them weed eat both sides of your fence, just for your satisfaction.
2. Tee Boxes-Lots of blue showing up around the edges of the tee boxes. We are spraying out the Poa Annua, Annual Ryegrass, and Kylinga Sedge. Our goal this year is to be weed free in this area, if you can recall the past; when the spring arrived, around the tee boxes the grass was thick, different color, then it would start browning up and eventually die off, all because these are winter plant varieties, not summertime. As I mentioned these areas are being treated with a herbicide to maintain the playing conditions consistently.

MGA Tree Trimming

 I would like to recognize the MGA for stepping up once again. For those of you who might have played golf early this week got a chance to see the men at work. The trees that were trimmed are trees that did not get trimmed last year or they were high impact trees around greens, tees, and/or in line with shots from the tee box. Here's the list
Hole#1--Left of green and right of green next to the cart paths 3-trees
Hole #2--left of green 3 trees
Hole #4--Halfway point before the little ditch 1 tree
Hole #5--right of green 2 trees
Hole #7-- right of ladies tee 1 tree
Hole #8--all live oaks on left side 3 on right side 15 trees
Hole #9--180 from green along cart path 5 trees
Hole #13--along cart path 2 trees
Hole #14--left side 200 from green 2 trees, 150 from green right side 2 trees
Hole #15--left side 2 trees 250 from green, 4 trees right side 225 from green

45 trees were trimmed and all the branches were mulched. The mulch was left here on sight and will be put out;
* around the golf shop
* Planter leaving #9&18 green
* New planter at the new scoreboard
* Planter @ #6 restroom
* Planter @ #10 restroom
* Planter @ #14 restroom
* Along cart path at # 4 green
* Along cart path at #6 green

 Thanks again to the MGA for there contribution to the club.

Willy Plowman
Golf Course Superintendent

Spring Greens 2011

 Happy that winter is in the past and warm weather is here and will remain till the fall. I wanted to update you all on the conditions of the greens. During the winter months our greens took a beating from the extreme cold. As you all can remember the temperatures fell into the teens for several nights and daytime temperatures barely got above the freezing mark. Some of the greens such as #4,5,7,14 are set back due to these extreme conditions and time is needed to allow these greens to heal up and be consistent with the remaining greens. For that reasons the height of cut has been higher than normal, today we are cutting greens at .130. Wednesday we will lower the HOC to .125(1/8"), then by mid April the HOC will go to .117 for the remainder of the summer. I have not yet started my water soluble fertilizer program with the growth regulator (Primo), only because I chose to apply a granular fertilizer to promote growth. to give the above listed greens a chance to recover.
 Second dilemma-Our riding greens mowers are crashing, in December we lost our first mower then in February we lost our second. Now, our third is crippled quite badly. Century Golf is in full progress of getting us new walking greens mowers, I just don't know the time frame yet.
 The golf course maintenance staff is highly dedicated to the membership of this club and will make every effort possible to give the membership a quality product. Thanks for your patience!

Willy Plowman
Golf Course Superintendent

Dead Pine Trees

Hey folks,

 The crew has finished with bunkers for the early part of the year. Hole number 2,9,10,11,12,18 faces are re-done.
 We will be now moving forward into removing the dead pine trees around the course. Then we'll move to the driving range to remove the dead trees as well. As of March 8th, to my knowledge all the dead pines have bben removed. The crew is now working on the pines along Westheimer Parkway parellel to the driving range.