The golf course was marked for the 1st time this season and will continue to be marked on a 14-day basis in order to keep the lines dark and vibrant.
Springtime is primetime for broadleaf weeds...both winter and summer annuals. There are two types of weeds, grassy weeds and broadleaf weeds. Grassy weeds are easily controlled through the use of pre-emergent herbicides. These chemistries form a barrier in the soil that doesn't allow the seed to germinate. Grassy weeds include species like crabgrass, goose grass and even Poa annua. Broadleaf weeds, on the other hand, can not be controlled with pre-emergent herbicides. Rather, they are treated with a contact herbicide after they appear. Examples of common broadleaf weeds are species like dandelions, white clover, plantains and thistle. The photo above is a common weed at Highlands CC every spring and one that is extremely difficult to control. In fact, it can take 4 or more herbicide applications spaced 7 days apart to win the battle against this broadleaf weed, known as Mouse-ear Chickweed.
This approach on #15 has never performed well due to too much shade. It most recently suffered from a severe case of Take-all patch, a soil borne fungus that attacks the roots of the turf. Now that it is receiving sunlight, thanks to work on the left side of #15, we will be working hard this year to improve the condition of this area. This week, we will be aerating and seeding the approach at an aggressive rate and will continue to do that through the summer.
I can't describe how satisfying it is to see this green complex everyday. I think this has been one of the greatest course improvements over the past 20 years!
Finally, as more creeping bentgrass continues to wake up, our mower operators can have a difficult time determining the edge of an approach or fairway. To help get us through the next two weeks, I marked the perimeter of many approaches on the golf course. Once these lines fade, we won't be having this problems any longer.