Now that the 2022 season is almost behind us, it’s time for my team to focus on the Green Committee’s list of projects and improvements that will be made prior to the 2023 season. This winter, keep up with our progress on my blog, that can be accessed through the Club’s website.
In addition to
capital improvements, every year we establish goals to make the golf course
better than it did the year before. One
of our mottos, evident to all who enter the golf course maintenance facility,
is, Never Finished-Never Satisfied. This sums up our approach to the golf course
quite well. Everyday we look for and question
ways we can improve the golf course, be more efficient and prevent
complacency. Maintaining a golf course
is a never-ending job; there is always something that needs attention, and our
goal is to make today better than yesterday.
The golf course, constructed in
1928, was seeded to a mix of fine fescues and perennial ryegrass, according to
Teeter Smith. The fairways, roughs and
tees were all mowed to one height to simplify maintenance. Former 72- year Club employee, Chuck Crane,
used to recall a set of “gang reels” being pulled by a Jeep, that was used to
mow the golf course. It’s my opinion
that a lot of the Bentgrass that ultimately took over the fairways, got here by
way of seeding or contamination.
Individual fairways were established (mowed at a lower height of cut) back
around 1980. I’m sure the superintendent
at that time did broadcast seed, or inner-seed Creeping Bentgrass in the
fairways. However, in Highlands,
Creeping Bentgrass is a common weed in stands of Fescue and Kentucky
Bluegrass. It’s not just on golf courses
either. I’ve seen plenty of lawns in the
area that have become infested with Bentgrass without having any connection to
a nearby golf course. Our climate is very
conducive for the spread of Bentgrass at higher heights of cut.
Regardless of how the Bentgrass
arrived, it is an older variety of Creeping Bentgrass, not one of the newer
varieties that was bred because of its desirable traits like upright growth or
increased density. The Bentgrass we are
dealing with has a very ‘leggy’ growth habit and creeps along the ground,
growing on its side. Regardless of how
much grooming or other cultural practices we perform, there becomes a point where
we max out its potential.
This budget cycle, I requested
the purchase of a ‘slit seeder.’ This
machine, that mounts to the back of a tractor, cuts small grooves into the
fairway, while consistently dropping seed into that trench. See the photos below that show the machine
and what the surface looks like immediately after the process.
My goal will be to use this machine several times a year, to introduce new Bentgrass varieties into our existing fairways. This process causes no disruption to golf and play can immediately resume following seeding. While I think we’ll be able to see some benefits after one season, the most obvious results will come after implementing this program for a couple seasons. These newer Bentgrass varieties will have more upright growth, allowing the turf to support a golf ball, giving you a much better lie. After several seasons, we’ll also be able to notice a finer texture to fairways in addition to other desirable characteristics. Unfortunately, the results aren’t instant, but this is a great alternative to improve playing surfaces without having to shut down or bear the expense of resodding an entire fairway.
I hope this example gives you an idea about the details we are looking at and the ways we feel we can continue to improve your golf course. There will never come a time when I’ll be able to sit back and say, “I’ve done all I can do.” If that day does come, my retirement will follow the next day. Until then, we will continue to enjoy the journey of chasing perfection!