As we inch closer to the end of the 2013 season, we are putting the final touches on winter preparation for the course. The irrigation system has been winterized and all plant protectants have been applied to playing surfaces. Still, there are a few jobs remaining such as blowing and mulching the last of the leaves, bringing in the last of the amenities (rakes, tee markers, garbage cans etc.) and finally a winter blanket of sand topdressing for the greens.
Winter topdressing is a common practice at many northern courses but it has been done sparingly at BVGC in the past. Adding a heavy layer of sand to the greens just prior to snowfall or ground-freeze helps protect the crowns of the plant (growing points) for winter winds and can aid in thatch management and spring green-up. Greens with shade and Poa annua (the two go hand-in-hand) are generally more susceptible to winter damage. The use of protective tarp-style permeable turf covers can also accomplish this and more but: 1)are very expensive and labor intensive and 2)encourages Poa growth. We will still be putting out the new turf covers we purchased this spring on holes 5 and 13 because they have a much higher population of Poa (70%) than the other greens and at this point, we need to ensure the plants survival even if it is encouraging the weaker grass species.
The downside to all of this is that all greens surfaces will be closed starting tomorrow, 11/21/13. We will be placing temporary pins in approaches and near greens with the exception of all the par-3 holes. There is limited room on all the par-3's due to water features or sand traps to place a temporary pin location. All surfaces will be sanded and 5&13 will be tarped starting tomorrow. At that time, we kindly ask that you do not hit to or walk on the putting surfaces for the remainder of the winter. We understand that the decision to put limits on where, when and how you use the golf course can be a sensitive one, especially since this is such a "new" process at BVGC but the benefits of turf health and better playing conditions outweigh the drawbacks of winter play on the greens.
Thank you for understanding. As always if you have any questions please contact the golf shop or myself directly. See you in 2014!
Let's talk about the current state of some of the greens here at BVGC. Some of the greens here experienced various areas of winterkill (more specifically crown hydration injury) over the late winter. Crown hydration is a situation where an extremely wet and snowy winter (especially late) combined with frequent warm-ups and re-freezing causes turf injury. The grass plants begin to take up water as the winter ends and the snow melts, but if cold temps and refreezing occurs the water will form ice crystals inside the plant and rupture it (i.e. blow it up from the inside). Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) is especially susceptible to crown hydration injury. Making things worse is the fact that shade enhances the problem: 1)more shade generally means more Poa and therefore a more susceptible grass species 2)more shade means slower snow melt and therefore more likely to have crown hydration injury due to refreezing. On to the factors that are specific to the greens and the crown hydration injury here at BVGC...First, we need to revisit the weather that was specific to Woodstock, not Ohare and not some lakeside Northshore club. Reports of winterkill are numerous in central and southern Wisconsin. The winter came late but came with a fury. We received nearly 2" of rain on the last two days of January, followed by a rapid freeze. This caused a layer of 6-8" of ice to accumulate on the green surfaces. Prolonged ice cover can itself damage the turf, but it slows the melt process and enhances crown hydration injury. From February 1 through late March we had several large snowfall events until things started to thaw towards the end of March. I knew the prolonged ice and snow cover was going to be a concern and the staff on hand attempted to remove snow from several greens in mid-March to try to speed up the melt process. It may have helped but ultimately damage has occurred on many greens here.
It is with heavy heart that I write this, but my beloved companion Miller known and loved by all here at BVGC passed away on January 4th. He lived a great and enviable life, one where he was the star of the show at three golf courses and my companion for all but the first 8 weeks of his life. He was the smartest, calmest and most well behaved dog I could ever ask for. Miller was nearly 12 yrs old and was really in good spirits through the summer, but was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in November and went downhill fast after that point. I knew he could not live forever and I did not want to see him suffer, so he was peacefully put down knowing that the last thing he saw was his good friend of all those years...You will never be forgotten.
