Fairway Aeration and Sand Topdressing

We started our second heavy sand topdressing of our new Santa Anna Hybrid Bermuda fairways following a solid tine aeration this week as scheduled. We aerated and topdressed hole #'s 1 & 2 as well as  #'s 17 & 18 yesterday. Spreading the topdressing sand  is a  time consuming process as we can move and spread only 4 yards at  a time from three locations where we have stockpiled sand. 

We topdressed only three holes yesterday but will topdress another four today. We have the front nine tomorrow to continue  and because of the specific holes proximity to sand, we are shooting to get another 4 completed, almost finishing the front nine with #7 & #6 left. We will complete these along with back nine par 3's on Monday 8/29/22 when we are closed. That will complete the FW aeration and topdressing process for 2022

Thursday 8/24/22 we will have to topdress the back nine hole's of #15 & #16 and the entire course is scheduled to be open. Playing off of the topdressing is one thing, but we need to drag the topdressing in on these holes  after it has dried.  We will start this dragging process around 10:30 AM  and it will be a dusty mess, as evidenced by some of the below pictures. We don't want to expose our members too this dust,  so when we start this dragging and blowing process at 10:30 AM we are going to ask members to skip these hole's after playing #14 and head straight to #17. 

A picture is worth a thousand words. Above depicts how dusty it gets when we drag the topdressing in. It has to be dry to get it to move so Thursday 8/24/22 between approximately 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM we are going to post the above sign on #15 tee 

Conditions are never perfect when we are executing any of these necessary cultural practices, but the only other option then F9 & B9 alternating closures  would be to close the golf course for 5 days to complete the process. Below are as promised, some pictures of the process that is currently underway.

Step # 1 -  We flag all the sprinkler heads, valve boxes, yardage markers  etc. so the operator can lift aerifyer over the object and not destroy it. 
Step #2 - Aerify fairway. We chose solid tines this application which requires no cleanup of cores or debris prior to topdressing.

Aeration pattern directly after aerifying.

Step #2 - Applying topdressing at the rate of 50 tons per acre. That's 1500 tons which equates to over 50 truck and trailer transfer loads. We stockpile sand prior to this operation in the maintenance yard and adjacent to #12 green, as well as  the corner lot on Barton Road and in the back corner of the parking lot.

Another cool shot of Enrique topdressing #12 fairway with lake in the foreground and bunker in the background.

Step #3 -  Initial dragging of the dried topdressing into the fairway aeration holes and turf canopy

Closer look at the dragging process

Step #4 - More subsequent dragging, blowing, mowing with an old mower, whatever it takes to get this volume of sand incorporated into the turf canopy. Typically we would irrigate heavily after aeration and topdressing to get the soil profile evenly wet facilitated by all of the aeration holes, but then we need to dry the area out to do the extra dragging and blowing necessary to move the sand deeper into aeration holes and turf canopy. 

This sand will dissipate after a few days while it gets further worked into the turf canopy and soil via aeration holes. This leaves us with a week to catch up on some details and then as I indicated earlier, we will start to aggressively core aerate and seed our rough areas. More on the specifics of that process next week.

Thanks for Your Support

Upcoming Fairway Aeration

Starting next week on Monday 8/22/22 we will be aerating and sand topdressing the Santa Anna Hybrid Bermuda fairways here at GBGC. Our new fairways will benefit greatly from a aeration, allowing air and water to move deeper into the native soil profile. Immediately following the aeration process we will sand topdress with our second 50 ton per acre topdressing of 2022. This topdressing sand will work it way into both the turf canopy as well as the aeration holes and help to continue smooth, level and dry out these one year old fairways. Mid August weather will facilitate very rapid recovery.

Keep in mind, all of our cultural processes we did to the course this year, and the sequence in which we did them, were somewhat out of the norm because we are still are growing in  these turf grass surfaces. As an example we topdressed fairways early in the season as soon as the hybrid bermuda woke up  as we desperately needed to fill in the many surface inconsistencies of the previous years sprigging. A few weeks later we verticle mowed, which in normal practice would be done in conjunction with sand topdressing and aeration. The aeration we ae planning next week moves us closer to normal routines and provides us data for future planning.

We have all day Monday to start  the process and will have alternating F9 & B9 closures Tuesday and Wednesday to complete it. Below are older pictures of fairway aeration as well as some repeat pictures of our initial topdressing of the Santa Anna this past spring. I'll provide real time pictures and updates as the process unfolds next week.

Monday 8/22/22 - F9 & B9 FW Aeration      Course Closed

Tuesday 8/23/22 - Complete B9 FW Aeration      Back 9 Closed

Wednesday 8/24/22 - Complete F9  FW Aeration      Front 9 Closed

Old picture of Enrique aerating our old fairways

Applying 50 tons per acre of sand to our new Santa Anna Hybrid Bermuda fairways just this past spring.

Dragging in the topdressing sand after is had dried

Closeup of the fairway after initial pass with drag mat. The visible inconsistencies are not necessarily a thing of the past but continued topdressing at the 50 ton per acre rate will in time smooth them out. 

Thanks for Your Support

Ball Marks

Recently we have had to put out signs to remind some of  our Members about their responsibility of repairing ball marks on greens. I know the very active segment of our golf membership are passionate about repairing ball marks and educating those who are not as passionate,  and it is time that the message comes from golf course maintenance as well.  Your golf course maintenance staff is limited in what we  can do with ball mark repair ahead of mowing greens in the morning. We start at 4:30 AM and work with vehicle lights and headlamps for the first few hours of our day as it is dark. Once a mower runs over a elevated ball mark, or even a slightly elevated pitch mark, the scalped turf will  die and will need to recover from creeping grass around the scar or be repaired with sod or sand. 

The most effective & successful repair of a ball mark or a pitch mark depression is the proper repair made immediately after the ball mark was made.

Our greens have matured substantially since October but they are still young and developing root mass and depth. And it's their first summer after their initial planting, so we are not taking any chances with them. This means at times they might be wetter and softer then they will be in the future and these conditions lend to deeper ball marks, although very evident  and should be repaired by the golfer.

We repair massive ball marks every morning that had to have been visible the day or evening before to the Member  Golfer that created it. Below are examples of what we come across on a regular basis as we prepare the greens for daily play. 

Very visible ball mark prior to GCM repair.  Monday AM ahead of brushing in topdressing sand. 

Another evident ball mark prior to GCM repair on Monday AM as well

This is not a ball mark, but a divot taken out of #2 green sometime on Sunday 8/7/22. 

None of us are fans of signs on our Private Golf Club as it is implied that with the privilege's of being a Member of Granite Bay Golf Club comes responsibility of basic golf course care. That being said, I agree with the Golf Committee that we need to do something and try to get everyone on the same page.

The USGA provides tips for ball mark repair in the linked article in which has a nice video as well. The 5 steps for properly repairing a ball mark are reprinted below.

1. The proper technique for ball mark repair is easy and fast.

Insert the ball mark repair tool behind the ball mark and gently pull the top of the tool toward the center. Continue working around the ball mark, pulling the surrounding turf in toward the center of the indentation. Avoid using a lifting or twisting motion because this can damage turf roots. Once you have finished pulling turf in toward the center, gently tamp the area down with your putter to create a smooth, firm surface

2. Unrepaired ball marks cause lasting problems

Failing to repair a ball mark may seem like a minor oversight, but there are lasting consequences. Unrepaired ball marks can take weeks to heal, during which time they can cause balls to bounce off line. The damage to the putting surface is also an entry point for weeds that can cause serious problems.

3. Certain putting greens are more vulnerable to ball marks than others.

Any putting green that typically receives high, lofted approach shots will be more susceptible to ball marks. The putting greens on par-3 holes are a perfect example. If you recognize that a putting green is prone to damage from ball marks, it is important to be mindful of repairing your own ball mark and a few unrepaired ones nearby.

4. Soft conditions mean more ball marks.

When putting greens are wet or soft, ball marks will be more of an issue. This is just one of the reasons why superintendents work hard to promote firm playing conditions with aeration, topdressing and other maintenance practices. If excessive thatch accumulates beneath the putting surface, ball marks and other turf issues will be more problematic.

5. Almost any pointed tool can be used to successfully repair a ball mark.

Many different tools have been created to repair ball marks, including single-pronged and fork-shaped tools. Almost any pointed tool, including a golf tee, can be used to effectively repair a ball mark. Using the proper technique is the key to success.

Traditional ball mark repair tool that I like using when repairing ball marks and pitch marks. The tool is beside a ball mark that is recovering as grass is moving into middle but who knows how long that repair process has taken. 

I understand that  most Members who read these Course Updates repair both their own  and other ball marks constantly and I thank you for your care as well as your continued efforts to educate fellow Members.

Progress on this front will need to be collaborative effort, so we will step up our efforts in GCM to catch the errant mark that escaped the responsible party before mowing, and of course our continued mission is to work on maturing and firming these greens. Firmer greens will not necessarily make ball marks a thing of the past, but will help, although it will take time. At the end of the day, the responsible party for the ball mark or pitch mark is the golfer who made them. The best quote from the  USGA Article is:

"Repairing ball marks is one of the easiest ways that golfers can help superintendents deliver high-quality playing conditions. After hitting a great shot onto the putting green, fixing your ball mark and a couple nearby is an excellent way to celebrate".

Thank You for your Help!

Continuing The Growin

We have always indicated that 2022 would be a grow-in extension of our 2021 golf course renovation, and if you were following progress, you would have to concur. All golf course renovations have a frenzied nature about them and our 2021 renovation was  no exception as we simultaneously re-built greens & bunkers and converted fairways to hybrid bermuda. This chaotic at times, and intense pace was carried out while racing against mother nature's deadlines, as well as rushing to get our Members back out on their golf course  prior to the cold of winter

One of the late and frenzied operations  of last year was the sprigging of #12 fairway and the recovery of #17 fairway. Seventeen fairway was our beta hybrid bermuda fairway sodded in 2019 and was used as a sod farm during the 2021 renovation. Hybrid bemuda will regenerate itself after sod removal, but  #17 was in varying stages of recovery as fall approached in 2021 and #12 was the last hole to be sprigged on the last day of August. Neither of these scenarios left much time for hybrid bermuda recovery or establishment from sprigs as days were getting shorter and the warm weather required for hybrid bermuda establishment was waning. 

Fast forward to now, the summer of 2022, and the warm weather opportunity to finish what we started with these two fairways last year. In July we started an aggressive fertility campaign on these two holes as well as weaker areas in other fairways to get the hybrid bermuda establishment that dident completely fill in during our initial  grow-in season of 2021. This fertility campaign is very similar to what we did in 2021 to get the sprigs to cover before opening. Below are some on going examples of those efforts for those of you that are interested. We will continue these efforts through September while the Santa Anna is actively growing. 

Because of the late sprigging of #12 fairway last year on the last day of August, we dident have much warm weather left in the year to adequately grow in the hybrid bermuda sprigs. The warm late summer  / early fall in 2021 provided more warm growing weather then anticipated, but #12 & #17 were still behind the other fairways in establishment. We decided that it would be prudent to inter-seed these fairways with cool season grass for the winter months then transition those grasses out of the fairways in the summer of 2022.

This picture from #12 fairway illustrates some of these overseeded cool season turf areas that are starting to thin  from summer heat while trying to grow in Granite Bay. The surrounding Santa Anna hybrid bermuda that established last year is starting to fill in the voids of the cool season turf that is checking out.

Frequent applications of fertilizer, two to three times per week, will fill in the voids that are depicted in the previous picture. How do we know this? It was exactly what we did to grow in sprigs in 2021.

Larger areas of cool season overseed from 2021 that has now checked out will require some sod repair despite our current fertility regimen on #12 & #17. We plan to start re-sodding these areas this week into the next.

We still have some good Hybrid bermuda establishment weather ahead of us, at least six weeks. Finishing what we started and filling in the voids is imperative during this time. We will be aerating and topdressing all of the fairways in mid August (more on the scheduling of this next week) which will be beneficial for the work described above as well. 

Thanks for your support and patience. The Best Is Yet To Come!