A Slight Problem

The previous weeks application of Lime seemed to be perfect. A good day of application, followed by a soaking 4" of rain, is a great recipe. However, the golf course was left with a little surprise. The rain washed almost all of the lime off the turf, but it left behind numerous rocks, everywhere. Apparently, the lime that was delivered had rocks hiding in it and the rain washed a coating of lime off of them. This was a shock to all parties. The individual that applied the lime and I made a visual inspection of the lime after it was delivered and agreed that it was satisfactory. Even during the application, I did not notice anything to alert me to a potential problem. Since then my staff has walked the entire course picking up pieces of rock, fortunately we are not mowing this time of the year. I have been talking to the company that applied the lime and the company that supplied the lime. The both have been accommodating in reclamating this issue.

Fortunately it was a nice day.
The pile from one hole.

Tropical Storm Ida

Tropical Storm Ida has passed over the triangle area. So far we have received 3.5" of rain and 30-35mph gusts of wind. No significant damage has been noticed. The storm has stalled off the coast and has now become a Nor'easter and should continue to pump moisture into the area. The crew took the day off yesterday as the course was closed. Today conditions are not much better, but a few staff members have come in to help deep clean the facility. After a long summer it sure needs it.

Soil Modification

On Monday we made an application of lime to the golf course. Soil tests indicated that lime was needed to help raise the pH of the soil. Currently the pH of the soil is between 4.8-5.5, to low for the turf plant to function correctly. The ideal range is 5.5-6.5. Making an application at the end of the growing season will allow the lime to activate in the soil and begin to raise the pH for the next growing season. Low pH affects turfgrass plants in many way, such as limiting its ability to utilize fertilizer (food) and water efficiently.

The way that the lime was applied was a bit less traditional. Since the first year the course was open, I have worked with a company called Nu Tec Soil. They specialize in variable rate lime and fertilizer applications. The process is quite simple. Numerous soil tests are taken on each golf hole, 50-250 per hole. The points where the tests are taken are marked via GPS and the data from that specific site is put into a computer program and eventually loaded onto the spreader truck. The reason so many tests are taken per hole is that it gives you the opportunity to see the pH levels throughout each hole, which can vary significantly. The GPS unit on the spreader truck and the data loaded into its computer allow the truck to only apply lime where needed and at varied rates. This allows for no waste of product and the plant is not getting to much or to little. In theory, after a few applications, your pH should be the same on each golf hole and throughout the course.

Seasonal Changeout of Color

Recently, the Horticulture staff completed the seasonal change out of color around the various amenities throughout the community. The great weather this fall has really helped in establishing their work.

Damage Repair

Last week we began repairing the damage we sustained from grubs this fall. The majority of the damage happened in the fescue. Now that cooler temperatures are upon us, the grubs are beginning to burrow down for the winter, and the majority of the damage is behind us. The assumptions were correct that this would be a "good" grub year after witnessing large adult populations flying around early this spring. 2010 will call for additional insecticide control as I feel we were fortunate to keep them mostly confined to the fesue.

Spookiness at Hasentree

Happy Halloween. The Hasentree community has its own share of spooky stories and locations. No paranormal activity has been noticed, but with five known cemeteries on the property, who knows. The cemeteries seem to belong to local families, Smith, O Neal, Lowrey, and others. The dates on the tombstones date back as far as the late 1800's. It also appears that slaves are buried along with the families they worked for. Below are the locations of each one.



Near the driving range tee.

Back of the fourth green, hidden in the woods.

End of Keith Rd. in the Groves.

Near the back entrance off of Stony Hill Rd.

The corner of Hasentree Way and Hasentree Club Dr.

Grub Damage

In the past few days, visible signs of grub damage have begun to appear. This is the time of the year when we are scouting for such pests. So far, the damage has only been occurring in the fescue. But, I suspect that we will see damage in the areas of play as well. Below are two good examples of the signs of damage that we look for. The grubs that are currently active are the Japanese Beetle grub. The easiest way to tell what type of grub it is, is that you can roll back turf, that appears healthy, like carpet. This is because grubs feed on the roots of the turfgrass. The damage left behind is secondary from animals that feed on the grubs, such as skunks, raccoons, and birds.



The culprits.

The damage.