Just got back from attending the Golf Industry Show and as always it has me excited to start to the season. So too does this nice weather!!
The biggest takeaway from the education sessions I attended was that the old way of doing things is now the new way! Golf experienced great growth in the 80s and 90s and maintenance budgets were flush. The level of maintenance and "extras" zoomed skyward and it became an arms race in conditioning. Then 9/11 happened, the economy dipped, and supply overtook demand in the golf market. Maintenance budgets leveled or constricted causing much angst among superintendents. But in reality this reduction in resources might actually be a good thing. Staffs have been reduced making prioritization critical to success. "Fluff" outside of the playing surfaces is no longer a high priority. Fertilizer and chemical applications are more scrutinized and watering practices are more conservative. These thing together have a positive impact on protecting the environment.
I never liked the idea of over maintaining a course so it is refreshing to see many courses reverting to amore conservative style of maintenance before the golf boom. Obviously there is a sliding scale of maintenance from Augusta to the local 9-holer, but overall sustainability is the buzzword.
Wild Horse was built before sustainable became the buzzword in golf course maintenance but we have done many things that help it stay that way. What are some of those ideals? First and foremost is that the soil is great and we were able to build push-up greens thereby eliminating internal drainage and a special greens soil mix that might need to be replaced someday. Also this allows us a never-ending supply of free topdressing. Secondly the emphasis was on the playing corridors and the rest was left natural. Therefore we can concentrate our irrigation and agronomic practices on the playing surfaces. Also the climate helps keep pesticide inputs especially fungicides to a minimum. So Wild Horse has some built-in features that make it sustainable but we compliment those with our maintenance practices. Our turf is kept lean and fertilized only to satisfy its needs. Irrigation is used only to replenish evapotranspiration. We try to run a lean crew also to keep our labor costs down. All of these things make us "sustainable" which simply means that our resources i.e. water, fertilizer, pesticides, equipment, and money will not run out during Wild Horse's existence and the environment will continue to support our golfing grounds.
#12 @ Wild Horse
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Winter
Not a whole lot new on the golf course as of late so here are some random musings to entertain your thoughts in the middle of winter.
Wild Horse has been blanketed with snow for over a week now which is a plus for our turf. In addition it has received a couple of rains. Rain in December and January in Nebraska? Another sign of global warming? Maybe, maybe not, but it seems clear that the earth is warming considering the last few years' record temperatures. How much man's influence is having on the weather is up for debate but most impartial observers would concur that the past few years have been extremely warm worldwide. Perhaps the ice storms so prevalent in Oklahoma and Kansas will become more abundant here in Nebraska. Lets hope not! but at least last week's storm moved on quickly and the moisture was good for the turf.
Winter is Conference and Show time for the turf professional and I recently attended the Nebraska Turfgrass Conference. After you have been to these for 20+ years it is hard to come up with much new on the turf front but each session provokes evaluation of our current program and how we might improve it. Many times though the most interesting sessions cover subjects other than turf but are relevant to our profession. Here are some of the most interesting tidbits from those sessions:
In a session about retirement I learned about distributing your retirement income efficiently. Most retirement discussions focus on building wealth for retirement but this was different. How will you distribute that wealth once you retire?
There are no native earthworms anymore. They have all been replaced by European species that have naturalized here.
One of our commonly used insecticides for grubs (imidacloprid) is 1/2 as toxic as caffeine. Most chemicals get a bad rap but are really very safe!
A TV meteorologist provided insight into forecasting. For those of you who have a keen interest in weather google Bering Sea Rule and North Atlantic Oscillation Index which can provide clues for our weather here in the northern plains up to 2 weeks in advance.
The beetles are coming! The beetles are coming!! Emerald ash borers are now in Nebraska and will probably move west endangering all ash trees. You may have seen this in the news and it will have a very damaging impact on our landscape.
Growing degree day models are becoming more important to turf managers for plant growth regulator applications, insect issues and disease prediction. We have used these for awhile and modeling is becoming better at pinpointing application schedules. Timing in turf management as in life is everything!
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln continues to be a strong turf research school and just built a new research facility on east campus. It also is developing students for the real world through a rigorous internship program. I'm proud to be a graduate of such a highly regarded program!
Golf architecture is heavily influenced by a superintendent's work. How a course is presented greatly influences the design intent of each hole.
These are just a few of the various ideas presented during the conference. Many did not have to do with turf management directly but golf course management is much more than just turf. Many disciplines play a significant role in my job here at Wild Horse. Hope these tidbits got you to thinking about anything! Thinking is good!
Wild Horse has been blanketed with snow for over a week now which is a plus for our turf. In addition it has received a couple of rains. Rain in December and January in Nebraska? Another sign of global warming? Maybe, maybe not, but it seems clear that the earth is warming considering the last few years' record temperatures. How much man's influence is having on the weather is up for debate but most impartial observers would concur that the past few years have been extremely warm worldwide. Perhaps the ice storms so prevalent in Oklahoma and Kansas will become more abundant here in Nebraska. Lets hope not! but at least last week's storm moved on quickly and the moisture was good for the turf.
Winter is Conference and Show time for the turf professional and I recently attended the Nebraska Turfgrass Conference. After you have been to these for 20+ years it is hard to come up with much new on the turf front but each session provokes evaluation of our current program and how we might improve it. Many times though the most interesting sessions cover subjects other than turf but are relevant to our profession. Here are some of the most interesting tidbits from those sessions:
In a session about retirement I learned about distributing your retirement income efficiently. Most retirement discussions focus on building wealth for retirement but this was different. How will you distribute that wealth once you retire?
There are no native earthworms anymore. They have all been replaced by European species that have naturalized here.
One of our commonly used insecticides for grubs (imidacloprid) is 1/2 as toxic as caffeine. Most chemicals get a bad rap but are really very safe!
A TV meteorologist provided insight into forecasting. For those of you who have a keen interest in weather google Bering Sea Rule and North Atlantic Oscillation Index which can provide clues for our weather here in the northern plains up to 2 weeks in advance.
The beetles are coming! The beetles are coming!! Emerald ash borers are now in Nebraska and will probably move west endangering all ash trees. You may have seen this in the news and it will have a very damaging impact on our landscape.
Growing degree day models are becoming more important to turf managers for plant growth regulator applications, insect issues and disease prediction. We have used these for awhile and modeling is becoming better at pinpointing application schedules. Timing in turf management as in life is everything!
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln continues to be a strong turf research school and just built a new research facility on east campus. It also is developing students for the real world through a rigorous internship program. I'm proud to be a graduate of such a highly regarded program!
Golf architecture is heavily influenced by a superintendent's work. How a course is presented greatly influences the design intent of each hole.
These are just a few of the various ideas presented during the conference. Many did not have to do with turf management directly but golf course management is much more than just turf. Many disciplines play a significant role in my job here at Wild Horse. Hope these tidbits got you to thinking about anything! Thinking is good!
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Season's Over
Yes it's that time of year again. Time for that bucking bronco Wild Horse to finally slow down and take a nap. It was a really great year for golf at Wild Horse. The course came through last winter superbly and conditions were excellent all year. We hope you enjoyed your many rounds out here this season.
Winter can be a stressful time for turf with its cold drying winds and unpredictable nature. We have discussed previously the hazards of wintertime and it is usually an anxious time for us as we have to "take what we get" for weather. There are no guarantees to winter survival and many variables that might factor into the turf's vigor come spring, but we do a few things that hopefully help our turf winter well.
1) Fall Aerification--We want a strong healthy plant going into winter and this process helps build a good root structure that can support a plant through stressful times.
2) Fall Fertilization--Once again this helps build a healthy plant.
3) Less Mowing--As you noticed this fall the grass got longer and shaggier which was by design. The more leaf surface area a plant has the more carbohydrates it can produce. These sugars accumulate in the crown of the plant creating a sugary antifreeze which protects this critical growing point from freezing.
4) Heavy Topdressing--This serves to protect the crown of the plant from cold temps and dehydration much like a blanket protects you from the winter chill.
5) Fall Irrigation--Although grass plants have very little activity during the winter season, there could be warm spells during our winters that turf might actually uptake some water so ample soil moisture can be beneficial.
6) Winter Irrigation--This helps maintain crown moisture levels. UNL Turf Team has done some research recently that shows a critical level of crown moisture must be maintained to prevent damage.
7) Snowmaking--This once again acts as a blanket to protect the plant from severe cold. Also maintains a proper crown moisture level.
8) No Golf- Traffic can create more stress on the turf and while it may now directly injure the grass, the added stress can be the tipping point between life and death. There has been research that shows that excessive traffic can compromise crown health by crushing/damaging it enough to loose valuable moisture.
So there are several practices we perform to keep our turf plants happy and healthy through the winter. Is one more key than another? Probably not, but together these steps can help get our turf through its most stressful period of the year.
Winter can be a stressful time for turf with its cold drying winds and unpredictable nature. We have discussed previously the hazards of wintertime and it is usually an anxious time for us as we have to "take what we get" for weather. There are no guarantees to winter survival and many variables that might factor into the turf's vigor come spring, but we do a few things that hopefully help our turf winter well.
1) Fall Aerification--We want a strong healthy plant going into winter and this process helps build a good root structure that can support a plant through stressful times.
2) Fall Fertilization--Once again this helps build a healthy plant.
3) Less Mowing--As you noticed this fall the grass got longer and shaggier which was by design. The more leaf surface area a plant has the more carbohydrates it can produce. These sugars accumulate in the crown of the plant creating a sugary antifreeze which protects this critical growing point from freezing.
4) Heavy Topdressing--This serves to protect the crown of the plant from cold temps and dehydration much like a blanket protects you from the winter chill.
5) Fall Irrigation--Although grass plants have very little activity during the winter season, there could be warm spells during our winters that turf might actually uptake some water so ample soil moisture can be beneficial.
6) Winter Irrigation--This helps maintain crown moisture levels. UNL Turf Team has done some research recently that shows a critical level of crown moisture must be maintained to prevent damage.
7) Snowmaking--This once again acts as a blanket to protect the plant from severe cold. Also maintains a proper crown moisture level.
8) No Golf- Traffic can create more stress on the turf and while it may now directly injure the grass, the added stress can be the tipping point between life and death. There has been research that shows that excessive traffic can compromise crown health by crushing/damaging it enough to loose valuable moisture.
So there are several practices we perform to keep our turf plants happy and healthy through the winter. Is one more key than another? Probably not, but together these steps can help get our turf through its most stressful period of the year.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Business as Usual
Not much to report at Wild Horse other than we are moving quickly into fall which means the turf and golfing conditions are nearing their prime. We have finished aerating fairways, tees and collars and the turf is healed up and looking good. We won't aerate greens until October 3 so you have plenty of time to get in a great round here at Wild Horse under ideal conditions.
We have been pleased with the course conditions for the whole year, but maybe you have seen something we need to address. Sometimes feedback is necessary to get better or address a situation we may have missed. So if something seems amiss let us know so we can try to do better. jmahar@live.com
There is still plenty to do before the snow flies but the hectic summer season is slowing down for our maintenance team. As mowing slows down for the season, we have other tasks to keep us busy. We plan to mow down some more rough in October to allow some of the cool season natives a chance to get going early next spring and just to clean up the extra "hay" the rain made this year! Also you will probably notice me on the sprayer a lot this fall as it is the time when we target poa annua and poa trivialis (unwanted grasses). But every spray is not full of pesticides as many applications will be foliar fertilizer to boost turf health as we head into winter. Also there will be a few bunkers that need excavated and refilled with new sand as they are starting to get too "dirty" from rain runoff that carries sediment into them. Also we hope to get some more irrigation tweaks done before winter.
We as a maintenance team hope we have added to your experience here at Wild Horse by providing a fun, well conditioned course to play on this year and will continue to look for ways to improve the course and your golfing experience.
We have been pleased with the course conditions for the whole year, but maybe you have seen something we need to address. Sometimes feedback is necessary to get better or address a situation we may have missed. So if something seems amiss let us know so we can try to do better. jmahar@live.com
There is still plenty to do before the snow flies but the hectic summer season is slowing down for our maintenance team. As mowing slows down for the season, we have other tasks to keep us busy. We plan to mow down some more rough in October to allow some of the cool season natives a chance to get going early next spring and just to clean up the extra "hay" the rain made this year! Also you will probably notice me on the sprayer a lot this fall as it is the time when we target poa annua and poa trivialis (unwanted grasses). But every spray is not full of pesticides as many applications will be foliar fertilizer to boost turf health as we head into winter. Also there will be a few bunkers that need excavated and refilled with new sand as they are starting to get too "dirty" from rain runoff that carries sediment into them. Also we hope to get some more irrigation tweaks done before winter.
We as a maintenance team hope we have added to your experience here at Wild Horse by providing a fun, well conditioned course to play on this year and will continue to look for ways to improve the course and your golfing experience.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Aerification Already
We will start aerating fairways this Sunday. We try to accomplish as much of this at night to minimize the effect on play and to finish in the shortest time possible to return the course to "normal."
"Isn't that early to aerate?" is the question I often get and yes it is but we do it for a couple of reasons. First my staff is still at full capacity to get this large task done quickly. Secondly, by this time of summer the fairways are usually in need of some air and water infiltration. So while it may be a little warm to perform this task it has actually worked quite well for us. Our turf seems to perk up a little bit after this practice and recovers quicker than it would if done later in the fall.
The rest of the fall aeration schedule is as follows:
August 29-30 Greens surrounds
September 6-7 Tees
October 3-4 Greens
"Isn't that early to aerate?" is the question I often get and yes it is but we do it for a couple of reasons. First my staff is still at full capacity to get this large task done quickly. Secondly, by this time of summer the fairways are usually in need of some air and water infiltration. So while it may be a little warm to perform this task it has actually worked quite well for us. Our turf seems to perk up a little bit after this practice and recovers quicker than it would if done later in the fall.
The rest of the fall aeration schedule is as follows:
August 29-30 Greens surrounds
September 6-7 Tees
October 3-4 Greens
Gnarly "Wooga"
We have been blessed with really great weather this summer. Lots of rain (nearly 22 inches in the past 4 months) and only a few really hot days. The course is really looking good considering it is the first of August. All that rain has prompted lots of "wooga" growth with the bluestems reaching 6 foot in height. Unfortunately that has made many areas nearly unplayable prompting the question of "why don't we mow it all?" If we were to mow it all every year we would start changing the composition of the rough from a variety of grass species to a limited stand of bromes and bluegrasses. Yes playability would be better short term but over time the stand would actually become thicker and denser without the variety we desire. So we are carefully selecting areas and timing of mowing to both improve playability and maintain a desirable pallet of grasses and forbs. It is a balance between trying to make the rough more playable and keeping it healthy long-term.
We are done mowing rough for the summer but will do some again late fall to change up our timing of disturbance. Prairies are best maintained through disturbances that are not done repeatedly year after year during the same time frame. Random types of disturbance and timing prevents favoring one species over others thereby maintaining good diversity. We think our plan is sound but in years like this with excess rain the rough will be very difficult. My best advice is to keep in the short stuff-we spend lots of time grooming that area in hopes you use it!!
We are done mowing rough for the summer but will do some again late fall to change up our timing of disturbance. Prairies are best maintained through disturbances that are not done repeatedly year after year during the same time frame. Random types of disturbance and timing prevents favoring one species over others thereby maintaining good diversity. We think our plan is sound but in years like this with excess rain the rough will be very difficult. My best advice is to keep in the short stuff-we spend lots of time grooming that area in hopes you use it!!
Friday, June 3, 2016
Hailstorm
I am sure many of you have seen pictures of the hailstorm that occurred on May 27 at Wild Horse. Here are some of pictures of mine and explanation of how we went about recovery.
The first 5 pictures show the huge amount of hail that fell. It was 3-4 inches deep everywhere on 6 and 7 fairway and then waned a bit as you moved north and east but it definitely drifted significantly as you can see in the day after pictures. Luckily it was pea to nickel sized and did not do any damage to greens. Its intensity was dramatic though.
The next 3 pictures illustrate the amount of rainwater that collected in our low spots. The last of these three pictures shows us still moving water off #1 fairway. That pump had been running for 12 hours at that point. There was also another pump on the left side of the fairway for 8 hours and it had just been moved when this picture was taken. We had 4 inches in our rain gauge and most of that came within 30 minutes. A true deluge that led to significant runoff. We ran 4 pumps from 9 PM that night to 5 PM the next afternoon to move water out of our catch sumps. We usually need to do some pumping after big rains but the large amount of water with this storm complicated the removal because there was not many places to pump the excess.
The final couple of pictures show the devastation to #6 cart path. That path was becoming an erosion nightmare anyway so we decided to build a new path up to 7 tee. The damage to cart paths might have been the biggest issue with this storm. We were able to scrape most of them back into passable shape by the next afternoon. Some required a few loads of rock and gravel to make them drivable again and while some are still not ideal we continue to work on them as time allows.
Bunkers also eroded badly but we were able to get them back to normal by Tuesday. Similarly to the cart paths some of them still need some touch up work but are playable once again.
So quite a storm that centered up on Wild Horse but it is pretty much back to normal. The hail was definitely picture worthy, but luckily for us it was small and greens damage that could have lingered for a couple of weeks was avoided.
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