Project Update - June 27 - Bunkers!

It's official, the new bunkers on holes 2, 7, 9 and 16 are all in play. The grounds department finished installing the new sand today on our last hole, #7. The sand was installed to a depth of approximately 6 inches and then compacted using water and a plate tamp. This should provide a firm enough bunker to prevent balls from embedding but still be soft enough for the morning workers to fluff the top layer to provide a little cushion for the ball.

New green surrounds and bunkers on #7

#16 with a new look

Today we extended the perimeters of the greens on holes 4, 5, 6, 13, 14 and 15. If you recall, during our project last summer we added paspalum sod around each of our project greens. The intent was to reclaim lost square footage from years of bermudagrass encroachment. Each green has gained close to 1500 square feet! It will take some time for these expanded areas to more closely match the existing green surfaces in terms of leaf texture and playability but they are at a very similar mowing height and should now be treated as green surfaces. For the short-term, we have painted the new greens perimeters with orange paint to remind you that you are now allowed to mark your ball in these areas and they are to be treated as part of the green.

Newly expanded #13 green

Notice orange lines marking new green perimeter

While it might not look like much is happening with the newly sprigged tees, I am excited to report that I am finding new roots and shoots starting to grow. Many people seemed puzzled by the sprigs thinking that they are nothing more than grass clippings. However, sprigs are viable stems cut from mature bermudagrass fields. When put into contact with soil and kept wet, they will begin to generate new growth. This is very similar to propagating new plants from cuttings. Many of you may have used cuttings to start new plants such as rosemary, oregano, geraniums and hydrangea. 

It also may look like much of the grass is brown and dead. That's because it is, or at least the part you can see. This is normal with virtually every sprigging. The old leaf blades dried out and died during the cutting and sprigging processes but the plant is still viable within the stem itself. Most of these viable stems have been pushed into the soil 1-2" deep during planting. Keeping in mind that the stems begin without roots, it is critical to keep the new sprigs wet until a root system is established. This can take up to a few weeks. Especially with the extreme heat we have been experiencing, we must make every effort to prevent the sprigs from drying out. That is why we have constant irrigation running on the new tees. Soon we should begin to see more and more green leaves emerge from the soil. As the plants emerge and roots take hold, we can start to reduce the irrigation. For those wanting a little more information on the sprigging process, you can follow this link to a Sports Turf Managers Association article. www.stma.org

Tiny shoots starting to emerge on #4

From the surface this plant was barely visible but a closer look shows that there is healthy growth taking place