As we begin our fall season, we were fortunate to get some rare September rain. We received approximately 1.2″ of rain Sunday September 18th. We have definitely seen a surge in growth. As we head towards the rainy season you will see staff seeding areas that struggle through the dry summer months for various reasons. The new seedlings have a better chance of survival this time of year, so it is good time to recover from all the stresses the property goes through during the summer.
Another project we started this month is to move forward with some long overdue tree work. The first area we worked on was the removal of the 3 dead Redwoods between #1 and #18. Along with that we removed two Pin Oaks that were infected with Mistletoe and removed some Mistletoe from one other Pin Oak. Along with that the stumps were ground down, so all we have left is to level the areas and resod.
Another project we will implement in October is the resealing and painting of the bridge at #14. Along with that we will install new safety railings due to the aging of the existing structures. We originally planned to do this work in September but had to prioritize other essential work to get us through the summer. All the materials have been purchased for this to move forward. Because of this we will move the renovation of the #18 walking bridge to November.
Greens:
The green surfaces here are going on 32 years of age. What you’re seeing are the different biotypes of Poa annua that have developed over the years and segregation of the bentgrass species that these surfaces were originally seeded to during the 1990 renovation. The unfortunate portion being that Poa annua is more susceptible to disease versus Bentgrass so we are constantly monitoring weather patterns for conditions that are conducive to disease, along with tracking any symptoms so we can treat appropriately. To change this and have a monostand of turf, we would have to close the course and renovate the putting surfaces including the subterranean infrastructure. In the meantime, until a long-term goal can be decided upon, we plan to inter-seed new Bentgrass varieties into the surfaces that are more problematic at this time. Examples of this are 3,4,7,8,11,12, and 15. We have already done that with #7 due to the issues we have had with this green. With that being said this is not as successful as renovating the putting surface and starting over with a newer high quality Bentgrass.
Since I have been here ownership visits were mainly during the spring and fall. As you know our biggest issues develop during the summer months due to lack of rainfall, irrigation water quality and coverage, drought, and turf varieties. Fortunately, they came out this summer and were able to see firsthand the issues this property has been facing for many years, not just during the Escalante ownership. Previous owners would not even contemplate dredging the irrigation pond and that has already been implemented under current ownership once the importance of the procedure was communicated properly. I am hopeful the hiring of Tripp Davis will bring more needed improvement in the long term. Tripp made his first visit to the club September 12th – 13th. Along with touring the property, he met with a group of members to hear their concerns. We are excited to see the outcome of his long-term Master Plan and where that will take us. Hopefully, this provides some insight to where we are today and moving forward.
Yours in turf,
Stacy L. Wallace, Golf Course Superintendent
Sonoma Agronomy 