April 23, 2023 Update

As I sit and write this it looks like we are heading for some warmer weather. Our rain total for the season is 49.17 inches to date. Along with that we are still getting some run-off from Sonoma Mountain, so hopefully we will not have to use any well water until mid to late May. Last year we had to start irrigating in February due to the drought.

Along with the end of the rainy season, comes the use of golf cars consistently on the turf. Golf car traffic especially around greens and tees tends to concentrate in specific areas hence the need for the gate system when golf cars are allowed on the playing surfaces. Soil compaction caused by golf cars reduces the shoot growth rate and the recuperative potential of turfgrass. A good example would be if you parked your car in the same location in your home lawn every day, what would the condition of the turf be? Compaction reduces air and water porosity within the soil as well as water movement through the soil profile. Soil compaction can impact turf growth for several weeks and even months, resulting in the total loss of turf cover and chronic problems with poor drainage and the invasion of weeds that prefer compacted soils. You see this along the edges of the cart paths around greens and tees where people struggle to keep all four wheels on the paths.

With that being said we have modified the gate system to reduce wear at the entrance gates and reduce the hardware on the golf course to improve aesthetics. Following is how the new system works:

• At the entrance gate, we will only have one stake with a green top.
• After your tee shot, stay on the path and do not exit the path until you pass the stake with the green top. Preferably stay on the path even after the first stake until you reach your ball and then 90-degrees from there. This alleviates the concentration of traffic at the entrance gate and disperses the traffic.
• At the exit from the playing surfaces, we have eliminated the gate stakes. We only have the directional signs in the fairway. Either leave the fairway 90-degrees from your last shot or exit 90-degrees before the signs.
• We are seeing a lot of traffic before the stake at the entrance and after the directional signs in the fairways. It is imperative that we use a 90-degree angle at the traffic entrance and exit areas to facilitate proper traffic dispersion. The agronomic issues created by golf car traffic are real, so everyone’s cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Last week we performed our spring organic control aeration on the putting surfaces. This process is extremely important for the long-term success of our greens. The number one reason for core aeration is the physical removal of organic matter, which enables us to replace this material with uncontaminated sand. If we do not perform this practice on a consistent basis, the organic matter levels will increase causing problems with the physical soil properties of the putting surfaces. This will lead to other problems such as disease, shallow rooting and most importantly to the golfer a soft, spongy playing surface. See picture below:

Along with green aeration, we also performed tee aeration during the three-day closure and started deep tine aeration on the fairways, which we finished yesterday.

We are having a pre-construction meeting with the golf course construction company the first week of May, so we will communicate more information regarding the bunker project after the meeting.

Yours in turf,

Stacy L. Wallace, Golf Course Superintendent