WINTER COURSE UPDATE - 12/17/21

Greens:

Effective Wednesday, December 15^th – there are now two cups in every green. The Course & Grounds Crew will move the flags periodically to reduce wear and traffic patterns. Golfers can also assist the Course & Grounds staff by moving the flag after completing the hole as well. Hole locations will be changed intermittently when conditions allow.

Range Tee:

The dormant Bermudagrass range tees are closed and covered for the winter.  All range use is strictly limited to the mats only. Grass tees will reopen in the Spring when the turfgrass begins growing again. 

Par 3 Tees:

To limit damage on the par 3 tees during the winter, many of the tee markers have been grouped together to consolidate wear.  Temporary mats may also be used at certain times and locations as required. Winter covers will also be installed in select areas in the coming weeks to prepare for the upcoming 2022 golfing season.

KILLING KYLLINGA - HERBICIDE APPLICATIONS PLANNED THIS WEEK

What is Green Kyllinga?

Green Kyllinga is a perennial sedge native to Asia. It spreads both by seed and underground rhizomes forming dense mats that overtake desirable turfgrass. Under golf course management, it can look very much like turfgrass but is often darker in color and has an almost “waxy” appearance.

Kyllinga is a relatively new weed problem at Chantilly and until just a few years ago, we were fortunate to not have any on the property (or at least not enough to grab my attention). Today Kyllinga is rapidly encroaching on many of the tees, fairways, and roughs but, until last summer, was most severe on the collars.

 

What are we doing about it?

Chemical controls have been applied repeatedly in the past with little success as the Kyllinga just keeps popping back up. That is until Spring of 2020, when a new herbicide was first tested on the collars and select areas around the golf course. The testing was extremely successful and, as of today, every test plot is completely Kyllinga free.

So, after the very successful test last spring, the plan is to treat all collars, tees, fairways, 1st cut rough, and select areas in roughs this week.  

 

What should you expect to see?

Not much really, at least nothing drastic very quickly. The herbicide is very slow taking up to 6 weeks to kill the Kyllinga (which is one of the reasons it is so safe on the desired turfgrass). In most areas, the Kyllinga will slowly discolor and just sort of "melt" away and the desirable turfgrass will fill in the voids much like a divot.  There may be some areas that will require sand/seed divot mix, and maybe even a few larger areas that may require sod. 

USGA - 5 THINGS EVERY GOLFER SHOULD KNOW

It's two years old now but this article from the USGA Green Section Staff is worth a re-post.  The complete article and short video can be found by clicking here. MM

     

Repairing Ball Marks: 5 Things Every Golfer Should Know 

July 9, 2018 By USGA Green Section Staff

Repairing ball marks on putting greens prevents long-lasting damage. (USGA)

As golfers, a small amount of our time and attention can go a long way in helping to maintain high-quality playing conditions on the courses we play. Repairing ball marks on the putting greens is an easy way to make a positive impact, but the importance of ball mark repair and the proper tools and technique are often misunderstood. Here are five things every golfer should know about repairing ball marks:

1. The proper technique for ball mark repair is easy and fast.
Insert the ball mark repair tool behind the ball mark and gently pull the top of the tool toward the center. Continue working around the ball mark, pulling the surrounding turf in toward the center of the indentation. Avoid using a lifting or twisting motion because this can damage turf roots. Once you have finished pulling turf in toward the center, gently tamp the area down with your putter to create a smooth, firm surface.

2. Unrepaired ball marks cause lasting problems
Failing to repair a ball mark may seem like a minor oversight, but there are lasting consequences. Unrepaired ball marks can take weeks to heal, during which time they can cause balls to bounce off line. The damage to the putting surface is also an entry point for weeds that can cause serious problems.

3. Certain putting greens are more vulnerable to ball marks than others.
Any putting green that typically receives high, lofted approach shots will be more susceptible to ball marks. The putting greens on par-3 holes are a perfect example. If you recognize that a putting green is prone to damage from ball marks, it is important to be mindful of repairing your own ball mark and a few unrepaired ones nearby.

When playing conditions are soft, be on the lookout for deep ball marks. (USGA)

4. Soft conditions mean more ball marks.
When putting greens are wet or soft, ball marks will be more of an issue. This is just one of the reasons why superintendents work hard to promote firm playing conditions with aeration, topdressing and other maintenance practices. If excessive thatch accumulates beneath the putting surface, ball marks and other turf issues will be more problematic.

5. Almost any pointed tool can be used to successfully repair a ball mark.
Many different tools have been created to repair ball marks, including single-pronged and fork-shaped tools. Almost any pointed tool, including a golf tee, can be used to effectively repair a ball mark. Using the proper technique is the key to success.

With the correct technique, almost any pointed tool can be used to successfully repair a ball mark. (USGA)

Repairing ball marks is one of the easiest ways that golfers can help superintendents deliver high-quality playing conditions. After hitting a great shot onto the putting green, fixing your ball mark and a couple nearby is an excellent way to celebrate.

DIVOT NIGHT

 

Thank you to all who participated in Divot Night!

COURSE CONDITIONS 7/16/20

CART PATH ONLY FRIDAY JULY 17TH - SUNDAY JULY 19TH Due to the extreme heat expected Friday the 17th through Sunday the 19th, and in an effort to protect your golf course, the cart rule will be CART PATH ONLY. The Paths Only restrictions may extend into next week if high temperatures remain above 95 degrees. We apologize for the inconvenience but allowing carts to drive on the turfgrass could be detrimental. On days of extreme heat, cool weather loving turfgrass may become so stressed that simply driving over them may cause injury or even death.  Please understand that we are trying to save the course for the rest of the year.  Tire tracks like this can take a very long time to heal:

The grounds crew is very busy trying to keep as much turf alive as possible through this period of high temperatures.  You may also see hand watering or irrigation heads running to cool the turf.  The purpose of this "syringing" is to cool the plants through evaporation -- not to wet the soil.  This practice works only in certain circumstances and must be employed carefully.  During these hot periods, too much water is just as bad as too little.  Please be patient if irrigation heads are running or we are hand watering greens during your round of golf.  We will do our best to stay out of your way, but it is not always possible during this time of year. Thank you as always for your continued support of the Golf Course Maintenance team here at Chantilly National!

BEWARE BUG SPRAY

Please remember that aerosol sunscreen and insect repellent will damage turfgrass.  Please apply these types of products while standing on a paved surface. The image below shows a spots on #3 fairway with some discoloration.  Notice the outline of the footprint where the turf was protected.

Most likely this damage is just cosmetic and temporary.  Generally, as the plants grow the damaged leaf will be mowed off in just a few weeks.

DIRECTIONAL POSTS

As a reminder for most Members and, perhaps, a bit of new information for some, the posts (pictured below, left) scattered around your golf course are meant to serve as directional markers for the golf carts. Any time the carts are not restricted to the cart paths only, the first post marks the point at which a golf cart may leave the cart path and the second, near the approach to the green, marks where carts are to return to the cart path.

As an example, in the image to the right, the orange dots represent the location of the posts. Anywhere between the posts carts may leave the cart path.  The shaded areas near the green and tee should never see cart traffic and carts should remain on the cart path regardless of the cart rule.

Please be aware that the post will not always be in the same place. Most will likely remain in the same general area much of the time and only be moved around slightly to help distribute wear and avoid visible wear patterns in the turfgrass while others may move more depending on the conditions.  For instance, the first 75 yards or so of #1 fairway will often remain wet longer than the rest of the golf course. When those conditions are present the post will be located much further up the fairway than during a dry period.

Although carts are free to roam between the post, common sense cart rules still apply.

Please: 

• never drive through a bunker
• try to avoid wet or soft areas and standing water
• try to avoid areas with thin or damaged turf
• never drive in a roped off area or an area  marked "ground under repair" 

Your help in observing these cart rules will ensure unnecessary damage from golf carts and help to maintain the condition of your golf course.

Thanks!

DIVOT NIGHT NEXT WEEK

Divot Night 

Tuesday, September, 17 at 6:00 pm

DRYJECT GREENS AERIFICATION NEXT WEEK

On Tuesday, September 10th the golf course will be closed for a Dryject greens aerification.  This contracted aerification uses a very specialized machine to inject sand into the greens using high pressure water. This is a great tool to get a lot of sand into the profile with minimal surface disruption. 

GREENS AERIFICATION NEXT WEEK

The golf course will be closed Tuesday, September 3rd and Wednesday, September 4th for greens aerification.

TEE AND FAIRWAY AERIFICATION NEXT WEEK

The golf course will be closed Monday, August 26 and Tuesday, August 27 for fairway and tee aerification. 

COURSE CONDITIONS 7/18/19

CART PATH ONLY FRIDAY JULY 19TH - SUNDAY JULY 21ST Due to the extreme heat expected Friday the 19th through Sunday the 21st, and in an effort to protect your golf course, the cart rule will be CART PATH ONLY. We apologize for the inconvenience but allowing carts to drive on the turfgrass could be detrimental. On days of extreme heat, cool weather loving turfgrass may become so stressed that simply driving over them may cause injury or even death.  Please understand that we are trying to save the course for the rest of the year.  Tire tracks like this can take a very long time to heal:

The grounds crew is very busy trying to keep as much turf alive as possible through this period of high temperatures.  You may also see hand watering or irrigation heads running to cool the turf.  The purpose of this "syringing" is to cool the plants through evaporation -- not to wet the soil.  This practice works only in certain circumstances and must be employed carefully.  During these hot periods, too much water is just as bad as too little.  Please be patient if irrigation heads are running or we are hand watering greens during your round of golf.  We will do our best to stay out of your way, but it is not always possible during this time of year. Thank you as always for your continued support of the Golf Course Maintenance team here at Chantilly National!

KILLING KYLLINGA (YEAR 4)

We are now entering year 4 of our targeted attack on the Green Kyllinga in the Ryegrass collars. Our efforts the first couple of years were very effective but not completely successful. The seemingly endless rain of summer 2018 really shifted the conditions to favor the Kyllinga.  A few of the areas, although much smaller than before, have returned.  So, herbicide has once again been applied to the collars and spot treated in several areas throughout the course. The first app went out 4 weeks ago and the second this week. As before, when the weeds die back, seed and sand will be applied to the voids to grow the affected areas back in.

For those that may have missed it, below is a copy of my post from last summer about this challenging weed.

Green Kyllinga

Green Kyllinga is a relatively new problem at Chantilly. Until a few years ago we were fortunate to not have any on the property (or at least not enough to gain my attention). The Kyllinga is aggressively encroaching on several of the greens and fairways but is the most severe on the collars. Chemical controls have been in use since late spring, you may have noticed the bare and thin areas on many of the collars, these are the areas were the Kyllinga was treated.  

The plan has been to treat the Kyllinga with an herbicide and seed the bare ground. So far is has been relatively successful but Kyllinga is a very pernicious weed and does often return after treatment necessitating subsequent herbicide applications.

We will continue throughout the summer and fall months to treat and retreat this invasive species and continue seeding until the Kyllinga is a memory.

The image below shows the untreated Kyllinga.  

This image shows a collar after the Kyllinga has been treated and the voids filled with a sand/seed mixture.

The final image show the weed re-emerging after treatment through the sand and seed mix.  This is the reason repeat herbicide applications are required.

DIVOT NIGHT POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE 5TH

Divot Night (5/29) has been postponed due to the likeliness of thunderstorms and inclement weather tonight.
The new date is next Wednesday, June 5th at 6pm. 

NEW FAIRWAY MOWER!

Another new piece of equipment was deliver to Chantilly National this week courtesy of ClubCorp - this time a fairway mower!

DIVOT NIGHT

Divot Night | Wednesday, May 29th | 6pm

Help us keep our golf course in great condition. Bring out the whole family and enjoy complimentary beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and a post Divot Night dinner!

Click here for more details and to register.

SPRING 2019 AERIFICATION & BONUS DRONE VIDEO

We had a course visit by our Senior Director of Agronomy, Steffie Safrit, yesterday that coincided with some of our spring cultural practices.  There was a lot happening during his visit with topdressing tees that were cored earlier in the week, the start of the fairway core aerification, and core aerification and amendment back-fill of the drainage lines on greens 1 and 3.  

One of the tools Steffie travels with is a drone. Check out the video of his footage.

SPRING 2019 AERIFICATION SCHEDULE

SPRING 2019 AERIFICATION SCHEDULE

Greens: This week - Tuesday, March 19 (front nine closed) & Wednesday, March 20 (back nine closed)

Fairways: Next week -  Wednesday, March 27 & Thursday, March 28 - The golf course will be CLOSED both days and reopen Friday morning.

Rain dates TBD

Like many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for Bentgrass and, especially, Poa annua putting greens to be mowed at just over a tenth of an inch, they must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen which they get from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles.

This spring the greens will be aerified by “punching” small holes in the top few inches of the greens surface, allowing for an infusion of air. The holes will then be filled with sand “topdressing” that helps the soil retain the newly formed air spaces making it easier for roots to grow downward.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the turfgrass plants stay healthy. This process of aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the green’s roots and reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch.

Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet, mowing equipment, and even irrigation and natural rainfall tends to compact the soil under the greens. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the tiny grass plants are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the turfgrass becomes weaker and will eventually wither and die.

Older greens, like yours at Chantilly National, were constructed of soils with significant amounts of clay and fine organic particles that are prone to compaction and are plagued by poor drainage. Filling aerification holes with sand improves drainage and resists compaction. The periodic introduction of sand to a green’s top layer will, over time, amends the growing medium and eventually improve water infiltration, effectively shortening the amount of time a green must be closed after a period of heavy rainfall.

Finally, actively growing turfgrass generates a layer of organic matter on the greens surface. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matter makes for a resilient green, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing with sand can prevent thatch buildup, and aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established.

Preventative maintenance is an integral part of successful golf course management. Unfortunately, aerification is often viewed as an inconvenience that takes the greens out of play for a day or two, and leaves holes that affect putting for many days before healing. To add insult to injury, aerification is often best done when greens are in prime condition. 

The bottom line is that aerification is a necessary practice. So, the next time you see those little holes that make the greens bumpy and unsightly and your round less enjoyable, consider also that aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long-term benefits for the course.  Just remember that without them, the greens would eventually die, and then finish playing your round knowing that this small inconvenience will pay huge dividends in the health of the greens for weeks, months and even years to come.

In the image above a “sand vein” from a previous aerification hole that was filled with sand can still be clearly seen.  Also of note are the healthy white roots protruding from the bottom of the sand vein.

WHY ARE THERE TARPS ON THE RANGE TEES?

If you have visited the range tee this winter you may have noticed that the range tees are covered with a giant black tarp. This is a new addition implemented this year in an effort to reduce the impact of winter weather on the turfgrass. The range tee surface is a warm-weather-loving bermudagrass called Latitude 36.  Lat. 36 is actually one of the more cold hardy bermudagrass varieties but, as you can see the images below, it is not immune to cold northern VA winters.

There are several risks to bermudagrass during the winter months but they can be grouped into two primary categories. The first is winter injury and can be attributed to multiple sources including but limited to fungal attack, drought and desiccation, mechanical injury from equipment or foot traffic, or suffocation from water or ice. Winter injury can cause thinning and delay spring green up or, in the most extreme cases, turf death. The other big winter threat to bermudagrass is Winterkill.  Winterkill, as its name clearly implies, results in dead turfgrass. Winterkill can be very hard to predict and prevent but it is directly related to cold temperatures.

Covering the range tees, although not a guarantee, can significantly increase the winter survival rate of  bermudagrass. The tarps help by collecting solar radiation, reducing desiccation by blocking wind, and reducing mechanical damage by restricting access.

To give your turfgrass the best chance at surving the winter the range tees will remain covered until temperatures are consistently above 30 degrees.

This is an example of winterkill from spring 2018...the turf just never greened up following a winter with several nights with single digits temperatures.

Winterkill and winter injury can sometimes be hard to differentiate but in this case it seems apparent that this turf was injured by foot traffic and not able to recover.

NEW EQUIPMENT JUST DELIVERED!

ClubCorp purchased us two new utility carts, a blower, and a bunker machine! 

This represents an investment of roughly $60,000 by ClubCorp into the course care at Chantilly National.