Rough Project Part 2

By now you are most likely aware that we have made the decision to convert our primary rough to Riviera Bermuda.  The general scope of the project involves killing our existing rough in areas that are both irrigated and receive mostly full sun throughout the day.  This amounts to about 55 acres that will be renovated.  Being a park style course, with the amount of trees bordering holes, we will continue to have a significant amount of Fescue in the shaded areas under tree canopies.

As we discussed the different ways to implement a project of this scope, the consensus was to take the hit over one season, rather than dragging the project out over multiple years.  The only downside to this approach is the need to close the entire course for a period of time.  Below is a timeline of key points in the project.

Beginning in mid May, we will make our first application of Roundup (along with a couple of other products) to start killing the existing turf.  If it weren't for the common Bermuda we would not be overly concerned with the kill.  With the amount of Bermuda we have, it is crucial we get this killed prior to seeding.  During the time frame of killing the turf the golf course will be open for normal play. 

As we approach the month of July, we will begin scalping the dead turf down in preparation for seeding.  Immediately following July 4th weekend, we will close the course on Monday July 7th to begin seeding the Riviera Bermuda.  We expect the seeding to take about 3-4 days.  Once the seed is down, we will keep these areas wet, almost to the point of runoff, until we reach germination.  We should see the new seedlings in about one week.

Following approximately three weeks of growing in the seedlings, we will reopen the course for play.  At this point, we intend to restrict carts to the path until the new turf is able to withstand traffic without causing any damage.  

Moving forward, we will continue to define our edges between the Fescue under the trees bordering the Bermuda in full sun.  I expect to get these boundaries close, but ultimately they will naturally define themselves based on the amount of sunlight the turf receives.

Hopefully, between these blog posts, along with the more detailed document , you will gain a better understanding of the upcoming project.  Tomorrow I will discuss the benefits of the project.