Riviera Bermuda Rough Conversion

After months of planning, the Riviera Bermuda Project has officially begun.  On Tuesday we began spraying out the existing rough in the areas that we will be seeding to Riviera Bermuda. Over the next few days we will continue working our way through the course until all areas have been treated with Roundup. 

Treating Rough on #3.

 As the turf begins to die, you may be surprised by the amount of Fescue we will continue to maintain in the rough.  The areas in the rough that are not being treated are defined by the shade from bordering trees as well as lack of irrigation.  Without adequate sunlight and water, we cannot successfully grow in the Bermuda.The orange lines you may have seen on the outer edges mark the point that we will be killing to. 

During the times that we are spraying the course we are being extra cautious to avoid spraying too close to golfers.  We are maintaining enough space between groups to allow for complete drying of the herbicide.  The products we are spraying are common herbicides, however, it is important for you to be aware of what we are doing.  

Over the next month and a half we will continue to treat the course on 2-3 week intervals until all of the existing turf is killed. The course will have a patchwork appearance of dying turf over the next few weeks based on the timing of when the turf was treated. Following the kill we will begin prepping for seeding on July 7th.
 
Killing half the course during the prime golfing season is not a decision we take lightly.  The project is driven by an improved long term playability, but more importantly we are working diligently to reduce our water usage throughout the property.  The 7.5" current precipitation deficit is a strong reminder of the need to conserve our water.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work through the improvements.

Tees

As we get closer to the start of the project, I would like to continue to answer questions that may still exist.  One area of the project that I would like to more clearly explain relates to the tees.

During the initial planning stages of the project, our intent was to only renovate the tee surrounds, leaving the Zoysia tee surfaces in place.  Upon further review, it became apparent that the amount of Common Bermuda contamination in our tees was significant enough that it would have to be dealt with.  This change highlights another beneficial characteristic of the Riviera Bermuda, which is its ability to handle a height of cut from 3/8" through our higher rough cuts.

Related to the tees, I have also had questions about increasing the scope of work on the tees in order to implement the changes related to the Master Plan.  Future plans for tees are fairly significant due to changes in size and location as well rerouting some cart paths.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints as well as the budget allocated for the project, we will only be regrassing the existing tees.  

Reviewing all aspects of the project, the most critical step is growing in the tees to an acceptable level prior to opening.  Four weeks is a tight window for accomplishing this goal.  For most of our tees, we have adequate sunlight, along with ideal irrigation coverage, which will aid in this process.  

For a quick recap of the schedule, we will begin killing the existing rough on May 20th.  The golf course will close on July 7th to begin seeding.  Course reopens four weeks later.

Golf & Greens Informational Meeting

Last night we hosted an Informational Meeting to discuss the upcoming Rough Conversion.  I wanted to share a few items from the meeting for those of you who were not able to attend.

By now you have heard all of the reasons why we are making this change.  Improved playability, lower water requirement, better "In Season" conditions, cost to maintain (fewer inputs), as well as a wide range of mowing height options.

The opportunity to maintain the Riviera Bermuda from 3/8" to 2.0" is one of the key factors affecting playability.  With the current Fescue Rough, we are limited with mowing heights.  2.5" is about as low as we can go.  With the Riviera withstanding heights as low as 3/8", we will now be able to cut walking paths from tee to fairway, as well as Chipping Areas around greens for more variety of shots.  The buried lie six feet off the green is hopefully a thing of the past!

We also reviewed the schedule for the project.  Below is the approximate outline.

• May 15:      Begin painting borders of the area to be killed.
• May 20:     First application of Roundup
• June 9:       Second application of Roundup.
• June 23:    Third application of Roundup, if necessary.
• June 30:    Begin seedbed preparation.  Scalping, verticutting, leveling, etc.
• July 7:        Seed Rough.  Golf Course Closed for Four Weeks.
• Aug. 5:       Golf Course Open.

The four week schedule is a tight window from seeding to opening.  I expect the course to be playable, but expectations should be lower during the first couple of weeks after opening.  With carts limited to the path and the normal reduced rounds we see in August, I don't foresee any setbacks due to opening.  Worst case scenario is we move tees to the start of the fairway for a short period of time while we continue to push the grow-in.

One of the topics we discussed last night was the Native Areas.  As part of the project we will be killing off areas of Native that have been taken over with Bermuda.  These areas will either be seeded during the project or later in the fall, depending on the area.  One of the primary concerns is adjusting the locations to eliminate balls reaching the Native more often than we would like to see.  The top of the list for changes are right of #10 green, left of #4 fairway, and right of #7 fairway.

Please pass along ideas or concerns you have regarding the Native.  This has been a frequent topic of discussion that I want to make sure is addressed properly during the project.

Thank you for your interest in the project and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Spring Greens Aerification

Next week we will be aerifying greens beginning on Monday March 31st and finishing on Wednesday April 2nd.  The front nine greens will be aerified on Monday; back nine greens on Tuesday.  And lastly, the Practice Greens will be aerified on Wednesday.  Throughout the process we will have nine holes open for play each day.

Aerification is one of the most important practices we utilize for promoting healthy turf.  Our primary purpose is to promote gas exchange within the soil profile, however, the benefits are plenty.  Thatch reduction, reduced compaction, improved drainage, and smoother/firmer putting surfaces are just a few of the benefits.

As has become typical for the spring, our process will be more aggressive compared to our fall aerification.  During the fall we primarily use the deep tine aerifier.  This machine is capable of reaching depths of 8-10", however, with the smaller diameter tine and a wider spacing of the tines, the surface is usually quick to heal.

During the spring, we prefer to utilize both the deep tine aerifier along with our standard walk behind aerifier fit with 5/8" hollow tines for core removal.  This allows us to impact the full range of the soil profile, avoiding the potential for creating a hard pan layer below the standard aerification depth.

Aerification is also a great time to amend our soils.  Organic based fertilizer, gypsum, along with other fertilizer amendments are a few of the items we incorporate into the profile while the green is opened up.

Unfortunately, all these great things that happen to our greens during the week of aerification are at the expense of putting quality.  Although the putting quality we sacrifice today leads to better greens the remainder of the season.

Thank you for your understanding during this process.  We look to get the greens back to normal in about a week.

Standard Aerification with 5/8" hollow tine.

Deep Tine Aerifier: 10" depth with 1/2" solid tine.

2013 Weather Summary

After dealing with three years of drought, 2013 was a much needed break from the brutal weather pattern we had been experiencing. From record snow and rainfall totals to below average temperatures, 2013 weather had something for everyone.

Late February of 2013 was our first break in the weather that had gripped our area.  The first storm hit Wichita on February 20th producing over 14" of snow.  A few days later we received another 7" of snow.  The two day total of 21" of snow broke the record for the most snow during the month of February.  Not only did we break the record for February, the snowfall total of 24.5" for 2012-2013 ended up being the 5th snowiest on record.

 

February 21, 2013 14.2" of snow.

The month of March was not only cool and wet, we also had another 4" of snow on March 24th.  The cooler temps, along with the late snow led to a delayed green up that we had not seen in several years.

Cooler temperatures continued through the month of April with record low temp set on April 19th.  Five days later Wichita set the record for latest measurable snowfall with .2" of snow, along with another record low temp of 25 degrees.

The story for July and August were the heavy rains.  During this time frame, Wichita received 18.32" of rain.  For the month of August we had 10.63" of rain, leading to the 2nd wettest August on record.  Not only was this the 2nd wettest August, this also was the 10th wettest month ever.  From July 20th through August 16th we had measurable rainfall on 22 out of 28 days.  The month of July had more days with precipitation (17) in Wichita than any other July on record.  The 7.69" of rain in July led to the 4th wettest July on record.

Late August, however, offered a sharp contrast to the previous months.  Beginning August 17th, we went 27 days without any precipitation.  The remaining four months of the year combined received less rain (7.25") compared to the month of July.  November and December were the two driest months of the year, with .76" and .63" of precipitation.

For the year, 2013 ended as Wichita's 9th wettest year on record.

Tree Removals

When it comes to managing a golf course, nothing stirs up interest quicker than the discussion of removing trees.  If you've been on the course lately you may have noticed some of the areas that have a few less trees.

The golf course at Wichita Country Club was originally built in 1950 at our current location.  At the time, outside of hedgerows and a few cedars, the property was a barren pasture. Within the first few years, hundreds of trees were planted adding to the parkland style of design you see today.

Early 1950's aerial view of the course.

The issues we are facing today deal with these trees that were planted roughly 60 years ago.  The fact is, trees in Wichita, Kansas typically do not have the same lifespan as they would in other areas of the country.  The Elms and Cedars, which make up a large portion of the trees planted in the early days, are becoming unsightly and, in some instances, hazardous. 

A few years ago, we made the decision to begin removing the cedars from the property.  The two main drivers behind this decision were the poor condition of the trees as well as the water required to support them.  Most of these removals have gone unnoticed.  This past week we removed the row of Cedars bordering #17 tee for the same reasons listed above.  We will continue to evaluate this area to determine if we need to replant with a group of more desirable trees.

So far this winter we have removed approximately 35 trees.  Outside of an Oak on #5 that died from disease, all of the removals consisted of Hedge, Elm, and Cedar.  Not exactly specimen trees, but nonetheless part of our urban forest.  A few years ago, it was the Pine Trees that were rapidly declining due to Pine Wilt.  More recently, the removals are focused on aging trees that are near the end of their life span.

Oak on #5. Not one we wanted to lose.

#17 Tee following removals.

Moving forward, we will continue to support a tree plan that addresses the decline of the existing trees, while also looking to the future with more desirable trees planted in strategic locations.  Like most long term projects, we have to take a step backwards before we can move forward.

Preparing for the Unexpected

As with any project of this scope, there is always potential for the unexpected.  

Our primary concern throughout the project is weather.  From beginning to end, we would like to see plenty of heat.  A cool spring could lead to a delay in the green up of the existing Bermuda.  For a good kill we want to see the Bermuda growing aggressively when the herbicide is applied.  With our initial application of Roundup scheduled for late May, even with a cool spring, at that point the turf should be actively growing.

During the process of killing the existing 55 acres of Rough, we expect it to take close to a week for each spray application.  Heavy winds and rain could set back this application.  With June being our wettest month, there is a strong likelihood that we will be working around rain at some point during the project.  Although the schedule is tight, there should be enough extra days factored in the schedule to hit our July seeding date.

As you can see, the first challenges all deal with killing the existing turf as well as prepping for the seed.  Funny how we put in so much effort to keep it alive and yet it requires just as much effort to kill it!

After the rough has been seeded, again, the more heat the better for pushing the germination and grow in of the Riviera Bermuda.  Some rain would be fine, but we but we would prefer to control the water with timed irrigation cycles.  Too much rain could lead to wash outs or seed moving out of its intended location. 

Once the seed is down, the main concern is getting tees grown in to an acceptable level as quickly as possible.  With only a four week shutdown, this is a tight window for achieving this.  If the rough is a little thin, it shouldn't be too much of a concern.  It would still be playable and getting better everyday.

Thin tees would not delay the opening, but we could be forced to move tee markers to the start of the fairways for a brief period when the course initially opens in August.  With smaller tees, the isolated wear patterns could inhibit the maturation of the new turf if opened too soon.

Certainly, we expect for everything to fall right into place for a successful project, however, its always best to prepare for the unexpected.