USGA Advisory Service

At our last Greens Committee meeting  it was suggested we retain the services of a USGA  Turfgrass Advisor. This individual will help assess not only the difficulties we are having with our greens but will create an agronomic plan on the entire golf course to help guide the club forward similar to what an architect does for design. They will also help communicate to the membership what has been happening and what needs to be done to produce consistent playing conditions. We have scheduled a tour with our Greens Committee for next week and when the report has been completed will make it available for all members to read.
Here is a bit on what it is they offer.

The Value Of A USGA Turfgrass Advisory Service Visit

The Turf Advisory Service is a program of service. Its benefits to the individual club will be considerable. Countless times in the past one little bit of information from the Green Section has saved a club many times the cost of USGA service."

Richard Tufts, Chairman, USGA Green Section Committee 1953

The Green Section field agronomists:

• Have more direct contact with golfers and course officials than any other department in the USGA. They are ambassadors and representatives of the USGA in the field.
• Are the most knowledgeable, respected, and impartial golf-turf consultants in the world. Backed by the USGA, the Green Section's services provide dependable recommendations that course officials can count on.
• Have lots of experience - they see many (100+) courses each year.
• Know what to look for when observing the course and checking for problems.
• Ask probing questions to identify symptoms or problems that the course personnel may not recognize.
• Have seen symptoms countless times and can quickly identify problems and offer the best solutions.
• Help establish long range plans and preventative maintenance programs to mitigate future problems.
• Network frequently with other USGA agronomists for additional advice and suggestions.
• Catch problems early, before they get out of hand, thereby preventing turf loss and/or large expenditures.
• Serve as a sounding board for ideas.
• Keep up with the latest in research, products and techniques. Information is backed up by the largest private turf research program in the world.
• Serve as a key communications link between course officials and the golf course superintendent.
• Write reports that serve as a planning guide and as a benchmark to compare with future evaluations.
• Have only the club's interest in mind and have no financial interest in products or services recommended, unlike many private consultants.
• Know good specialists to turn to for more detailed evaluation, if needed.
• Have access to the cumulative knowledge of 18 USGA field agronomists who make nearly 2000 visits annually.
• Know that one small suggestion can save many times the cost of the TAS visit.
• Provide our clubs and courses with reports that deliver the only history of changes in maintenance practices and the actual physical design of the course over time.

Maintenance Day & Behind 6 Green

Maintenance this past Tuesday went well, no damage or set back to the greens and feel a few spots look much improved. Today was the first day we mowed the greens since Monday and they will speed up each day over the weekend as the growth regulators set. We purposely let our growth regulators run out over this past weekend, hence a serge of growth this week which was needed. We have re-applied today and it takes about 72 hours to set. We are not raising heights or changing the routine on 17 of our 20 greens. Speeds will resume once the sand works through which may take another day or two.

Sand dulls mowers which in turn provides a poor cut which as a result slows green speed. The sand sticks to the rollers and makes more mess than it does good. By far the worst part of aerating. We are sharpening mowers today for a better cut over the weekend and will see much improvement in the next 24- 48 hours.  On holes 1, 6 and 17 we will be reducing the amount we mow and roll which will affect speed but will improve chance for recovery. These greens require more time to recover from the July heat stress.

Staff have been busy behind the 6^th green clearing the area to improve airflow.  I think it was long over due! There is a pocket of dead air at the back of the 6^th green. When the pin is at the front it flutters in the wind when the pin is in the back it is still. You can feel the humidity increase as you walk from the front of the green to the back and hope the clearing helps with our efforts on this green. We will be spraying the cleared area with round up, grinding stumps, clearing rocks and converting it into grass. It also opens another view that no one thought was there.

We are not the only club that gave their course a break this week several other private clubs in the area aerated greens, fairways and tees this past week as well.