Collar Dams

A common reason for ice formation on greens is what we refer to as a Collar Dam.

Over time, top dressing and bunker sand builds up on the collar, creating a roll and trapping water on the green. The water freezes and damage occurs as we see here on the 6th green.

The damaged area was sodded and the area leveled to allow for proper water drainage off the green. Hopefully, this will prevent damage from occurring in this area in the future.

Cleanup Begins!

 

Raking is finally underway as it has taken staff 3 days to remove the layer of brush that covered the course.

The brush pile near our maintenance building ready to be chipped. Still a few more trees to remove.

 

Covers went back on the greens yesterday. They help create a greenhouse effect which will speed up recovery time. We'll take peek on Monday before the snow. Yikes!

Creating the Best Growing Environment we can.

Today we double seeded all of the greens. There are many holes to drop seed into between the ones made by the seeder and remnants left from aeration last fall. The greens were then rolled to promote good seed to soil contact and lightly top dressed with sand. Nutrients and disease protection were sprayed onto the turf to promote growth and prevent disease from spreading while the greens are covered. Covers go back on tomorrow.

Winter Damage Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the greens last Friday. Beginning to green up this week after the rain.

Course Update April 2014

Course Update

April 9, 2014.

As the snow and ice melts the damage left behind from the hardest winter I have seen in my career is becoming evident. It's took 3 days to chip and clear off the ice and snow on the greens but we finally have the covers off. Many courses across the Province managing Poa Annua on their greens have suffered significant winter damage. We also have sustained some level of damage on all but 6 of our greens. 

It is still too early to distinguish between tissue and crown damage at this point in time. Rain and warmer temperature expected over the next week will encourage growth and help us better differentiate between the two. Tissue damage will grow out quickly, crown damage means the plant is dead. It seems no matter the approach taken to manage ice over the winter the outcome was inevitable speaking with my peers.

The ice caused more damage to our trees than we had first thought. It was difficult to see all the debris until the melt over the past week. Clean up will be a long process but the greens will require that time to heal. Our staff is ready for the challenge and eager to start.

So where do we go from here? Staff have returned  back to work this week to begin course clean up and make preparations for opening. The health of the greens will dictate opening which is still some time away. We will take it week by week. We will encourage growth on the greens by reapplying covers, incorporating a specific nutrient program which works better in cooler weather stimulating new growth and over seeding the affected areas. It will take time. The biggest contributing factor will be the weather, I figure Mother Nature owes us that much.

I have uploaded a few pictures on my Twitter account @mark_piccolo for members to see. We will continue to keep everyone updated with the progress. If walking on the course please avoid stepping on the greens, they are very soft and impressionable. Avoid the tree lines as they’re many hanging limbs and we are concerned for your safety.

Pictures to come!

Regards

Mark Piccolo

Golf Course Superintendent