August2024 Newsletter

FROM THE GREEN - TOM NELSON

From the Green

What’s going on with the rough? August is a great month to focus on the roughs. Historically, we have had the most successful inter-seeding projects due to the days beginning to get shorter and the temperature starting to fall. Our seeding efforts will be concentrated on areas that struggled during the dry spell we encountered during the month of June into July. These areas are mostly comprised of bent grass, that does not perform well at the rough height of cut, when conditions get hot and dry. I view it as a great opportunity to establish a more desirable stand of turf that will perform better the next time we have dry weather conditions.

Tom Nelson Golf Course Superintendent

We will also be working on making herbicide applications to the newly renovated rough areas in an effort to slow down the bent grass intrusion. Our microclimate in Highlands, makes it challenging to keep a monostand in the roughs. In the areas installed during phase I of our renovation project, we can already see a significant amount of bent grass creeping in. The herbicide used will cause the undesirable turf to turn white and cease growth. It takes a total of 3 applications each 2 weeks apart. While it is a bit unsightly, it is the best long-term approach to keeping these areas clean and giving that great color contrast between the dark green rough and lighter green bent grass fairways. In the picture you can see the small patches of bent grass invading the new sod behind the fourth green. July and August also bring dollar spot issues in the rough. Dollar spot is a fungus that forms on the leaf blades and causes the turf to look dead. Fortunately, it does not attack the crowns of the plant and the turf will recover once we spray for it, or conditions become less favorable for dollar spot to thrive. The new roughs are much more naturally resistant to this fungus. The picture shows an area where new sod was installed, you can clearly see the old turf on the left with heavy dollar spot infestation and the new sod on the right is completely unaffected. Sincerely, Tom Nelson Golf Course Superintendent

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