The winter rollercoaster is here
The cold nights were back this week and despite the sunny afternoons most of the turf stayed frozen all week. Every different kind of winter precipitation is headed our way this weekend and behind it will be the coldest temperatures of the season. We are hoping for more sleet than freezing rain as the ice from the freezing rain can cause a massive amount of trouble on and off property.
The covers came off the North greens Wednesday afternoon but will go right back on Friday morning in front of the storm and impending polar vortex drop in. We were able to check moisture on the greens and apply a fungicide that helps keep the turf healthy under the tarps. Tarp work takes the majority of the crew but thankfully the winds were down this time around.
Sometimes the winter weather can help explain what happens in the summer time more clearly. Here on 18 this bunker is south facing, so it bakes in the sun all afternoon. The face of this bunker was dry and not frozen while the bottom of the bunker was moist and frozen solid as a rock. Unless every bunker is facing the same way and shaped exactly the same you will always have some kind of variability in the sand. This challenge is part of what makes golf great as opposed to all the other sports that have the exact same boring playing field every time.
Speaking of attempting to control moisture, the North team spent most of the week here on 11 extending the drain that was put in last Fall. We added a catch basin next to the path to grab water coming off the hill from 12 and that runs down the path and onto the fairway. Close to 300 feet of french drain went in after the catch basin and connected down to the catch basin in the fairway. This is another high traffic area that should now be much better protected from significant rain events.
Tree work moved over to the North this week so that left the South to continue grinding stumps and cleaning up the voids. Stump grinding and cleanup is arguably the hardest part of tree work. Our own stump grinder has stepped up to the plate this winter however and is working nicely behind our removals. You can see two more pines here on 13 South still giving us a little more afternoon shade than we would like to see on this approach, their days are numbered.
The North team worked to the left of 9 this week to tackle some of this darker afternoon shade in this high traffic cart area. This photo was taken at 1pm on Tuesday.
Here we are at 2pm on Wednesday. The maple and 4 pines right of the path at the top of the hill were removed safely to allow the sun to get to this North facing slope much faster. In the summer as the sun angle is much higher the turf quality here left of 9 should be much improved, especially with cart traffic remaining on this fairway. Eric has another drainage project marked out here on 9 as well so we will get there as soon as Mother Nature allows us to.
Finally this week our Landscape Manager James Radcliff had Sav a Tree out do some air spading of the oaks all through the parking lots. These trees are getting up there in age so this was a great foresight by James to have this in the budget for January to help preserve the health of these trees. Let's let AI take it from here:
Air spading uses a high-pressure air tool (an "AirSpade") to blast away soil from the tree's roots without damaging the delicate root tissue itself. Here is why an arborist would do this for a tree under attack:
1. Reducing "Stress" (The Beetle Magnet)
Ambrosia beetles are attracted to ethanol, which trees release when they are stressed. The most common cause of "invisible" stress in big oaks is soil compaction.
The Goal: By "fluffing" the soil with an air spade, you allow oxygen and water to reach the roots again. If you can fix the stress quickly enough, the tree might stop releasing the ethanol "homing beacon" that attracts more beetles.
2. Root Collar Excavation
Many trees are planted too deep or have had mulch piled up against the trunk (the "mulch volcano").
The Goal: Air spading removes excess soil from the root flare (where the trunk widens at the base). This area needs to "breathe." If it's buried, it stays moist, which leads to rot and attracts boring insects like the ambrosia beetle.
3. "Radial Trenching" for Nutrition
Arborists often use the air spade to create "spokes" of loosened soil radiating out from the trunk.
The Goal: They fill these trenches with high-quality compost or bio-stimulants. For a tree fighting a fungal infection from beetles, this "vitamin boost" can give the tree the energy it needs to try and wall off the fungus.
4. Detecting Girdling Roots
Sometimes a tree is dying because its own roots are wrapping around the trunk like a noose, choking the vascular system. You can't see this from above ground.
The Goal: Air spading exposes these "girdling roots" so the arborist can safely cut them away, restoring the tree's circulation.
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