August Leaf Color Change On Many Of The Large Poplars

Many of the membership have approached me in the last month about the obvious early leaf loss on many of the large poplars on the golf course. I had a theory and did some research on the subject. Without going into great detail I then called Verna Mumby of Mumby Tree Services. She is our professional consultant that knows the trees here better than anybody and a well respected voice in tree care throughout Western Canada.

It is as I suspected. Basically nothing to get too concerned about. I'll list the variables in point form and then detail Verna's thoughts.

Consider the following:

• Poplar roots span out across many of our fairways.
• The fairways were subjected to many flood events this past summer thus the root systems had a very healthy supply of water in many locations.
• The poplars are the tallest trees on the course and were subjected to the high winds associated with the many thunderstorms we had in June and July.
• Temperatures were quite warm as well.
• Northwest poplar are not usually susceptible to conditions such as Bronze Leaf. That disease is more common in Swedish aspen and columnar poplars. Our poplars are so large they can generally "brush off" many diseases, blights, insects, etc.

All of the above can lead to early leaf loss. Many of you noticed what appeared to be a mold or fungus on the leaves on the trees or on the ground. Keep in mind that when the leaves are changing color they are basically cut off from life support. They are dead or dying and decomposition is underway, hence maybe some fungus or mold. 

If you have read all of the above and understand things to this point here is where it all comes together.

Trees spend most of the summer building up energy to survive the coming winter. A large part of that energy is used in the production of new buds (usually in August) for the next growing season. Once those buds are ready the tree begins the process of leaf removal. That usually occurs a few weeks later than we saw this season but the poplars had their buds formed earlier than usual (in late July) due to the above mentioned points. They were well fed, healthy and ready to "shut down" in late August instead of early to mid September. Not all the poplars responded in the same manner. Environmental conditions across the golf course are varied so the timing of leaf change and loss will also be varied. Just as we are seeing at present. Verna believes we have nothing to be concerned about.

I hope this blog topic has been informative and put some minds at ease. I know the poplars looked great before the early leaf loss began so I'm optimistic that things are alright.

By the way, we are topdressing the last 3 fairways today and that finishes the aeration process in 6.5 work days. The great weather helped even though there were a few hiccups and a few muddy fairways on Tuesday. Thanks for your patience over that last couple of weeks.

Wade

Aeration Update And Frost Reminders

The warm weather we are experiencing is a double edged sword. Its great for aeration but it also means the golf course will be booked solid. We have decided to finish the back nine fairway aeration/topdressing, aerate #1, and possibly get #2 aerated as well. Topdressing will be spread where required tomorrow morning and then we will stop work until Monday. It will be too crowded for us to work efficiently and you, the membership, can play the course for the next 4 days uninterrupted by the equipment. It also gives us a chance to catch up on leaf removal, mowing and bunker work in time for the weekend.

Frost will now occur any morning with temperatures in the low single digits. Remember that the temperature will drop right at the moment of sunrise so frost can appear later than you think. Also, down in the river valley it can be much cooler than in at your place of residence so don't be surprised if there is a delay when you arrive for your tee time.

I hope the changes we made at the bridge on #18 meet with your approval. I think it looks great and blends in well with the new look of the lake and the wall next to the green. We are now trying to get samples of dark green synthetic turf to install on the walkway to give it an even better look and feel. This might take a week or two.

Wade

Mowing Changes, Aeration Schedule And Bridge Work

It is fortunate for us that the turf has really started to slow its growth rate, as usual for this time of year. With reduced staff numbers it is now a little easier to keep the course groomed. One more complete cut of the rough and we should be able to manage to keep things under control for the rest of the golf season.The staff will be mowing the entire course over the next 2 days before we begin fairway aeration on Monday.

 In the last few days we have managed to get the tees aerated and topdressed. They will be rolled tomorrow to smooth them out and mowed on Friday after some of the sand is watered  into the turf canopy. Aerating the tees is more time consuming than the greens so it is good to get this task over with. With the purchase of a fairway aerator this past April we will not be contracting out fairway aeration. The fairways have been solid tined for the past 2 years so this fall a core will be pulled and thus the process of cleanup will be longer and unfortunately a little untidy especially if the weather doesn't cooperate. As each fairway is cleaned of plugs sand topdressing will follow soon afterwards. It should take around 10 workdays to complete the fairways. The rough will be solid tined as time permits into October. The approaches on each hole will be aerated at the same time as the fairway. Greens aeration is scheduled for October 1st and 2nd.

You may have noticed some work on the walking bridge in the last few days. We are preparing a flush outside edge on both sides so that we can install a synthetic brick facade on Monday. The top rails will be capped with a similar look to the wall in front of the 18th green. The weathered, warped wood look just didn't fit in with all the new work. Until the bridge is either replaced or removed I think this will be a good fit.

My next blog will detail more cartpath paving and some project work on the driving range that will all begin in early October.

Wade

An Apology And A Request

Wednesday Pin Placements

I would like to apologize for some of the pin placements on Wednesday. It was unintentional and would not have happened if we were blessed with a full compliment of staff. For what its worth here is the explanation. 

The long and short of it is that we have lost around 60% of our summer staff. That means we retrain others in tasks they are unfamiliar with. Like all other golf courses at this time of year. Wednesday was a busy day for us as we were completing a full mow of the course, venting and rolling greens and working on fairway drainage. We had a staff member fairly new to course setup change pins later in the morning after he arrived from his morning classes. He put a few pins where they shouldn't have been considering the greens speed and the extra rolling following the venting. That happens. Unfortunately I didn't get around to check on his decisions because I was busy on the course as were Eric and Dave. The earlier start to Mens League lost us some time as well. I could go on but whats done is done and we will ensure that pins are checked in the future (as they were all summer). We also reviewed course setup again with the remaining staff so they are aware of course conditions and all that revolves around it. Again, my apologies.

Fairway Divots

Many members are asking me what's with all the big fairway divots lying around and who's responsible. The divots are all over the place because many golfers do not put them back and as for who is responsible, it isn't the geese or the coyotes (joking). We are a golf course after all and divots are a fact of life but there are steps everyone can take to help clean up the fairways.

I know I sound like a broken record but this is what I would like to see at The Royal Mayfair:

• If the turf plug is large (and most are especially with the wet conditions of late) please return it to the divot hole.
• Sprinkle some sand/seed ON TOP of the turf to help with regrowth. I've noticed many repairs with the sand underneath. I applaud the effort but that doesn't work very well. Again, on top not under the turf plug.
• Use the sand/seed if the turf plug is small, breaks apart or ends up in a pond. When you do use the sand/seed please use enough to completely fill the divot hole.
• Let your guests know as well. What they do at their home club doesn't necessarily apply here.

I will post a picture or 2 of some divot repairs on twitter with some text accompanying them.

A big thanks for your help in keeping our fairways cleaner and easier to maintain.

Wade

Venting Greens and More This Week

I neglected to mention in my last blog post that the greens would need to be vented before the core aeration in October. This week is the ideal time to get it done as there are no major golf events to be concerned with. Venting, if you recall, is punching very small holes in the green surface to increase gas exchange in the profile. The gas we are most concerned with is oxygen. We usually topdress immediately ahead of the aerator but time did not permit us to do so last week. It will not matter as keeping the small hole open for a day oy two will actually allow more oxygen exchange to occur. Each green will be rolled and cut right after it is vented. We will do as many each day without interfering with play so it will likely take 3 or 4 days to finish. This is the 3rd time we have vented the greens this season and there is usually no change in the putting surface.

On The Course This Week

• greens venting
• solid tine fairway aeration in a few areas requiring compaction relief
• drainage work where soft areas were prevalent on fairways this summer
• growth regulator and wetting agent application on greens
• daily leaf cleanup

Note:
We have had our staff numbers cut down as school resumes. Some day to day changes in mowing and bunker work will have to accomodated. September usually heralds slower turf growth so we will be able to reduce mowing frequency on fairways, tees and approaches without much effect on presentation. Bunkers on the other hand will not be raked everyday. It is a very labor intensive task so we will be doing more touch up work instead of full raking in the coming weeks.

All for now,
Wade