Calabasas Country Club
Maintenance Department
There has been a lot of positive feedback about the course since the Club Championship, and congratulations to Jeff Gampel on his victory. Some questions have arisen about the advantages and disadvantages in bringing up the course's playability.
It definitely is a give and take situation, which I separate it into three categories: health, aesthetics, and playability.
Members see that when we aerate or perform other necessary activities to ensure the course's health, the playability of the course goes down. Conversely, when we double cut and double roll the greens for three days straight (as we did last week) in order to enhance playability, the health of the greens decline.
The aesthetic value is effected by both conditions in different ways. Maintenance projects disrupt the short-term aesthetic value, but are done to ensure health and thus long term aesthetics and playability are gained.
On the other hand, constant sweeping and mowing makes the course look great for a short period, but in time the mowers will wear the grass down to nothing, which has adverse effects on health and aesthetics.
My main concern is health; it is not possible to keep aesthetics and playability up long term without raising the health. The goal is to raise the health and slowly bring up aesthetics and playability until they are all at a notable and sustainable level.
A few activities planned for July;
· Tree trimming and clearing dead trees
· Bunker sand replacement
· Light top-dress applications on the greens
· Soil, tissue and water test were conducted to ensure proper nutrient and amenities are added to the greens over the next few months.
· Collar and approach verticutting; this removes excessive thatch build-up and reduces scalping.
· Hydrojecting the greens; this aerates with water jets breaking through organic matter in the process.
· Flushing the greens to move sodium down the soil profile
· Wetting agent/surfactant application on greens
A few advantages of these wetting agents are:
1. Increases moisture retention; allows soil to absorb and hold water
2. Reduces frequency of watering
3. Reduced use of fertilizers
4. Optimizes maturation
5. Promotes deeper roots and increases the number of fine root hairs
6. Reduces labor costs associated with intensive turf management
7. Reduces compaction
Regards,
Eric Wenzinger
Golf Course Superintendent
