Hills Course Conditions Update

Hills Course Conditions Update

 

I wanted to take this opportunity to update the membership on a couple areas on the course.

 

Roughs

 

We are currently mowing the roughs at 2”.  An interesting note about our course is that holes 1-18 have common Bermuda grass and Holes 19-27 have 419 Bermuda grass.  With that said, it is important to know the differences between these two types of Bermuda grasses.  Common Bermuda grass is not very dense, meaning it is more wiry because all the leaf blades are on the tops of the shoots.  This causes the golf ball to drop to the bottom when it comes to rest.  The Common Bermuda makes it harder for golfers to locate their golf ball and slow play down.  Even when the grass is freshly cut, the ball still drops down out of site.  As for the 419 Bermuda grass, it is a high-density turf that allows the ball to sit up on the plant better and is more visible and easier to locate due to more densely located leaf blades throughout the plant shoots.

 

In addition, we are also implementing new out of play native/natural areas in the roughs.  In these areas we are letting the Bermuda grass grow up naturally and create a native type look and height.  These areas will not be mowed, but we will be maintaining and controlling the weeds in these areas.  This is going to add a new dynamic to the course and it also allows the mowers to get around to the playable areas more frequently, keeping our roughs at a more consistent height.

 

 

 

Greens

 

Due to the amount of rain we have had this spring and early summer, the greens are very healthy.  We have a very dense and deep root system for this time of year.  This causes the growth to be more rapid and for the leaf blades to be larger and more dense.  This is a good thing for the overall health of the greens, but does create a slower ball speed when it comes to playability.  We are applying a growth regulator product to help speed up the putting surface.  We will also be performing light topdressing of sand once per week to help firm up the canopy of the plant and allow a harder surface, which will increase ball speed.  The healthy anddense turf we currently have will help in reducing the effects of compaction due to the amount of rounds that are played on a weekly basis.  We will also be rolling the greens more frequently to also encourage a little more ball speed on the greens.    

 

As always thank you for your patience and consideration as we work to improve the course on a daily basis.

 

Dan Boley, GCS

Stonebridge Ranch CC-Hills Course