United States Golf Association Mid-Atlantic Region Green Section 485 Baltimore Pike, Suite 203 Glen Mills, PA 19342

(610) 558-9066 FAX (610) 558-1135

USGA GREEN SECTION

TURF ADVISORY SERVICE REPORT

SUSSEX PINES COUNTRY CLUB

. Georgetown, Delaware

July 22, 2008

PRESENT: David Zorb, President

Gary Kasprow, Golf Committee Chairman Costen Shockley, Green Committee Chairman Norman Bunting, Green Committee Member Ralph Harrison, Green Committee Member Tim Mumford, Head Golf Professional

Harry Wanner, C.G.C.S.

Darin S. Bevard, USGA Green Section

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

INIRODUCTION

The following report is offered to summarize the major points of discussion during our half-day visit to Sussex Pines Country Club, on Tuesday, July 22, 2008. This report will include observations, suggestions and recommendations made during our tour of your facility.

These types of visits are always difficult to do. Anytime turfgrass loss occurs, it is a sensitive issue. When the turfgrass loss dramatically impacts the playability of the greens, emotions can run high. When the greens are in poor condition, it makes it very difficult to play the game of golf in the proper manner.

The damage on the greens was devastating. The exact cause is difficult to pinpoint, although wet wilt appears to be a factor, especially when the timing of the decline and . the weather conditions soon after the Fourth of July are considered.

The goal of our report is to offer our opinions on the contributing factors to turfgrass loss on the greens. We do not have all of the answers. However, there were some charac teristic symptoms of different mechanisms of turfgrass decline that we saw during our tour of the golf course. We will try to offer suggestions to gain recovery as quickly as

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

possible to return the golf course to acceptable playability. This will require some time and a lot of patience. Finally, we will provide some opinions on long-term options to allow the greens to be more reliable in the future and hopefully, to prevent this type of turf damage from occurring. With those thoughts in mind, we offer the following suggestions and recommendations for your consideration.

GREENS

1. What Happened? We believe the primary cause of turf loss on most of the greens to be wet wilt. Wet wilt occurs when saturated soils prevent the turf grass from cooling itself With low oxygen conditions in the soil, maintenance practices as simple as mowing the greens can place tremendous stress on the turfgrass causing major decline. The severity of the decline may also be related to the low mowing heights that were maintained in an effort to promote green speeds. One telltale sign that wet wilt and mowing height are contributing factors is the live turf that was present in many of the deep tine holes. The soils in these holes are better drained and the height of cut is slightly higher within the actual hole.

Maintenance programs to promote green speed can be implemented at various points in the growing season. However, when conditions turn hot and humid, a more conservative approach is needed. Oftentimes, it is too late to save the grass when you realize you must employ more conservative practices. Once the grass is weakened, it becomes more susceptible to a host of other problems.

In addition to wet wilt, definite signs of foliar and root pythium were evident on some of the greens that had not declined. This may have been a contributing factor on the other greens. We could not make that determination on the day of our visit. Whenever, turf loss of this magnitude occurs, the superintendent bears the burden and often the blame which is part of the job. However, we want it to be very clear to all reading this report that we could see no indication that any pesticide or fertilizer application was responsible . for turf decline. Growth regulator applications on the greens have been questionep. The Primo growth regulator that was applied to the greens is applied to greens on virtually every golf course that we visit. It is a standard maintenance practice that improves the health of the turfwhile providing more consistent playing conditions. We thoroughly reviewed Mr. Wanner's spray and fertilizer records for the greens, and no product that was applied could even remotely be expected to cause this sort of decline. There were also no clear streaks on the greens that would indicate spray damage. We want this to be

clear.

<'c.

One other recommendation that we discussed during our tour of the golf course was to consider sending a water quality sample to be sure that there are no problems with the

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

water source that you use for irrigation. While it does not seem likely that your water quality is related to turf decline, a water test can eliminate this possibility.

The dark green spots that are visible are within the deep tine holes. This indicates that low mowing height and poor soil conditions are contributing factors to the turf decline that occurred.

2. Root Pythium. The Sixth and Eighth greens both showed symptoms of foliar and root pythium. At the time of our visit, we recommended an application of a contact pythium fungicide such as Terrazole or Koban. A drench with one of these products will be effective in stopping root pythium. Either of these products should be lightly watered in immediately after application. We recommended that any of the greens that were still in reasonable condition be treated with this fungicide. Root pythium can be managed with fungicides over the course of the summer.

3. Recovery Pl'Ograms. The most important issue now is gaining recovery of the greens. A combination of programs will be necessary to restore the playability of the greens. As mentioned during the visit, we do not recommend any aggressive mechanical operations be performed on the greens that may have little impact on the recovery of the turfgrass but major impact on further reducing the playability. Playability on the greens

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

is poor, but at least they are puttable. Some recovery may come from the existing turf, but seeding will be an important part of overall recovery.

A. Seeding. Sodding is an option to obtain rapid recovery of the greens, but sodding is likely cost prohibitive. In our opinion, the greens should be spiked and seeded in one form or another on a 7-10 day interval. Seeding creeping bentgrass at a rate of 1/4 lb. to 1/2 lb. of actual seed/l,OOO sq. ft. should provide good results. Periodically overseeding the greens will help to develop density over time and help overcome seedling mortality that will naturally occur. The Simple Dimple seeder or a simple spiking attachment for a Sandpro can be used to seed the greens without significant disruption to the surface.

B. Irrigation. Lightly irrigating the greens with overhead sprinklers or by hand every 2-3 hours will encourage seed germination. This time interval can be adjust ed depending upon moisture levels of the greens. You do not want to overwater the greens, but do not let them dry down significantly either.

C. Fertility. Applications of 1/1 0 lb. of actual N /1,000 sq. ft. from a urea or ammonium sulfate source should be made every 7-days. The goal oflight fertilizer applications is to stimulate turfgrass growth to provide recovery from any existing turf that survives and to help with the growth of seedlings. More aggressive granular fertilization can be considered in the latter part of August depending upon weather conditions. Maintaining foliar applications is the safest method to apply nutrients to encourage growth without the potential for damaging the greens.

D. Mowing. We recommended that either the height of cut on the greens be raised or that you replace the grooved rollers on your putting green mowers with solid rollers. The goal is to place less stress on the existing turf and to help with recovery from seedlings. Solid rollers are far less aggressive on the greens than grooved rollers. They will help to limit mechanical damage to some degree. The greens that are most severely damaged should only be mowed on an as-needed basis. This may be as infrequently as one or two days per week. Consider rolling the greens if they are not mowed to remove dew and provide the best possible playing conditions under the circumstances.

E. Light Topdressing. After seeding, light topdressing can be applied to help with seed-to-soil contact. The topdressing should not be dragged in. It can be incor porated into the turfgrass canopy using a syringe cycle from your irrigation system or by waiting for a rainfall event. Dragging or brushing will only cause additional problems. When we refer to light topdressing, we mean just that. No dragging should be require&

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

F. Fungicide Programs. During grow-in, seedlings will be susceptible to Pythium damping-off To avoid this problem, granular Subdue can be applied for the first 3-4 weeks after seed germination. Once the seedlings begin to develop and mow ing starts, you can switch to spray able fungicides that you would normally apply. Pythium damping-off can occur at temperatures below typical temperatures for Pythium foliar blight. Keep this in mind when determining whether or not to treat the greens.

The middle of July is not the time to be growing in new greens. Basically, that is what you are doing at Sussex Pines Country Club. Fortunately, Mr. Wanner used no pre emergent herbicides on the greens this spring. Preemergent herbicides would make this situation more complicated. The recovery is going to take patience, but we believe that the greens can be improved substantially as we progress into mid and late September.

Renovations had already started on the Twelfth green. The green should be smooth and prepped for seeding by mid-August. This will allow the full fall growing season for grOW-ill.

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

4. Fifth and Twelfth Greens. The Fifth and Twelfth greens are completely lost. In our opinion, these greens should be seeded in the second to third week of August to begin their grow-in. While sodding will provide more immediate gratification (at a higher material cost), you have much more control over turf grass establishment from seed. If the greens are seeded in mid-August, you can expect to open them next spring. Once the greens are seeded and turfgrass germination occurs, we will be glad to help you develop fertilizer programs for the grow-in of these greens.

To the degree possible, the surface contours of the Fifth and Twelfth greens should be altered to allow positive surface drainage. If water accumulations on greens can be avoided, it eliminates a lot of the problems you are experiencing at Sussex Pines Country Club. Drainage is so critical to maintaining healthy turfgrass. The combination of good surface drainage and good internal drainage generally allows for the maintenance of healthy turfgrass. Even without internal drainage, a green that surface drains adequately will also perform well. Keep this in mind as you prepare these greens for reseeding in August.

5. Drainage. Whether the change in topdressing in the late 90's or some other factor is responsible for poor drainage in the greens, the fact is, drainage is not good. Drainage can be improved through a combination of aeration programs on the greens. However, you will probably benefit from having an intact core sample from one of your greens analyzed to evaluate any layers that are present. This testing provides a baseline of physical properties of your soils that can be periodically evaluated to provide information on the progress of your aeration programs.

The International Sports Turf Research Center (ISTRC) can provide very detailed information on the different layers that are present in the soil profile. We have taken the liberty of including their contact information. Other Accredited labs can perform this work as well. We recommend that you send a sample from one of the greens that were built in 1967 and one of the greens that were built in 1992. This will provide a repre sentative idea of how each type of green is performing. These tests are not overly expensive for the information that you gain. The information they provide is very valuable in developing aeration and cultural programs for the long-term that will hopefully lead to better reliability of your putting greens on an annual basis.

6. Aeration Programs. Aeration is one of the most basic management programs for putting greens. Standard core-aeration should remain the cornerstone for aeration pro grams on your greens. The use of 1/2 inch coring tines on the tightest possible spacing will provide good results. The cores should be removed from the greens and the holes filled to the surface with new, straight sand topdressing. Through aeration and topdress ing, the layers that are present in the soil profile can be removed and replaced with more uniform material. This will promote better drainage in the upper portion of the soil

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24,2008

profile. Standard core aeration should be performed in spring and fall. In the spring, mid to late April is the ideal time for core aeration. By this time, the grass is actively growing to allow the holes to heal quickly. This is also the time of maximum root growth for the turf. Aeration will only aid in rooting. In the fall, the greens can be aerated any time from mid-August to late September with good results.

Deep tine aeration should be used to supplement core-aeration programs. The use of 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch solid-tines on your deep tine machine will improve drainage deeper into the soil profile. While filling the holes from deep tine aeration is a good idea, it is extremely difficult to achieve. We believe you can use solid tine aeration with your deep tine machine in conjunction with your standard core-aeration programs to improve the overall growing medium.

During the summer months, 3/8 inch needle tines can be used on your deep tine machine to provide short-term relief from thunderstorms and to promote better water infiltration during the heat of the summer. There are many different options available for your aeration programs. Aeration is a major inconvenience for play, but soil conditions ultimately need to be improved on your greens.

7. Fungicide Programs. Overall, your fungicide programs are providing good results. Mr. Wanner indicated that the pesticide budget was cut significantly in 2008. This led to the use of generic fungicides on the greens. We do not believe that using generic fungicides is a problem. However, for pythium control, Signature should be used at least monthly on your putting greens. Signature is one product that provides excellent disease control but also a positive physiological response from the plant after application. We believe Signature should be part of your fungicide programs on greens.

LONG-RANGE PLANS

Mr. Zorb indicated our report will be used to help devise a long range business plan. There are options available to improve the greens. Some options are more expensive than others. Without some commitment to improving drainage in the greens, the poten tial for turf loss during the summer is always there. Obviously, as an agronomist, there would be benefit in seeing the greens before they decline. Hopefully, we can do this in the future. Programs such as aeration should be scheduled at the optimum time for the turf, not the golf schedule. This does not mean that the golf schedule gets no consider ation. Rather, as schedules are developed, the needs of the grass need to be considered:

1. Drainage. The soil profile and ultimately drainage need to be improved in the greens. The aeration programs outlined above will help in this pursuit. Another option to con sider is that of actually installing a herringbone drainage system in your existing greens. At least one or two greens could be retrofitted with drainage to see the results provided.

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

There are contractors available to perform this type of work, Existing Greens Drainage and Golf Preservations. The cost is generally around $1.70 /sq. ft. The cost of materials must also be considered. However, for older greens, the installation of internal drainage has provided dramatic improvement in their overall quality and reliability. This is obviously not a program that can be done all at once at Sussex Pines. Rather, installing drainage in one or two greens per growing season is a more realistic goal at Sussex Pines Country Club. You could start with the worst greens and progress from there. However, it may also be worthwhile to install this drainage in a good to marginal performing green as well to see the results provided. You have to have good drainage to have good turf. There is no way around this.

For the record, this drainage installation only requires the affected green to be out of play for 1.5 to 2 days. The contractors that perform this work have the installation method perfected. When the work is completed, the green can be returned to play, and play ability is minimally affected.

2. Reg.-assing. The other option to consider is regrassing. Creeping bentgrass is more reliable than Poa annua during the heat of the summer in our region. However, without drainage, creeping bentgrass is also susceptible to wet wilt decline as you can clearly see by the loss of bentgrass as well as Poa annua on your greens.

For regrassing, the greens should be fumigated in early to mid-August and seeded by Labor Day to allow for grow-in by the following spring. Prior to fumigation, very aggressive aeration is performed to allow for soil modification to improve drainage.

3. Reconstruction. The other, more costly option is complete putting green recon struction. This comes with a longer period of inconvenience and a greater cost than that of installing drainage. However, it would allow the greens to be regrassed and address the problems that you currently have with drainage. Depending upon whether greens are seeded or sodded, the downtime is five to nine months with sodding providing quicker turn around at a greater cost.

We are not saying that the only way out will have reliable greens at Sussex Pines is to rebuild them or even regrass them. Any programs that will improve drainage are going to improve the greens. When conditions turn hot and wet, the flat nature of many of your greens, or at least areas of greens, is a big liability.

The commitment that must be made at Sussex Pines Country Club is to be sure that any renovations which are performed on the greens or otherwise are done properly. Perform ing work in-house often saves money in the short-term but comes at a cost in the long term. Contractors that install drainage or rebuild greens on a regular basis have more expertise and proper equipment to perform these tasks. When you are dealing with an

Sussex Pines Country Club

July 24, 2008

area as important as your putting greens, it is worthwhile to make the proper investment so that expected quality can be maintained for the long-term. Too often, smaller budget courses fall into the trap of not having enough money to do it right, but always having enough money to do it twice. Do not fall into this trap. If you have any questions regarding long range planning, do not hesitate to calL

4. Turf Advisory Service Visits. This may seem self serving, but it really is not. We do not need to do more Green Section visits in our region. However, if we visit your course on a regular basis, we can better help you solve problems and determine their cause. We also help to develop a history of your maintenance programs and other changes to the golf course. It is very difficult to show up after a major turf problem develops. We would much rather work with Mr. Wanner to prevent damage from occurring and provide more reliable greens on a year round basis. When we find ourselves within the current situation at Sussex Pines, there is no opportunity to discuss fine tuning maintenance programs or trying to evaluate what factors, if any, are creating repeat problems.

The thought may be that our service is too expensive, especially for a smaller budget course. In reality, smaller courses cannot afford to deal with the problems that you have right now. It can be devastating whereas larger budget operations have a greater margin for error. We are an unbiased source of information. We do not sell anything. Our biggest contribution is to provide information and programs that we have learned from visiting many courses within our region. Any time you need help, please do not hesitate to contact us.

CONCLUSION

This concludes our summary of the major points of discussion during our visit and tour of your golf course. If any questions arise concerning this visit, our report or any other area, please feel free to call our office.

Sincerely,

(j)arin S. rJ3evard/m Darin S. Bevard Senior Agronomist·