Quote:
Originally Posted by MrChip72
I know some people on here like to label things as fictional just because they don't fully understand them, but the El Nino thing isn't just something that the golf people in TV made up out of thin air. It's been widely reported all over Florida this year:
El Nino wallops South Florida - GCMOnline.com
More links here plus a webinar hosted by a University of Florida turf specialist:
Current Challenges | GCSAA
Even 8 years ago it was identified as a cause of poor golf conditions by the USGA:
https://www.usga.org/course-care/reg...f-courses.html
I'm not saying that the only reason was El Nino, that's obvious. But it likely had to do with putting these poorly managed courses over the tipping point at this exact time. |
These are the bullets from the USGA 2016 El Niño report. Not passing judgment....just asking the active TV golfers if you believe any of the below was followed this past winter?
2016
How can you protect your golf course?
Ultimately, we need drier weather and more sunlight. A few tips to consider for improving turf health and playability at your facility include:
1. Monitor soil moisture and reduce overhead irrigation – Many facilities have not applied irrigation since before Christmas 2015, yet root zones remain saturated due to the increased rainfall. Keep track of your soil moisture and reduce irrigation as much as possible at this time. Spend the extra money and purchase a dependable soil moisture meter that measures volumetric water content.
2. Increase mowing heights on greens – Do not stress your greens by mowing low. Sacrifice a little bit of playability for turf health and be more tolerant of slightly slower conditions. Turfgrass leaves are like miniature solar panels. Therefore, providing greater leaf area by increasing mowing heights will allow turf to create more energy through photosynthesis, promoting turf health and deeper roots.
3. Vent greens regularly with solid-tine aeration – Venting with small, “pencil” tines – e.g., 0.25-inch diameter solid tines – is recommended on a monthly basis during normal winter months. Some facilities are venting greens as frequently as every two weeks. Venting improves rooting by relieving soil compaction and increasing soil oxygen.
4. Use plant protectants – Fungicides are being applied at many facilities to reduce disease and improve turf growth. Leaf spot and Pythium diseases have been among the most common pathogens on golf courses over the past few weeks.
5. Manage golfer traffic – Ropes and stakes often are used to reduce cart traffic stress and are particularly helpful during the winter. Also, more courses than normal have adopted “cart path only” policies during the past month because of saturated soil conditions.
6. Implement a fairway topdressing program – “Mud balls” are a common problem when fairway soils remain saturated and are caused, in part, by an undiluted surface layer of organic matter. This thick, spongy layer causes more plugged lies and increases the occurrence of mud – i.e., organic matter – on balls. While fairway topdressing is costly, it certainly improves playability – especially surface firmness – and helps reduce the occurrence of “mud balls” in fairways with excessive organic matter.
Source: Todd Lowe (tlowe@usga.org) and Steve Kammerer (skammerer@usga.org)