Wall-to-Wall Fertilizer Application

Spreader truck on #12

To take full advantage of the course closure, a wall-to-wall organic fertilizer application was completed yesterday. A total of 88,000 pounds was spread throughout the course.

Deep Tine Aerification Complete

Deep tine aerification has been completed on all the greens using a 12" long tine. This work requires specialized equipment and was contracted to Harmon Turf Services (HTS) of Hillsville, Virginia. HTS has been an IGM Preferred Contractor for almost 15 years.

 

Deep tine aerification will help with water penetration as well as improve air and gas exchange in the root zone. Air and gas exchange is important to have healthy turf but will also allow the soil fumigant to penetrate as deeply as possible.

 

Encroachment Collar

Putting surface on the left will be TifEagle. The portion of
the collar in the center that has been killed will be the
TifGrand encroachment collar.

An encroachment collar is used around the green to prevent the perimeter grasses from growing into putting surface. Without managing encroachment, over time the greens can shrink in size or loose their definition. We have chosen to use a 32" band of TifGrand Bermudagrass as the encroachment collar. TifGrand has a dense and primarily upright growth habit without as much horizontal growth as some other grasses. It will separate the TifEagle on the green from the 419 that is on the rest of the green surround. 

 

Maintaining clean lines is made difficult during the grow-in process because fertility and thereby growth rates are so high. Throughout grow-in we will be using a mechanical edger to cut a clean line on both sides of the TifGrand collar. As the greens mature and fertility rates are reduced to normal, the vertical edging will continue as a periodic maintenance task.

 

After a period of years it may be necessary to remove a strip of sod in the encroachment collar and replace it with clean TifGrand to maintain the buffer.

Test Run Completed

In order to ensure things go as smoothly as possible, a significant amount of preparation has taken place before each step of the re-grassing project. With the initial planning and timeline complete, any equipment needed is carefully gone over well in advance and any needed servicing is done. A test area is then completed as well. In this case, we have used the nursery green and the chipping green to test out the process and make final adjustments to operating depth and application rates as well as to ensure

that the steps work as we anticipated and give the desired results.

With the course set to close on Monday, next weeks schedule is one of the busiest of the project. In addition to the extensive surface preparation underway by the IGM staff, we will have two separate contractors onsite. Everything must be ready fumigation on June 10th which is our next major milestone.

Modification to Number Seventeen Complete

Sod removed and rolled. To be reused

Like number eight, number seventeen green needed modification to accommodate the faster speeds of the TifEagle. From the tier in the center, sod was removed and material was added in order to soften the front portion of the green.

After sod has been re-laid

Softer contour

Topdressing applied to smooth the surface

Addition to Number Eight Complete

Native soil was excavated creating a "shell"

Additional putting surface was added to the front of #8 to allow additional cups locations and provide enough area for a ball coming down the slope from back to front to roll out and come to a stop before hitting the collar.This is important with the faster green speeds of the new TifEagle.

TDI performed this work. They have also been the contractor of choice over the past couple of years for the ongoing bunker refurbishment program. They have moved on to #17 and will return later this summer for both the bunker program as well as to sod the collars and areas on #7.

The shell is then filled with a special sand mix

Sod is laid on the sand mix. Topsoil is used on the approach

The finished product resulted in a gentle grade of about 1.5%

Sod has tacked down and 1st mowing at 1 week

Summer Golf Course Tours

For those who will be on Plantation this summer and would like to learn more about the project or see the progress, IGM's Jeff Miller will conduct tours on the 3rd Tuesday of each month leaving from the Golf Shop at 9:00am. Tours dates will be June 16th, July 21st, and August 18th. 

Herbicide Applications Begin

A line has been painted as a guide. Everything inside the
line will be sprayed and then fumigated.

As an added measure to ensure that all of the existing turf is killed, we have scheduled three herbicide applications in advance of the soil fumigation process. The first application took place on May 7th. The remaining applications are scheduled for May 14 and 21. Each day, the front nine is closed until 12:00PM and the back nine is closed from 1:00 to 5:00PM






Herbicide application taking place

Pike Creek Turf Farm Visit

Plenty of great material available

We visited Pike Creek Turf Farm near Tifton, Georgia to pick up two pallets of TifDwarf sod to be used on numbers eight and seventeen. While we were there we also checked out the current condition of the TifEagle sprigs that will soon be cut and sent to Bray Island. The field had great color for the season and the turf was dense and healthy. Pike Creek is a first rate operation with terrific quality control. We look forward to working with them.

Great density and texture



Two pallets cut and ready for the trip to Brays Island



Material Storage Bins

New material bins will house topdressing sand,
bunker sand & topsoil

With the increased use of topdressing sand needed for maintenance of TifEagle putting greens, it was necessary to improve the sand storage at the maintenance facility. Sand needs to be kept dry and free from contaminants including silt and weed seeds. The new storage bins were built under the supervision of David Fontenot. They turned out great and came in under budget.