ADAM MILLER | DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY
GOLF MAINTENANCE UPDATE
ON THE GREENS
oth courses are playing well as we endeavor to provide a premier golf experience to membership and guests. The Agronomy team has been quite successful in implementing course maintenance, including all tees on North Course topdressed and verti-cut edging on the greens, and extensive drainage work. While work on the South Course featured a successful needle tine aeration, sodding of drainage areas and more work outlined below. NORTH COURSE CONDITIONS: On the North Course, the Agronomy team has continued to work on mowing the native grasses around the golf course. All tees were top-dressed and verticut. We continued to do a little sod work around the course, and finished sodding the native area between 5 green and 6 tee with centipede. The team worked with Jim Hill from Innovative Drain Technologies (IDT),
uncovering entrance and exits for the greens drains. It is important to keep these open to be able to inspect greens' drains and flush out any debris that may get into the drain system of the greens.
Both courses are playing well as we endeavor to provide a premier golf experience to membership and guests. Edging was completed on all the greens. This is an important practice to keep the collar grasses from encroaching the green. It also helps define the greens edge. As the Bermuda grass begins to grow, the edge of the green will become more defined and will help keep the collar grass from encroaching on the champion greens. SOUTH COURSE CONDITIONS: On the South Course, the team completed a needle tine aeration, followed by a wetting agent and soil application to help with water penetration, gas exchange, and root health. The team also conducted some sod work on the course and completed the sodding of the drainage installed on #14 short of the fairway. A preemergent application was applied on the tees and roughs, and IDT flushed and inspected all the drainage on the South Course.
By placing a camera into the drainage, we can learn the status of the greens drainage and see the benefit of the cleaning process. In featured photo, Jim utilizes ground penetrating radar to locate pipes. This technology can also tell us depth of sand and gravel within the USGA green.
20
BERKELEYHALLCLUB.COM
SUMMER AERATION: The Summer aeration schedule begins with the North Closure early May. We will pull a small core and verticut the North greens and tees, and plan to start some light topdressing on the fairway
The successful needle tine aeration on the South Course went very smoothly. It also had very limited impact on playability, as the greens remained firm and smooth after the process was completed.
and approaches along with some light aeration in the roughs. We will use this same model when the South Course closes on May 15 for three days. OTHER AERATION DATES: North Course Aeration II: June 1 – June 22 South Course Aeration II: July 6 – July 20 North Course Aeration III: July 26 – Aug 1 South Course Aeration III: Aug 9 – Aug 22
With the added drainage, sand, and new grass, hopefully this heavily shaded and trafficked area at the start of #14 fairway can thrive.
