GOLF & GREENS COMMITTEE: Update on Initiatives, Future Plans

BY DANNY MILADINOVICH GOLF & GREENS COMMITTEE CHAIR

Dear Members,

As stewards of our golf course, we constantly strive to improve and maintain conditions, ensuring an optimal playing experience for all our members and guests. In line with this commitment, we are writing to inform you of an essential maintenance activity necessitating the temporary closure of the Vineyard, River, and Lake courses in March. Please note there will continue to be 18 holes of golf open to play during this time.

Course Closure Dates:

• Lake: Mar 11-17

• Vineyard: Mar 18-24

• River: Mar 25-31

This new process allows the grounds crew to spend a week on each course instead of rushing through the process of 27 holes over 3 days. This also allows there to be at least 9 holes with good putting services open at all times. This process will improve the health of the course in the long-term and also increase member satisfaction during the aeration season. Again, there will be 18 holes open during this time as one nine is being worked on.

During this period, our grounds crew will be conducting aeration to the greens, tees, and fairways. It is a critical process and fundamental to the health and vitality of our turf. Aeration involves perforating the soil with small holes to alleviate soil compaction and facilitate better air, water, and nutrient penetration to the grassroots. This practice is essential for promoting healthy turf growth, enhancing drainage, and ensuring the longevity of our course.

While we understand the temporary closure may inconvenience some of our members, we assure you this proactive measure is undertaken with the long term well-being of our course in mind. By allowing our team to conduct aeration uninterrupted, we are investing in the future quality of our playing surfaces, ultimately benefiting everyone who enjoys our facilities.

During these brief closures, we encourage members to check-in with the Golf Shop regarding course access and availability. Also explore alternative recreational opportunities, perhaps by honing skills at our practice facilities or taking advantage of our clubhouse amenities. Additionally, we welcome this time as an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation, allowing us to return to the course with renewed energy and enthusiasm once aeration is complete.

In addition to our upcoming Spring aeration schedule, we will also be tackling the issue of turf uniformity throughout most of the fairways and tees. Over the next couple of months, the golf course agronomy team will be chemically removing cool season grasses from the warm-season turf stands. This is a common practice in turf management to promote uniformity and optimize the health and appearance of the turf. Cool-season grasses, such as poa annua and perennial ryegrass, thrive in cooler temperatures, while warm-season grasses, like Bermuda grass prefer warmer climates.

The process typically involves the selective application of herbicides that target cool season grass species while leaving warm season grasses unaffected. This selective control allows turf managers to gradually transition the turf composition from a mix of cool and warm-season grasses to predominantly warm-season grasses, which are often more resilient to the heat and drought conditions prevalent in warmer months.

Chemical removal of cool-season grasses helps achieve a more uniform appearance and texture across the turf, enhancing playability and aesthetics. It also reduces competition for resources such as water, nutrients, and sunlight, enabling the warm season grasses to thrive and outcompete undesirable species.

Timing is critical in this process, as herbicide application should be carried out when the cool-season grasses are actively growing and most susceptible to treatment, while minimizing the impact on the desirable warm-season grasses. Additionally, proper turf management practices, including regular mowing, watering, and fertilization, should be implemented to support the establishment and dominance of the desired warm season grass species.

Overall, removing cool-season grasses from warm-season grasses in our fairways and tees is a strategic approach to achieving turf uniformity and optimizing the performance and aesthetics of our course.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to maintain the excellence of Woodbridge Golf & Country Club. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the course closure or our maintenance practices, please do not hesitate to reach out to a member of the Golf and Greens Committee or our course superintendent.

Thank you for your continued support of Woodbridge, and we look forward to a great year ahead.

Warm regards,

Woodbridge Golf & Greens Committee