The Current State of Turfgrass in the Carolinas

Leon Lucas is the Carolinas Golf Association Agronomist. He has been with the CGA for past 14 years and Leon has over 45 years of experience with plant pathology and turf grass issues. Leon gives us his thoughts on the current state of our area’s golf course grasses:

Turfgrasses in general have grown well in recent months.  Bentgrass grew well in the fall and in most cases has recovered from summer stresses where damage occurred.  Bermudagrass grew well on greens, fairways and tees last summer and entered the winter season in good quality shape.

Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) has also grown well during our recent mild weather and has become a problem on some greens and fairways.  Superintendents are treating this weed on bentgrass greens with growth regulators to slow the growth or to remove it slowly. Bermudagrass greens, fairways and tees (not overseeded) are currently being treated with herbicides to kill the annual bluegrass and broadleaf weeds.  It will take several weeks for the weeds to die in this cool weather.

More area courses converted their greens from traditional bentgrass to ultradwarf bermudagrass this past year. The bermudagrass grew well and should not have problems from winter damage due to our mild winter so far.  If, however, very cold weather does occur in February and March, superintendents can protect the bermudagrass greens with covers as well as irrigation during cold, windy and dry weather.

It will soon be time to start aerifying bentgrass greens to prepare them for the 2012 season.  Clubs should try to plan golf activities around the superintendent’s aerification program.  Aerification is a necessary and proven maintenance practice to help insure good growth of the grass and good quality throughout the summer months. A few weeks of bumpy, sandy greens is a small price to pay for beautiful, smooth, and consistent bentgrass greens during the remainder of the golfing season.

Do your golf scores go up during the winter months?

They shouldn’t, really, because of weather conditions.

The USGA says clubs are supposed to set up courses to make scoring consistant throughout the year.  This is covered in Section 15 (Course Set-up) of the USGA Handicap System manual.

“Placement of tee markers should be balanced so that the course’s effective playing length is about the same from day to day.  Adjustments may be made to allow for weather and turf conditions.”

So, if your course “plays” longer in the winter months, your club should instruct the maintenance department to set up tees (on average) shorter than they are in the winter months.  Move them up.  Make the course “play” in February as it does in July.

The same is true of hole locations.  If your greens are faster in the winter than in the summer, then the maintenance staff should cut holes on flatter areas during the winter months.

The goal is to allow you to score as well in the coming months as you did last summer.

Read Section 15 of the USGA handicap manual at www.usga.org, under Playing the Game.

If you have any questions about course set up, contact Michael Dann HERE.

Sometimes you just have to play through the cold…

The Carolinas Golf Association held their 4th Annual Carolinas Young Amateur Championship this past week at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst, NC. Monday, January 2nd brought to the course a sun shiny mild day perfect for a mid-winter round of golf. However, the second day of the tournament turned cold and windy yielding harsh playing conditions and frozen greens.

Katie Kirk of Davidson, NC tries to stay warm...

 

 

 

 

 

 

The competitors braved the cold and wind to complete their second rounds and in the end Katherine Perry of Cary, NC and Jordan Walor of Wake Forest, NC captured their division titles in fine fashion. Katherine scored a two day total 148 (4 over par) and a ten shot victory over second place finisher Allison Emrey of Charlotte, NC. Jordan played his way to an even par (144) finish to outpace Clifford Blanquicet Jr. of Sanford, NC by two strokes.

Spencer Lawson of Raleigh, NC keeps his head in the game...

What does it take to run a golf tournament?

Running a golf tournament may not always be as easy as it looks. The USGA and other state and local golf associations have been conducting tournaments for many years. And even as far back as 1962, it took a lot of coordination to pull off a first class tournament. An article first published in the 1962 issue of Golf Journal explains very clearly how much effort it takes to run a championship – please enjoy…

http://usgamuseum.com/about_museum/news_events/news_article.aspx?newsid=274

Handicap Revision Schedule – Close but no cigar…

Despite what you may have read on page 38 in the December issue of “Golf Digest” magazine, the new USGA national revision schedule requires the CGA to calculate handicaps on the first and the 15th of each month, 24 times per year.  The Golf Digest piece refers to an every-other-week revision schedule, 26 times a year; but that is wrong.

Directly from the USGA:

“Every Handicap Index will be revised on the same dates (1st and 15th) of each month for the entire year…”

So you want to Be a CGA Golf Course Rater?

Michael Dann is our Assistant Director for the Carolinas Golf Association responsible for Course Ratings and Handicapping. Recently he conducted a course rating seminar at a nice private club including a brief description of the process that creates course ratings and slope ratings for each set of tees at a golf course. His observations:

At first blush, course rating seems exciting to golfers.  Visit a course with a rangefinder and an altimeter.  Play the course.  Have lunch.

But more than half of those who sign up for a course rating seminar do not become raters.

Why?

Chiefly because the activity is math intensive and team intensive.  The task generally requires more than four hours of measuring and consulting charts.  Raters work in groups of three or more, recording up to 540 numbers on USGA rating forms FOR EACH SET OF TEES.  So everybody has to appreciate the process and get along.

Course rating also is volunteer work.  Your car.  Your gas.  Your rangefinder.  Your day away from home or job.  Your time to attend rating seminars.  

In North Carolina alone, we have 19 course rating teams, positioned geographically.  Nearly 250 volunteers who make it possible to fulfill this obligation to the USGA in a timely way.

So, if you are an individual who is interested in golf, loves math and numbers, and would like volunteer to give back to the game they love – consider becoming part of a CGA course rating team. If you want to know more, please contact Michael at admin@carolinasgolf.org.

Support Amateur Golf in the Carolinas

Do you have a car registered in NC? Here’s your chance to get in on the CGA License Plate Program and help support the Carolinas Golf Association and the Carolinas Golf Foundation all at the same time.

Your purchase of a CGA License plate will help the CGA continue to financially support the CGF and many other worthwhile Carolinas initiatives and will show your support of amateur golf every time you drive your vehicle.

The price of the CGA Special License plate is $30.00 and the personalized version is $60.00. If you choose to personalize your plate you may select any combination of 4 letters and numbers to make your plate your own! (Your combo would appear where you see the letters G O L F in the plate pictured above.)

You can download a license plate application form from our website at: License Plate App; or, read more about this new program including a series of FAQs at: License Plate Program