Fairy Ring

The white marks are mushrooms that are produced by the fungi


notice the dark green arcs

the area right off the green arc has become hydrophobic

Whenever you play Squire Creek you will notice several dark green rings on all of the greens, this is known as fairy ring. Fairy ring is a disease that is caused by soil- inhabiting fungi. It appears as circles or arcs of dark green grass, often with thin or dead grass just inside or outside the rings. These rings become more visible when the grass starts getting hungry(low on nitrogen). It is not a problem that we need to treat or feel concerned about.

Tee Aerification

ga-24 in operation on #1 tee box


Spacing 1x1, with cores


The time has arrived for our annual tee aerification. We have decided to start a week earlier on tees to make next week a little easier(greens aerification on July 5-6th). The machines we use on the tees are the same as we use on the greens, but the process is a little quicker.

The process goes like this:

1. We aerify the tee box with the ga-24, it has 5/8 in. coring tines on 1x1 spacing.(removes 31% of the surface)



2. Let the cores dry and then proceed to drag them with a steel mat.(this breaks the thatch apart from the sand)



3. Then we take a blower and blow off the tee surface into the rough



4. Next we will roll the tee 2 different directions



5. The following day we will topdress the tee box with sand, brush, and roll again

The benefits of coring include:

• Release of toxic gases from the soil



• Improved wetting of dry or hydrophobic soils



• Increased infiltration capacity, especially where surface compaction or thatch limits infiltration



• Stimulated root growth within the holes



• Increased shoot growth within the holes



• Disruption of soil layers resulting from topdressing



• Control of thatch, especially where soil cores are reincorporated or where topdressing follows coring
  

The process should be complete tomorrow and the tees should be back to normal before you know it.

Vitex

The Vitex is also know has the Chaste Tree. This blue flowered summer blooming tree likes full sun and moderate to regular water. These drought tolerant, pest free plants combine blue summer blooms with leaves shaped like an open hand. They grow in almost any well drained soil. In most areas this tree grows fast to make a multi trunked tree with a broad, spreading habit about 15-20 foot high and wide.

These showy trees can be seen all around the course, with majority of them lining 3 tees.