Tree Roots

When trees are located near tees, its not long before tree roots can play havoc and affect the health of the tee. As the tree gets older many of these roots will get

larger and could certainly hurt someone when taking a swing. This picture was taken of the tree roots on #11 blue tee where there are two large Silver Maples not more than 15 feet from the tee. These trees have been root pruned in the past, but will continue to encroach unless removed.

Greens Aerification

All greens were aerified and topdressed with sand on Monday August 22nd. There are areas on greens that will need additional sand applied to fill in the holes.
This is usually is a two step process and will take three or four days to complete providing the weather cooperates.

Fairway Aerification

Fairways were aerified on August 22nd using an outside contractor, Andre and Sons from Montrose, Pennsylvania. They arrived with 5 tractors with aerifiers attached. The contractor was able to finish all 18 fairways in a five hour period.
In-house aerification would take one entire day to do just one par four fairway. With the golf schedule, rainy weather and or equipment breakdowns, completing the job is almost impossible using our one fairway aerifier.
This aerification is the first in many years where all fairways were aerified.

Clover

As with most things we do on the golf course, weather plays a huge factor. Often maintenance schedules and cultural programs are postponed, or delayed all together. During April and May Wanakah received several inches of rain making the golf course practically impossible to mow let alone spray for clover. Timely sprays were canceled or put on hold until conditions improved. Once the rains had stopped, the grounds staff was busy finishing work on the new improvements made last fall to holes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 9.
As Labor Day arrives, temperatures will start to cool and conditions will again favor the control of clover. Fall is the ideal time of year to control broad leaf weeds. Applications of fertilizer will be applied, helping to improve density in the turf stand and crowding out the clover.

Turfgrass Disease

As temperatures and humidity rise, turfgrass diseases can become a serious problem, Anthracnose is one of these warm season diseases.  This disease can cause major turf  loss and is slow to recover.  In the above picture, Basal Rot Anthracnose is prevalent..  This disease is caused by poor drainage, low height of cut, low levels of nitrogen and a compacted soil profile.  Poa annua is most susceptable.