Topdressing

We verticut top dressed and mowed yesterday. The topdressing helps prevent excessive thatch buildup and keeps the greens firm and healthy. I like to do it really light every 2 weeks throughout the growing season. Most of the time you can't tell we did anything by Wednesday. 

Also, we core aerated some of the green edges to work in some nutrients. This will give these select spots some added protection headed into the season. 

Brent Graham, CGCS

Director of Golf Maintenance

Two Rivers Country Club

1950 Two Rivers Rd

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Office: 757-258-4606

bgraham@tworiversclub.com

Tifgrand

I love this bermuda. We have it around a few greens. Greens up early, fine texture, wear resistant.  You can see it around 9,10 and pg2. 

Brent Graham, CGCS

Director of Golf Maintenance

Two Rivers Country Club

1950 Two Rivers Rd

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Office: 757-258-4606

bgraham@tworiversclub.com

Irrigation control

Even though our piping and most heads are a little out dated, our central control is pretty cool. We replaced it about 7 years ago and are pretty proactive about keeping everything up to date. The only issue we have is communication to some of the boxes through radio antennas. This is something that can really get addressed until we do a full system. 

Many of you have seen some of the ways that we can use the irrigation system. We can turn heads and programs on through our phones and Ipads. I just bought a new ipad yesterday for the irrigation system. Our old one was an original ipad 1 the couldn't get the latest apps and software for the irrigation system. It's funny how Apple can faze out old products and get you to buy new stuff....it was 7 years old I guess. The new one has 4G so I don't have to carry around a wifi card anymore. That's nice and it will save us $10/month not having to pay for a wifi card anymore. 

Using these devices saves us a ton of time. I can make run time adjustments, program adjustments, use the irrigation map, turn things on and off, and monitor the pump station all from a phone and/or ipad. This saves me a ton of time every morning from having to run back and forth to the office. 

Brent Graham, CGCS

Director of Golf Maintenance

Two Rivers Country Club

1950 Two Rivers Rd

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Office: 757-258-4606

bgraham@tworiversclub.com

Cart path only

It's been a wet month and a half. We try and get carts out as soon as we can but a course built in the swamp really doesn't drain that fast, especially considering all the rain we have had this spring. 

Today would still be a good day to get out and play if you can stand the walking. Greens are rolling nice after the double cut and roll. We were able to do this today because we raked bunkers yesterday and didn't get much play. Not having to mow any bermuda and not having to do bunkers leaves enough guys to be able to put 9 guys on greens this morning. 

Brent Graham, CGCS

Director of Golf Maintenance

Two Rivers Country Club

1950 Two Rivers Rd

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Office: 757-258-4606

bgraham@tworiversclub.com

Greens

We are double cutting and rolling this am. Greens are putting nice now!  I have been grooming and brushing trying to get all that excess leaf tissue. You can see the close ups....one is regular and the other is after running your hand over the greens. We are trying to clean up all that excess leaf tissue. It is a normal practice on golf greens this time of year. 

They are start to get good. 

Brent Graham, CGCS

Director of Golf Maintenance

Two Rivers Country Club

1950 Two Rivers Rd

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Office: 757-258-4606

bgraham@tworiversclub.com

Greens

We verticut,  brushed, and mowed with the groomers and brushes down yesterday. This is a great time of year to try and groom the greens and get those leaf blades standing upright. These practices slow down the green speeds while we are doing it for a couple of days, but the end result is healthier, faster and truer greens. 

We just need it to stop raining for a little while now. 

Brent Graham, CGCS

Director of Golf Maintenance

Two Rivers Country Club

1950 Two Rivers Rd

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Office: 757-258-4606

bgraham@tworiversclub.com

Common bermuda

The common in the fairways is real visible right now. It is green and growing, while the hybrid 419 is still just thinking about greening up. 

The common has much more of a broad leaf and isn't as upright and dense. Most golfers can't tell the difference (I think), but it does produce some ascetic and management challenges. The fairways look real patchy this time of year, and the common acts differently than the 419 when dealing with fertilizers and growth regulators. The common isn't hardly affected by high rates of growth regulators, while the 419 will bronze up and really be stunted. 

To have this much common in the fairways at their age, it had to have come in on the sprigs and sod when they were growing in the course. 

Brent Graham, CGCS

Director of Golf Maintenance

Two Rivers Country Club

1950 Two Rivers Rd

Williamsburg, VA 23185

Office: 757-258-4606

bgraham@tworiversclub.com