Golf Course News
Golf course recovers nicely from summer damage
By Todd Mathews
Golf Course SuperintendentLake Tansi golf course suffered some damage from this summer’s brutal heat but it has recovered nicely this fall. According to the National Weather Service, this was the warmest summer on record. Crossville will typically see one or two 90 degree days each summer. This year, Cumberland County suffered through day after day and week after week of sweltering heat. Temperatures were well into the 90’s throughout most of the summer.
The cool season grass at Lake Tansi golf course doesn’t do well when temperatures are so high. The maintenance staff began to notice heat damage around the end of June and by the end of July they knew it was going to be hard to keep the turf healthy. Areas such as the roughs, which do not receive fungicide treatments, were the hardest hit. The fairways, greens, and tees received some damage from the heat but the staff fought hard to hold on to what turf they had left.
Tansi was not alone in its battle against the heat. Golf courses across the nation were reporting severe damage. Several high caliber courses lost their greens and many had to close for the rest of the summer. Locally, the Chattanooga area seemed to be one of the hardest hit regions. Courses with million dollar budgets were not exempt from the heat. Several courses in Chattanooga and in East Tennessee received significant damage to their greens and some even had to close temporarily.
Several cultural strategies were put into place in an attempt to save the turf at Tansi. Hanging on to the greens was the hardest fight the maintenance staff had ever seen. Some of the defense strategies included: raising the mowing height, decreasing the frequency of cut, switching to smooth rollers, syringing, and adjusting the use of pesticides and nutrients. Also, Greens aerification was postponed about 1 month because of the heat. By employing these tactics, the staff was able to keep green damage to a minimum.
The record heat and humidity caused a dramatic increase in fungus activity. While the extreme ambient temperature destroyed a significant amount of turf, just as much damage came from fungus. The maintenance staff was forced to apply an unusual amount of fungicide during the summer in an effort to retain as much turf as possible through the heat.
A recovery plan that included aerification, fertilization, pesticide applications, and lots of drill seeding was implemented around the first of September. The weather was still not cooperating. Tansi was seeing extreme temps and rainfall shortages. Irrigation water is nice but nothing helps turf like natural rainfall, and it was scarce.
Greens aerification was completed on September 28th and the process went well. After about 3 weeks of non stop and intense recovery work it was now up to Mother Nature to do her job. Cooler temperatures and timely precipitation would be needed in order to start the healing process. By the first of October things were beginning to look better. The greens and tees healed quickly from aerification. The seed in the roughs was germinated and starting to tiller. Bare areas in the fairways were gradually filling in; by the middle of October the course was looking much better.
Areas on the outer extremities of the course and heavily wooded areas have recovered somewhat, but are not back to 100% yet. Trees and turf grass do not co exist well together. Trees and turf compete for moisture and nutrients with trees very seldom losing. Hopefully by the end of next spring we will have good coverage in these areas.
All things considered, the maintenance staff has been very pleased with the recovery that has occurred at Lake Tansi golf course. Much effort was put in by the entire staff and they are now beginning to see the results of their hard work. As always, their goal is to provide the members and guests with the best golf course in the area. They know that each golfing member at Lake Tansi is proud of their home course and that they want it to be nothing short of the best. This golf course, or any golf course for that matter, can never be in “too good of condition” or “too nice.” That is what motivates the staff.
