Putting Green Conversion

As stated in recent newsletters and on the bulletin board outside the pro-shop we will be converting the putting green from Poa Annua to a pure stand of Bent grass this February.  Listed below is a detailed description of what will take place and the timing of the whole process.  Keep in mind that we always need to consider Mother Nature this time of year.  These dates could be subject to change if we experience major extremes in weather.

January 30^th

We will begin to strip the existing surface off of the green along with removing the 4-6” of underlying sand.  Along with removing the putting green surface and sand we will also remove the collar and areas of Poa contamination surrounding the putting green.  Removing these areas will ensure that we are doing everything possible to keep the Poa from encroaching into the new bentgrass.  I would anticipate this taking roughly one week.

February 6^th

Using a transit we will grid the entire layout of the green to ensure that we keep the original shape and structure intact. We will then begin to add the necessary sand to compensate for the material that we removed the week prior.  This process will also include adding all the micro and macro soil amendments to ensure that we are creating a well-balanced growing medium.  We will finalize this step by floating the entire surface and re-shooting with the transit to ensure grade.

February 13^th

We will begin to install the sod at this point which should take a maximum of 2 days to complete.   In order to help with the healing process we will be making continuous topdressing applications along with supplying the sod with proper foliar applications of N-P-K.  We will need to allow sufficient time for the sod to knit and become acclimated to its new subsurface before we can open it for practice.

I would anticipate the putting green needing at least six weeks to heal once sodded before we are ready for traffic.  This would have the putting green back for use sometime around the first week of April.  Thank you for your support during this process.  If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact Andrew Morgan