March Recap!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper, today is Wednesday, March 30th and although there is still one more day to go this month, I wanted to provide you with a recap. Several years ago I stated how I believe March to be the least attractive month for the golf course March Madness, and I still feel that way. Having said that, I do believe this might be the best the course has looked this time of year, and I'm hopeful that is a sign of more good things to come this season.

We only received 10.22 inches rainfall during meteorological winter (Dec-Feb) but we have already received more than half that amount (5.24 inches) just in March alone! Despite the soggy start to meteorological spring, the spreader truck driver expressed Monday we were the driest golf course he had experienced across the southeast so far as we made our annual application of slow release fertilizer that will feed our tees, fairways, and primary rough for the majority of the season. 

Also, the week after putting green aerification I traveled to Raleigh for a GCSAA chapter meeting. The Southeast Regional Conference had not been held since March 2019 due to the Covid pandemic, so it was good to finally get out and see some of my fellow superintendents from across North and South Carolina. Traveling along I85 and I40 I quickly realized how far ahead the growing season is in Charlotte compared to the areas around Greensboro and Raleigh/Durham. 

In fact, I mentioned to several of my peers I thought our tees and fairways were in need of their first mowing before I traveled, but we were unable due to the excessive wet conditions as 2.81 inches rain fell in the first three days post aerification. Also, considering temperatures were forecast to plummet to as low as 20 degrees F on the morning of March 13, it was probably best to not mow right away.

Sure enough, upon my return the frigid freezing temperatures had created a great deal of leaf burn turning our early green fairways brown again. 

March 8th

March 16th

But our playing surfaces have shown amazing resilience and quickly bounced back. We mowed all tees, fairways, approaches and closely mowed surrounds on the 22nd and 23rd removing the burnt tissue and revealing a golf course greener than usual for this time of year. 

Close Up View of Leaf Burn

March 22nd 

We now turn our attention to mowing the rough for the first time this year. Our initial mowing is at a lower than normal playing height in order to remove as much dormant material possible and open the canopy to sunlight penetration. As a result this operation is always slow and generates a lot of material that must be removed from the playing surface, so thank you in advance for your patience. With March almost in the rear view that means The Masters is almost here! Always the most exciting time of year!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Spring Cleaning!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper, today is Wednesday, February 16th. Growing up with my grandparents, I remember each spring we would spend several days taking down, cleaning, and putting away the winter drapes, clean all the windows and open them to air out the house, and wash all the plaster walls and heat registers with soap and water. Granted it might be a little too early for all that, but I think you see where I am going.

Although meteorological spring is still twelve days away, and astronomical spring doesn't arrive until March 20th, this is an ideal time to be getting a head start on spring golf course conditions. Earlier this week we began our annual applications of preemergent herbicide which helps us manage crabgrass and goosegrass across the more than 100 acres of bermudagrass tees, fairways, and rough. 

6.67 Acres at a Time

This is a time consuming process as it requires nearly 16 tanks to cover all the golf course, practice areas, and clubhouse grounds. But after enduring three consecutive years of above average rainfall and soggy winter conditions, it has been refreshing this week to get the sprayer on the course without issue or delay.

We also made spot applications of a post-emergent herbicide for annual bluegrass (poa annua) a couple weeks back to cleanup what little breakthrough from our fall preemergent applications occurred. Overall, I have been quite pleased with the cleanliness and presentation of the golf course surfaces this off-season.

Mowing of our native/natural areas is also underway! Each year we mow the old seed stalks and remove the clippings to clean up the areas and prepare them for preemergent applications. Our herbicide combo used in the natural/native areas is targeted against crabgrass and several species of broadleaf weeds. This will be applied once the mowing is complete in the coming weeks.

Super 600

And lastly, we are installing a plastic barrier adjacent to the newly refurbished sections of cart path in an attempt to prevent future damage from tree roots. You may recall last summer the intruding roots under the damaged sections of path were removed. We are using a trencher to cut about 18 inches deep adjacent to the path. This severs any lingering roots, then the plastic liner is installed vertically in the trench nearest the path, and backfilled. In the future as the tree roots begin to regrow, the liner will force them deeper preventing the heaving of asphalt which created the previous undesirable bumpy conditions.

Trencher

A quick reminder that greens aerification is now less than three weeks away (March 7 and 8). We will once again perform a solid, deep-tine operation ahead of the core aerification and topdressing. We have adjusted our hollow-core tine size this spring, so hopefully the smaller holes will not linger too long. Spring aerification is always tricky because the grass will not grow until the climatic conditions are optimal, however when the weather warms you want to play so we are always striving to find the right balance and compromise. 

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG 

A Question About Sand!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Tuesday, February 1st and I want to take a moment and provide some information based on a question received during last week's Annual Meeting. It was a great question, and knowing not everyone was able to log in to the virtual meeting I figured this would be a great way to spread the word.

The question was about our bunker sand, and more specifically the asker wanted to know was the sand installed in the recently renovated bunkers different from the sand in the other bunkers on the golf course? Great question, and the answer is both No and Yes. How is that possible you ask, let me explain.

Ready for Liner

Cap Con Liner

New G-Angle Sand

You may be surprised to learn the G-Angle sand from Golf Agronomics installed in the newly renovated bunkers last September is the same G-Angle sand installed in all the bunkers when we last renovated in 2013. Here is a link to a blog update from that project with some great photos detailing that work. http://carolinagreenkeeper.blogspot.com/2013/11/congrats-renovation-update-and-busy.html 

So, we have established the new sand is the same sand, but it has been more than 8 years since that 2013 project. Yes, new sand is also added to the bunkers periodically, especially to those receiving the heaviest amount of play, but we are only talking about additions of an inch or so here and there. 

The difference comes from contamination originating from the clay subsoil underneath. With the lack of a lining system in the older bunkers, that sand has been exposed to years of weather including silt and clay particles which are smaller altering the texture, making the sand heavier, percolate slower, and play differently. 

The USGA says the useful life expectancy of bunker sand in Transition Zone climates is about 7 years, in bunkers without liners. Considering we recently endured three consecutive years (2018-2020) with extreme rainfall totals (58.50" average) it is easy to understand why our bunkers are in need of renovation, and in need of the liner. The new liner seals off the clay subsoil preserving and protecting the sand from contamination and prolonging its useful life. 

So, the new sand is different because it is fresh and does not contain any of the silt, clay, and other contaminant particles that's in the older bunkers.

Note Color Difference

I also mentioned last week how the new sand, although angular is not packed as tightly as the older sand containing smaller contaminant particles. We recently spent one of our Maintenance Mondays with two men dedicated to operating a vibratory plate tamp on all the newly renovated bunkers to help firm them up.

We’re adding sand to a few bunkers in need and plate tamping the sand in our recently renovated bunkers today. #MaintenanceMonday pic.twitter.com/wiUqst5tB2

— Matthew Wharton (@CGCGreenkeeper) January 10, 2022

One other thing to note if you reviewed that 2013 post. The total number of bunkers on the property is now 81 with 79 on holes 1-18 and two practice bunkers. Two bunkers were added to the left side of Hole 7 in the fall of 2016. Click Here if you would like to revisit some photos from that project. 

That's all for now. Hard to believe February is already here! Two months down and only one to go until Spring. You may find it hard to believe with three snow events last month and the cold temperatures we've experienced most of January this winter is still trending nearly 4 degrees above average thanks to the record warmth experienced in December. Guess those days with the AC on in December canceled out those bitterly cold, snowy mornings recently endured.

Courtesy Brad Panovich, WCNC

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

The Short Straw!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Friday, January 28th and we are once again anticipating winter precipitation this weekend!  No, this is not Deja vu and it isn't a leftover message from last Friday. We did in fact receive close to two inches snow last Friday night. That's right, Charlotte has seen two winter weather events already this month and more is expected tonight.

I could not think of that happening before during my tenure here at Carolina Golf Club and I was right, as good friend Brad Panovich pointed out the last time Charlotte received three winter weather events in the same month was twenty-two years ago in January of 2000! Mrs. Greenkeeper and I arrived in the Queen City in 2005.

The last time we had 3 weeks with measurable snowfall in a single month was January 2000 in #charlotte. #cltwx #snOMG #ncwx pic.twitter.com/Dm9bsDioHH

— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) January 27, 2022

Granted the event tonight is only expected to bring anywhere from a trace of snow up to possibly two inches means anything is possible as it relates to the golf course and playability tomorrow. So we will just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

11pm 1/27/22 Update: Going to simplify things and just stick with the Tr-2" amounts knowing full well a few spots could go over that but very localized. #snOMG #cltwx #ncwx #scwx #wcnc pic.twitter.com/LoWdVl1XlE

— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) January 28, 2022

Stay tuned for email updates from the Golf Professional Staff and I'll keep you posted on Twitter so you won't have to venture out unnecessarily should that be the case. And to think, it was 78 degrees four weeks ago. I believe Mother Nature might have over indulged on New Year's Eve and we're still dealing with her hangover.

On the bright side, next week appears to be much improved over this recent cold spell as the 10-Day outlook points to temperatures back up in the mid-50s and even the low 60s before, wait... another cold shot next weekend. Good grief, winter in the Carolinas is nothing but a roller coaster, the only question is are the peaks during the week or on the weekend. Looks like the weekends drew the short straw this year.

Courtesy WCNC

Anyway, stay warm and we'll get you back out on the course as soon as possible. Or just pray for a bust forecast tonight and we'll get everyone started at 12:00 noon. 

Stay tuned,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Winter Storm Watch!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Friday, January 14th and our area is currently under a Winter Storm Watch for later this weekend! Now, it's important to understand that Watch means the ingredients for a winter storm are there. Once those ingredients come together to form the storm the Watch will be upgraded to a Warning.

There should be no confusion of a Watch vs a Warning with this example. A Watch the ingredients are there for something, A Warning it's there. #cltwx #ncwx #scwx #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/nk5kiM2Sfo

— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) April 15, 2018

Currently the timing of this storm has it arriving in the Charlotte Metro area sometime late tomorrow, and possibly not until after midnight Sunday morning. As typical, the big question facing everyone is who gets snow versus who gets freezing precipitation. And, it is important to remember sleet is one form of freezing precipitation that does not accumulate on trees and power lines but makes roadways treacherous. Freezing rain is another form of freezing precipitation that not only makes roadways treacherous, but also accumulates on trees and powerlines causing other issues to be dealt with.

The two charts above depict the snow/sleet potential and the ice potential for the region courtesy of our friend Brad Panovich of WCNC. It is important to bear in mind these charts are as of 11:00 pm LAST NIGHT and are subject to change as the storm approaches, so please be weather aware!

Being a golf course superintendent I am used to dealing with Mother Nature. After all, She is constantly in control and we adjust daily to the weather conditions. Our approach to this storm is no different from past winter weather events or even tropical storms and hurricanes. We will heed the notifications seriously and prepare for the absolute worst, and hope for the best. Truthfully, that is all any of us can do.

Today we are making a plant protectant application to the putting surfaces to help protect them from any weather related fungal maladies. We will also make a few pre-treatment applications to walkways and driveways around the clubhouse tomorrow before heading home to wait and see what the storm brings. When conditions are safe for travel we will assess the golf course and develop a plan. The agronomy team is prepared and we will do whatever is necessary based on the outcome of the storm.

I was looking back through photos on my phone to see when was the last time we last had significant snow cover on the golf course. Believe it or not, it was four years ago on January 18th when the course looked this tranquil.

I also discovered photos from January 2017, January 2016, and February 2015 so looks like after a four-year run of winter weather we've had a four-year reprieve. So, fill up your vehicle today or tomorrow and gather supplies. Pray the power stays on as it is a good weekend for sports viewing (PGA Tour, NFL Playoffs, College Basketball, etc.). 

And if reading is your thing I stumbled across this blog post yesterday https://www.ukgolfguy.com/golf-blog/british-restoration-opportunities that identifies U.K. golf courses ripe for renovations/restorations. It contains lots of links to other articles and opinions so it might be something to browse if golf course architecture is your thing and you find yourself with extra free time. Stay warm and stay safe!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Happy Christmas!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Wednesday, December 22nd and I would like to wish each of you and your families a happy Christmas! Hope everyone enjoyed themselves yesterday during the annual Christmas Balls tourney and now you're getting ready for Santa's arrival, assuming you've warmed up by now. ;)

Santa should be in a good mood considering this past weekend he won the PNC Championship partnered with John Daly II. Hopefully this means we're all on the nice list and can expect lots of goodies to help with our golf games in our stockings this year!

John Daly and John Daly II

As is customary, the golf course will be closed this coming Friday and Saturday (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Of course you and your family, friends, and guests are welcome to play provided you receive permission from Mrs. Claus. ;)  The current forecast calls for a morning low temperature of 35 degrees Friday morning, so frost is likely, no early bird arrivals please. Saturday looks unseasonably warm so no issues there. 

5-Day Forecast, AccuWeather

Mrs. Greenkeeper and I are headed to Virginia to visit our families after the pandemic induced hiatus last year. We are both so thankful for our health after the challenges of the past twelve months and look forward to spending a few days with loved ones once again. 

Well, it wouldn't be my final post of the year without a quick weather breakdown. For those of you anxiously waiting the current 2021 rain total at Carolina Golf Club is 40.28 inches following yesterday's intermittent drizzle and sleet. That makes 2021 our driest year since 2016 and more importantly it is more than 18 inches less than the average rainfall received each of the past three consecutive years (58.50 inches)!

Here's hoping 2022 brings us all the peace and joy we've craved the last two years and I look forward to seeing you on the golf course next year! 

Happy Christmas Carolina Golf Club,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Dry Ground for Golf!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Tuesday, December 14th and we are now just eleven days away from Christmas! And can you believe there are only seventeen more days remaining in 2021? I know, it's crazy! Tonight is the Past President's Dinner at Carolina Golf Club. After a one-year hiatus brought about by the pandemic it will be good to once again gather with fellow senior staff, the Board of Governors, and Past Presidents to discuss our love for the game of golf and Carolina Golf Club. 

Recently I shared something on Twitter that garnered a good deal of support and I wanted to discuss it with you here and provide a little more context.

I know many golfers love lush, green conditions. But a dry, semi-dormant course plays more similar to a links than anything else! 😏 #CGCturf pic.twitter.com/WhTSjT3QHf

— Matthew Wharton (@CGCGreenkeeper) December 2, 2021

Last month I posted a few details about a recent trip to Royal Dornoch. One of the gentlemen on the trip was Tom Colombo, the golf course superintendent of Hyannisport Club in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. We were admiring the contours of the green pads, bunkers, and closely mowed surrounds and I commented how Carolina Golf Club possesses similar features but we cannot replicate the links playing conditions until the Bermudagrass goes dormant.

Despite the ability of Bermudagrass to tolerate close mowing, its growth habits (lush and grainy) during warm, humid summers make for a sticky surface that can baffle golfers attempting to play the ball along the ground. But when dormant, and dry, those shots are made less difficult and a wider array of options are now at your disposal.

But the key word in that last sentence is DRY! For the past three years Carolina Golf Club has been subjected to above average rainfall of nearly epic proportions. In 2018 it rained 58.60 inches. In 2019 it rained 57.20 inches. And last year (2020) it rained 59.71 inches!

So far in 2021 it has only rained a total of 39.02 inches! More importantly the rainfall received since the beginning of September has only totaled 6.59 inches as of today. We have always said the best time to play golf at Carolina Golf Club is fall, and this year we have been treated to a dry autumn for the first time since 2017!

NC Drought Index

As you may imagine, if we haven't received much rain then we must be entering into a drought. Above is the latest update on the growing conditions across North Carolina. You can see Mecklenburg County has entered into the Severe category. But the 0.95 inch of rain that has fallen on Carolina Golf Club this month all came after this map's valid data was recorded. Although I don't expect a lessening of our category, just know things are not as dire as they may appear.

The current La Nina is providing us once again with some unseasonably warm conditions as record highs may be reached by the end of this week! Below is the 10-Day Outlook from our friend at WCNC, Brad Panovich.

Don't be surprised if we receive more rain when the cold air arrives this weekend. It is hard to go from record high temperatures to drop-offs of twenty degrees or more without triggering showers and storms. Regardless, the dry conditions we have experienced the past few months have brought about some of the best playing conditions this time of year in quite some time, so please, get out and enjoy them! 

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG