USGA Green Section Record, September 19, 2014 The content in this preview is based on the last saved version of your email - any changes made to your email that have not been saved will not be shown in this preview. LITTORALLY SPEAKING LITTORAL ZONES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE HEALTH OF LAKES AND PONDS Todd Lowe, senior agronomist, Florida Region Lakes and ponds are important features on golf courses. In addition to providing strategic value on golf holes, lakes enhance golf course aesthetics and create habitats for wildlife. Some might feel that a green, grassy, lake bank that slopes down to a clear body of water is the ideal standard. Some may feel that aquatic plants create a "dirty" look along a shoreline and make it difficult to find lost balls. However, aquatic plants can be an important component of water bodies, and certain aquatic plant species should be encouraged. While some golf course ponds are natural, many are man-made impoundments that are designed to capture and treat runoff from surrounding communities. Stormwater ponds help filter pollutants like heavy metals from automobiles, salts, fecal matter from animals and sediments from entering the local watershed. The littoral zone of a lake is the shallow area nearest the shore where enough sunlight penetrates the water to provide aquatic plants with adequate light for photosynthesis. Generally speaking, littoral zones are only a few feet deep and extend several feet from shore but they play an important role in the long-term health of a lake or pond and its water quality. Read More Vegetated littoral zones improve water quality and can be attractive features. IS YOUR COURSE CONSIDERING PUTTING GREEN CONSTRUCTION? A very positive sign that golf is on the rebound is the significant increase in the number of questions the USGA Green Section is receiving regarding putting green construction. While new golf course construction is still slow, many courses are considering renovating or completely rebuilding their greens. While renovation might be as simple as changing to a new grass, reconstruction usually involves completely replacing the rootzone and underlying drainage system at a minimum. Complete reconstruction, while obviously more expensive, also offers the chance to upgrade the architecture of the greens, surrounding turf areas and greenside bunkering. If your course is considering a reconstruction project the first step should be to thoroughly review the documents listed below. Whether you build your greens according to USGA recommendations or not, these documents provide valuable insight into the planning, testing, quality control and construction processes: USGA Recommendations For A Method Of Putting Green Construction Building The USGA Green- Tips For Success Determining The Need For Reconstruction - Do The Greens Need To Be Rebuilt? (article) Do We Need To Rebuild Our Greens? (video) Quality Control Guidelines Helping Your Greens Make The Grade Physical Soil Testing Laboratories There are additional articles and videos on the USGA website. The USGA also offers a comprehensive DVD/CD set entitled, "Building a USGA Green". This is a two-volume set containing: a DVD detailing the USGA method of putting green construction and a CD with valuable supplemental documents to be used as references for all facets of putting green construction and renovation. This set can be ordered on the USGA website. Finally, be sure to include the Green Section agronomic staff in your project. They can help with every aspect of the project from the determination of whether or not the greens should be rebuilt to the actual construction process all the way through grow-in. For more about the Green Section's Course Consulting Service visit our website. The term "push-up greens" is often used to describe how people think greens were built during the early years of the game in this country. It implies the process was simple and that little thought or effort went into the project. In fact, early green construction methods were complex undertakings involving a wide variety of amendments and an extraordinary amount of labor. A good case can be made that today's green construction methods are much simpler. To get an idea of how early green were typically built, read this article describing the construction of a new green at the Columbia Country Club in Washington, D.C.. The article was written in 1921 by the club's green chairman, Dr. Walter S. Harban and details the construction method and expenses. Read the article. REGIONAL UPDATES REGIONAL UPDATES The USGA Green Section is divided into eight regions staffed by agronomists who work with golf facilities on care of the golf course. USGA agronomists provide regular regional updates outlining current issues and observations from the field. Be sure to view updates from multiple regions as featured ideas, techniques and solutions to problems often apply to other parts of the country. NORTHEAST REGION Fall is an opportune time to prepare turf for the upcoming winter. Raising putting green mowing height is one common practice that will help strengthen your turf; however, there also are several other measures that can be taken to improve turf's ability to survive winter weather. Read More MID-ATLANTIC REGION Although fall doesn't officially begin until Sept. 23, it's not too early to being preparing for the upcoming winter and next year's golf season. Managing residual pests, like annual weeds, now potentially could result in reduced populations next year. Read More SOUTHEAST REGION Bunkers are a common topic during Course Consulting Service (CCS) visits. Fortunately, the USGA Green Section offers a specialized Bunker Evaluation CCS visit. To learn more about the Bunker Evaluation visit and general bunker care topics, view this week's Regional Update from the Southeast. Read More FLORIDA REGION Rain is generally viewed as beneficial to turfgrass; however, too much rain can have negative repercussions. Extended periods of rainfall now can result in intensified cart-use policies as courses prepare for the winter golfing season. Read More NORTH-CENTRAL REGION Shorter days and cooler temperatures indicate fall is almost here. While fall weather is excellent for playing golf, the fall is also a critical time to prepare turfgrass for the approaching winter. Implementing strategies to promote turf health now is paramount when preparing for what could be another harsh winter. Read More MID-CONTINENT REGION Does your divot pattern on the practice range tee help or hurt the golf course? Encouraging golfers to implement the linear divot pattern, as opposed to scattering divots or concentrating them into one area, into their practice regime will result in less turf removed and faster recovery. Read More NORTHWEST REGION Excess thatch is a major detriment to turfgrass health and playing quality whether it is on greens, approaches, collars, tees or fairways. In the Northwest Region, controlling thatch on fairways can be difficult - particularly those fairways with significant creeping bentgrass populations. Read More SOUTHWEST REGION Golf courses throughout the Southwest Region are initiating fall overseeding operations. This week's regional update presents five procedures you should avoid to improve overseeding success and spring transition. Read More IMPORTANT LINKS USGA Privacy Policy USGA Green Section Home Page USGA Staff Contact Information Course Consulting Service Information USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (TERO) Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications ©2014 by United States Golf Association® Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications USGA Green Section publications are made available through the courtesy of the United States Golf Association (USGA®). The reuse of these materials is authorized only if the following conditions are met in their entirety. This policy applies to all Green Section publications, including articles, videos, presentations, and webcasts. 1) Adherence to all components of our Conditions for Reuse policy. 2) Inclusion of the appropriate Reprint Permission Language. 3) Notification of your Intent To Reprint Content. The USGA Green Section Record (ISSN 2156-5813) is published biweekly via electronic mail by the United States Golf Association®. Golf House, Far Hills, NJ 07931 USGA Green Section 908.234.2300 Forward this email This email was sent to jmoore@usga.org by usgagreensectionrecord@usga.org | Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. USGA Green Section | P.O. Box 708 | Far Hills | NJ | 07931 http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/..._LqSi5MEKpUkioEBEMIMgBx8wQXSbW_kD_ZIy2Uxpw_N_2oW4qWlQ0wCZ1&id=preview[9/19/2014 3:07:04 PM]