January 2017 Update

This will be my first blog entry since being named the permanent superintendent at Oakfield Golf and Country Club. There are so many people to thank, most notably the maintenance crew. Without the dedication from the people behind the scenes, we couldn’t have put forth the product that we did this season. Thank you Adam Fletcher for his mentoring and leadership that I learned from in the year plus working for him. Thank you to Hugh Yorke as he guided me through the early stages of this transition and was of constant support throughout. Thank you to the management at Oakfield, all departments were nothing but supportive this season and helped me immensely, specifically David Blott and Pat Decoste for their roles in guiding me through this transition. And finally I would like thank the membership of Oakfield Golf and Country Club. The vast majority of my interactions with the members have been very positive and I felt that we were all working together to produce the quality of product that they have come to expect from Oakfield.

Beyond the dramatic change in the management structure on the maintenance team, we were dealt a tough hand when it comes to weather in 2016. The heat, the wind, and the low humidity started midway through June and did not let up until September. Combine that with coming in way under average in terms of precipitation (approximately a combined 150mm below average for June/July/August!) and the turf was showing the stress. Our focus was primarily on keeping the greens in top condition and I would say in hindsight we were successful. A cautious approach and reducing inputs was key. In most seasons an occasional verticutting and frequent, light topdressing applications throughout the golf season would be optimal, but such cultural practices prove to be abrasive in nature to the turf and were not realistic options in conditions such as we had this year. In addition to this we backed off of mowing to every second day during the height of stress (rolling on off days) and reduced fertility/growth regulating inputs. With 250+ rounds/day during those conditions, erring to the side of plant health was paramount to our success. We were still able to increase green speeds for all of the club championships and the invitational in order to provide competitors with tournament quality greens in terms of speed and smooth ball roll, without compromising plant health long term.

So far this winter, December has given us a little bit of everything in terms of weather. We entered the month with warm temperatures that progressively got cooler, topped off with a frigid Friday the 16^th where -14.5C was the high for the day. Thankfully, the 22cm of snow we received a couple of days prior should have acted as a buffer for the turf after such a dramatic plunge in temperature and mitigate the stress that it could cause. Speaking of snow, according to records from Stanfield Airport, we received 77.9cm of snow. A quick check of the historical records for the month of December revealed that this amount of snow is well above average compared to the last 4 years.

December 2016: 77.9 cm
December 2015: 57.5cm
December 2014: 3cm
December 2013: 80.5cm
December 2012: 1.3cm

While this may seem worrisome, it is far too early to make any judgement on long term plant health. A good blanket of snow provides protection from the elements (such as the previously stated buffer from last Friday’s cold snap.) and so long as the turf has been treated to prevent snow mould from occurring (in which greens, tees, and fairways are treated annually) extended periods of snow fall are not of concern so long as there isn’t a layer of ice under that snow preventing necessary gas exchange from occurring. If you recall, we received a harmless 3cm of snow in December 2014 but were dealt with the most damage the golf course might have ever seen when spring (finally) arrived in 2015.

2017 has started off with a clean slate in terms of snow/ice accumulation. Rainfall at the end of 2016 and the rainstorm that occurred on Wednesday has eliminated what little snow and ice remained on the property. I did a walking tour of the golf course on Tuesday and found very little in the way of snow and ice. Things are looking more seasonal this coming weekend with a storm hitting Nova Scotia this weekend expecting a significant amount of snow to fall. After this storm I will begin taking periodic core samples from various greens and growing them out in the maintenance shop. Doing this will lend evidence to how the turf plants are handling the winter. Positive signs of growth will give piece of mind as we progress through the off season. On the other hand, if the plants do not grow out in the warmth of the shop an analysis of the weather prior to taking the sample will be made to find the reason for damage. I will consider variables such as the exposure to the elements due to a lack of snow cover leading to desiccation of the plants from pervasive winds, or water logged plants exposed to wild temperature swings causing the plants to take in water during warm periods and then rapidly freezing temperatures freezing and rupturing vital plant cells, known as crown hydration). While we cannot control the weather, we can learn from the effects of it and learn how to mitigate the damage in order to maintain a healthy turfgrass plant. It may only be early January, but I have a feeling April will be here before we know it!

Beautiful January afternoon 1/3/17