USGA GREEN SECTION
TURF ADVISORY SERVICE REPORT
Carmel Country Club
Charlotte, NC
United States Golf Association
Southeast Region
1097 Highlands Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35244
(205) 444 - 5079, FAX (205) 444 – 9561
Email: [email protected]
Present During Visit:
Mr. Jim Anderson, Board of Directors President
Mr. Jim Griffin, Green Committee Chairman
Mr. Larry Laney, Green Committee Member
Mr. Fred Stubblefield, Jr, Green Committee Member
Mr. Chuck Hood, Green Committee Member
Mr. Trey Warnock, Green Committee Member
Mr. John Schultz, General Manager
Mr. Bill Anderson, Director of Greens & Grounds
Mr. Scott Fallon, North Course Superintendent
Mr. Ed McClafferty, South Course Superintendent
Mr. Kevin Lutz, South Course Assistant Superintendent
Mr. Kirk Nelson, Chemical Technician
Mr. Charles Schenk, Assistant Chemical Technician
Mr. Wesley Crompton, USGA Green Section Intern
Mr. Jay McCurdy, USGA Green Section Intern
Dr. Haibo Liu, Clemson University
Mr. Chris Hartwiger & Patrick O'Brien, USGA
Date of Visit:
Date of Report:
June 30, 2005
July 13, 2005
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of the USGA Green Section is to assist subscribing courses in
matters of agronomic management. All recommendations are offered free of bias, since the USGA has
no connections or obligations to any manufacturer, supplier, or contractor. Additionally, since “quick
fixes” seldom result in permanent improvement, some of the recommendations in this report may not be
easy to implement and could take more than a single season to produce the desired results.
Carmel Country Club
USGA Turfgrass Advisory Visit
June 30, 2005
Page 2 of 7
Opening Statement
On behalf of the USGA Green Section, it was
a pleasure to return to the Carmel Country
Club to discuss the golf course maintenance
program. This year’s Turfgrass Advisory Visit
consisted of a morning tour of the golf course
followed by a round of golf on the North
Course in the afternoon. Both the morning
and the afternoon golf were well attended by
members of the Green Committee. The golf
course was in fantastic condition and all
involved had an enjoyable and informative
day.
Picture 1: This year’s visit was well attended
by committee members and staff.
This report will summarize the major topics
discussed during the visit. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any
questions or comments after reviewing this report.
Aeration and Topdressing Review
Observations:
1. From an agronomic perspective, the aeration and
topdressing program is fantastic.
Previous
recommendations are being met and the results
are benefiting the turfgrass and the golfers.
2. Core aeration practices are disruptive to the
surface and are poorly appreciated by golfers. We
discussed in detail ways to balance the desires of
the golfers while maintaining the agronomic
integrity of the aeration and topdressing programs.
Recommendations:
1. Currently, core aeration is completed on three
dates during the year:
March, June, and
September. It may be possible to combine two
aeration treatments in the spring into one date by
changing the spacing of the aeration from 2 inch by
2 inch centers to 1 by 2 inch centers. This can be
accomplished by using the current aerator twice on
each putting green or by upgrading aeration
equipment to a machine with the ability to vary tine
spacing. Mr. Anderson and staff have a good
Picture 2: The lighter color
in the upper rootzone
reflects the increase in
sand that has been applied
over the last few years.
Not only has the turfgrass
benefited, but golfers have
enjoyed the improved
firmness and smoothness
associated with this
change.
Carmel Country Club
USGA Turfgrass Advisory Visit
June 30, 2005
Page 3 of 7
understanding of the amount of sand needed to produce the desired
agronomic benefit. Scheduling aeration is a matter of working with the
Green Committee to come up with a plan that works best at Carmel
Country Club.
Fairway Grass Selection
Observations:
1. We viewed a test plot of Zorro zoysiagrass in the #7 fairway on the South
Course. This test plot was installed for demonstration purposes and to
allow the maintenance staff to observe the positive and negative aspects
of this grass under their current maintenance program.
2. Appropriate fairway heights of cut were discussed for the bermudagrass
fairways at Carmel.
Recommendations:
1. Historically, bermudagrass has been the industry standard for fairways
and the southeastern United States. The introduction of finer bladed
zoysiagrasses and their installation on higher end golf courses offers clubs
with sufficient resources another option for fairway grass and it leads to
many good questions.
Is zoysiagrass a better surface than
bermudagrass? Does zoysiagrass offer a bigger (wow) factor than
bermudagrass? Should zoysiagrass be planted on the South Course
during the proposed renovation in a few years? There are no right or
wrong answers to these questions. Whatever grass is selected, there are
simply trade offs or advantages and disadvantages associated with each.
2. Advantages of the zoysiagrass include an appearance more closely
resembling a cool season grass. Such an appearance will be unique in
Charlotte and may set the South Course apart from other competition in
Charlotte. Disadvantages includes more expensive installation, the need
for more frequent watering, the need for a separate set of irrigation heads
to water the zoysiagrass fairways, the need to spray the zoysiagrass for
disease a minimum of two times per year, a slower recuperative rate when
healing from traffic or mechanical injury, and less wear tolerance. Is the
appearance and perception of this new grass enough to offset the
potential disadvantages? Only the members of Carmel can make this
decision.
3. The majority of golf courses in the Southeast find that fairway mowing
heights between .500 and .550 inches offer the best conditions for the
majority of the players. Lower handicap players might prefer a lower
height of cut, but there are many higher handicap players that would
prefer a higher height of cut. Overall, .500 to .550 offers a good
compromise that satisfies most of the golfers most of the time.
Carmel Country Club
USGA Turfgrass Advisory Visit
June 30, 2005
Page 4 of 7
Poa annua Control
Observations:
1. We examined the Poa annua population in the #8 green on the South
Course.
2. This putting green has the poorest environmental conditions on the South
Course and historically, this putting green has been the most difficult to
manage. It is not surprising there is more Poa annua in this putting green
than in other putting greens. Poa annua is an opportunistic pest that is
most likely to invade weak turf.
3. Poa annua control in bermudagrass tees, fairways, and rough was lower
than expected on many golf courses in the Southeast this year. The early
cool temperatures in mid August occurred before most golf courses had
applied their fall preemergence herbicide and the wide fluctuation in
temperatures during December and January extended the window of Poa
annua germination.
Recommendations:
1. Based upon the expected renovation of the South Course, a more
rigorous Poa annua management program on the putting greens than the
one currently used is not recommended. The cost in terms of loss of
playability is not sufficient to outweigh the short lived benefits of a possible
Poa annua reduction. If more aggressive techniques are used, thinning to
the bentgrass is likely to occur.
2. We all agreed that it may be helpful to use a growth regulator program
such as Primo/Proxy in late February or early March to reduce the
production of seedheads in existing Poa annua plants in the putting green.
3. Mr. Bill Anderson has communicated with Dr. Fred Yelverton of NC State
University regarding Poa annua control. Dr. Yelverton has found that
programs of two applications of Simazine or a three pronged approach of
simazine, Kerb, simazine on October 15, November 15, and December 15
offered excellent Poa annua control last year at a lower cost than
traditional Poa annua management programs. Next fall, Mr. Anderson will
use Simazine twice and will keep Roundup and a sulfonylurea herbicide
such as Revolver on hand to manage any outbreaks of Poa annua.
Tree Removal and Tall Grass Installation
Observations:
1. We examined the area behind the #12 tee on the South Course as a
possible area to remove some of the overgrown landscape material and
install a tall fescue high grass area. There was not a complete consensus
on when and if this project should be done, but the Committee generally
favors expanding the tall fescue high grass area where it makes sense.
Carmel Country Club
USGA Turfgrass Advisory Visit
June 30, 2005
Page 5 of 7
Mr. Anderson will outline proposed areas with red irrigation flags before
they are converted to high grass areas. Remember that when high grass
areas area created in zones far away from play, resources that are
normally spent on mulch, litter pick up, etc. can be reallocated to other
parts of the golf course.
2. As a word of caution to club members, please remember that the high
grass areas are not designed to be intensively managed. Therefore, it is
likely that there will be multiple species of plants in the high grass areas.
Master Plan Review – Lengthening the Golf Course
Observations:
1. We discussed the possibility of adding additional tees on many of the
holes on the South Course to capture extra yardage for use by highly
skilled low handicap players.
Recommendations:
1. Lengthening holes is a good idea assuming the club is willing to absorb
the extra cost associated with irrigating, mowing, fertilizing, and managing
additional turfgrass acreage.
2. Build new tees only if more than 30 yards can be captured.
Winter Survival
Observations:
1. We stopped by the #8 hole on
the North Course. The tee was
painted instead of overseeded
and not coincidentally, the
spring of 2005 was the first year
it was not resodded.
2. We viewed the forward tee on
hole 14, South Course. The
turfgrass quality on the forward
tee is much lower than the
nearby tees. We do not know
why quality is significantly lower
on this tee.
Picture 3: The tee on hole eight, North Course, was not
overseeded in 2004. For the first time in many years,
this tee was not resodded in the spring.
3. The unknown decline of this tee
over the winter may serve as a reminder to make sure that everything is
done this fall to promote the best chance for the tees to come out next
spring with healthy turfgrass prior to the USGA Girls Junior.
Carmel Country Club
USGA Turfgrass Advisory Visit
June 30, 2005
Page 6 of 7
Recommendations:
1. We all agreed not to overseed any of the tees on the South Course.
2. The #8 tee on the North Course will be painted again. This strategy
worked well this year and for the first time in recent memory, the staff did
not have to resod this tee.
Spring Dead Spot Control
Observations:
1. Throughout the Carolinas, spring dead spot pressure was higher in the
winter of 2004-2005 than in recent years.
2. Fortunately, spring dead spot pressure at Carmel Country Club was
minimal.
3. We took a look at the test plot treated with the most effective fungicide for
spring dead spot, Rubigan. There were no spring dead spot patches in
the test plot, but there were no spring dead spot patches in the untreated
plot, either.
Recommendations:
1. Rubigan treatments are expensive and as we saw this year, spring dead
spot outbreaks are unpredictable.
2. The amount of acreage to treat with Rubigan this fall should be based on
budget availability as no one can promise whether spring dead spot will or
will not be a problem next year.
Bunker Renovation
Observations:
1. We stopped by the recently rebuilt
bunker at the #17 green on the
North Course.
2. The sand trapper material was
installed on the sub grade of the
bunker to minimize the frequency
and severity of washouts.
3. Results to date with this new
product have been fantastic and
the staff has spent far fewer hours
repairing washouts in this bunker
than in past years.
Picture 4: The bunker renovation on hole 17, North
Course, has resulted in fewer washouts and less
contamination. Other bunkers will be rebuilt using this
technique in the next few years.
4. With fewer washouts, the integrity
of the sand will be maintained
much longer than when no erosion control material was used in the past.
Carmel Country Club
USGA Turfgrass Advisory Visit
June 30, 2005
Page 7 of 7
Recommendations:
1. Continue to renovate the bunkers as time and resources allow. Mr. Scott
Fallon has identified 10 to 15 additional bunkers that are prone to
washouts on the North Course. Over the next one to two years, Mr. Fallon
will renovate the bunkers. Most of the work will be done in the slower
winter months.
Conclusion
It was a pleasure to visit the Carmel Country Club and discuss the care of the
course. Besides providing a service free of bias from affiliation with any product
or manufacturer, the USGA Green Section is the largest supporter of turfgrass
research in the world. This research effort is critical to ensure the future of the
game of golf and the industry of turfgrass maintenance. The thrust of this
research is to provide superior turfgrasses that play better and are easier to
maintain while ensuring golf courses remain positive influences on the
environment. Your club’s membership in the USGA and support of the Green
Section makes this research effort possible.
Thank you for your support of the Turfgrass Advisory Service. Please do not
hesitate to call my office should you have any questions concerning this report,
the research efforts of the USGA, or any other matter regarding the maintenance
of your course.
Sincerely,
Chris Hartwiger
USGA Green Section, Southeast Region
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