The Benefits of Turfgrass

An upcoming episode of The Nature of Things, a CBC program hosted by environmentalist David Suzuki, appears to be taking a "swing" at golf. The episode titled "Dad and the Dandelions" focuses on the 'deceptively deadly nature of golf courses and the role of pesticides in maintaining its lethal beauty.' Not only is this premise false, it is sensationalized and focuses on anecdotal evidence that is not based in science. This one sided account of the chemicals that go into maintaining a golf course serve only as a from of drama and entertainment, they are not based in reality or actual scientific studies.

Dad and the Dandelions is airing on March 2nd, to check out a preview, follow this link: http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episodes/dad-and-the-dandelions

It is true that highly maintained turf such as those on golf courses will require some use of chemicals. Fertilizer and some pesticides are needed to environmentally and financially manage the turf in a responsible way. The chemicals we apply are studied and approved to be safe by Health Canada and yet we continue to look for new ways to reduce use of pesticides.

As the Superintendent at Kamloops Golf and Country Club I can tell you that pesticide use on our course is extremely low. In fact, we have never sprayed for dandelions in my 7 years as a manager on this property, so the title of this documentary seem very strange to me, we are certainly not at war with dandelions. We applied a granular insecticide once in 2015 for control of a turfgrass ataenius beetle infestation on our greens .We have applied a few few fungicide applications on greens over the last few years to combat a disease called Take All Patch. The only chemical we regularly apply is a winter Fungicide which is applied once the course closes. Pesticide exposure is extremely low, and if you play golf you have a much higher chance of getting cancer from the sun than from any pesticide residue beneath your feet.

But rather than explain how superintendents are responsible pesticide users who care about safety of the community and the health of the environment, I'd like to focus on the benefits that turfgrass and golf courses provide to the environment and the community, and look at how these urban greenspaces and naturalized animal habitats play an important role in our modern landscape.

So what are these benefits? Let's take a look at the informational poster based on scientific research from the Canadian Turfgrass Research Center. I've had this posted up in our Clubhouse for the last few years, maybe you've noticed it! ---------------->



Reducing Runoff

Turfgrass actually acts as a filter for the environment. Contaminates such as sediment and chemicals are trapped by the leaf blades and fibrous root system, preventing them from reaching water ways and aquifers. Golf courses and other large green spaces are great natural filter for the environment.



Preventing Erosion

Erosion can affect the environment by blowing dust into the air and creating sediment run off. The fibrous and deep root system of turfgrass act as a support system to stabilize soil and prevent it from eroding and creating unstable slopes and foundations.

Replenishing the Air

Plants make their own food through photosynthesis and turf, which is a plant, is no different. A key part of the photosynthesis equation is that plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, two things very imporatant to our environment. Turf also traps pollen and dust that pollute the air reducing allergies and other respiratory problems for people in the community.




 
  



Safety

Injury risk is mitigated by the soft and resilient surface turf provides. While artificial turf can still be effective, natural turf is far superior. Turf provides many sports and recreation opportunities, from golf, to soccer, to football, to lawn bowling, the list goes on. Turf is a very versatile sports surface that provides safety from impact and sports injuries.

Temperature Regulation

Even in the heat of summer, turf provides a natural cooling effect. Moisture is retained in the turf canopy where the turf transpiration releases vapor to cool the air around it. Large areas of well maintained turf can significantly lower temperatures of surrounding areas. When you are out on the golf course you can notice the difference in temperature from a concrete surface like a parking lot which reflects heat instead of absorbing it. Golf courses are large enough to provide some heat relief for the surrounding communitie.

Bio-remediation

What does that mean?  Turfgrass filters and traps chemicals and substances harmful to our environment, while natural microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi in the turf canopy and fibrous root system break down the pollutants before they can reach our waterways or elsewhere in our communities.

Sequestering Carbon

Heard of the Carbon Tax? Golf courses could actually be awarded a Carbon Credit! Turf removes carbon pollution from the air and uses it to build food through photosynthesis. Golf courses provide one of the largest carbon sinks in the urban environment.


Golf courses, sports fields, parks and many other turf surfaces provide endless benefits to the environment and the community. These urban green spaces provide a habitat for many animals and micro organisms that are vital to the environment and ecosystem. Turf provides an excellent and versatile playing surface for a large number of sports and recreation activities for the community.

If you watch the upcoming Nature of Things episode, or hear people talking about the dangers of playing golf, take things with a grain of salt, knowing that turf and golf courses provide many benefits to the environment and the community.

Winter 2016/2017

With a little over a year hiatus, it's finally time to post another blog entry. Many of the Club's members have asked when will I post another one as they find them to be both informative and interesting. I'm glad the blog has started to pick up some steam with the membership, it's a great communication tool and why I started to write them in the first place; now I just have to give it some new content! A great deal of work goes into each post, from research and fact checking, to walking the property daily to monitor conditions and take photos, and of course, writing, editing and revising.

In this entry we will be looking at how the winter weather of 2016/2017 has impacted the course and what conditions we can expect come spring golf season. I'll try to keep it short while doing my best to explain how the turf is affected by the winter conditions we experienced.

Daily Mean Temps in Kamloops for Dec 2016 and Jan 2017 (click to enlarge)

This winter things got bitterly cold early. By mid December we saw temperatures dip to -22C with winds in excess of 35km an hour which works out to about -43C with the windchill factor. Thankfully we had a moderate layer of snow on top of our course, with a 7 cm base. Unfortunately with the high winds, blew snow cover from many areas and exposed them to these extreme temperatures. High mounded areas and areas along the west side of the property (back 9) experienced the worst of the wind, as the prevailing winds from the west come in off Kamloops Lake, over the farms and right onto the golf course. Turf can become damaged in two ways when exposed to these extremes:

1) Wind/Desiccation - Wind removes moisture from the plant and over time the plant dries out and dies off. We will certainly see some damage from desiccation in the high mounded areas, especially on the back 9.

12th Green, Exposure to wind+cold causing bentgrass dormancy, loss of color. (Top Dec 12)(Bottom Jan 30)

2) Cold temperature kill - Poa annua (annual bluegrass) can survive exposure to about -14C, while bentgrass can survive up to -40C. Areas that were covered by snow should be insulated enough for survival, while exposed areas are at risk of damage.

11th Fairway, possible cold or desiccation damage (Top Dec 13)(Bottom Jan 19)

This winter we also experienced a major warm front that brought temperatures as high as 7C for a number of days in mid January, causing the majority of our snow cover to melt. The east side of the property (front 9) experienced much less wind thanks to all of our mature trees which act as a great wind break. These areas were covered for the majority of the cold snap, however, higher accumulations of snow also mean that when it melts, there is a greater risk of ice formation. Ice can damage turf in two ways:

1) Ice encasement/Anoxia - Ice prevents the exchange of oxygen and Carbon dioxide that plants need to survive (breath). Poa can survive for about 30 days under ice, while bentgrass can survive for almost 90. Some of our poa annua may be under ice for more than 30 days unless the snow completely melts in the next 2 weeks. While bentgrass will not have to worry this year.

2) Rapid freezing/ Crown hydration - This is probably the most damaging form of winter kill in our climate. If temperatures go above 7C for more than 48 hours, the grass plant can break dormancy and begin to take in water. Areas of standing water from snow melt are particularly at risk when the temperature quickly drops and water in the plant freezes, expands and ruptures the growing point. Imagine a bottle full of water rapidly freezing and cracking, this is essentially what happens to the turf under this extreme condition.

11th Green, Possible crown hydration damage. (Top Jan 18)(Bottom Jan 19)

One of the major reasons the Club decided to renovate in 2009/2010 was to convert to bentgrass, as bentgrass has a much higher tolerance for winter damage than our native anual blue grass (poa annua). Six years later our greens are still about 95% bentgrass, while our fairways have been heavily invaded by poa and are about 70% poa to about 30%bentgrass. There are a couple factors at work for why our fairways are turning back to poa fairly quickly, but that in itself has enough content for another blog post, so I'll save that explanation for another time. The important thing to remember is that bentgrass is more winter hardy than poa, but requires more inputs during the growing season and is still susceptible to winter damage in extreme conditions.

In 2014 we experienced a great deal of winter damage on our fairways and a few areas of greens. During that spring we implemented a bentgrass overseeding program where we target specific areas that we typically see winter damage. High areas for desiccation damage and low areas for ice damage. If we can maintain bentgrass in these areas we can begin the spring golf season with less winter damage. Each sping we have seen a noticeable improvement in these areas.

2014 Winter Damage 11th fairway. (Left, Feb 24) (Middle, March 12) (Right April 7)

This winter we have experienced many extreme conditions, from bitterly cold, to high winds, and warm fronts followed by freezing temperatures. We should expect some damage in all forms in different areas of the course. I am expecting to see desiccation damage on the back 9 fairways in high mounded and exposed areas, while the front 9 will likely see some damage from ice encasement in lower areas. I am expecting some crown hydration damage in many areas, with potential damage to a few greens including 11, 12, 14 and 4.

(Left, a snow fence out of branches, Jan 10) (Middle, Clear Catch Basins, Jan 19)(Right, Pumping out standing water, Jan 20)

While some areas have already shown signs of damage, other areas will not reveal damage until things begin to warm up in April. Some areas will begin to green up, while others will begin to brown and show the damage. Keep in mind that this is not due to a lack of spring irrigation or a fertilizer miscalculation as has been previously speculated. We have access to river water early in the spring, while the fertilizer we use has a very low burn risk, especially in the cool spring.

3rd fairway recovery in spring 2015 (Top April 2)(Bottom May 20)

We will be prepared to repair any damaged areas to the best of our ability. Bentgrass overseeding, fertilization and irrigation will all be applied as needed while we move along into spring. Expect some areas to be less than ideal until late May as we wait for soil temperatures warm enough for seed to germinate (21C) and begin to fill in. Last spring (2016) we were spoiled by a mild winter and a great spring golfing season virtually free of winter kill. This winter we have had a variety of extreme weather conditions and should expect spring golf similar to 2014 and 2015. The course will still be in great shape, but a few areas will take longer to recover as we work hard to bring them back; so please have patience, we can only do what Mother Nature allows us to do. Whatever the damage may be, we can fix it. It will just take some hard work, a little bit of time and some cooperation from the weather. Looking forward to seeing everyone out there again this spring!

Aerial Drone Photo August 2016

For reference and further information please check out these links:
http://golfsupers.com/sites/default/files/file/2010jan19.pdf
http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=16909&context=rtd

Sincerly,

Travis Olson,
Links Superintendent