USGA GREEN SECTION TURF ADVISORY SERVICE REPORT

DES MOINES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB WEST DES MOINES, IOWA

United States Golf Association

Mid-Continent Region Green Section 165 LeGrande Boulevard

Aurora, IL 60506 Office: 630/340-5853, Fax: 630/340-5863

Present during the visit performed on June 29, 2011:

Mr. Chris Andrews, Green Committee Mr. Jim Cutter, General Manager Mr. Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS, Director of Grounds Mr. Corey Goedken, Superintendent, South Course Mr. Greg Willman, Superintendent, North Course Mr. Tayler Riggen, Assistant Superintendent, South Course Mr. Nate Tegtmeier, Assistant Superintendent, North Course Mr. Ty McClellan, USGA Green Section

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 it could take more than a single season to produce the desired results.

Des Moines Golf & Country Club July 7, 2011 Page 2 of 6

INTRODUCTION

On behalf of the USGA Green Section, it was a pleasure visiting Des Moines Golf & Country Club to discuss course maintenance operations. From discussions during this visit as well as past visits it has been obvious that Des Moines Golf & Country Club is committed to excellence given the ever-present desire to enhance both golf courses. In recent years much work has been done to improve course-wide drainage in addition to growing environments for the turf, as evident by the initial steps taken towards addressing the tree population. Most notably, however, is the new Master Plan for which the first phase of renovation work will begin this fall. As a quick review, the major topics of discussion covered in this report include the following:

Fine-tuning irrigation of the putting greens,

Continuing drill and fill aeration for poorly draining putting greens,

Renovating the tees,

Improving turf coverage and performance in the rough, and

Selecting vegetation for naturalized areas.

If there are any questions regarding the contents of this report or should any questions arise in the future, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

GREEN MANAGEMENT

Fine-Tuning Irrigation of the Putting Greens – To better manage moisture on the putting greens, two TDR-300 soil moisture meters were recently purchased from Spectrum Technologies. These meters are regularly used by the USGA and PGA Tour when preparing golf courses for championships. The meters are an excellent tool for training staff on proper hand-watering techniques, for ensuring consistency across all water management zones on the golf course, and for ensuring adequate moisture is maintained on the putting greens for improved turf health. To even more effectively and efficiently guide all irrigation and hand watering across the property, the purchase of four more meters was recommended so that there are three per 18 holes. This recommendation is based on the experiences of superintendents at other courses in the region. It would also allow each person in a supervisory capacity to have a meter given the finely tuned maintenance program for all 36 holes across the property.

Des Moines Golf & Country Club July 7, 2011 Page 3 of 6

To further support the use and application of these moisture meters, please see the enclosed sample spreadsheet that is used to help prepare courses before and during USGA National Championships and a similar version is used for many PGA Tour events. It can be modified accordingly for specific applications at your facility. This spreadsheet will help log, track and display moisture meter data through graphs and charts, if desired. Continuing Drill and Fill Aeration for Poorly Draining Putting Greens – Drill and fill aeration was performed on greens Nos. 4 and 5 (South Course) and green No. 18 (North Course) last fall. Since approximately 2% of the surface area of the putting greens is improved (1-inch diameter holes on 12-inch spacings), performing it again this fall and in fall 2012 was recommended. Continuing this aeration is warranted given that these putting greens are still significantly wetter than other putting greens on the property. Using the TDR-300 moisture meter, most of the putting greens had an average volumetric moisture content between 18 and 25% in the upper 3 inches of the soil profile, whereas green No. 18 (North Course) measured 40%. Green No. 13 (North Course) is also a good candidate for drill and fill aeration and should be included when the contractors are on-site.

TEE MANAGEMENT

Renovating the Tees – It was good to learn that tee renovation was included in the Master Plan. As such, the following observations and recommendations were offered for their long-term success given the planned construction, particularly since surface and subsurface drainage are so important: Tees perform best when constructed using laser-guided technology with a 0.5 - 1% slope

both for the subgrade and teeing surface. Water should never move more than 15 feet laterally before it has access to subsurface

drainage, thus subsurface drainage should be installed every 15 feet or less.

Photo 1: Soil profile removed from green No. 15 (North Course) revealed healthy roots to a depth of 5 to 6 inches.

Des Moines Golf & Country Club July 7, 2011 Page 4 of 6

Sand-based rootzone mixtures containing elevated amounts of organic matter (such as a 70:30 mix of sand and peat by volume) are often used for tee construction in the Midwest given their inherent resistance to compaction and desirable moisture retention.

A 6-inch, sand-based root zone mix generally works best and it will compact to about 4½ to 5 inches prior to seeding.

The root zone mix should have an infiltration rate between 4 and 12 inches as determined by an accredited physical soil testing laboratory. Please visit the following website for a current list of accredited laboratories: www.usga.org/course_care/course_construction/ physical_soil_testing/Physical-Soil-Testing-Laboratories/.

To calculate the size of the tees to ensure they are sufficient, please see the enclosed article reprinted from the Green Section Record.

ADDITIONAL TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Improving Turf Coverage and Performance in the Rough – Where turfgrass coverage was previously lacking in many parts of the rough, particularly in heavily shaded areas, tree work in recent years and raising the mowing height from 2 inches to 2½ inches have both proven beneficial, as turf coverage has improved. In regards to tree work, continuing to thin dense tree populations and lift tree canopies to increase avenues for sunlight exposure was recommended. As trees are removed, concentrated wear patterns from carts and equipment that tend to develop around trees are also eliminated.

Two other adjustments that could be made to the maintenance program for the rough include relying primarily on nitrogen fertilizers that are absorbed foliarly (rather than absorbed through the roots) and using the plant growth regulator Primo. Research at the University of Illinois has shown that turfgrasses grown in shaded areas benefit the most when nitrogen uptake occurs through the leaves, as it is easier for the plant to convert it to usable energy. Turfgrasses use up to 25% of their photosynthetic energy when converting root-absorbed forms of nitrogen, i.e. nitrate, to usable forms, i.e. ammonia. The energy that is conserved when nitrogen is absorbed through the leaf ultimately results in a healthier stand of turf. Thus, relying heavily on foliar feeding as much as possible, with the exception of granular, slow-release fertilizers applied in the fall is recommended.

Next, using the plant growth regulator Primo is recommended, as it inhibits gibberellic acid production. In the absence of full sunlight exposure turfgrasses overproduce gibberellic acid, which leads to rapid leaf elongation. With the application of Primo leaf elongation in shaded areas is greatly reduced and thus, so is the required frequency of mowing. Furthermore, Primo redistributes energy previously used for leaf elongation towards the production of new tillers, thereby improving turf density. In this regard, treating several shaded test areas with Primo is recommended so as to conduct side-by-side trials for evaluation.

Des Moines Golf & Country Club July 7, 2011 Page 5 of 6

Selecting Vegetation for Naturalized Areas – Currently, a number of different species are being maintained in the naturalized areas on both golf courses. Going forward and in conjunction with the Master Plan, identifying a common theme is recommended for the naturalized areas. To this end, a desire was expressed during the tour of the property to establish these areas with fine fescues. Such grasses are excellent candidates for naturalized areas, because they perform well in shade, in the absence of irrigation, and given poor quality soils. Unfortunately, many of the naturalized areas at Des Moines Golf & Country Club are low-lying areas that drain poorly, so fine fescue varieties would not perform well. For more information on the use of fine fescues and preferred locations, please see the enclosed article reprinted from the Green Section Record. In areas of the property where the fine fescues will work well, it is important to realize that the nutrient rich and heavy soils, i.e. the loams and clays, will yield a much denser stand of turf when compared to the more traditional fine fescue areas found on sand-based soils in other parts of the country or even other parts of the world. In other words, if fine fescues are established at Des Moines Golf & Country Club, they are not likely to be a wispy stand of turf and will be difficult to play from. To help guide the selection of vegetation for naturalized areas, four options are detailed below: If a single, uniform theme is adopted for naturalized areas across both courses, then one of the following courses of action is appropriate:

1. Establishing a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. Both will produce brown

seed stalks in the summer that are very attractive. Some of the naturalized areas are already established with this mixture.

2. Establishing a tall grass system with vegetation, such as the lowland grass mixture and forbs already present in many of the low-lying naturalized areas on the golf course, combined with little bluestem and other prairie grasses on the drier sites. Areas where both are established are currently performing very well.

If two types of vegetation are preferred, then one of these following courses of action should be considered:

3. Maintaining the lowland grass mixture and forbs in all low-lying wet areas and

incorporating fine fescues in the rest of the naturalized areas.

4. Establishing Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue in the low-lying wet areas and fine fescues in the rest of the naturalized areas. All such turfgrasses would produce a brown seed stalk during the summer.

Des Moines Golf & Country Club July 7, 2011 Page 6 of 6

(Note: If fine fescues are selected, the blend Aurora Gold should be considered, as weed control would be fairly straightforward and effective given its tolerance of glyphosate.)

Where heavy weed populations have established, such as the ragweed in the naturalized area to the left of fairway No. 11 (South Course), simply mowing the area down and treating with a broadleaf herbicide was recommended. Doing so should allow sufficient sunlight exposure so that the grasses present have an opportunity to reestablish. To further promote grasses in this area, overseeding could also be performed.

CONCLUSION

The mission of the USGA Green Section is to assist golf course management and club officials in achieving the best possible playing conditions for their golfers. As such, a portion of the subscription fee for the Turf Advisory Service helps support on-going research efforts at many universities across the country. It is hoped that the Turf Advisory Service visit and report will be helpful to you and that the established relationship will continue in the future. To this end, we invite you to visit our website at http://www.usga.org/ and click on Course Care towards the top of the screen to learn more about Green Section activities and to stay up-to-date with the Mid-Continent Region through our bi-monthly updates. Finally, thank you for the hospitality.

Sincerely,

Ty A. McClellan USGA Green Section TAM:jlmv Enclosures: “Tailor-Made” by P. Vermeulen

“The Fescue of Your Dreams” by B. Vavrek Sample moisture readings spreadsheet