SMOOTH SAILING
Why green conditions are ideal this time of year
F
or an appetizing feast at
the Classic Club, you
can head straight to the
incomparable Bellatrix
Restaurant. Many regulars,
however, would say that the
most appetizing on-property
offering of all is the impeccably
conditioned greens. Even with a
run of chilly mornings, they're
now rolling pure.
"Despite all the frost delays
we've had this year, everything is
playing really good right now,"
said Director of Agronomy Tony
Spannaus. "We are normally just
getting to the point at this time of
year with the greens where they
are mature enough to start rolling
and doing a little more intensive
maintenance to increase speed."
The cold temperatures and
frost have delayed this process a
little bit, Spannaus said, because
as the temperatures drop, the turf
will almost stop growing.
"So we have to be very careful
about how much we mow and
roll, height of cuts, etc.," he said.
"Right now, they're rolling about
9-9.5, but by February they are
usually 10.5-11, where they'll stay
until the summer months."
Classic Club features Poa
trivialis greens, which in some
regions is considered an invasive
weed species. Yet, in the desert
southwest, Spannaus says, it's
ideal for overseeding greens in
winter, principally because it
boasts the same characteristics
that most cool-season turf species
possess – upright growth habit.
"One of the challenges in the
summer months with Bermuda
grass is that it tends to grow
more horizontally," said
Spannaus. "This makes it much
more difficult to provide a true
and pure putting surface,
resulting in intensified
maintenance practices. With Poa
trivialis growing vertically, it
provides a much more uniform
surface and allows the ball to roll
much more smoothly."
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