Turf Talk By: Geoff Sheffield

Greens Update at Highland Pacific Golf

Throughout September, our dedicated maintenance team worked tirelessly on our annual fall cultural practices to prepare the course for the season ahead. This included core aeration and top dressing of the greens, as well as aerating and top dressing the fairways. The collars and approaches were also verti-cut and top dressed to maintain optimal playing conditions.

Typically, at this stage, we would apply an additional top dressing to the greens. However, you may have noticed a difference between the Pacific and Highland greens, especially regarding their condition. So, why the delay, and why are the Pacific greens not quite as smooth as the Highland greens?

The key reason lies in the type of grass. The Pacific greens contain more annual Poa annua (annual bluegrass) than the Highland greens. Poa annua is more vulnerable to disease stress, particularly after the brushing and matting that occurs during our cultural practices. As a result, this grass has been more susceptible to disease, which is why the Pacific greens are currently experiencing slower recovery. Fortunately, we’ve seen noticeable improvement in just the past week, and we’re continuing to grow out of the issue.

It’s important to note that diseases are always present in the soil and plants, though they aren’t always active. Various factors can trigger their activation, including weather conditions, moisture levels, heat fluctuations, and human interaction. In this case, it’s likely that the combination of human interference during our practices and environmental factors led to the current situation.

We plan to apply the final top dressing to the greens soon, but we are waiting for natural rainfall to assist with the process, as our irrigation system has been shut down for the season.

Managing a golf course means working with living organisms, which constantly present new challenges. While we always aim for perfection, sometimes unforeseen factors come into play. Rest assured, we’re actively working to restore all the greens to their peak condition, and we expect everything to be back to normal very soon.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to improve the course.