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.

You may have noticed that the greens on the Pacific nine are not quite as smooth as the
Highland side greens. This is primarily a result of the type of grass on each side of the
course. The Pacific greens contain more Poa annua (annual bluegrass) than the
Highland greens. Poa annua is more vulnerable to disease, particularly after the
brushing and matting that takes place as part of our fall maintenance practices. This has
contributed to the Pacific greens experiencing slower recovery from aeration and top
dressing. We have seen considerable improvement in the condition of the greens in the
past week and expect to see continued progress as the grass continues to grow.
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 our case, it’s
likely that the combination of human interference during our practices and
environmental factors led to the current situation.

Typically at this time of year we would apply an additional top dressing to the greens.
We have delayed this process pending more natural rainfall as our irrigation system has
been shut down for the season. We expect the application of the final top dressing to
proceed shortly.

Managing a golf course means working with living organisms, which constantly present
new challenges. While we always strive 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.