Getting to the root of the problem

Over the years, Lockwood Folly Country Club has undergone many changes. But the facility continues to use the course’s over-30-year-old soil, making the greens’ roots and their preservation critical.

Superintendent Tim Cunningham says it can be difficult to ensure the soil beneath the ultradwarf Bermudagrass surfaces is in good condition because of the course’s “transitional location” in Brunswick County, North Carolina.

“I have friends that ask me all the time, not in the industry, What makes the green? Well, when you have a good base growing material,” he says.

The course’s location presents a challenge to the soil’s health, and a no-till renovation completed before 2016 affected the greens and soil.

“They pretty much methyl bromided it, gassed and killed off everything of the greens that existed,” he says. “Then came in, aerified, beat up, put down sprigs and had the new grass.”

The course can also experience poor water quality because of its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Intercostal Waterway, causing salt bicarbonates to get into the water. The water and soil issues can then affect the greens’ roots.

Cunningham became the superintendent in 2017, after stints at multiple northeast Ohio clubs. Although it can be challenging to switch from cool-season grass to warm-season, he has enjoyed it.

“When I was with cool-season grass, you had some beautiful soils,” he says. “You had some clay and it held the nutrients longer, so that was something challenging that I learned how to overcome.”

Shortly after arriving, he removed more than 1,000 trees that were making it difficult for grass to grow.

To overcome challenges for soil maintenance, they alternate weeks for applying soil and foliar sprays and practicing a granular fertility program. In addition, they utilize soil tests to determine plant health and what nutrients greens need.

Other greens maintenance includes mowing, rolling and changing pin locations on a regular basis. During the winter, when the greens roll slower, they only change pin locations two to three times a week.

The Bermudagrass does not experience many disease scares, but Cunningham and his team must be alert for nematodes and mole crickets.

“[Nematodes are] microscopic and they do quite a bit of damage and you can’t totally rid yourself of them,” he says. “They’re always going to be there, but you want to maintain a certain threshold or outgrow them, so to speak, and they’re a challenge.”

To combat their threat, the course relies on an acid fuchsin stain, which helps determine the number of them attached to a root and where they are attacking it.

This past year, the course struggled maintaining Poa annua, which was resistant to its pre-emergent herbicides that Cunningham and team sprayed during the winter.

Obstacles like the Poa make spring a difficult time of year to manage the greens. Cunningham has turned to other area superintendents for advice in situations like these.

“I think every year I’ve learned a little bit more,” he says. “It probably takes a good three years to understand your property, your water quality, what conditions you’re growing, some nuances that affect your grass, so I try not to ever stop learning.”

Cunningham understands the frustrations of golfing and finding a hole location too challenging, so his goal is to continue providing members with quality experiences.

“It’s important — that number you’re writing on your scorecard when you’re putting it in the hole. You want to make sure it’s a nice number.”

- Adriana Gasiewski