More in summer, less in fall

Between triple-digit temps, water watchers and an annual autumn overseed, creating a primo carpet in the Coachella Valley is not a task for the timid. For Garett Negrete, director of grounds at Marriott’s Shadow Ridge Golf Club in Palm Desert, California, the test maintaining ideal year-round fairway conditions starts with weather watching for both his ryegrass overseed in the fall and spring transition back to Tifgreen 328 Bermudagrass.

“Weather really is the biggest challenge out here in the desert; it can be hit-or-miss,” Negrete says. “You just need to stay ahead of the game with your applications and cultural practices. For ryegrass, it can be 100 degrees in October with no sign of cooling down and you’re worried about Pythium and also about the Bermuda bouncing back. This past overseed was probably my most challenging because of five minutes of pounding rain right when we’re trying to scalp and sweep and blow off the turf. It was one of those situations where you just have to do what we do best as superintendents and just figure it out.”

Problem solving across 32 acres of fairway turf proves a 12-month task. “Here at the resort, I’ve gotta have conditions year-round,” Negrete says. “So, for transitions into overseed, I’m mowing those fairways low and throwing the seed. I’m still getting great results in-season with the ryegrass coming in, and I have a pretty good transition as long as my irrigation and wetting agent plans are in place for spring to get that Bermuda back.”

A more-in-summer, less-in-fall philosophy has aided the successful overseeds. “The more that we remove in June, and then another week in July,” Negrete adds, “the better playing turf and healthier Bermuda we’ll have as we generate new shoots, young shoots going into winter when we overseed with the ryegrass.”

Aiming for firm fairway conditions — aided by the grounds’ sandy soil — Negrete has his team mow on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday rotation in-season and reduces to Monday and Friday come the summer sizzle.

“From a playability standpoint, we’ll try to keep them around a half-inch to 9/16ths,” he says, “and when we get into transition, we’ll try and lower the heights down to 350 or 400, just to expose that Bermuda, get some sunlight for the best transition possible.”

Fairway success has come by getting away from verticutting and adding a bit more growth regulator to ensure the Bermuda won’t move. Negrete notes the benefits of trusting that seed will fall in and roots will eventually establish themselves in the soil, even without opening the canopy all the way.

And while California is no longer technically in drought for the first time in 25 years, water management is always top of mind.

“We also want to keep in mind the precious resource and be good stewards,” Negrete says. “And that means utilizing ET off our central computers and having the best wetting agent program. That’s a game changer, especially on sandy soils like I have. The programs I’ve put together for all seasons and been consistent with, they really have helped reduce our watering, but also with our overall turf health.”

Shadow Ridge, Nick Faldo’s first U.S. design, is enjoying rabid round counts, meaning Negrete’s fairways require a total team effort.

“I’ve seen more pressure as the windows start to shrink for your daily maintenance routines,” he says. “And, with more play comes those higher expectations.”

Lofty expectations require enhanced teamwork. “It’s having to ask a little more from the crew, but also finding new ways for the team to understand how golf works, when can you keep moving, when you have to stop your mowers and in which area,” Negrete concludes. “Yeah, it’s become a bit more challenging, but there are the revenue benefits for the property and also getting that extra experience for those who truly appreciate the game.”

— Judd Spicer