Dewey

Those of you who have been playing Indian Creek for several years surely remember Pat O'Hara, our former golf professional. He worked with Dewey for a number of years and, upon word of Dewey's passing, wrote the following letter. James Severin has passed it along to me and we both feel it needs to be shared with as many people as possible. It sums up Dewey up perfectly.

"Dewey Ehrenberg to his friends, Dwight on the formal documents in life and probably when he was in trouble as a child or with Helen. Starchy, to the customers at Indian Creek. I was fortunate to call him Dewey.

I met Dewey in July 2000 when I started work at Indian Creek. He always worked the open to noon shift Monday-Friday, April –October. At first Dewey was a little skeptical of me. I was of him. We got to know each other quite well as we worked side by side many early morning shifts during our 6 years together. At first, I wondered what this “cow milking, pole climbing old guy” was doing working at a busy 27-hole public golf course. In the pro-shop no less! I quickly found out why. He was good!

I thought I and the rest of the staff would be working circles around him…We didn’t.

I thought he would be resistant in adapting to MY way of doing things… He wasn’t.

I thought he was going to be a liability to the operation…just the opposite, a true asset.

Who was this guy? I found out over the next 6 years as our friendship grew. I liked Dewey because I saw things in him that I hoped one day people would see in me. Honesty, compassion, friendship, loyalty, integrity, faith and love. I saw one or more of those every day I worked with Dewey.

A few life lessons I learned from Dewey:

• Don’t shake hands with someone who spent a lot of time milking cows. Looking back on it, I would say that was a big reason he sliced the golf ball.
• If you say you’re going to do something…do it!
• Twelve noon is “Miller Time”.
• Help those who need help.
• Don’t be afraid to mention that there is “No gambling on Tuesdays” to all the golfers as they walk out the door to the first tee on Tuesday.
• Finish the job!

Many people measure their success in life in dollars and cents. Dewey measured his in the relationships he had with family and friends. Dewey, was a very successful man! And I will be forever grateful for my 6 years working with my friend Dewey.

Pat O’Hara"

Patrick O'Hara, PGA

Golf Operations Manager
Recreation Centers of Sun City West
C/O Pebblebrook Golf Course
18836 N. 128^th Ave.
Sun City West, AZ 85375
Office - 623.544.6499
Cell – 623.236.5240
www.suncitywestgolf.com

How the Cold Spring Sets Us Back



I am sure you are keenly aware that this spring's weather has been the polar opposite of last year. Cool, wet temperatures have kept our soils saturated and our soil temps well below average. The moisture is a welcome nuisance as it helps restore soil moisture lost during last year's drought, but the low temperatures are not doing us any favors.

We need to seed, and seeding requires a few things to ensure germination: seed-soil contact, moisture, and adequate soil temperatures (50-55 degrees). Without one or more of these requirements, the germination becomes inconsistent at best. Our soil temperatures at 3" were 57.6 degrees as of March 6th last year. We have yet to reach that temperature this year, which puts us 44 days behind last year. Considering the germination period for Ryegrass is five days, we could have had seedlings well on their way to maturity by this time last year.

Golf course superintendents and home owners alike have an uphill battle this year when it comes to repairing turf damage caused by last year's heat and drought. Be patient. The soil will eventually warm and, with any luck, we will have time to get grass out of the ground and mature before the stresses of summer arrive.

Below you will find an article published by the University of Nebraska on this very topic.

When will turfgrass seed germinate this spring (if ever)?
April 17, 2013

Though some of the dormant and winter seedings are germinating in the warmest of areas, spring temperatures are currently averaging two to eight degrees Fahrenheit lower than normal across Nebraska (Figure 1) and the northern Great Plains. Table 1 lists the optimum germination temperatures used in germination testing, but germination will begin at temperatures lower than listed. Temperatures below optimum will slow germination and also development of seedlings. Will seeds eventually germinate and seedlings develop? The answer is a resounding “Yes”, and germination is often seen when soil temperatures near the seed (surface) consistently rise to 50F during the day. Unfortunately, the later these seeds germinate and the slower they mature, the less able the young plants will be to withstand summer stress. Thus irrigation and pesticide use will likely be needed throughout the summer. Another point of caution is herbicide applications may have to be delayed even beyond the label recommendations if the label recommendations are based on days after seeding or potentially days after emergence.

Figure 1. Departure from normal temperature 3/17/2013 to 4/15/2013

(Courtesy of High Plains Regional Climate Center)

Table 1. Optimum temperatures for seed germination.

Turfgrass Species                          Optimum temperatures for seed germination*Creeping bentgrass                         59-86
Annual bluegrass                            68-86
Kentucky bluegrass                        59-86
Tall fescue                                      68-86
Perennial ryegrass                           68-86
Buffalograss                                    68-95

*Temperatures separated by a dash indicate an alternation of temperatures. The first number is for approximately 16 hr and the second for approximately 8 hr, which would translate into cooler temperatures in the 16 hours of evening through morning followed by the 8 hours in the heat of the day. Adapted from Beard’s Turfgrass Science and Culture.

Zac Reicher, Professor, Turfgrass Science, zreicher2@unl.edu

Dewey Ehrenberg

Dewey Ehrenberg passed away on Sunday afternoon after putting up one hell of a fight against cancer.

I have had the privilege of working with many special and talented people throughout the years, but Dewey was one of a kind. He was the first person I spoke to each morning. He would call at 5:00 am every day to see if I was awake and ask if there was anything he could do to convince me to "shave my damn beard." Seemed like he always had knowledge of a sale on razor blades at Walgreen's. I looked forward to that call. It was a bright spot in even the most demanding of days.

Dewey meant a lot to the people at Indian Creek. He has been here since day one and has been a consistent presence in our day-to-day operations. His loyalty and dedication will be missed.

What will be missed the most, however, is his personality. Few people have the charisma and zest for life that Dewey possessed. I never saw him unhappy. Grumpy maybe, but it never lasted long. He knew how to handle even the most difficult customer and I can't think of a better representative of Indian Creek.

He will be greatly missed.

Spring 2013

Omaha caught a few days of favorable weather in the past week and we were able to get the entire course mowed at least once. For the most part, the course looks like it is in good shape. We experienced a fairly good green up over the weekend and expect this to continue. We still need some warmer days to get the soil temperatures rising before the course really wakes up and we can assess how we overwintered. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this week's weather will be of much help in that department. The forecasted moisture will be great, but the temperatures will keep the turf in a holding pattern.

As the fairways continue to green up, you will notice some patchy areas of straw-colored turf. This is dead Poa Annua and it's death is by design. The battle with Poa is an ongoing one. Each fall we spray a herbicide to help reduce its population, but the effectiveness of the application cannot be judged until the spring. This year it appears that we had a pretty good kill. As soon as the course dries up next week, will begin to overseed the areas with Ryegrass. The germination rate of Rye is very quick, so the damaged areas should recover quickly

Poa Control In Fairways

As a result of this years normal freeze/thaw cycle, you may notice that some bunker liners and staples have been forced to the surface of the bunkers. Repairing this is a priority and will be taken care of ASAP. Repairing this properly and in a clean fashion is important because we do not want to contaminate any sand during repair. Please keep an eye out for these areas when you are hitting your bunker shots.

Bunker Liner Migration

We recently pulled the covers from the greens on Gray Hawk and were very pleased with what we found. The greens seemed to have continued to fill in late into the fall and started up early this spring. They are on track for an opening day of June 1st. 

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#7 Gray Hawk Green Post Cover Removal

#9 Gray Hawk Green Post Cover Removal

Our main focus going forward will be interseeding fairways, roughs, and tees. We will also dial in our nutritional plan to help the turf recover from last year's stresses and get ready for this years aerification. It is really important that the plant be healthy and full of vigor at the time of aerification to help speed recovery.

As I mentioned above, I think we overwintered well and, with some cooperation from the weather, the course should really come to life in the next 10-14 days.

Playing Our Part

 

A healthy environment and stable ecosystem are extremely important to the welfare of the course and myself personally. At Indian Creek, we are trying to do our part in conservation by building and installing bird houses throughout the course. We put 15 houses out last week and hope to at least double that number by the end of the season. Of course, there are a few animals that we would rather not see on the course (geese, raccon, skunks), but for the most part, we hope to promote as diverse an animal population as possible. Our natural resources are limited and the long-term health of our environment rests in our own hands so take care of it and enjoy it's beauty.

 

 

Is This Where Our Season Is Heading?

Below is a video on the Drambuie World Ice Golfing Championship. I guess we could have it worse than we do with this cold spring. Weather like this all year would make my job awfully easy.



 

Why Can't We Play?

It is that time of year where we are put in the unenviable postition of deciding when to open the course for play. Unlike recent years, Mother Nature has not been very cooperative. Our average high for this week in 2012 was 79.7 degrees, compared to 42.1 degrees this year. Temperatures are forecasted to stay low and there is a chance for snow later this week. We will take all the moisture we can get, but like you, I am eager to get the season started. 

I have posted an excerpt from a USGA article below regarding the effects of winter play. I think it will help explain the position this year's weather has put us in. It should also explain what goes into the decision-making process in regards to allowing play. As always, thanks for your interest in what we do as well as your patience. 

Excerpted from "Politics, Religion, and Winter Play on Greens," James T. Snow
http://www.usga.org/course_care/articles/other/winter_play/Politics-Religion-and-Winter-Play-on-Greens/
Courtesy of the USGA

Repercussions of Winter Play
It is not hard to understand why many golfers are sometimes skeptical about claims concerning the negative effects of winter play, because to them the turf on greens that have been played throughout the winter usually appears the same as the turf on greens that have been closed. The effects of winter traffic, however, need not be obvious and dramatic to have significant and long-lasting repercussions.

Direct wear injury
Thinning of the turf due to direct wear injury is an obvious and important result of winter traffic. Unlike during the growing season, when turf is able to regenerate new leaves and stems to replace injured tissue daily, winter weather completely halts turf growth; the grass is continually thinned throughout the winter in direct proportion to the amount of traffic. This thinning of the turf canopy can, and often does, encourage the establishment of such weeds as Poa annua, crabgrass, goosegrass, moss, algae, pearlwort, spurge, and other weed pests during the spring and summer. True enough, weeds can indeed be a problem on greens that aren't subjected to winter play, but winter traffic causes them to be just that much more abundant and difficult to control.

Soil compaction
Soil compaction is a more subtle and perhaps more important consequence of winter traffic. Because of the cold winter temperatures and lack of active turf growth, the loss of excess soil moisture through evaporation and transpiration is greatly reduced. In addition, frozen sub-surface soils may completely block the movement of excess moisture through the soil profile. During the summer, a very heavy rainfall often creates soil conditions that warrant closing the course for a day or two until the excess moisture is eliminated by the way of evaporation, transpiration, and downward percolation through the soil profile. Because these moisture losses are often non-functional during the winter, saturated soil conditions can persist for weeks or longer. Yet the golfers who can appreciate the need to close the course during the summer are sometimes completely unsympathetic to the same conditions and concerns during the winter.

The effects of soil compaction on the health and playability of the turf are insidious at any time, but because wet soils are especially prone to compaction, the likelihood of traffic causing the collapse of good soil structure is of constant concern during the winter. As soil particles are compacted and pushed closer and closer together, the pore space that facilitates drainage and root growth during summer is gradually lost. As the season finally commences, golfers often complain the these compacted greens are hard. From an agronomic standpoint, turf begins the season in a weakened state, predisposed to a host of summer problems. In addition to the potential for weed encroachment, the turf on greens played during winter tends to wilt more readily during hot weather, and often is more susceptible to a wide array of primary and secondary disease organisms. 

Effects on playability 
With the loss of turf density from direct wear injury and the loss of turf vigor caused by soil compaction, greens played during winter tend to be hard, slow, and bumpy, and they are slower to develop during the spring, compared to greens that are not subjected to winter traffic. Footprinting is often a problem, and golfers tend to complain about the lack of trueness even after several topdressings in the spring. Finally, the effects of compaction on the health of the turf can last to a certain extent for much of the season, making it difficult or impossible to keep the greens as closely cut and intensively groomed as some golfers might desire.

Many winter golfers have heard these arguments before and have dismissed them as being ravings of overprotective golf course superintendents and turfgrass scientists. A favorite response is, "I pay plenty to play golf at this club, and I'm going to use the regular greens during the winter. That's why we pay the superintendent - to fix up the greens in time for spring. Besides, the Let-'Em-Play-Anytime Golf Course down the street lets them play through the winter, and they don't lose any grass during the summer. Anyway, we only have a few groups that play much during the winter. How much damage can we do?"

Winter play can do an inordinate amount of damage to the health and playability of the greens in relation to the number of rounds. Every golf course considering winter play should question whether or not it is worth the risk of damaging the greens and affecting their playability for a significant period of the regular seasonably allowing a relatively small percentage of the club's golfers to use them at that time. In the view of most golf course superintendents, turfgrass scientists, and agronomists, it is not. Unfortunately, even the considered opinion of the experts is unlikely to separate winter play from politics and religion as a topic of controversy among golfers.