“We’re in the entertainment business,” said Ken Campbell, managing partner of Greenway Golf Associates. “We’re there to entertain the residents.”

During months of negotiations, town leaders failed to reach a deal with the first two bidders, Arrowhead Golf Group and Guidant Management Group. Arrowhead had agreed to help pay for a new $3.2 million clubhouse and manage the course for 10 years. Town leaders expressed concern that the management company didn’t have enough money to take care of the course over the long term, and feared the deal with Guidant was too risky. Instead, Davie officials started negotiations with Greenway last week, the third bidder and the company currently maintaining the course for the town.

Under the deal, Greenway will provide all necessary equipment needed to get the course open and ready for play. Greenway will also give Davie residents the edge when trying to get a job at the course, which officials anticipate will provide 12 full-time positions and more than 20 part-time positions. Campbell said the management company expects the course to generate more than $1.5 million after the first year.

“This contract allows the town to receive greater revenue with minimal risk,” said council member Marlon Luis. The course, which has been closed for years, has cost the town $52,000 a month for upkeep since the town purchased it from the state in 2010. Davie’s decision to buy the course was controversial at the time, but council members decided buying the land was the best way to protect the open space. Greenway officials said the course would be open by Nov.1.

The primary reasons for selecting Bent grass in Coastal regions are:

• Bent grass tolerates much lower mowing heights than perennial rye grass, therefore delivering a smoother surface and lower thatch.
• Bent grass also provides an excellent playing surface on the fairways.
• Bent grasses are less susceptible to turf diseases than rye/poa.
• Bent grass also has a greater ability over rye grass to go into summer dormancy and can recover when properly irrigated where as rye grass will rapidly deteriorate when limited water is applied.
• Bent grass is considered to be a superior fairway species to perennial rye for most good players.

Comparing Bent to Rye grass courses

Both grasses are a cool season grass and perform well in a temperate climate. When both grasses are managed appropriately, they can provide a very acceptable playing surface for fairways.  However, one notable limitation of rye grass is that it cannot be mowed lower than 0.350” for prolonged periods compared to bent grasses, which can tolerate much lower mowing heights of 0.250” when properly managed.

Lower mowing heights on fairway and tee surfaces offers firmer playing conditions, greater ball roll and even ability to reduce mowing frequency, which frees labor and reduces fuel and equipment expenses.

A key factor to consider in Coastal California courses that have chosen rye grass is they have had to live with the cost and frustration of dealing with fairways that were initially pure rye grass but have become infested with poa annua. Poa annua grasses are definitely the most ubiquitous and insidious weeds on any golf course in California. This weed desires plenty of water and a regular supply of nutrients.  Unfortunately, so too does rye grass.

Both rye grass and poa annua are morphologically very similar. They are both pastoral grasses, rapidly producing aerial tissue at the expense of root development.  Therefore, they require lots of nitrogen and plenty of water. This has to be provided by the turf grass manager. Unfortunately, adequate rye grass management promotes poa annua intrusion.

Everyone understands the need to reduce the use and application of toxic chemicals in the turf grass environment.  However, to control poa annua in rye grass one has no other option than using both pre and post emergent chemicals and herbicides. The cost of these materials is always increasing and the potential exposure to repeated applications is a concern to both employees and golfers. Conservatively, for rye grass fairways and tees, excluding the need for over-seeding, costs owners more, typically around $500 to $600/acre/year indefinitely.

California’s imminent water restrictions coming in 2020 will greatly impact turf grass management.

It has been proven and a well-known fact water demand for bent grass, once the plant has matured, requires much less water compared to rye grass.  This is primarily due to the plant morphology – bent grass has a creeping growth habit and genetically wants to be slow growing and produce deep roots up to 12 inches in a sandy root zone.  Whereas, rye grass is a pastoral grass, which has a bunch type growth habit, produces lots of aerial tissue at the expense of a short root system of 3-4 inches.  The more shallow the root system, the greater the water requirements.

Due of the potential extensive root system, all bent grasses compared to rye grass have a much superior capacity to extract water from the soil profile. However, the main drawback in this region of bent grass has been improper maintenance practices. Only proper management can achieve this favorable goal, which is simply growing roots compared to shoots. Bent grass, when matured and properly managed can typically thrive with 20-30% less water and 50-70% fewer nutrients compared to rye grass. This is very advantageous for discouraging poa annua intrusion on fairways. Chemical applications are greatly reduced and may only require $150-$200/acre/year for annual bluegrass control.

10 Benefits of Bent Grass (when properly managed congruent to their genetic requirements) Over to Rye Grass on Fairways

1. Reduce herbicide applications and potential exposure by 50%.
2. Reduced mowing frequency
3. Easier to manage weed encroachment.
4. Reduce water usage by 20-30%.
5. Reduce power costs from irrigation.
6. Reduce nutrient applications by 50-70%.
7. Potentially create a firmer and more desirable playing surface.
8. Reduce financial burden on property.
9. Require fewer laborers to manage same acreage
10. Allows property to continue to refine resource use and expenses without impacting surface quality.

We are often asked about the “Club” possibly losing control by hiring a management company… Great question, however, this simply doesn’t occur with Greenway. What does happen is the club gains expanded professional resources to better support the facility team. In the case of member-owned clubs, The Board of Directors are still in control of the vision and setting the policies and direction of the club.  Greenway’s  role is to develop, implement and supervise an operations plan designed to achieve the desired objectives of the club. And, with greater resources we are able to cost effectively assist the club with employee HR issues, improve quality standards, best support the facility management team  and deliver cost savings most clubs are unable to achieve on their own.

In this busy time, most Board members we speak with are searching for ways to improve course conditions and cost efficiencies of the facility. We value the role of the course superintendent and support them in achieving this objective with our very successful turf program and a support team skilled and knowledgeable on all operations including the ever changing and soon to be tougher environmental requirements, managing budgets and expenses and the planing of short and long-term capital improvement projects. Additionally, with Greenway in place it provides consistency of the playing surfaces year after year even during times of transition in committees and facility management.

To address this need Greenway has expanded its maintenance consulting to include total maintenance management capabilities. If you are a superintendent or Club owner or director, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation review and to learn more about the potential advantages of working together.

Zac Reicher, Associate Professor/Turfgrass Extension Specialist states… “In spite of the relatively moderate summer, the annual decline of Poa annua (annual bluegrass) on golf courses is occurring now. We received samples from 5 golf courses of declining Poa annua in the lab in the last three days. Individual plants of Poa annua on greens and fairways are starting to yellow and even die in small patches. However, there have been almost no pathogens in the submitted samples other than occasional ectotrophic hyphae indicating summer patch. The areas sampled had been treated aggressively with fungicides so it’s not surprising that there were no disease organisms present. This does show that even though we can control pathogens, the Poa annua may still weaken and die.”

Continued… “Many golf course superintendents can prolong Poa survival through the heat by careful management, but unfortunately death is almost inevitable. As with all cool season turfgrass plants, Poa annua performs best when temperatures are near 65-70oF. If temperatures above this persist for an extended period, the weakened plants will be extremely susceptible to damage from pressures such as heat, drought, traffic, disease, and submersion under water. Often a single event may be enough to put the Poa over the edge. A pass from a golf cart when the grass is under slight drought stress, a weekend day when the grass didn’t receive enough irrigation, a dusting of topdressing, etc. may be just enough to put the Poa over the edge. Most of us would like to blame a disease like anthracnose as the primary factor in the decline of Poa annua, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Though fungicides may help to extend the life of Poa annua during July and August, it will still weaken and die with extended heat regardless of the fungicide program. Therefore, continue a preventative fungicide program on a 10-14 day schedule that includes systemic fungicides alternated with contacts, but aggressive applications every 7 days or less likely won’t help significantly.”

Greenway’s thoughts… With Poa grass greens, you might as well be throwing money down the drain!

With all the harmful fungicides required to maintain Poa and the theory as the Professor states above “death is almost inevitable (with Poa)” then why not look to alternatives such as managing for bent grass greens. Greenway’s Turf Program has helped courses for years now to manage and sustain bent grass. Check out our Learning Center before and after photos of our natural improvement plan from Poa to Bent grass without having to resod or seed and without closing the greens for play.

The golf resort features four courses on 1,000 acres with its Classic course ranking 40th on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. And, all four courses have their own turf conditions, complicating turf management.

In addition to implementing all sorts of “green” practices across its resort, from turning off lights to collecting fryer oil from food service locations, the management at Madden’s also made “radical” changes with regard to turf management.

These changes included lower chemical inputs and cutting back on irrigation. As Superintendent Scott Hoffman says in the article, making these changes “was a leap of faith. We were way out there on the ledge. It was a nerve wracking for a time.”

Hoffman waters fairways only “once every three or four days, and usually waters the greens every fifth day.” Because less water slows the rate of grass growth, the greens don’t need to be mowed as often.

Due to these and other practices recommended by Greenway, Hoffman has lowered his pesticide budget by $35,000 and has reduced man-hours for The Classic course from 22,000 to 15,000.

We’re thrilled that Golf Digest has singled out Madden’s for its work on reducing its impact on the environment. Congratulations to Hoffman and resort owners Brian and Deb Thuringer.

Some courses, in fact, had to close due to adverse course conditions. One course that withstood the heat is Greenway managed Battle Creek Golf Course in Broken Arrow, Oaklahoma, which was recently featured on SouthCentralGolf.com.

According to Superintendent Will Heffernan, two factors contributed to the course withstanding the summer heat. One, the golf course is located on a hillside which allows for good air flow to all of its greens. And two, Hefferman adheres to the agronomic program designed by Greenway.

When Heffernan began working at the club four years ago, he was initially skeptical of Greenway’s turf management program, but quickly became a “huge believer.” “This program has made my life dramatically easier,” he said. “I use a lot fewer chemicals, a lot less water, a lot fewer mowings. Everything we do is designed to promote root growth and not blade growth.”

Battle Creek has a variety of bent grass called Cato-Crenwshaw which has also proven more heat tolerant than many of its predecessors. And, word has quickly spread among golfers about “how much improved the fairways are and that the greens are some of the best of any course in the area.”

The fairways and greens surrounds were a combination of Kikuyu, Rye, Poa and Bermuda. The equipment was in a complete state of disrepair, and it had been several years since any new equipment had been purchased. The irrigation system was an antiquated block system without a central control.

The primary issues facing the club included a scarcity of water and very stringent environmental guidelines due to the property being located in the Santa Monica National Recreational Area, a division of the National Park Service. In addition, Trancas Creek runs through the property and ultimately empties into Malibu Bay. For these reasons, it was important for the Malibu Club to conserve water and to apply chemicals sparingly.

In order to conserve water usage, Greenway promoted Bent grass on the greens as Bent grass uses about half as much water as Poa. In addition, we promoted a mono stand of grass on the fairways that is less dependent on water and more disease resistant.

In eighteen months Greenway converted the greens to over 90% Bent grass from 95% Poa and the fairways to approximately 90% Kikuyu. The water usage was reduced by approximately 40% than that of the prior ownership. Chemical and fungicide usage decreased by approximately 76%.

At that time Greenway tested the water, we determined that the nitrates in the water were contributing significantly to the problem. Greenway recommended that the greens be resurfaced, to which the club agreed.

Greenway oversaw the grow-in and remained in a consulting capacity for two years – at which time Turlock CC had some of the finest Bent grass greens to be found anywhere.

The membership was ecstatic with the results. In fact, things were going so well the club felt that they did not need Greenway’s services any longer and decided not to renew the contract.

Three years later, a member of the club asked that we come out to take a look at the course as the club was once again having problems. Incredibly the greens were thin, the bent grass root structure was poor, and unhealthy levels of thatch were beginning to develop. The heat that summer was causing severe damage to the new greens.

The club asked Greenway to come back in a consulting capacity and while we respectfully declined, we indicated that we would consider returning in a full management capacity.

Turlock approved a five-year management contract, and Greenway assumed management of the course maintenance. Within months the greens returned to a more healthy state with a developing root structure.

Seven months after assuming management of the golf course maintenance, and just in time for the Men’s Invitational, long time members were describing the course as having “the best conditions in the history of the club.”

Currently, Turlock members enjoy fast, firm greens with speeds in excess of 11 feet on the stimp meter. Poa has all but disappeared. Root depths are at 8+ inches and the density of the Bent grass is optimal. In addition, the thatch levels have dissipated to acceptable levels.

The membership at Turlock Golf & Country Club is completely satisfied with what Greenway has achieved and has sold more memberships as a result.