Problem A: Tree with shallow roots
Location: Bled, Slovenia
Turfgrass area: Rough by cart path
Turfgrass variety: Rough is perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass
Problem B: Torn area of turf
Location: Eden Prairie, Minn.
Turfgrass area: Bunker near cart path
Turfgrass variety: Kentucky bluegrass coming out of dormancy
Scroll down for answers.
Problem A: Tree with shallow roots
This tree had a shallow root system due to the limited depth of topsoil. The golf course was constructed on a raised terrace above the Sava River at an elevation of approximately 1,600 feet. The property’s topsoil consists of a mixture of weathered rock, gravel, sand, silt and stones deposited by glaciers. The entire golf course was built on the remains of this glacial moraine, with less than 12 inches of soil covering the rocky subsoil. These conditions limited the depth and stability of the tree’s root system. The tree was a small-leaved linden, a species that typically develops a large taproot. It fell during a severe thunderstorm with wind gusts reaching up to 93 mph. Approximately 50 trees were blown down across the course during the same storm. Since then, the superintendent has replanted many of the trees, including a new linden in the exact location of the original. The owners were understandably shocked by the extent of the damage but were pleased with how quickly the maintenance team cleared the course and completed the necessary repairs. Thanks to their hard work, the golf course was reopened just two days later.
Photograph submitted by Boštjan Zupan, golf course superintendent at the Royal Bled Golf in Bled, Slovenia, and Tadej MegliÄŤ, irrigation technician.
Problem B: Torn area of turf
When the superintendent saw this torn area of turf extending from the cart path into the lip of the sand bunker, he immediately knew what had happened. This golf course has bathroom units that periodically need to be pumped out by a sewer service. Late in the season, the company sent a new driver — without notice — to the course to service and winterize the units. The regular drivers stay on the cart paths or, when cart paths are unavailable, use the rough. Unfortunately, the new driver became lost on the course and apparently attempted to drive through the bunker to reach a cart path. Somehow, he managed to get the truck out without being seen. The damage occurred in the farthest and most isolated corner of the golf course, and the crew did not discover the damage until the following spring, after the snow melted. The superintendent contacted the company, but the damage was minor and not worth filing an insurance claim. The crew simply leveled the damaged area and replaced the affected sod.
Photo submitted by Tom Notch, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Bent Creek Golf Club in Eden Prairie, Minn., and 27-year association member.
Editor’s note: Have a photo of an on-course anomaly? GCM would love to have a look! Email it to Photo Quiz author John Mascaro.
John Mascaro is the president of Turf-Tec International.