Few things are more irritating than to have your putt deflected off-line after rolling over an old, unrepaired or incorrectly repaired ball mark. Ball marks, or pitch marks, occur when a descending golf ball lands on the putting surface.
On average, a single golfer creates nine ball marks per 18 holes (round). Assuming that there are 150 rounds played each day, the greens receive 1,350 impressions daily. That’s over 40,500 ball marks per month and more than 283,500 each year. With this number of indentations, it is clear to see that properly repairing ball marks is important to maintaining a smooth putting surface. An unrepaired ball mark takes twice as long to heal as one properly repaired. Improperly repaired ball marks take even longer.
Research (http://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/gcman/article/2006feb97.pdf ) undertaken at Michigan State University looked at five different styles of ball mark repair tools and found that when used correctly, all of them produced acceptable repairs. When they were used incorrectly, only the restricted entry (short pronged) tools provided satisfactory results. The following ball mark repair method is recommended by the GCSAA and applies to the traditional two-long pronged repair tool, although a knife, key or golf tee could be used.
1. Use a prolonged ball mark repair tool (preferably), knife, key or tee.
2. Insert at the edges of the mark, starting at the back; never into the middle of the depression.
3. Bring the edges together with a gentle (less than ¼ turn) twisting motion, but don’t lift the center. Try not to tear the grass. Do this in four or five places around the outside of the ball mark.
4. Smooth the surface with the sole of your putter, gently tapping until the resulting repair is a surface you would want to putt over.
Please remember that it takes less than a minute to fix a ball mark, less than a week for a properly repaired mark to completely heal and up to three weeks for an incorrectly repaired mark to disappear. Do your part to help keep the putting surface healthy, smooth and enjoyable. There’s really nothing like watching a well struck putt stay on line and track smoothly all the way to the hole; well, except for maybe hearing your ball hitting the bottom of the cup!
The photo to the left was taken during a tournament on the Champions Tour, showing Mark Johnson (center), Morris Hatalsky (left) and Ben Crenshaw taking time to repair their ball marks and probably some left from others.
If these guys can do it, so can you!
Jeff Stuart
Course Superintendent
Brickyard Crossing
With spring right around the corner, now is the time to think about crabgrass control. Even with the densest, healthiest turf possible, crabgrass can still gain a foothold if given the chance.
In our area, spring is a distant second best time to seed compared to late summer. If you have bare areas and absolutely must seed this spring, your crabgrass control options will be limited to either a product containing siduron or dithiopyr.
Siduron is strictly a pre-emergent herbicide, usually found in a starter fertilizer product, and can be applied shortly before or at time of seeding. This is a short-lived product, and a second application of a different pre-emergent will be needed for season-long control.
Dithiopyr has both pre- and post-emergent activity on crabgrass, is usually combined with fertilizer and can be applied to new seedlings after two mowings. One application will give season-long control.
As long as seeding is not planned, prodiamine or pendimethalin will keep crabgrass at bay for the year when applied well before crabgrass begins to germinate.
All of the above are activated with water and form a barrier in the soil that kills crabgrass and other annual grasses when they begin to germinate. If the barrier is disturbed by raking, aerifying or other mechanical means (like a 5-iron on my practice tee!), crabgrass germination can occur.
Unfortunately most crabgrass control products are combined with fertilizer, and spring is not a good time to apply much more than one-half pound of nitrogen (N) per 1000 ft2. Any more than this, especially from a quick-release source, will cause excessive leaf growth at the expense of the roots, leading to problems in the heat of the summer.
Look for a product with slow-release, N-like sulfur-coated, poly-coated, IBDU or natural organic. Research at Purdue and other universities recommends pre-emergent applications no later than March 15-April 1 in southern Indiana, April 1-15 in central Indiana and April 10-25 in the northern third of the state.
Jeff Stuart
Course Superintendent
Brickyard Crossing
I came into work here at Brickyard Crossing on Sunday, March 22 and was greeted by what looked like a winter wonderland!
Not snow, but a heavy frost covering all of the grass, telling me a frost delay was looming.
Frost delays never are popular but are necessary to maintain quality turfgrass. I always strive to open the course for play as quickly as possible. When the irrigation system is up and running, I can hasten the melting process with a light watering. Even then, while the first tee is frost-free, shaded areas and low pockets (like around the first green) can remain frost-covered! A lot of times there can be 15 to 30 minutes difference in melting time.
Why can’t we play through the frost? Have you ever noticed the sunken, black footprints in your lawn after someone has traipsed through a frost?
This is usually cosmetic injury, and the turf will recover in a week or so. Although under the right conditions, turf loss can occur.
Damage is caused by ice crystals penetrating the leaf blade and essentially cutting it off at that point. Death occurs when ice crystals penetrate the crown area and is more likely with repeated traffic on damaged areas. The lower the mowing height, the less leaf tissue there is to protect the crown.
Greens are especially vulnerable, with tees and fairways close behind. This photo shows the footprints left behind by one foursome. Imagine the damage that would occur if multiple groups played through the frost!
Jeff Stuart
Course Superintendent
Brickyard Crossing
Bat boxes and Eastern Bluebird houses are strategically placed around Brickyard Crossing Golf Course to encourage the nesting of these beneficial creatures. Bats and bluebirds are capable of consuming vast amounts of undesirable insects and have become a proven asset for golf courses as a non-chemical alternative in pest control.
Our first attempt to attract bluebirds was not very successful; the eight bluebird houses we built and put out were quickly inhabited by house sparrows and swallows. Not a bad thing, just not what we were hoping for. After more research, we decided to put out an additional eight boxes located 15 to 20 feet away from the original boxes. The thinking here is that because sparrows and swallows are very territorial, they would not use both of the paired boxes. And they haven’t, but evidently we need to get the word out to any Bluebirds in the area because only two of the 16 boxes have been occupied!
Bat boxes are a different story. After building three different boxes and going so far as to rub bat guano on the posts, we have had no tenants! We have seen large numbers of bats swooping around parking lot lights, but they must have better accommodations than the ones we’ve offered. The fourth model will be going up soon, and we’re hoping the scheduled open house will generate some interest.
Jeff Stuart
Course Superintendent
Brickyard Crossing
This week I’d like to tell you about the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS) and some of the environmental benefits that golf courses provide.
Audubon International, along with sponsorship from the United States Golf Association (USGA), created the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program (ACSP) for Golf to promote environmental stewardship and leadership in golf course management by going through the process of becoming a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
Brickyard Crossing Golf Course achieved certification in 2001 by completing requirements in six key environmental areas. These categories include: Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach & Education, Integrated Pest Management, Water Conversation and Water Quality Management. Recertification is completed every two years to ensure that a high degree of environmental quality is observed.
Since joining the ACSP in 1992, I have continually refined management programs to reflect my commitment to provide naturalized areas and wildlife corridors on and around the course. Our goal is to present a championship quality golf course while providing suitable and sustainable habitats where possible.
As you play this one-of-a-kind golf course, take time to notice the mink playfully sliding down the creek bank on Hole #4, the blue heron gracefully lifting off as you come near or the native wildflowers along Hole #16. Hopefully you will come away with an increased awareness of the mutually beneficial relationship existing between Brickyard Crossing and the wildlife habitats we’ve provided in this unique urban environment.
In addition to golf courses, the ACSS also provides programs for schools, individuals and businesses. For more information, you can contact them at www.audubonintl.org.
Jeff Stuart
Course Superintendent
Brickyard Crossing
You’ve probably heard that no two golf courses are alike, and indeed, golf courses throughout the country are unique for many reasons. Not only is Brickyard Crossing unique because Pete Dye located four holes inside the famed oval, but it is also different in its topography, soil types, turf varieties, irrigation and drainage systems, climatic conditions, water features and sources, and other available resources.
That said, it’s also critical to understand that every course is managed differently. At the Brickyard, we take a lot of pride in providing the highest-quality playing conditions possible. To accomplish that takes a well-thought maintenance program based on sound agronomic and environmental principles, a great staff and the ability to remain flexible.
Very flexible. Did I mention scheduling around our three races?
Also, because we don’t seem to have “normal” weather conditions anymore, flexibility has become paramount in executing even our standard maintenance practices. Although there are thousands of articles and textbooks on turf management, there just aren’t any “how-to” manuals for managing an individual course. Probably wouldn’t be as much fun if there were!
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has had three different golf courses at the same location during the past 73 years. An artist’s rendering of the different layouts are located in the hallway outside the Pro Shop.
In 1929, Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker opened the first one with nine holes inside and nine outside the racetrack. A bridge over the track on the backstretch connected the nines. The Speedway Golf Course hosted the 500 Festival Open Invitational, a PGA Tour event, from 1960-68 with the 1965 event being held at Greentree C.C. Immediately after the 1964 tournament, IMS President Tony Hulman authorized the addition of nine new holes and extensive renovation of the existing nine outside the track. The inside nine remained open during the almost two-year project.
In 1991, IMS President Tony George commissioned Pete Dye to totally rebuild the course with the intent of once again hosting a PGA Tour event. Construction began in October and was completed in time to open for limited play in September 1993. The newly named Brickyard Crossing, a championship-caliber stadium course, opened to the public in April 1994 and beginning that September hosted a Senior PGA Tour event through 2000.
The course features 4 acres of Pennlinks greens, 5 acres of Penncross tees, 34 acres of Pennway fairways and 96 acres of rough with 14 holes located outside and 4 holes inside the famed oval. There are 72 sand bunkers, 25 of which are on hole No. 9, that have a combined surface area of 2.9 acres. Many of the large mature trees were saved, and corridors from the old layout were utilized where possible. Several thousand new trees were planted, and numerous natural habitat areas established in landscaping the course.
Along with the three lakes, Little Eagle Creek runs through the golf course, bringing water into play on 11 holes. We completed certification in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program in the spring of 2001.
Jeff Stuart
Course Superintendent
Brickyard Crossing