Growing Grass .... to Kill It

A number of people have asked, “Why is the golf course being fertilized and irrigated when we are trying to kill it?” 

Similarly, some have said, “Why can’t we drive golf carts wherever we want, it’s dead anyway.”

The easy answer is, “It is not dead, and we are doing everything we can to try and make the turfgrass grow! Yes, growing grass to kill it.

Regardless of the amount of herbicide applied in a single spraying, one application will not kill bermudagrass. Re-growth is essential between the multiple applications. Spraying “brown”, non-actively growing bermudagrass with a herbicide is of no value. 

To make turfgrass grow a plant needs four things. The correct amount of: 

1. Water

2. Nutrients

3. Air 

4. Sunlight 

Water      We are providing the plant with water through irrigation. 

Nutrients     We are providing the plant nutrients by fertilizing with granular and liquid fertilizer. 

Air              Turfgrass needs air in the soil. This is why we are asking that you obey traffic control devices. Concentrated traffic reduces turfgrass growth in two ways - wear above ground and soil compaction below the surface. 

In laymen terms, compaction presses soil particles together eliminating air and water space. Compaction reduces the plants ability to maintain and create roots, which are needed for growth. 

Sunlight     We stopped filling divots after the first herbicide application on March 16th so the plant can have full access to sunlight.

This is also why we are mowing continuously in multiple directions. We are removing dead/brown leaf tissue to provide green leaf tissue better access to sunlight.  

So to reiterate, our bermudagras is NOT dead yet. We are doing everything we can to try and make the turfgrass grow so that we can kill it to the best of our ability with the two additional herbicide applications on April 19 and May 21. 

I am happy to report we are doing GREAT and we are seeing terrific re-growth! 

Although we will be closed for golf play after the April 19 herbicide application, I can assure you that we will continue to do everything you have read above (as well as compaction relief and vertical mowing) so that after the third application on May 21, we will have the highest level of eradication possible. 

18 Fairway - April 3, 2021

Holes 12-15 - April 2, 2021

Irrigation on Hole 11 to water in and release the applied granular nitrogen. Nitrogen is also being applied in the irrigation water (fertigation).