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| Over the years, as a coastal course, poa-annua has become a dominant grass and has had negative impact on our course. The following is an educational report from our superintendent, Charl Blaauw. |
| Our greens at St Francis are almost 85% poa and I feel it is important to know what we are dealing with from a maintenance point of view. Below is an article where I gained information that I would like to share with you. Sharing this just provides more answers where questions are asked, especially in the bar. Knowledge is power as we know, and we are in the time of year where the course and greens appear at their worst.
We are confident that we will pull the course together again and get the greens rolling true. Last year was our first overseeding of bent on the greens since 2006 and we will continue doing so to allow the bent to get stronger than the poa. Currently we are facing significant disease pressure, and I believe that you will find “why” in the report below. |
| Goodbye poa annua, hello bentgrass |
| Poa annua is an annual Bluegrass. It survives from year to year because it produces millions of seeds every spring that germinate in late summer. Poa is not hardy in the heat and humidity of mid-summer, so it needs to be kept alive with light frequent irrigation. Because of this life cycle Poa annua and our inability to successfully replace it with bentgrass it has become the most predominant grass on most courses. Once a course has a sizeable population of Poa, superintendents do everything they can to keep it alive through the golf season. Past attempts to chemically eliminate Poa annua and stop its fall regeneration have been disappointing. It loves the cool and moist conditions of fall and spring, so it flourishes and tends to overpower over all other grasses during these times and conditions. |
| Poa annua’s disadvantages are: |
| Its seed head production for several weeks in late spring has an objectionable appearance and makes the putting surface bumpy.
Its aggressive growth in the spring crowds out the Bentgrass. It also out competes with Bentgrass in shady and wet conditions.
Its summer root system is very shallow (less than 25mm) and dries out quickly so it requires light and frequent irrigation to survive. Light frequent irrigation builds up sodium in the root zone that is detrimental to the plant.
Because Poa tends to wilt in the afternoon heat, light watering is needed to keep it cool. This light frequent watering also causes the surface (12mm) to be mushy. Ball marks look like mini mud craters and are difficult to repair properly.
In hot dry soil conditions Poa doesn’t go dormant like Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue or Bentgrass. It simply dies and will be replaced by the next generation of seeds in September.
It is more susceptible to fungus diseases than Bentgrass so it requires more frequent fungicide applications.
It doesn’t hold up well under heavy foot or cart traffic in the summer heat. |
| Bentgrass advantages are: |
- It is a perennial and doesn’t produce a seed head unless it is left un-mowed.
- It has a deeper root system (76mm-127mm) in the summer under good soil conditions.
- It can be watered deeply and infrequently (about 25mm of water). This makes the surface dryer than light frequent watering. This also prevents sodium and bicarbonates from building up in the soil’s root zone if the soils are porous.
- It is more fungus disease resistant than Poa annua.
- It withstands heat and traffic stress much better than Poa annua.
- If it wilts and goes dormant under dry soil conditions, it can recover when moisture is provided.
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| USGA spec greens vs push up greens |
| A USGA green features a layered design, including a stable subgrade and drainage pipe overlaid by a 4-inch (10-cm) gravel layer and a 12-inch (30.4-cm) layer of sand-based root-zone mix.
The major difference is that the ongoing care and maintenance of the USGA green is less than the push up green and generally allows for deeper root growth which reduces disease pressure and drain more effectively creating a very good, consistent surface.
Push-up greens are those where the native soil, perhaps imported soil, is pushed, and molded into the topography and the surface dimensions the architect instructs.
I added a picture below of Augusta National at its worst. Hopefully this shows that not even the best course in the world can be perfect all year round due to seasonal changes. |
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| Garth Concar joined the Links team in October 2023 and walked into a proper baptism of fire, preparing for the 3rd PGA Championship and then the holiday season. He finishes with us this Friday after taking a lead role in the staging of the SDC Championship, to pursue some of his own goals. Good luck Garth and thanks for your efforts! You’re always welcome to stop by and say hello! |
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Emile and Carmen’s Special Day |
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| Saturday’s shotgun start (well-received) and Emile and Carmen’s special prize table and day made for something very memorable, especially for the residents of the Humansdorp Retirement Home. They will received a cheque for R40 000 – from donations, entry fees and auction items. We really thank the members for opening their hearts and cheque books in aid! |
| Sorry about the quality – it’s the thought that counts. |
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Daniel Haverkos – Golf Digest USA |
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| Daniel and his son joined Jeff on Sunday afternoon for a game of golf and an in-depth look at St Francis Links. He was rating the course for the Golf Digest USA Top-100 in the world selection of courses. After selling his business some years ago, he went on a mission to play and rate the best courses in America, Canada and Mexico – some 160 courses later (and some multiple times), he has rated everything from the well-known Pine Valley to Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia.
His trip here was the first of 5 in SA and he was enthralled! He said, “a golf course is like a pretty woman. It starts with a pretty face. This course is amazing on the eye – the natural terrain and surrounds, the bunker complexes, the movement in the greens, the options for shot-making, and above all, more signature holes than you could count.”
Jeff commented that we set the standard for his trip which will include Fancourt Links, Arabella, and Pearl Valley. Of course, Jeff made a pretty good host and caddie … just sayin’! |
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Yan Coesens gets his 9th ACE (4th here at St Francis Links)
17th, 17th, 14th, 17th
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Great events planned for the rest of March! |
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Hitting solid iron shots |
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Better golfers share one similarity |
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| However they swing the club, however they get the iron club face to the ball. |
| Better players make contact with the golf ball first, with a shallow descending blow that takes a divot after contact. The low point of their swing with a #7 iron will be 3 – 4 inches beyond the location of the golf ball.
What is your angle of attack on the golf ball? Where is the low point in your golf swing? What does your divot say about your golf swing? How do you control your low point so that you consistently hit solid, powerful iron shots? |
| Improve the divot and you’ll experience more great golf shots with your irons. Come and see us and start with an understanding of your angle of attack on the ball, your low point in the golf swing, and what would be the way to practice and improve. |
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| No-one expects golf ball evolution to slow down. Srixon hasn’t disappointed us with the new AD333 Golf Ball. A softer cover. Powerful greenside spin. A speed dimple pattern that promotes lift and stability whatever the conditions. And a core that does both: improves feel while adding distance. |
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Better together |
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Your most special playing partner |
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| When your child gets into golf, they will develop physically, mentally and socially. They’ll learn a new skill. They’ll make new friends. But it’s not only your child that benefits from getting into the game. |
| Once your child knows how to play, you’ll have a special new playing partner, for life. That makes the game so much more enriching. |
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When coaching juniors, we use the time between 6- and 12-years-old to develop
foundational golf skills in a casual and fun environment. The aim is for your child to look forward to every new lesson and to fall in love with golf.
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| Imagine being able to spend a few hours together with your child playing a game you both love. Let’s make it a reality for you. |
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Another great location to WIN with Duca del Cosma |
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| If you are driving past George Airport or Stellenbosch Square (R44 opposite De Zalze), you’ll notice brand new Duca del Cosma billboards against the Garden Route and Stellenbosch backdrops. If you are a golfer, this is your money shot to WIN a pair of Duca’s premium golf shoes! Golfers; strike your best pose, snap a selfie and share using #ducadelcosma. Remember to also tag @DucaDelCosma in your post.
As an added BONUS, every selfie from a golfer sharer receives a R400 voucher. This is ONLY to be used at ducadelcosma.co.za on golf shoes, gloves, caps that are not on SALE. Ts and Cs applied.
So, are you ready to step up your selfie game? |
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