low spots on greens and ice accumulation Cancel The title field is required!

1. Amos Stephens

   

   0 posts
   
   2/22/2013 7:02 PM

   I have a couple old push up greens that are poorly constructed for surface drainage. They do have good soil physical properties and perform well in all other aspects. The problem is the winter kill each year do to ice encasement from the winter rains and melts. These push up greens are capped in about 5" of sand from topdressing over the years. I have been thinking to cap these low ponding areas with sand and reshape them for positive drainage on the areas of the green affected and not rebuild the entire green. I have no layering in my soil profile at all. Any thoughts out there on what you would do? I am currently thinking to cut the sod out, build up the green to the desired positive surface drainage with perfect usga spec sand that matches what I am using, and reseed. Thanks in advance on any tips or bad idea on my part,
   
   Amos Stephens,
   
   GM/Superintendent
   Settlers Bay Golf Course
   Wasilla, AK

   
   
   
   
2. Virgil Range

   

   0 posts
   
   2/23/2013 6:02 AM

   Have you thought about putting a tarp on these areas during the ice and snow accumulation during the winter? This will help with the winter kill however it wont help the drainage problem.
   I also have the same problem on the #7 green. I am having a engineer/surveyor come out early spring to figure out the proper flow of drainage. Hope he can work up something to get the green and approach to drain right. Raising the approach or green will be done. However raising anything wont fix the problem because the drainage doesn't flow right. It actually backs up into the north drain and sits there until water levels in the creek lowers. This has been a problem for years and years but nobody before me wanted to fix it. Then members wonder why the approach died every year. Bad Drainage is the problem. I cant live with a dead approach every year so time to get it fixed.

   
   
   
   
3. David Brandenburg

   

   3 posts
   
   2/23/2013 11:02 AM

   Amos,
   
   We have done what you are considering on three greens. On one we removed the entire middle third of the green to regrade to obtain surface water drainage.
   
   I do not regret it. In two cases we reused the sod and in the third we used sod from our nursery green because the quality of the existing was poor.
   
   We have found extra aerification and topdressing in these areas to be helpfull to reduce layering and to smooth the surface.

   
   
   
   
4. Amos Stephens

   

   0 posts
   
   2/25/2013 6:02 PM

   Virgil,
   
   Sorry to neglect to mention that I do use solid impermeable covers for the winter mayhem here in AK. However, I am finding that by switching to bentgrass that the covers are not as important as it was when we were growing Poa Trivialis. So I am wanting to fix the overall problem of no surface drainage and go from there. Covers are a band aid in this situation. The real issue is we need surface drainage in my opinion. Thanks for you insight in this, very good point on using covers.

   
   
   
   
5. Tony Feheregyhazi

   

   7 posts
   
   2/25/2013 7:02 PM

   I have seen a lot of success with slit drainage on old push-up greens with drainage problems. There are a number of ways to do it and companies throughout the states and Canada who will provide the service. Personally if you have the equipment and manpower I would do it in house and save thousands. I've done one in house myself and the results have been very positive.

   
   
   
   
6. Larry Allan

   

   0 posts
   
   2/26/2013 8:02 AM

   Tony Feheregyhazi said: I have seen a lot of success with slit drainage on old push-up greens with drainage problems. There are a number of ways to do it and companies throughout the states and Canada who will provide the service. Personally if you have the equipment and manpower I would do it in house and save thousands. I've done one in house myself and the results have been very positive.

   
   I agree with you in large part, Tony. I have installed XGD drainage on several of my greens and they have improved, but when you get a foot or two of frost in the ground, they can't drain and will form ice.

   
   
   
   
7. Tony Feheregyhazi

   

   7 posts
   
   2/26/2013 11:02 AM

   That's a good point Larry. We can a be a little spoiled up here in the Canadian prairries when it comes to moisture in the winter. One thing I have tried prior to winter before freeze up is drilling 3 inch holes in the center of the low spots with a post hole auger. We would go as deep as we could and fill holes 3/4's full with pea gravel and leave open for the winter. In the spring we would fill in the rest of the holes with sand and plug. Think it helped especially with the freeze thaw cycles of the spring. Worked especially well if the area wasn't to large.

   
   
   
   
8. Timothy Walker

   

   0 posts
   
   2/27/2013 9:02 AM

   Tony Feheregyhazi said: That's a good point Larry. We can a be a little spoiled up here in the Canadian prairries when it comes to moisture in the winter. One thing I have tried prior to winter before freeze up is drilling 3 inch holes in the center of the low spots with a post hole auger. We would go as deep as we could and fill holes 3/4's full with pea gravel and leave open for the winter. In the spring we would fill in the rest of the holes with sand and plug. Think it helped especially with the freeze thaw cycles of the spring. Worked especially well if the area wasn't to large.

   
   
   
   Drilling holes would be a great idea or even cut a strip of turf out to allow a drain channel and replace in spring with what you removed or from a nursery...keep the water moving!