Fescue, Little bluestem and hyperodes?

By the title of this post many of you must be thinking "he has finally lost his mind completely". I would not be the best to judge that, now would I? You will see some changes in the "Native" or Fescue areas. Basically I have mowed some of them because they were already too lush and unplayable. I assume because of all the rain we have had this spring and early summer. So what exactly is the difference between native grasses? Here is a couple links describing two main species: Little bluestem and Fescue. The only difference I really care about is playability or how easy it is to find your ball and then play it from these tall grass areas. Speed of play is directly related to enjoyment for all and will have an impact on the cash register as well.

just a small sample area. can you see the ball?

same area without the Little Bluestem

I have picked the areas where the most play happens and where the grass is the thickest. I started two weeks ago with a bit on the right of 2 and inside the fence on the right of 4 where it was weedy so impossible to see a ball under the flowers of the weed. Yesterday I continued on the right of 6 and the left of 15 and 8. I also mowed some poison ivy to the left of 9 green. We will try to spray that as well.

right of 6

 

left of 8 green

8 saved the wild flowers 

So what the heck is a hyperode? The article in the link provided will explain in detail but simply put the annual bluegrass weevil is a nasty little bug that kills grass. We have had a good run here with only one major outbreak on collars and that was 15 years ago. Once in the last 20 years have I had to put a rescue treatment on fairways and that was only 9 and 3 fairways. These buggers have multiple generations in one season, can become resistant to insecticides quickly and the timing of applying those chemicals is very tricky. We have some damage to many collars out there and possibly some fairway areas as well. I have begun insecticide treatments to slow their progress and hopefully stave off any more damage. Please keep all pull carts off all collars. The added traffic will impede any recovery efforts.

tiny adults from 2 collar

poor 3 collar suffers so much already from pull carts and tree roots

4 fwy near drain

The picture of 4 above shows the discerning pallet of the weevil. Look at the bluegrass sod we used to patch the drain we installed in front of the forward tee. It looks great, yet the edges are getting destroyed where the old fairway meets up to the new sod. It has been shown to eat other grasses when populations are extreme but it usually always starts on Poa or annual bluegrass which is why it is called the ABW or annual bluegrass weevil.