Bill Barnard
We made it through the hot and more humid than usual summer this year. It’s hard to believe that this is the time of the year we are about to begin the overseeding process for our natural turf areas, which include the golf courses, clubhouses, and common areas. Many community members who are from the east, west, or up north are not aware of this process that happens in southwestern states. In Arizona, our summer grass (Bermuda) goes dormant in the winter time and we seed it with a winter grass (rye) that will grow in the existing Bermuda grass bed. This is so the grass can continue to have a beautiful green look, and for the golf courses, a much more appealing surface to play during the winter months.
The overseed process begins by reducing the water and putting chemical out to stunt the Bermuda grass growth. The Bermuda grass is then scalped down by lowering mowing heights allowing for the winter rye grass seed that will be planted to take root. After spreading the rye grass seed, consistent watering begins for 7 to 10 days to allow the seed to germinate. Once the seed has germinated, we will apply a fertilizer to help strengthen the plant and continue irrigating to ensure proper growth and fill-in. Mowing then typically begins once the plant has reached a certain maturity level and will help the grass tiller and get fuller and allow us to lessen the irrigation. The entire process from seeding to ready-to-use turf takes about three weeks. After that time, the rye grass will continue to mature throughout the winter months.
After finishing with the seeding and germinating phase of overseeding, parks, green spaces, and golf courses can reopen. Specific to the golf courses only, cart traffic will be restricted to “cart path only” for two weeks after reopening. This restrictive time on the golf courses is a necessary part of the process. Cart traffic on the course with the newly planted grass increases the wear and injury to the new turf. Any damage during this period can negatively affect the quality of the surface for several months. We are trying to ensure the best conditions for the long-term.
While we can’t control Mother Nature, it is the largest factor for a successful overseed. We ask that you all help with the process as well by staying off the newly planted grass for the first three weeks of the germinating process. This is necessary in order to protect the large investment we are making to provide lush, green conditions during the winter months. If you are a golfer, or just enjoy the green spaces, I hope this information helps shed some light on just some of what we do to maintain our golf course and common area turf.
While we are going to overseed natural turf areas this year, ongoing drought and water shortages are becoming an increasingly large issue here in Arizona, and concerns are accelerating at an alarming pace. Over the past several years, we have removed natural turf from areas around our buildings and replaced it with artificial turf. We will continue to look for more opportunities to reduce natural turf within the common areas. The golf course renovation completed a few years ago at Eagle’s Nest included replacing the greens with a turf that is not overseeded, which saves costs on both grass seed and watering to establish the overseed. Our Golf Operations staff and Golf Committee are already putting together plans and projects that will save on water consumption, reduce overseeding, and remove turf on all three of the golf courses, so that we will be able to sustain a future with limited water. We hope by getting ahead of the problem, we will be able to maintain our golf courses and common areas in a viable and aesthetically pleasing fashion to keep PebbleCreek the beautiful community that it is.