Turf

Josh Benson, Idaho Falls Country Club superintendent, operates the air compressor used to clear all water from the irrigation system as shown above. new tee boxes on Nos. 10 and 14. "We made the hole not so difficult for some of our older members on No. 10," Benson said. "No. 14 was on a severe slope that didn't line up on the hole. It was lined up toward the driving range. Now you'll be able to see the hole." "We have to seed in some native grasses in the spring on severe slopes and the project is complete," Benson said. Grasses like Idaho Fescue are used on severe slopes, bent grass on putting greens and Kentucky bluegrass on tees and rough, he added. Benson was hired as assistant superintendent at Idaho Falls in 2007 and became superintendent midway through the 2009 season. Benson, 30, graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman with a degree in horticulture in 2007. He interned at Meadow Lake Golf Resort from 2003 to 2005 in Columbia Falls, Mont., and worked on staff at Cottonwood Hills Golf Course in Bozeman from 2005 to 2007. At Idaho Falls, Benson and his winter staff of three benefits from the work done by the cat patrol of Kitty, Mimi and Yoyo to keep down pests. The course closes for winter on Dec. 1. Winterizing the course actually began several weeks ago. "Starting in September I go out with a fungicide and spray a different one every two weeks," Benson said. "All of them have different modes of action. I use six different ones. Civitas is one of the fungicides and contains a mineral oil in a green pigment. I've done that twice already and the greens are a lot greener than the rest of the course "I'll go out one more time on Nov. 15 on all the greens. Due to budgeting reasons, we don't spray fairways." All the greens get a heavy top dress with sand, he added. Superintendents in the Mountain States winterize their courses with nutrient applications targeted to extend photosynthesis and strengthen turf plants by boosting cold stress tolerance. Another essential duty is clearing water from the irrigation system. The process of clearing the system involves attaching an air compressor capable of producing a large volume of air to the main line pipe at the pump station and then actuating every head individually, until all water is "blown" free. Timing a blow-out correctly can be critical to the survival of the turf throughout the winter months. Blowing out too early could lead to winter desiccation, while blowing out too late could result in expensive irrigation repairs in the spring. Benson and his staff did this on Nov. 5. "That kind of caps my year," he said. "Toward the end of February, we'll go out if we have snow cover and blow out all the snow and put Black Sand on greens to melt snow," Benson said. Amount of snow cover can vary greatly from year to year in Idaho Falls. "I've blown off 3 feet and I've never had to blow snow off before too," Benson said. "It just depends on what kind of winds we get and if we get any snow." The club started a cross-country ski course the year before. Three different loops across the course will be groomed this winter. Other work is pointed toward opening day. "In the shops, we're doing all the maintenance on the equipment—sharpening blades, changing oils and getting ready for the upcoming season," Benson said. "I'm praying there's no ice damage," he added. "As aggressive as I've been during the winter, it shouldn't be an issue." Course cleanup is next in the spring, removing all the pine cones and limbs. "We go out and brush all the fairways to remove the snow mold," Benson said. "We start up with six guys when we open up and have around 16 in midsummer." WT Spring 2014 17

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