Only a few years back The Rim Golf Club was devastated by multiple pests. Disease and insects attacked fairways and rough brining the course to it's knees. My first season here my assistant and I created an Integrated Management Program to directly address our specific pests. Our best way to predicting for the problems so that we would not endure the same damage ever again we decided on using growing degree days to anticipate our pest's development. We started out with our worst pests.
A growing degree day is basically a measurement using a base temperature at which insect development begins. If the average of the high and low temperature is above that minimum threshold than degree days are accumulated. This can help us predict when different stages of an insect will develop and when we can target the most vulnerable stage.
With this information in our hands we were able to anticipate our pests for the last 2 seasons and have become very successful. We have since expanded our IPM program to cover more pests and one day plan on becoming accurate enough to make use of strictly biological and organic control methods.
Now that we know when to expect certain stages of insect development we can also make use of cultural practices to help discourage egg laying or disrupt critical stages with cultivation. This powerful tool has helped us bring The Rim Golf Club to the next level in quality. Our effort have been recognized by the positive movement in our national rankings.
Even though our process is not an overnight change in quality but as each season goes on and we reduce the stress to the turf from multiple directions we will continue to get healthier. Each season will be better as the turf will gain more endurance against outside antagonists. If anyone has questions about our program or how we calculate the degree days feel free to contact me. We have stumbled across some great information to make things even more accurate each year.
Justin C. Ruiz, CGCS
justinr@therimgolfclub.org
