Trees and turf are not best friends

Trees and turf are like oil and water, they don't mix together. Trees always win the battle for water over turf especially during times of heat stress.

The photo above is the left side of #13 fairway about 100 yards from the green. The turf in this area is full of roots from the adjacent Douglas Fir trees on the other side of the cart path. It looked good prior to fairway aeration. The temperature got up to 90 degrees the day we aerated and highs of 85 degrees the following two days. During normal weather the turf and tree roots get along just fine. But add the additional heat stress and the trees win the battle for available moisture in the soil. The result is burnt turf.

The two photos above are both of the right side of #14. The large Fir trees have roots that extend about twenty feet out into the fairway turf. The irrigation heads do a fairly good job of keeping the fairway turf healthy, but the turf in the rough does not get watered as well as the fairway so the trees win again.

Another example of tree roots extending out into the fairway and the turf getting cooked during heat stress. This shows the left side of #15 about 50 yards from the green. During most of the year the turf here is in good condition. When it gets hot usually during August, the turf can't keep up with the tree roots any longer and the turf  gets thin.

We do the best we can to keep these areas alive during the heat of August, but the trees usually cause some damage before the summer is over. The turf will re-establish itself once fall brings extended periods of rain and cooler temperatures.