KGC's Version of a Pink Ribbon Campaign......

...... mostly named that because that is the colour of the flagging tape we have.  I've marked trees on the left of 6 fairway just past the mounds, left of the red tee on #7, and directly next to the right side of 9 green.

Pitch Tubes on Ponderosa Left 6 Fwy

These are all Ponderosa pines and all have been attacked by (probably) the Western Pine Beetle but who knows.  The only real way to distinguish which beetle is doing the attacking is to look at larvae or the beetle gallery below the bark.

Beetle Gallery of Mountain Pine Beetle

Beetle Gallery of Western Pine Beetle

The end result is the same as all infected trees need to be cut down and removed.  We've already had to deal with beetle kill this year as covered in the June 28th post.  There will be lots of problems with removal of these trees including the volume of material produced by their removal, deciding how and which way to fall the infected trees, and what sort of impact a possible Western Pine Beetle infestation will have on the front nine layout which pretty much depends on Ponderosa pines.

Other things coming out of the wood work now that we are over half way include knapweed which is in full bloom all over the course.

Knapweed Left 5 Fwy

I've covered this pesky weed before (go here ) and not much has changed regarding it.  If you see it pull and we'll pick it up (hot spots are mostly on the back with the left of 14 fairway and the left of 17 fairway the worst).  I know that if we can treat these areas early in the spring with broadleaf herbicide we get pretty good control but its a case of getting the time and since I am the only guy with a applicators license I either have to do the application and be directly at the treated location if someone else is doing the application.  Either situation is not always an option when we are starting up.  

The river .... lets talk about it later I am already pretty bummed out.

The Summer Blahs

If I could carry the energy and drive I have in the mornings for an entire day I would always be on top of things.  As it is, by the time afternoon rolls around my ambitions seemed to have been tempered a bit so hence the reason for few posts over the past couple weeks. I guess things are also running even keel which is always good news. 

What to note as of late? As it turns out things haven’t dried out like I thought and we are only a couple of week away from having to back the water off because of the cooler nights and shorter days.  The river is dropping but not a topic of conversation for a few weeks yet.  Maybe the only thing to discuss may be the little black bugs on the greens.  BTA or Black Turfgrass  Ataenius is what your seeing.

BTA 

Go here for detailed info if you are so inclined but if you don’t just realize that, as a general rule, BTA are not a big deal and unless there is a bug population around 40-50 per square foot there is no real need to treat for them.  That being said don’t be afraid to squish them with your putter!