The recent weather patterns which have brought along high temperatures and at times high humidity, deteriorated turf health, especially amongst the annual bluegrass populations in the fairway. The greens and tees remain unharmed. This decline in turf health left in vulnerable to a pathogen that thrives in temperatures of high heat and humidity. That pathogen is pythium. Late last week we began to see symptoms of the pathogen on our fairways. Pythium is a very destructive disease due to its ability to spread very quickly. Not only does it spread quickly, it results in death of the plant.
Pythium thrives under warm moist conditions, because of this, the hardest hit areas of the course are the low areas and areas around drains. many areas will be able to grow back after the disease is stopped, others will need to been helped along with some seed. On Monday, the 26th, a fungicide was applied to stop the disease progression, however many areas have already been affected.
The thin areas in the pictures are a result of pythium. There are many areas on the course. The hardest hit areas are 1 approach, 2 approach-in the low area, 9 fairway-in the low area and around the drain behind the fairway bunker on the right, 5 fairway-the hardest hit area on the course, and 11 fairway and approach. Other fairways with some damage are 4, 6, 8 and 12.
For more information on pythium click here:
Purdue University Disease Profile: Pythium
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