The Federal Club: Managing cool-season challenges

Unless you’re an agronomist or a master gardener, your first glance might not reveal what makes The Federal Club different from most other golf courses in the Richmond, Virginia, area. But if you’re a player, you’ll likely pick up on the difference after that first tee shot.

“The Federal Club is unique to this area in Virginia, as we’re all cool-season grass,” said Ryan Holbrook, the club’s director of agronomy. “Our fairways, tees and greens are all bentgrass, and our roughs are fescue. There’s only one other course in Richmond that’s cool-season.”

That exclusivity isn’t just a talking point; the bentgrass playing surface gives The Federal Club real-world advantages over the 20-plus other courses in the area.

“We can play on green grass pretty much all year long,” he said. “We’re already green in March or April, while the bermudagrass courses are just coming out of dormancy. And I personally just like bentgrass better on fairways. So I think a cool-season course can produce a better year-round playing surface than the warm-season courses.”

Perhaps more importantly, the bentgrass playing surface is a major draw for players who may have relocated from other parts of the country.

“We have a lot of retirees from up North who get excited about playing on this grass,” Holbrook said. “So it does help us attract members who join just because we’re a cool-season course. And we have some scratch players here, so we try to deliver a top-quality product every day.”

For as pristine as the grounds are, delivering that product isn’t easy. The Federal Club sits squarly in the middle of the transition zone between warm- and cool-season grasses, complicating life for Holbrook and making active, engaged management critical to the preservation of course quality and playability. 

“The cool-season grasses absolutely thrive in April, May and June,” Holbrook said. “But right around July 4, when the summer heat gets here, that’s when we go into defensive mode. The bermudagrass courses aren’t worried about the summer weather, but we’re out here hand-watering fairways and greens.”

Rotation critical for ABW control

But the heat and humidity are far from the only worries for Holbrook. Like many courses in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, The Federal Club has proven especially attractive to the modern-day nightmare pest: annual bluegrass weevil (ABW). Cultural measures like mowing and rolling help reduce adult ABW populations, but for control of the more damaging larvae, Holbrook has found his product of choice.

“We keep MatchPoint insecticide on our shelf,” he said. “That’s my go-to for ABW.”

Considering both the club’s susceptibility to ABW and how quickly ABW can develop resistance, Holbrook doesn’t hesitate to rotate chemistries. MatchPoint® insecticide has proven how valuable it is, especially when there are multiple ABW generations. 

“One summer, we had greens that were starting to struggle,” Holbrook said. “I thought it was pythium. But I did a soap flush test, and there were the larvae, L1 to probably L4. We sprayed MatchPoint that night, and when we looked the next morning, we could just pick up the larvae off the green. So MatchPoint has earned my trust.”

MatchPoint insecticide offers a unique Group 5 mode of action that fits well within resistance management rotations and integrated pest management programs. The lignin formulation slows UV degradation of the spinosad active ingredient and allows for delayed watering-in.

“There have been new chemistries coming out, and we’ll try them all,” Holbrook said. “But when I have ABW in multiple stages and I need to clean them up fast, I immediately go to MatchPoint.”

And while ABW may be the club’s most aggravating pest, weeds present a persistent and irritating challenge as well. The creeping in of bermudagrass requires vigilance, as do the random weeds that blow in on the breeze.

“Some of the biggest weed challenges we have are clover and sedges. We’ll see clover pop up in the fall when we stop mowing as much, or when we stop spraying. It’s mostly small patches, so we’ll go wall-to-wall with an application of Defendor. It’s affordable and it works.”
—Ryan Holbrook

Preparing for the tour

Holbrook and his team work hard every day to deliver a perfect playing surface, but this season offers extra incentive, as the Korn Ferry Tour makes its way to The Federal Club. The Korn Ferry Tour serves as the developmental arm for the PGA Tour and counts notable names such as Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas among its alumni. The tour comes to The Federal Club Oct. 5-11 for its last stop of the year.

“It’s a huge deal for us,” Holbrook said. “The whole staff is thrilled. So we want the club to look immaculate, we want the playing surface to be fast and firm. Right now, we’re doing a lot of prep work. We’re going to learn a lot, and I’m sure we’ll have hiccups. But we’re ready.”

Holbrook is grateful for the support he and the club have received; partners have shown up in a big way, clearly committed to seeing the event succeed and helping the club get ready for its prime-time event.

“The support we’ve had from suppliers and vendors has helped us offset some of the costs,” he said. “They know this is a big deal for us, and they want to see us succeed.”

It’s that type of support, that level of commitment to advancing the sport and lifting up its players and venues, that informs his own support of his industry partners.

“Corteva and other suppliers are sponsoring a lot of events in the region and across the country,” he said. “So I want to support the companies that are helping support the industry.”

State restrictions on the sale and use of Defendor^® apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. MatchPoint^® is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.