Course Update 6/9/24

It’s been a bit of a cool Spring, but it looks like the frost is finally behind us. Our Horticulturist, Kate, has completed all of the hanging baskets and pots and is currently working hard on getting all of the rest of the seasonal plantings in the ground.

The golf course is in pretty solid early season condition. We have been able to seed all of the elk urine areas in the shortgrass and will continue into the rough. Fairways are healthy and lush. Greens have been verticut twice this season and topdressed a few times. They are running pretty smoothly and the speed is coming. The Kentucky Bluegrass in the fairways has already gone to seed which is pretty early in the season. In theory that would indicate that all of the grasses are ahead in their reproductive cycle and that hopefully the bentgrass leaves will narrow earlier resulting in better green speed soon.

The new bunkers wintered nicely with almost all of the new turf surviving. We continue to work on getting all of the edges grown in and manicured with a focus on keeping the very dark soil covered with the white sand so that the look is sand and turf.

Of note, we usually topdress greens every two weeks all summer long. Over the past several years, the quality of our locally-produced topdressing sand has deteriorated. This year we are switching to a sand that is produced in Eastern Washington. It is white in color. Some people may wonder if we are putting Bunker sand on the greens. Rest assured that we are not. This different topdressing sand will greatly reduce the amount of large sand grains or small pebbles that remain on the greens for days after topdressing and should make the whole experience better for all of us.

Geese continue to be a nuisance for us on the tenth and eighteenth holes. We will continue to pick up excrement on a regular basis and haze the geese when possible in an effort to get them to leave. Next week we will be adding coyote decoys around the pond as part of that effort.