Course Update – 3/20/25

After accumulating over two feet of snow on the turf throughout the winter, we experienced a very rapid meltdown. However, we have survived the winter quite well, with minimal snow mold damage and little ice damage. Almost all of the turf is clear, although we are experiencing a pattern of mixed rain and snow. Thus, we have a strong turf foundation on which to build.

The early spring update for the golf course looks very similar to the last update in December. This season, we begin year two of our poa eradication program. It will look different from year one and be less intrusive in scheduling and play. This season we will target the more perennial poa types, which are much more resilient to weather, disease, and chemicals. Our program will consist of four applications, which will again take the entire day and need to be watered in immediately. The difference this year is that two of the applications will take place as soon as we can get a sprayer on the golf course in the spring; hopefully, both applications will be finished by May 15th. The second two applications will happen after Labor Day, most likely around September 8th and September 22nd.

There continue to be a few bare areas where poa has died off. Some of these are large enough that they will be sodded. In other areas, we will focus on increased fertility and traffic management. We will be doing very little aerifying, verticutting, or any other cultural practices that would disrupt the chemical barrier created by the PoaCure. This chemical barrier, known as a pre-germination barrier, prevents the millions of viable poa seeds in the soil from germinating. The end goal, in a couple of years, is to have a healthy base of Kentucky Bluegrass and Bentgrass that can be aerified and verticut while prohibiting poa annua germination with an annual application of PoaCure.

Before our bunker renovation, bunker faces were always a concern during the winter, as they would die regularly. However, now that we’ve had our second winter, there has been a significant improvement in turf quality surrounding the bunkers.