Course Update 5/26/23

The golf course continues to heal from residual winter damage. The fairways are beginning to thicken and are responding well to fertility and plenty of sunshine. The fairway on 8 has been verticut two directions, seeded, and mulched to preserve moisture and help germinate seed. There were three areas on this hole that we had to resod due to complete loss of turf, but they were quite small in the overall picture. We intend to grow in the thin areas from the established turf that is there supplemented by seed so that this hole does not become an area that never establishes and flourishes and must be resodded every year. 

Greens:

Green speeds are on the slow side. However, they are as fast as they can be right now. We are mowing down to our lowest height and we are mowing and rolling at a frequency appropriate for the current growth of the turf. We are keeping fertility rates as low as possible while still giving the plant everything it needs to recover from winter and the aerification holes from Fall.

Poa control:

Due to winter damage, bunker construction, and wild swings in temperature, we have not attempted any poa control this season. We will have an opportunity in late August and the month of September if we decide to pursue some eradication yet this season.

Bunkers:

We currently have 9 people working on the bunker renovation with 5 more within days of arrival. The people on the ground have made a big impact so far by cleaning up the erosion from winter and finishing the shaping on 18. They also have now repaired everything on our punchlist from the Fall.

Scott from Beau Welling Design has been sketching and approving bunker shapes as they are finishing the shaping on holes 10-18. Irrigation is going in on hole 13. The only two bunkers on hole 10 that had concrete liner in them have been filled with sand and are awaiting sod. On May 31st and June 1st, Capillary concrete will be delivered and installed in as many bunkers as possible followed by sand and sod.

The sense of urgency is apparent this season. This group is clearly fast and experienced. So far the quality of work is very good and I don’t expect that to be any other way.