Some welcome rainfall took place on Monday June 2nd. The property received .25 inches. While this moisture was in great need it did have a negative impact on the scheduled aeration day. Greens did receive a vent which was beneficial. The other items mainly product applications could not take place due to the moisture. We will get these applications in at some point during the month of June. As far as spring aeration is concerned we have only tee boxes remaining. This will be completed on the next maintenance Monday.
Over the past week we have made numerous herbicide applications across the property. Weeds are beginning to curl and die back. There are still areas of the property that are unsightly with weeds but once we mow these areas we would expect them to present much better moving forward. This program will continue and repeat again in the fall to eradicate as many broadleaf weeds as possible. Turf health product applications will still remain priority.
The 5th green continues to progress. We are now cutting this green 4 to 5 times a week and the height of cut is beginning to lower. Bi-weekly granular fertility applications continue along with weekly liquid applications to aid in an accelerated grow in. This week we began to topdress the surface which is a big step in the process of establishing a new green. We have removed the protective fencing from around the green so we can work more efficiently. At this time the green does have some stability to handle wildlife. Please continue to avoid walking on the newly sodded fairway, collar and keep off the green as we continue to establish this area.
Rough mowing and details are ramping up. We have seen the grass accelerate in growth over the past few days. With the recent rains we would expect a flush of growth for the next few weeks. Rough mowers are out Monday to Friday every day keeping on top of the rough the best we can. As for trimming and other details they will continue throughout the week.
Cart paths are in very poor condition with the recent rainfall and the abundance of watering that was taking place ahead of the rain. We will look to improve this item on Thursday this week for the cart users. Please avoid driving around pot holes and water on paths as it causes wear to the areas around it. Please slow down and keep the travel to the path system.
Frosts should no longer be a factor in spring golf but as recently as two weekends ago they still were a concern. There are many factors that go into a frost delay. The Turfcare team has to factor in many items such as:
- Plant health
- What applications are required for success not only today but for the summer ahead?
- Are the plants frost free, are the plants no longer frozen? We travel through many areas of the course and we need all areas to be ready for maintenance and golf. Traffic on frosted or frozen turf will cause plant death that can take up to 6 weeks to recover.
- Shaded areas can remain under frost or frozen in spring until the sun hits these areas. These areas alone can prevent maintenance from beginning.
- Maintenance
- What needs to be done to present an acceptable golf course not only for the members and guests of today but for the days ahead? If we fall behind or do not do something today it does have an impact on tomorrow.
- Two tee start
- We have to prepare two starting tees for golf. This requires additional resources above and beyond a 1 tee start and time is required to allow staff to get these items completed on both starting sides of the course.
- Golf
- The Turfcare team is here to provide the membership with a premiere golf experience. Our goal is to get members and guests out as soon as possible but with consideration and respect to the golf course both immediate and long term. We always look to minimize maintenance to minimize the delay but this cannot be done at the sacrifice of quality short and long term. When we run into repetitive frost delays it can be expected that on occasion the delay will be longer to provide the golf course with what is necessary to continue to be successful.
- Time
- The Turfcare team starts work in advance of sunrise especially during the time of year when we deal with frost. When temperatures are at 5 degrees or less at 5am during the frost time of year, generally by the time the sun rises the temperatures will drop and frost will set in. It is not uncommon for the Turfcare team to begin preparations to be stopped by frost that sets in with sunrise.
It is difficult to make the perfect decision as it relates to frost, turf and the game of golf. There are many factors as described to be considered. These decisions on occasion need to be made early in the morning for the sake of communication. Our goal has always been and will continue to be to get the game of golf rolling as soon as possible but ensure we provide all members with the conditions expected here at Niakwa.
Respectfully,
Shawn Major, AGS