The Big Chill

 

 

 

Yesterday morning, January 19th, we experienced our first frost in quite some time.  As a result, we had to delay tee times for 30 minutes to give us a chance to expedite the melting process.  A simply explanation of frost is "frozen dew".  When frost is present the leaf blade becomes very brittle.  Any traffic, cart or foot, can cause severe damage to the turf. 

 

 Once the temperature rises, our staff will irrigate the affected areas to accelerate the dissipation of the frost.  I want to thank the Pro Shop staff for their cooperation and communication during this time.  Most importantly, I want to thank those members that played on Sunday, for their patience and understanding. 

 

In the coming days, the areas that had frost will begin to lose color.  Many of these spots will form "tiger stripes".  This pattern of color loss is the result of the growth habit of our Bermuda grass and how the frost is formed.  This color loss is not an indication of the health of the grass.  As the soil temperatures rise our color will quickly return.   

 

We very rarely reach complete dormancy with our turf.  However, our growth rate has slowed considerably.  The result of this is firmer faster playing conditions.  Great for greens, not so good for turf recovery.  Ball marks and divots will need extra attention during this time.  Thank you, again for all your support.   



Happy New Year, 2014!

 

 

As we ring in the New Year and start pondering on resolutions, I would like to thank all of our members and staff for a very successful 2013.  Despite a few bumps in the road, last year proved to be very productive.  As we trudged through the Concrete Cart Path Project and waded through the seemingly constant downpours of the summer, we persevered and improved the golf course.  The rigors of 2013 have paved the way for 2014 and my "quest for perfection".  The events of last year gave us a blueprint for corrective actions as we move forward.  This blueprint includes; adding drainage, increased fairway topdressing and incorporating soil amendments to the putting surfaces.  The end result will be a consistent playing surface throughout the entire golf course.

 

 

One more photo quiz.  This damaged area was found on the 13th green on January 2nd. In the photo, we can see a footprint at the bottom edge of the tinged turf.  There is a concentrated spill around the footprint and a light mist expanding outward.  I will give you a hint: this damage usually happens on the 18th green after a BIG tournament win or in our case on New Year's Eve.  Next year, let's keep the Champagne in the Clubhouse.



Champagne damage #13