March 2016
This is
my first Golf Course Report since early January. I apologize for the infrequency. We have weathered the storm of a record
rainfall in January and a cold and damp February. The sun has begun to shine and the winds of
Spring are starting to dry out our property.
The warmer temperatures have kick started the growth of all of our
playing surfaces.
Over
the last few weeks we hosted three of our Major tournaments, the Ladies
Member/Guest, the Ladies 9 Hole Invitational and the Mens Invitational. From all reports each tournament was a huge
success. The seamless cooperation
between all of our departments helped produce an excellent experience for all
involved. We take great pride in giving
you a product that will impress your guests.
The Club Championships are underway and we will focus on providing
tournament conditions throughout the month.
On the
agronomic side, the dryer weather will begin to show its ugly side in the form
of wilting plants. Supplemental hand
watering will occur periodically to ensure the health of the entire
property. I am constantly searching to
improve the golf course, with this in mind; I have consulted our golf course
builder about the possibility of rebuilding the Driving Range tee. Our current situation has a tee that does not
drain properly and is elevated in relation to the artificial hitting area. The idea is to lower and extend the tee, add
drainage, “sand cap” the tee and re-grass.
This will provide a better suited practice area to withstand the heavy
usage during Season. Another innovation that
I am excited to be involved with is the use of a digital camera to scope the
drainage in the subsurface of our greens.
A Demo was performed on #15 and #17 greens recently and has pinpointed
issues that can be rectified during summer maintenance. All of our greens will be shot with this
camera on a Tuesday in May. Repairing
these clogged drains will release built up gases and improve percolation. Although a number of our greens are situated
in hard to grow areas, this project will allow us to improve the viability of
our putting surfaces. We are looking
forward to a transcendent Summer of maintenance and an eye-opening 2016-2017
golf season.
Typically,
a strong El Nino is followed by a La Nina.
This would call for a drier Spring and Summer with an above average
chance of Tropical development. Our plan
for the turf is to increase our cultural practices and our plan for the community
is to protect your assets. Thank you for
supporting our TEAM through this unpredictable season it has been a challenge
but we will persevere.
