Golf Course Report

August 2016

The “Dogs Days of Summer” are upon us.  A cooler than normal May was followed by a hot and dry June.  The skies opened up in July to the tune of 16 inches of rain.  August has followed suit with another 5 inches of rain through the first 15 days.  All this activity is on the heels of a record breaking wet winter.  Mother Nature tends to write her own schedule and we are left to adapt.  The results of this can be seen in our saturation index.  This is measured by Volumetric Water Content.  This year’s weather pattern has kept our lakes full and our soil moist.  Typically, a dry winter and spring will lead to lower lake levels and dryer soil.  This allows us to soak up the summer rains.  In an effort to “play the hand dealt” we have continued to enhance our drainage system, incorporated organic soil conditioners and increased aerification.  All of these practices help move excess moisture away from the surface where it does the most damage. 

A few highlights since the last time we met include the landscape project on #11, Fraze mowing of the DR Tee and the Drill and Fill on #17 green.  The overall theme of the plantings on #11 has followed my original vision however a few changes still need to be made before season.  The Fraze mowing is a new cultural practice which involves removing the top ¾ inch of material.  This removes the built up thatch and provides a level, more aggressively growing teeing surface.  The drainage issue remains and we will attempt to minimize the effects as we look forward to a complete renovation of the Practice Tee next summer.  The Drill and Fill was an aggressive approach to solving the drainage issues with #17 green.  We are looking forward to a few sunny dry days to help speed the recovery.   Having a green situated within a preserve that receives little to no morning sun and even less air movement we have to rely on excellent subsurface drainage to move the moisture through the profile.  We are aiding this process by cleaning out the previously clogged lines and creating channels that will carry water through the soil profile.  Those members that have played this week will have noticed that we aerified the perimeter and filled the holes by hand with kiln dried sand.  Another tool we are using is an industrial blower to force air through the green via the subsurface drain lines.  We will leave no stone unturned in our quest for perfection. 

Our quagmire of a summer is neither normal nor abnormal.  SW Florida weather is unpredictable; the law of averages does not apply.  We accept what we are given and we adapt our programs to produce the desired results, no excuses.  We have a lot of work to complete before the end of summer.  There is magic involved in providing short term results on our way to long term goals.