Golf Course Report

January 2017

Details, Details, Details.  This is our mantra as we prepare for a record breaking golfing season.  Our major cultural practices have been completed and our small projects are out of the way.  It is time to focus on the finer points of golf course maintenance that tend to lead to proper presentation.  The little things go a long way in defining the golfing experience. 

Playability and presentation have always resided at the top of the list when it comes to preparing a golf course.  Healthy turf and proper growing conditions allow us the flexibility to alter these factors.  A minor shift from plant health to soil health has paid dividends.  Two major products were added to our regime this year after careful consideration and multiple turf industry lead education seminars.  Worm Power and Holganix are both products that focus on enhancing microbial activity in the soil.  Proper soil health results in lower Organic Matter, increased nutrient uptake, firmer greens due to less thatch, improved moisture retention, healthier roots, a decrease in fungal activity, and a consistent more predictable growth pattern for our greens.  These products will be added to the Tees and Fairways in the coming season.  The new products are a contributing factor in the success of the new sod on some of our historically weak areas of the greens.   With the right soil biology the turf has a better chance to thrive.

As we move forward our focus will be on tournament preparations and DETAILS; fresh pine straw, freshly painted yardage markers and hazard stakes, properly placed flowers, proper edging of hard surfaces and everything in between.  We continue to look for ways to make the course more playable and research every possibility to open up the surrounding areas. 

We are positioned to have our best Season ever and I want to remind everyone that is the responsibility of all of us to make Stonebridge the best it can be.  Fixing ball marks, repairing divots, avoiding wear areas and practicing proper golf etiquette can make the round a lot more enjoyable for those that follow.