Reminder

 

 

 

 

The golf course will be closed next week, June 3-7, for scheduled maintenance.  The itinerary for next week includes our first greens aerification and our annual Curfew treatment.  The greens aerification will consist of 1/2 inch coring tines with the removal of the existing material.  The process is completed with topdressing(new sand) being incorporated into the canopy and profile to dilute the thatch and organic layer.  We will follow the aerification with a fertilizer application to start the healing process. 

 

 

 

Curfew is a soil fumigant that controls Plant Parasitic Nematodes.  Nematodes are microscopic pests that feed on our root system.  The product is "slit injected" into the soil for optimum control.  The tees, fairways, driving range and a few other selected areas will be treated.  It is important to note, this treatment comes with a 24 hour re-entry period.  The Curfew will be applied on Wednesday June 5th.  All traffic is to remain off the the golf course until the morning of June 7th.  Signs will be posted at all entry points. 

 

 

Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to a productive summer of maintenance leading to improved conditions for the Fall.

 



Let the Summer Fun Begin

 



Triplex Mowers equipped with verti-cutting reels

The conclusion of the Memorial Day Tournament, typically marks the beginning of Summer at Stonebridge.  Our cultural practices will intensify as we move through the coming months.  The above picture shows the mowers used to verti-cut the greens and the picture below depicts the result of this process.  Verti-cutting is done to remove "thatch" and reduce "grain".  Thatch is the dead and decomposing material just below the surface, the build up of thatch produces a "spongy" surface that is ripe for disease, pest and a multitude of other problems.  Grain is the tendency of the turf to grow in a specific direction producing an inconsistent putting surface. 




Lines on #16 green from verti-cutting



Light topdressing #9 greens

 To conclude this process, a light coat of sand(topdressing) is applied to the green which is brushed into the canopy.  This is usually followed by a fertilizer application to speed recovery.

Bunker washout #15

 The picture above shows the result of the storm last passed through yesterday afternoon.  We received over 2 inches of rain in a short period of time resulting in a few washouts in our bunkers and some accumulation around the catch basins.  The sand will be redistributed and ready to play for Wednesday morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Mothers Day!

 

 

 

 

I just wanted to take the time to wish all of our Stonebridge Mothers a Happy Mothers Day.  I have two passions in life, my Family and my Profession.  These two work hand in hand, I still wake up everyday with the goal of making my Mother proud.  She is, and always will be, my Hero.  With that being said, today was a very rewarding day.  I started the day at the course, remedied and averted two potential problems.  From there, I had the pleasure of treating my mother and the rest of my family, to breakfast for our annual Mothers Day celebration.  Next came a return trip to the golf course to check on our newly planted sod and a few of our dry areas throughout the property.  We are in the midst of an extremely dry weather pattern.  Constant monitoring of the greens is imperative to proper playability.  Thank you for your patience as we continue to improve our agronomic and cultural practices for the betterment of Stonebridge.  This summer will bring a lot of changes.  My goal is to use this forum to document and inform on our progression. 

 

 

This is always a special day for my Family.  To all of our Mothers, thank you for the education, dedication and inspiration.

May 1st kicks off the start of two important seasons in the SW Florida golf industry, the reciprocal season and the maintenance season.  The delicate balance of providing an enjoyable golf experience and culturally renovating the turf is the challenge set before our staff.  We have countless plans and projects to improve the golf course throughout the summer.  This coming Tuesday, May 7th, we will be closed for maintenance.  Activities scheduled for Tuesday include: installation of summer annuals, verti-cutting, topdressing and venting of the greens, drainage and soil amendment of the moist area in #9 fairway and the continuation of our "Improving the Sight Lines Project". 

I look forward to a busy and productive summer.  Our goal is to improve every day, week, month and year.  Stay tuned for pictures and explanations on our journey through the summer.