Winter Annuals

Blooming Muhly Grass

Signs of Season!

The last two weeks of October are always a busy time for the Grounds staff as we make the final preparations for the upcoming Winter Season.  A fresh coat of Pine Straw was installed last week, the winter annuals are being planted this week and the Muhly Grasses throughout the course are in full bloom.  We are looking forward to a great season with a new Clubhouse and a  golf course and grounds to make you proud to be at Stonebridge.  

We have completed a Wall to Wall fertilization that was coated with a pre-emergent herbicide.  This application will prevent the germination of our winter annual weeds.  This program is followed closely by a liquid fertility regimen that will provide superior color and playability.  Our most troublesome areas are enjoying the increased sunlight from the southern sunrise that is prevalent during the Fall and Winter.  We have recognized and began to correct some of our deficiencies.  This is an ongoing program that will lead to consistency throughout the year.   The poor weather in September may have put a damper on our summer progress, but we are not discouraged.  A  fine playing surface will be presented for our deserving members and guests.  Our staff takes a lot of pride in the work that they do and they go above and beyond that of what I ask.  

My entire department values our Tuesdays during the Summer and with only one remaining we plan to use it to its fullest.  This past Tuesday we improved the transition from the 18th green to the clubhouse by replacing the asphalt path with concrete.  In the future we anticipate the new concrete extending to Winding Oaks Way.  

I am excited about the future of Stonebridge.  We have a great Membership, great leadership(Tim Jones) and a dedicated staff.  In short time; YOUR PLACE will be recognized as the BEST PLACE.  That's our goal and that's what drives us.

New Concrete Cart Path

Golf Course Report

October 2014

The October Report tends to be a re-cap of the summer maintenance.  This one is a tale of two summers.  June, July and August were kind to the golf course.  They provided plenty of sun and an adequate amount of rain.  This allowed us to perform all of our cultural practices and provided normal growing conditions.  Great progress was made during this time.  September was a totally different animal, 20 days of rain and an addition 8 days with no sun.  The effects of a month without seeing the sun include longer internodes, shorter roots and little to no lateral movement.  This results in slower green speeds, less stress resistance and turf that is ripe for disease.  There is some good that came from September, we completed our final greens aerification and squeezed in the first ever DryJect application at Stonebridge.  The DryJect machine works like an aerifier except it injects dry sand into the green as opposed to removing a core.  This process allowed us to insert a Profile soil amendment that will help provide consistency throughout our putting surfaces.  Over time this material will dilute our heavy soils and provide moisture retention in our sandy soils.

The October Report usually has a glimpse of the future included.  I am confident the work completed this summer will benefit the long term health of the golf course.  A few tasks were delayed by the September washout, including our final weed control application and our nematicide for the greens.  Both of these tasks will be completed in early October to allow for proper recovery.  The rising sun has shifted to the south and is providing more exposure to our weaker areas on the course.  This will speed recovery and enhance the growing conditions.  As the turf rebounds from the cloudy conditions we will increase our grooming and the greens speeds will improve.  A fresh coat of Pine Straw will be applied this month and our winter annuals should be in place before the Fall Classic on the 24^th.  I am looking forward to a great season at Stonebridge.

I would like to thank the entire golf maintenance staff for taking PRIDE in their work and going above and beyond to make Stonebridge a special place.