Catching Up

Now that the rains have stopped, we have a lot of mowing to do. Oh, I did fertilize the course recently so that has added to the growth of the turf. We will keep up as much as possible but will want the rain again later in the summer when it is dry again.

Make it Stop

The rains have come! And they keep coming! We had a total of 3.25 " of rain over the past 24 hours. Needless to say, we are wet. There are 3 thing they teach you in Turf School, and they are drainage, drainage, and drainage. If you get that right, everything else falls into place. The golf course has many areas of drainage issues. Some areas there are pumps installed( as along #2) but in most cases it is the normal 4" subsurface tile. As with the irrigation, there are necessary maintenance activities they need to be done in an ongoing fashion. Unfortunately, the drainage system has been neglected over time and there are many ponds that are suppose to be fairways. When things dry out a bit, we will begin servicing the system so when the next monsoon hits, we will be better prepared.

Making it Rain

When Mother Nature doesn't come through for us in the form of rain, we must do it ourselves. Every golf course has an irrigation system to supplement that doesn't fall from the sky. If you have noticed it being a bit dry here, it has been. I am in the stage of "fine tuning" the system, but as I attend to some watering issues, others appear. The control system is completely different than I am accustom to and the learning curve is a bit longer( trial and error method). I am understanding the system a bit more but now the pumps are acting up. One issue is the flow sensor keeps shutting the system down at night, the other, one of the main pumps is not pumping water. In the mean time, the wind is blowing and temps are rising. I like challenges and I have called on reinforcements for help. Should be running smooth in a week. So if you see some water on during the day, I am not quite done " fine tuning" . There will be a time later in the summer that small amount of watering will take place but I will go into the details of "syringing" at a later time.

The Battle is On

Every year at this time the battle begins. The war on weeds seems like it never goes away. I have begun a systematic approach to eliminating the problem. Using up inventory from last year, I headed to the worst area on the course and that was the range. I think there were more weeds than grass. This will help in the ball picking. From there it was on to the clubhouse area. First impressions are lasting and I spent an afternoon on the end of a hose to ensure complete coverage. I have now begun applications on tees and fairways and will continue when supplies arrive. There are even weeds on a few greens that I will take extra precaution in removing. After that I will continue on with the roughs and then finish up with the hose applicator to get to the areas where the booms can't.

For you homeowners, I often get asked about weeds. Most like to apply the "Weed and Feed" products. While the up side is an application of fertilizer, the down side is the inefficient application of herbicide. The best method is the liquid application, usually done with a hose end applicator. The cost is very economical and success rate will be near 100%. Any misses and another application is very convienent. Also, for those of you that did not apply or were late with their pre emergent application for crabgrass control, there is now a product available for the homeowner to eliminate crabgrass post emergently. This product I have used successfully for several years will really help keep your yard clean from from those pesky weeds.

After you win this battle, be ready for the next battle......insects! Stay tuned.

Turn the Page

A new month has arrived. With each new month, new and more duties present themselves. We will begin more regular mowings of greens, tees, & fairways. The roughs and surrounds are mowed more on an as needed basis. The maintenance activities will begin their regimented routine. Fertilizing the playing surfaces will begin today and the herbicide application will be happening soon on as weather permits schedule. Now is the time to take care of your lawn. Preemergent application for crabgrass should be down. People ask me if I apply for crabgrass? My answer is that I will take care of the problem as it shows itself. I am able to use a post emergent product to eliminate crabgrass only where there is a problem. Enjoy spring!

Back to Bed

Once in a while more sleep is good. Don't tell your boss that while at work, may get into trouble. What I'm talking about is the addition to the practice green that was started last year that needs a bit of encouragement. I've taken a before a before picture of the green but my computer had some issues last week. I will get it posted soon along with a picture of the green now covered with a synthetic cover. Many courses use covers for winter protection. The purpose for this application is to warm up the soil to encourage root development that will then aid the turf to grow and thicken up a bit quicker. The cover will not stay down with out monitoring soil temps. On warm days we will pull the cover back to promote photosynthesis but the cover it back up in the evening. We will perform regular mowings and continue to fertilize and water at an accelerated rate to get the green ready for play as soon as possible. No time table yet on when it will be ready to go.

Time

Where does time go? This time of year it goes very fast. With getting the course set up for the season, finishing up winter maintenance, and starting regular course maintenance, the days go by quickly. Prioritizing activities is a must to stay ahead of the game. Then a day like yesterday( insert picture) and a little catch up is great. So just as I am able to get some items checked off my list, I get a virus infected the computer in the shop( thus no picture). Spent much of yesterday trying to remove it and thought I had succeeded, but this morning I could not even get the computer turned on. I am sure the fix it shop will get it healthy again but an additional cost will surely occur and oh that extra time I was looking for, is now gone. I will add computer repair to my growing list. Look at the bright side, It's sunny today!