The 12th hole is a difficult hole to maintain during drought conditions like were are experiencing now. Our irrigation on this hole is like most other holes, irrigated by a single row down the center of the fairway. As I've said numerous times, more water is deposited at the base of the head and tapers off the farther away from the head you get. That means when I water for 10 minutes, most of the water soaks the fairway and very little ends up in the rough. What happens when the rough needs water but the fairway doesn't? Unfortunately, I don't have the option to differentiate the two. This is where we do a tremendous amount of hand watering; trying to avoid putting water in areas that don't need it. However, on weekends where tee times are back to back from 8-4pm, there isn't time for manual watering to be done. With this type of system, there will be times when you play that the fairways will seem wet. Please know we are doing everything possible given what we have to work with to keep this course as firm and fast as we can without losing turf. If the membership didn't mind brown turf on fairways and roughs, we could certainly acheive firm and fast. However, I suspect most members appreciate and prefer green grass! The Green Committee recognizes this challenge and continues to make a new irrigation system a priority in coming years. When that time comes, the playability of the golf course during times like this will be tremendously better!
Blue Moon: Working early in the morning has it's advantages!