Sunday, August 05, 2018

Bob Jones Invitational and the Coming Week...


After about 9" of rain since Tuesday, I'm proud of the way the team responded and got the golf course playable for the Bob Jones Invitational.  It certainly was far from perfect but pretty good considering the curve balls that Mother Nature continues to throw.

It is my hope that we continue to have a few dry days so we are able to get the course back in great shape this week.  The 87" of rain year to day, has certainly taken it's toll on the golf course.  Wear and tear is far more evident on greens and tees.  Tomorrow morning, we'll be making a fungicide application for Pythium Root Rot, a disease we often deal with.  Once we get this product down and into the root zone, combined with some much needed sunshine, the turf will perk back up.  Our challenging greens like #2, #15 and #16 will most likely be vented again this week to get some much needed air into the roots.  These greens lack sufficient sunlight and these periods of extensive rain exacerbates the problems we already face.

Finally, we will start getting all surfaces mowed out again starting with the front 9 fairways this morning.  One of the biggest mistakes we can make is rushing to mow fairways or rough immediately after the rain stops.  It is important to only put heavy equipment on the golf course when conditions are dry enough.  Trying to mow when its too wet results in negative consequences to the turf and the underlying soil.