While most of us think autumn is the best time of year in Highlands, we have many greens that would disagree if they could talk. Several of our greens including 2,3,6,7,8,11,15, and 16 get very little sunlight this time of year. I've learned from experience over the past 15 years that we must manage our greens with extreme caution after mid September, once the sun angles really begin to change. Our grooming and other potentially abrasive-turf thinning processes must stop in order to have healthy turf going into winter and ultimately, next spring. The good thing is, mother nature tends to help us out. When we begin to get those 40* mornings, the turf plant naturally tightens up and green speed increases with very little effort.
As I've mentioned before, whenever I have fellow Superintendents visit HCC, they are always amazed at the turf quality given the poor light quality the greens receive. It is one of the things I am most proud of at HCC. We still push good green speeds with reduced light. For most, this would be a recipe for disaster.