Turf Covers

We installed the turf covers on 5, 7,8,13,14 greens. The covers will help keep the soil temps up through the cold weather. This will help prevent the new bentgrass from hardening off and loosing ground through the cold weather.

We may have to remove and then replace the covers depending on the temps. This will be no easy task - the covers are about 400-500 lbs each that act as a sail with just about any wind.

Spraying greens

Sprayed greens on Friday with some Fungicide and foliar fertilizer. The fungicide was primarily for pink snow mold. I am going to put on some of the turf covers over the greens with the cold weather we have moving in after Christmas. Without fungicide protection the covers can encourage disease development.

Bridge 18.

Started this bridge last week and they are moving along nicely. Each bridge has about 300 lbs of nails alone.

Bunkers

Still working on fairway bunkers. We should be done about the 2nd week of January.

How will we know when they are ready?

Pictured is a profile sample of one of the new greens. We have root growth down to the 6-8" range which is normal for a new green. These roots thrive in the new greens because there is plenty of oxygen and pore space for the roots to grow. No compaction and limited organic matter is the perfect environment for new root generation.

Long roots does not mean ready for golfers. Right now if you pull apart this profile sample it is loose and does not hold together very well. When we start to develop that important mat in the root mass that will hold together that profile, we will be getting closer to opening. That mat is important to give the grass a chance at surviving once the traffic from golfers gets on the greens. They will look full and beautiful and you may be wondering after looking at some of these perfect looking greens - why can't we play on them? This mat is the primary defense for the plant to withstand traffic and abuse.

Right now with the way they are looking and the weather we have been having for the first part of the winter, I am confident at this point that we are on target for that May 1st target date. Hopefully the weather will continue to cooperate through the remainder of the winter and into the spring.

Carts

Normally this time of the year we would be cart path only. This year we are able to delay that because of the very small amount of play we have been getting on the golf course. The carts beat down the dormant Bermuda because it isn't actively growing. This cart traffic will heavily stunt the Bermuda in the spring and will delay green-up.

We will probably be going to cart path only after the next rain we get.

Greens

The greens are looking good. Some of the interior greens that had some shade issues and were a little thin 3 weeks ago are really starting to thicken up - all this warm weather along with some well timed foliar fertilizer applications has really helped.

New beds

Working on improving some of the landscape beds around the clubhouse and the golf course. This is a picture of some added plant material near 18 tee. We are also installing a new bed by the new practice tee.