If I could sum of this year's golf course conditions in one word, it would be "consistent". I'm extremely pleased with the firm and fast conditions we have been able to produce. Greens and fairways have played really well. Mother Nature has cooperated with much drier conditions, almost too dry, as we are in a drought currently. Year-to-date, we have received 11" less rain, compared to last year during the same period.
It seems that we operate in weather extremes nowadays. Prior to this morning's rain, our last significant rainfall was 8/21/22 when we received .38" of rain. The turf is certainly showing signs of drought and heat stress. Poa annua is the primary grass on the majority of our playing surfaces. Poa annua is neither heat nor drought tolerant. It is a shallow-rooted plant, usually less than an inch. With roots that short, it needs to be nurtured throughout the year. Hand-watering several times a day is the norm to maintain the speeds and firmness we desire for playability. When we get into weather extremes like we are currently facing, unfortunately there is not much margin for error. Tree competition, lack of air movement, and bicarbonate buildup in the soil all work against the plants. You will notice some areas on the course where the drought and heat have taken their toll on the weaker biotypes of Poa annua we have on the property.
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| stressed turf on #11 collar from lack of air movement and tree competition |
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| moisture stress on #2 fairway from tree competition |
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| Poa annua from #3 collar with 1" roots |
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| new bentgrass seedlings germinating on #3 collar |
We are using this opportunity to try and introduce some of the newer and more aggressive bentgrass varieties into these weaker areas. Bentgrass is the more desirable grass species for these reasons:
- It has a deeper root system, typically 3-5"
- It withstands heat and traffic stress better than Poa
- It is more resistant to fungal disease than Poa
I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank our staff. Their hard work and attention to detail is evident in the daily conditioning of the golf course. I'm extremely thankful for their tremendous effort, as it has been a challenging year.