Course Update

The course is back to looking and playing great after receiving nearly 6" of rain during the first week of May. The firm and fast conditions that are present are what our turf management team is trying to provide on a day to day basis throughout the season. Yesterday, we vented all the greens on the course and put down a light topdressing application to help smooth the surface, and protect from mechanical damage. Venting is a form of aerification that we use to relieve excess gases that build up in the soil, and to get oxygen to the roots to keep the plants healthy.



Today Julio and I took on the project of renovating the front right of #3 green/collar area. This area had been notoriously bad and growing turf had been a challenge for a number of years. The area had a combination of bent, poa, and bluegrass, but due to compaction and years of bunker sand being blasted out of the bunker the turf would not take hold. After striping the sod from the area we found that there were multiple layers that had compacted so severely that the turfgrass roots were a mere 2 inches below the surface. With roots that short the turf struggled and eventually failed with heat and drought stress. The photo right shows the culprit, a 3" compacted layer of soil. 



After removing 4" of soil we added a 70/30 mix which has more pore space compared to the straight black topsoil that we removed. This mix should allow more air and space for the roots to grow deep enough to support a healthy system, while reducing the amount that the soil can compact. We then laid down bluegrass sod that we cut from #12. The area now looks very nice, but is NOT ready for play. Please stay off of the sod, and treat the area as ground under repair. We have the area roped off so if your ball ends up where we have sodded take your drop to either side of the area.

New soil mix.

The finished product.