Update from the Superintendent

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Post Date: Thursday, April 9, 2020

Update from the Superintendent
Hello to all. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these uneasy times. COVID is the only talk everyone is hearing about, so I am here to talk about turf! Here is a quick update on the course as we now head into spring. I’m sure by now everyone has noticed how green and rapidly growing the turf has become. As temps continue to rise and soil temps come up to growing range, we will see an explosion of growth and lush turf. Our spring fertilization is complete, along with our aerification and pre-emerge applications. Poa annua (annual bluegrass) has become an issue in the greens. To combat this, a new pre-emerge and growth regulator along with verticutting has been done to remove the Poa. Over time, we should see a downturn in the amount of Poa annua. Vigorous topdressing is being done to almost all tees. The smallest of the tee boxes will continue to be an issue as play dictates turf recovery and wear. Extra attention is being spent on green tees to try to ensure a better tee platform Beautification of the grounds is underway. It is my hope (even though the club is in a holding pattern due to the recent outbreak) that we still have a vibrant and colorful output of flowers. It is my intention to also put color on the course. Fresh pine needles have been added with more to follow, along with mulch in and around tee signs. The turf is growing back in places where we saw turf loss last year. I am pleased with the progress of the recovery and we should continue to see more and more spots fill in. The fairways are regenerating at a very good pace for this time of year, and with each mowing, they are becoming slicker and more fine tuned with regard to ball loft and roll. New flags,cups and sticks are on hold as we are waiting for our new flag sticks to arrive. Bunker rakes will continue to be removed until after the COVID outbreak. I would also advise against using the ball washers as well at this time. I’m sure all have noticed the blue foam in the cups. This was done with your safety in mind to eliminate the need to stick your hand all the way down in the cup. Again, once this is over, we will revert back to our regular golf standards. The driving range has been revamped a little. New flags and a few more targets have been added. We have also cut a new “short tee” that we will be working on.The range tee has been overseeded and old mats removed. I hope to have a more lush range tee this year, but it will take a commitment from everyone to ensure this happens. Please take the time to sand your divots on the range tee. It is my intent to have 12-14 open as of this Saturday 4/11/20. Work will continue on the slide area as the spring progresses. Winter has really slowed the project, but great strides have been accomplished in a short time. I will keep everyone posted on the logistics of how we will work the cart traffic. Please be mindful of cart signs. We have some wet springs that have pooped up and are having a hard time wi

Hello all! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these uneasy times. Since COVID-19 is the only thing everyone is talking about, I am going to talk about turf! Here is a quick update on the course.

By now, you may have noticed how green and rapidly-growing the turf has become. As temperatures continue to rise and soil temperatures reach growing range, you will see an explosion of lush turf. Our spring fertilization is complete, along with aerification and pre-emerge applications. Poa annua (annual bluegrass) has become an issue in the greens. To combat this, a new pre-emerge and growth regulator along with verticutting has been done. Over time, we should see a downturn in the amount of Poa annua. Vigorous topdressing is underway to most tees. The smallest tee boxes will continue to be an issue as play dictates turf recovery and wear. Additional care is being given on green tees to ensure a better tee platform.

Beautification of the grounds is underway. Even though the club is in a holding pattern temporarily due to the recent outbreak, we still hope to place vibrant and colorful flowers on the grounds and course. Fresh pine needles have been added with more to follow, along with mulch in and around tee signs.

The turf is growing back in places where turf loss occurred last year. I am pleased with the progress of recovery and believe more spots will continue to fill in. The fairways are regenerating at a very good pace; with each mowing, they become slicker and fine tuned with regard to ball loft and roll.

Flags, cups and sticks are on hold as we are waiting for our new flag sticks to arrive. For your safety, bunker rakes will continue to be removed until we are out of the wake of COVID-19. Ball washers are not to be used at this time. Blue foam was placed in the cups to eliminate touched surfaces when retrieving your ball. Again, once this is over, we will revert back to our regular golf practices.

Revamping of the driving range has begun. New flags and a few more targets were added and we also cut a new “short tee”. The range tee was overseeded and old mats removed. I hope to have a lush range tee this year, but it will take a commitment from everyone to ensure this happens. Please take the time to sand your divots on the range tee.

I am especially pleased to update you on the slide area. It is my intent to have 12-14 open as of Saturday, April 11th. Work will continue on this area as spring progresses. Winter has slowed the project, but great strides have been accomplished in a short time. I will keep everyone posted on the logistics of how we will work the cart traffic.

Please be mindful of cart signs as wet springs have appeared causing surface water. This natural occurrence cannot be controlled. Avoid running through wet areas, continue to repair ball marks and sand your divots.

Soon, the club will be vibrant once again. Many thanks for your continued support. I am confident that we are still on track for a stellar year at Laurel Ridge.

Steve Akers, LRCC GCS