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Post Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2021 |
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 I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the weather we have been having. The turf...not so much. I’m sure most have been seeing some summer decline, aka burn spots in the turf, most noticeably on some tees, a few collars and some spots in fairways. The warm temps in combination with windy, low humidity conditions, and very little rain is wreaking havoc on turf quality in places. We have been countering these conditions with nightly irrigation and afternoon cooling of the canopy. To say we are faring well would be an understatement in comparison to other courses in the area.
Along with watering, we have scaled back mowing of tee’s, fairways and collars to promote growth during this stretch of unfavorable environmental factors. Greens will continue to be mowed daily with maybe 1 to 2 days of non-cutting depending on weather factors. Cups will be changed Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with the exception of special events and top dressing will be pushed to an every 2 week rotation. It is my intention to needle tine the greens in the very near future to promote oxygen and gas exchange in the soil and keep the greens vented during the summer. The height of cut on greens has been raised to promote turf health so undoubtedly green speeds will be reduced for the foreseeable future, however, firmness of the greens surface should still be noticed.
We will be seeding a few tees in the coming weeks, including #14 Ladies' Tee. Crews will move those tee markers to the edge of the fairway while we grow that tee back in. Range mats will also be returned and properly placed on the range tee as we will be reseeding it as well. Bunkers are still not A-1, but we have been more aggressive this year at keeping them groomed and playable. Hopefully everyone has seen a difference in them.
Keeping all that in mind, let's all do our part to keep our golf course at its best alleviate as much stress as possible. Be mindful of where you are parking and or driving your carts. Stay in the rough as much as possible. Remember, this is a living breathing thing you are driving and walking on. Keep all carts at a minimum of 20 feet from the green. No carts should be on par 3 approach/fairways. No carts should ever be on a tee or on a collar of a green. Please repair ball marks on greens and fill divots on tees and fairways.Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns or contact the GM, Jon Petras. We appreciate your continued support of Laurel Ridge Country Club.
Have a great summer!
Steve Akers, LRCC GCS
[email protected]
828-452-0545 ext 180 |
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