As you are playing the golf course, you might notice some of the native areas have been cut down. On holes 1,8,16 and 14 we started to prep the areas for applications of a herbicide. The herbicide will reduce the invasive common bermuda that has taken over in some spots. We made these same applications last year with some success. We feel that it might a couple more years of this program to eradicate it.
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The Course received 1.4 inches of rain last night! It was a little more than we wanted but we were glad to get it! We will not be able to mow any bentgrass today but will continue to cut the rough. As for the range, it is growing in quickly now. Last week's cooler than average night temperatures was a great for the greens but slowed the growth of the bermuda. But sunny skies and hot afternoons are big help! We mowed it today and I hope to have it open by Saturday as long as the weather cooperates.
Yesterday, we finished sodding the range tee with 9,000 square feet of Latitude 36 bermuda grass. The sod was a little dry from the over 2 hour drive from the Maryland sod farm but looks good! We will let it "nit in" for a about 8 days and then we will start to mow and aerify it. We are hoping to be open by August first, depending on weather. The left side of the range will still be open for practice.
Yesterday, we started to strip out 9,000 square feet of bentgrass from the right side of the range tee. The grass will be replaced with the newest and most cold tolerant bermuda grass call Latitude 36. All our research points to this grass being a better turf to use on the range. It heals from divots faster and does not require us to seed the divots. It heals in an aggressive vegetative way opposed to being from seed. We are sodding the tee this morning. If the weather stay some what warm, we hope to have the sod open for play by August 1st. More updates later.
I don't have to remind you that it has been very hot for the last 24 hours. We have said it before but needs to be said again...we do not roll greens when we experience weather over 92 degrees. We have seen the greens react in a negative fashion upon rolling with high temperatures. We will start rolling again once we see a dip in temperatures. Thanks for your understanding.
As you can see in this picture, ball marks are on the rise. Everyone has been great this year fixing their ball marks (and some that were not theirs)! I appreciate the collective effort so far to stop this issue. Fixing them results in healthier turf, smoother putting surface and reduces the chances that poa annua will establish itself on the greens. If you have questions on how to best fix them, please ask the Golf Staff or myself. Thanks for the help!!!