Project Update

As we approach week three of the project I wanted to give you a quick update of our progress.  We have officially moved from the seeding and sodding phase of the project to the grow in.  As you tour the course you will see a wide range of establishment, some areas are looking great and others are obviously well behind. 

Due to the time that it took to complete the work on the tees, all of the tee complexes are at least a week to a week and a half behind the seeded rough.  The good news with the tees is the Latitude 36 sod is in great shape.  Although our normal grow in practices have been limited due constant irrigation, tees are still ready for play.

First Mowing on Tees.

 Our biggest concern are the inconsistencies with establishment.  Meeting with the agronomist from the seed supplier last week helped to ease our nerves.  His impression was that we had a great stand and are quickly on our way to filling in.  All of the factors such as shade, irrigation efficiency, soil type, amount of dead vegetation/organic matter as well as timing, play a role in the rate of germination.  As much as I would like to see a solid stand wall to wall, we are right where we should be.

The only real setback we had was the 1" of rain on Day 3 of the project and the week long record setting cool down we faced during the second week.  Other than slowing progress on the tees, the rain may have been a good thing.  I do think we are beginning to see some areas that were washed out, but at this point the washouts appear to be isolated.  The cool down during week two has been the biggest hindrance.  The five days of 50-60 degree low temps put the project at a standstill.  Not that we went backwards, but we did not gain any ground on establishment during this time frame. 

Reseeding a potential washout area on #1.

As we discussed during the planning stages of the project, weeds are going to be an issue.  This has definitely become a reality.  As we get further along in the process we will be able to address the weeds with a herbicide combination.  Right now we don't want to do anything that will slow the growth of the Bermuda.  We are currently hand pulling weeds until we get to the point that we can spray.  Many of these will be cleaned up with the first mowing.  Unfortunately, we are going to see more weeds this first year.  Moving forward our preventative programs will get us back to normal. 

Pigweed brought in from topsoil used for leveling.

The good news is we are seeing obvious improvement each day.  The heat over the past few days is exactly what we need to push the Riviera Bermuda.  This along with an aggressive fertilizer plan will improve the rate of establishment.

Good stand coming in on #3.

Thank you for your interest in the project.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like to take a tour of the course.