Recovery of #7 Green

Below are pictures of #7 Green over the last few weeks.  The first photo clearly shows thinning and overall decline of the turf on the left side of this green.  Morning shade, lack of air movement, and poor internal drainage were all contributors during the extreme conditions we experienced this summer.   The pictures show recovery following the break in temperatures and the 2.5" of rain we received over a two day period.  What stood out in this particular case was how quick the green bounced back following the assist from Mother Nature.

#7 Green early August

#7 Green following 2.5" of rain.

2 days later

 

#7 Green today

Finally!

After a long, dry summer we are finally getting some meaningful rain.  Yesterday we had just over a quarter of an inch.  Today we are approaching 2".  Even better is the rate at which the rain has been falling.  Overall, this has been a slow soaker.  Just what we needed!

The forecast today calls for rain all day long.  Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the Club Championship, due to the current and expected conditions.  Even with all the rain, I would expect that we are able to get the course open later on this morning.  With this amount of rain, we will have carts on the path today and possibly tomorrow if this keeps up.

Golf Course Etiquette

Please do your part in keeping the course looking the best it can each day.  Repairing ball marks, raking bunkers, and filling divots with sand are all part of basic golf course etiquette. 

Throughout the summer I have continued to hear comments from players playing in the evening regarding bunkers not being raked.  Bunkers are tough enough to hit out of without having to hit out of an unraked footprint.  Respecting the course and your fellow players will go a long way in making the game more enjoyable for all.

Footprints left in a bunker.

With the ball marks, we've all heard it before.  A properly repaired ball mark will heal in a few days (or less).  An unrepaired or improperly repaired mark may take a couple of weeks to heal.  Please take the extra time to find and repair your ball marks.

Thank you for your help with these issues.    

Starting to Feel like Fall

With the cooler temps we have had lately, it's safe to say the course is in recovery mode.  Over the last month we have been doing what we can to help the course through the summer stress, ultimately, the temperatures over the last week are what really help things perk up on the golf course.

On Monday we vented the greens with 1/4" solid tines.  This has been a practice that we have stuck to throughout the summer on a monthly basis.  Clearly this practice has proven to be  beneficial to our greens.  Even with continuous 100 degree days with no rain, we are constantly fighting to keep the greens as dry as we possibly can.  This is the tool, along with our moisture meters, that help us to dry out any areas that are getting too wet.  With 62 year old greens with no internal drainage, wet greens are the quickest way for us to lose grass.

Speaking of getting too wet, last week we had a six inch water main leak on the left side of #15.  The leak was due to the failure of a ductile iron tee that feeds the fairway.  The good news is we were able to get it repaired.  The bad news is we will be digging it up again to install the replacement ductile iron fitting that had to be ordered.  On a positive note, if you were wondering why the ponds were full after not receiving any rain, this was the reason.   Luckily all of the water from the leak ran directly into the creek!

6" Water main leak on #15.

With cooler days ahead, we will begin seeding rough, possibly as early as next week.  I'd like to see a rain before we start cutting seed in the ground, but if the past few months are any indication, we may not be able to wait that long.   On that note, we are now 9.80" below normal on rainfall since May.  Hopefully with the change in weather we have experienced lately, we will also see some moisture.

August Update

When I originally started the blog, the purpose was to communicate all things related to the golf course.  Unfortunately, for the last two summers we have turned into more of a weather blog.  My apologies, but at this point that is about all I have on my mind.

Scanning through the local NOAA weather reports yesterday, I came across some information that really hit home on where we are with the weather this summer.  Since May 1st we are 9.26" below normal for rainfall in Wichita.  To put that shortfall in perspective, that would be the equivalent of receiving over a half inch of rain each week during this time frame.  The landscape of Wichita, along with our water bills, would look much different with an extra half inch of rain each week.

Currently we are classified in the range of extreme drought.  According to NOAA, we need an additional 12-15" of rainfall to end the drought.  With our current deficit, it may be awhile before this breaks.

Overall, I would say we are hanging in there.  We have a couple of greens (#1 and #7) that seem to be weaker than the others.  My best explanation here is the impact of air movement around the greens and morning shade.  #7 is completely surrounded by trees, #1 has the large Maple next to it, as well as the wall around the course that slows air movement.  

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be taking measures to ensure the health of the greens through the month of August.  This may impact the speed of the greens, but at this point our goal is to pull these greens through the final stretch of this brutal summer.

We actually have some positive news with the weather this week.  Temps are cooler and we even have a chance of rain throughout the week.  Let's hope for the best!

A Good Morning

Another good morning on the golf course...temps dropped down to 62 degrees!  For recovery and root growth, cool mornings are exactly what we need.  We still have plenty of summer left, but with the cooler weather and noticeably shorter days, it's starting to feel like fall is around the corner. 

This morning we are venting the greens with 1/4" needle tines.   Venting the greens has multiple benefits, but most importantly we are opening up the soil and letting the plant breathe.  With the greens pushed to the limit, holes could be more visible compared to when we vented the greens earlier in the summer.  With venting, the benefits, far exceed any short term setbacks.  Following the venting, greens will be rolled for smoothness.

 On another note, with the extreme drought we have experienced for the last two years, the newer trees on the golf course have been a concern.  To combat the lack of rainfall, we have been hand watering trees on a weekly basis.  It is impossible to replace the rainfall shortage and lack of deep soil moisture, but the additional watering should pull them through the season.  Keep this in mind for your trees at home. 

A Slight Break in the Weather

After going almost a full month without any rain, Saturday night we received .12" of rain.  It's not much, but at this point, anything will help.  Along with the rain, our temperatures on Sunday topped out at more of a normal range (94 degrees) compared to where we have been.  Best of all may have been the cool temperatures Sunday morning.  For those of you keeping score, 18 of the last 19 days have been over 100 degrees.

Looking ahead, it appears the heat wave will be moving back in early this week.  However, later in the week we should have another chance at some rainfall.  Cross your fingers...this is getting out of control!

At this point we are simply trying to hang on until the weather breaks.  Greens aren't very pretty right now, but surprisingly they have held up well.  Outside of a little thinning on the back edge of #7 green, the greens are doing good.   This time of year clearly explains why we want a pure stand of Bentgrass on the greens.  As the Poa goes off color and slows its growth rate, the Bentgrass is maintaining good color and health.  With the fairways and tees, the Zoysia has also been kept on the dry side throughout the past couple of months, fortunately, one good rain and the warm season grasses will be back to normal.

After two years of record setting heat and drought, I know we are all looking forward to a break in the brutal weather pattern we have experienced.