Preparing for the Unexpected

As with any project of this scope, there is always potential for the unexpected.  

Our primary concern throughout the project is weather.  From beginning to end, we would like to see plenty of heat.  A cool spring could lead to a delay in the green up of the existing Bermuda.  For a good kill we want to see the Bermuda growing aggressively when the herbicide is applied.  With our initial application of Roundup scheduled for late May, even with a cool spring, at that point the turf should be actively growing.

During the process of killing the existing 55 acres of Rough, we expect it to take close to a week for each spray application.  Heavy winds and rain could set back this application.  With June being our wettest month, there is a strong likelihood that we will be working around rain at some point during the project.  Although the schedule is tight, there should be enough extra days factored in the schedule to hit our July seeding date.

As you can see, the first challenges all deal with killing the existing turf as well as prepping for the seed.  Funny how we put in so much effort to keep it alive and yet it requires just as much effort to kill it!

After the rough has been seeded, again, the more heat the better for pushing the germination and grow in of the Riviera Bermuda.  Some rain would be fine, but we but we would prefer to control the water with timed irrigation cycles.  Too much rain could lead to wash outs or seed moving out of its intended location. 

Once the seed is down, the main concern is getting tees grown in to an acceptable level as quickly as possible.  With only a four week shutdown, this is a tight window for achieving this.  If the rough is a little thin, it shouldn't be too much of a concern.  It would still be playable and getting better everyday.

Thin tees would not delay the opening, but we could be forced to move tee markers to the start of the fairways for a brief period when the course initially opens in August.  With smaller tees, the isolated wear patterns could inhibit the maturation of the new turf if opened too soon.

Certainly, we expect for everything to fall right into place for a successful project, however, its always best to prepare for the unexpected.