Dry?

Precipitation has been well below average recently, and even with cooler temperatures and less daylight this time of year, you can still see dormant turfgrass on lawns that aren't receiving supplemental irrigation.  So, when you see some rough that's off-color, is it just dry?

Rough on the left of #16.

 Well, we've often said that a lack of moisture is only one reason turf may be brown.  Other reasons could be temperature-related dormancy, disease, or insect damage.  A tug on the grass, in the area shown above, quickly reveals that the cause of the problem is grub activity.

If the turf peels back like a rug, look for grubs.

The preventative application for white grubs was made over two months ago, and there are several possible reasons why we may not always achieve 100% control.  These include a sprayer missing an area, excessive thatch, timing of the application, or a lack of timely rainfall/irrigation to move the product into the soil.

Fortunately, we're only seeing grub activity in small, isolated areas.  With a 238 acre golf course, we won't complain about having to make a follow-up treatment on a couple of spots the size of a dining room table.