Summer goes down swinging!

While it finally looks like we can turn the page on summer, September was way warm and dry.  For the entire month we were four degrees above average each day.  To put this into perspective, for any day that was actually at the average temperature, there was an offsetting day that was eight degrees above average.

While the temperatures were well above normal, rainfall was 50% below average in September.  The last significant rain was on September 12--a quick shower which ran off.  This left us relying on irrigation, which is never as uniform as what falls from the sky, and can lead to inconsistent conditions on the course.

So wet, then so dry...

The impact of this weather pattern has been significant to golf course operations.  Instead of focusing on some fall projects, we've been hand watering, addressing irrigation issues, and mowing grass like it's the middle of May.  The warmer weather has also kept us on our toes as far as turf pest management.  Even as September ended, we were seeing Annual Bluegrass Weevil injury on collars, and were forced to apply a plant protectant.

While the Bent is unscathed, weevils continue to pit the Poa in collars

We think of meteorological summer as being June-August, however in 2019 the end of summer seemed to be much more in alignment with the astronomical summer season.  Fall often provides some of the best playing conditions of the year, and nobody will be complaining if this pattern continued and we get into late December before winter weather is upon us.