A fantastic fall for golf and greenkeeping

If you are a golfer in search of the often elusive (and competing) goals of firm, fast, and green playing conditions, then you have been in luck this fall.  While November temperatures have been below average, so too has the precipitation.  Prior to this weekend, we received only 0.55" of rain in November, leading to some slick surfaces.

As we mentioned last week, the cold temperatures have allowed us to focus on some projects.  This has included aerifying and topdressing the approaches.

Aerifying fairways this time of year isn't always a good idea.  Holes may not have a chance to fill in, and if conditions become wet with cart traffic, it can be muddy throughout the winter.  However, in the case of the approaches, there should be little to no traffic issues to worry about.

Check out the picture below.  After aerifying, removing the plugs, filling the holes with sand, and brooming, the finished product on #1 approach looks pretty good.

Stay tuned!  If this weather pattern persists, we will continue to take advantage of it--our work towards a great 2020 season is already well underway.

Switching gears...

The unseasonably cold weather quickly slowed grass growth over the past week.  While this leads to much less mowing, it does not mean that we are sitting around like the Maytag repairman.  No, it's just a shift to other projects we seldom have time to address during the season.

For example, solid tining fairways provides benefits most any time of the year.  While the surface disruption is minimal, this process helps to fracture the soil, relieve compaction, allow gas exchange, and improve water infiltration.

The crew is also working to improve drainage in several of our old bunkers, which have yet to be renovated with the Matrix  liner.

While it's nice to take on some new tasks, and a little shoveling in bunkers is not an issue for the guys, there is one activity that we hope won't be taking place anytime soon...

The tide has turned...

When it comes to the weather, there is certainly an ebb and flow.  After a very dry September, the floodgates were opened once again in October, where we received 5.55" of rain during the month.  This is close to 60% above average.

Despite all of that rain, we almost made it through the month without any "No Cart" days.  Unfortunately, by the time Halloween arrived, we had to raise the white flag and suspend cart use on Thursday and Friday.  With grass growth slowing, there will be limited opportunity for the turf to recover from any cart damage.  That is, if we make ruts now, we may be looking at them until next May.

Another sign of saturated soil can be increased earthworm activity.  While these little creatures are often beneficial to the turf, what they deposit on the surface can turn into a muddy mess.

As we have said in the past, when we close the books on 2019, it very well may end up being just an "average year," but it's certainly been a wild weather ride of ups and downs to get there.