Insanity? Perhaps not...

We've all heard the oft-used expression about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  And while this may be valid for many things, it definitely is not when it comes to green speed.

During the spring and fall, by hitting the greens with just a daily single mow, we can easily achieve speeds of over 11'.  Add a second mowing and/or a rolling, and you've got 12'+.  However, during the dog days of summer, when the heat and humidity may make you feel logy, the greens are much the same.  Currently, a double mow will only get us 10'.  So what's changed?

Well, one of the main differences between the summer and the shoulder seasons is turf growth.  Despite weekly applications of plant growth regulator, and very little fertility, the greens are growing much faster than you'll see when temperatures are cool.  Evidence of this can be found in the clipping yield we see in the mower buckets each day.

In simple terms:  More grass = more friction.

So, yes, if we do the same things to the greens, we will experience very different results.  And truth be told, with the last 12 days of June having above average temperatures, and July (the hottest month of the year) forecast to have 29 of 31 days above average, our focus is not on green speed at the moment, but on green survival!