What a month...

July is the hottest month of the year, and always takes some toll on the turf.  This past month was even more extreme, with temperatures running at, or above average on 84% of the days.  As we close the books on July, 2020, we finished close to four degrees hotter than normal each day.

Additionally, as you can see below, overall we had plenty of rain during July.  However, as is common during the summer months, rainfall is inconsistent, and when it comes, it is often way too much all at once.  

The other bummer from the turf's perspective was that the nights were very warm, meaning the soil temperatures remained high.  Hot soils and heavy rain do not go well together.  When you add in other factors such as cart traffic, foot traffic, and insect damage, we are now seeing turf wilt in areas with plenty of moisture.

We grow grass in a region known as "the transition zone."  People often (half) joke that this is a climate where it's too hot for cool-season turf, and too cold for warm-season turf to do well.  With the root loss cool-season grasses experience during the summer, there is little margin for error even on a normal year.

Lastly, if the summers feel as if they are hotter than when you were young, it's not your imagination.  Overall, the temperatures have increased close to three degrees in the past 50 years.

Regardless of the cause, this long-term trend has led to golf courses in the Mid-Atlantic looking at all options in order to maintain quality turf during the dog days.  This includes improved drainage, cooling systems, and increased use of Bermudagrass.  

It feels as if we are limping to the finish line.  August can certainly be a mixed bag of weather, and we are hoping that it isn't as brutal as last month.