The First Heat Wave of 2013

As I write a cold front is moving across the country and will shortly break the first heat wave of the summer. While the highs for the few days managed to stay a degree or so below 90F, the humidity certainly did not make it feel any cooler. Humidity is both a blessing and a curse for turfgrasses. It helps in that the high humidity can slow the onset of wilt as the plant has a hard time 'sweating' out moisture when there is an abundance of moisture in the atmosphere, however humidity increases the potential for disease as mentioned in the last post. It is imperative to make sure water is managed perfectly so that the plant retains enough to stay alive, is cooled off while not getting watered excessively, it is kept to a minimum to help prevent disease and that it doesn't puddle which could cause the plant to boil - all still while ensuring it plays as it should. 

The course has come though this spell as expected - ie really well. The only noticeable spots being some localized dry spot (LDS) on greens. These are caused by a waxy build up on the soil/sand particles which repel water, so it becomes very difficult to hydrate them. Wetting Agents help remove the build up and help hold/remove the water as needed. We spot sprayed the known LDS areas on the greens but are still having a few issues with it. While it does not really effect turf health (provided it doesn't dry out too much) or playability it does mean that the crew have to spend more time monitoring the greens to make sure they do not dry out to the point where damage might occur. Over the next week, I will be trying a number of different agents to make sure we are fully prepared for the next hot spell.

Over the last week or so, the crew have edged the bunkers and moved sand around to make sure the depths  and the lips are consistent and looking good. Other than that, we are in regular maintenance mode and the course is looking great!!

On Saturday morning while doing my rounds a nice opportunity presented itself. There was a nice breeze blowing across the course. While I was on 4 green there was no air movement. As mentioned in the fan post, the flag stayed limp until the fan passed it. It was a perfect example of how well the fan works providing a breeze across a surface that otherwise would be stagnant, so I caught a quick video of it. 

Passing 7 green provided a good opportunity to show how much of a breeze was blowing and how much 4 green would have been missing without a fan. 

Finally Berks County Living published its 9 great holes to put on your scorecard this season. Check it out!