The Season is winding down

It's hard to believe the 2013 season is winding down. The fall has treated us to some nice weather, even if it has thrown some cold days into the loop. It has stayed unseasonably dry and, as such, the course has been playing great. The lower temperatures greatly help reduce the stress on the turf so it can be dried down, but as a Superintendent you can't let your guard down as the plants can dry out too much. Last week we had to irrigate the course, and coupled with the rain Thursday into Friday last week, it ensured the plants  stayed happy!

We were scheduled to blow out the irrigation system this past week but have postponed it  until later in the month as the forecast is for more dry weather and the last thing we want is to have no water available. 

The first frosts of the year have appeared so please bare with us on frost delays. We always try and ensure that we let play out as soon as we are sure that no damage can occur. If there is maintenance to do beforehand the first tee time will be delayed a little further to ensure the work is completed. This post from the spring is a reminder of why frost delays are necessary.

Overall turf conditions are great and the biggest battle has been blowing leaves to ensure that the surfaces are as clean as possible. The greens are still looking good and we have had more recovery since the last update. Most of the thin areas are now filled in, with greens 3 & 5 looking perfect for example; but since the growth has pretty much come to a stop, I don't expect much more recovery until the spring. Thankfully the recovery has went really well to this point and they are still putting perfectly which is the important bit! As the temperatures keep dropping the growth will completely stop. Right now the green, tees and fairways are being mowed once a week, but there are very few clippings. Depending on when the cold takes a grip, the mowing schedule will be adjusted to ensure they still look and play good. The roughs have also slowed up greatly but the mower is still out, mainly mulching those pesky leaves.

The crew was laid off last weekend. I am keeping a couple of guys around for a few more weeks to help with leaves and any mowing that needs to be done. As such we are starting to put the course to bed for the winter and I have to manage the staff and tasks based on what needs to be completed. Unfortunately this is one of those times where a Superintendent's priorities differ from a golfer's perspective. I always have the golfers' best interests in mind but due to circumstances, some times I have to do something that might seem odd. 

A perfect example was last weekend. Although the growth had essentially stopped we are still mowing greens once or twice a week. We have been rolling them most days in between, namely to remove the dew, with the added benefit of increased green-speed since the turf isn't growing. 

The storm on last Thursday and Friday forced a change in plans. With the crew scheduled to finish that weekend, the plan was to get one last full rake on the bunkers while there was still enough staff to do it efficiently. The plan was to mow the greens on Friday also, so that all was needed over the weekend was to blow leaves and roll greens. 

With the rain coming, we mowed on Thursday to get it out of the way on Friday. Unfortunately the rain lingered on Friday and the storm that blew through early left a lot of leaves to be cleaned up. Everything was cleaned up on Friday, with the plan changing to rake the bunkers on the weekend. Unfortunately that left us short staffed on Saturday, so rolling had to be skipped. The only consequence of skipping rolling was the dew remained on some of the greens. Since the greens were mowed on Thursday and had not grown since, it did not effect the play-ability of the course in any way.  If the bunkers were not raked, it would be over a week before we had the time to get to them. The greens were rolled on Sunday and were mowed again during the following week.  

I have been around golf my entire life and my Dad has held every governing position at his club in Ireland. As such I have had the benefit of seeing it from the other side and how club members and governing committees perceive things. It has led to a number of interesting conversations with him over the years. 

Club members want the best from their investment at all times and Superintendents want to provide those conditions at all times. Unfortunately there are times when these items conflict as the Superintendent has to do something that ultimately is for the better good but conflicts with member needs and desires. Aeration is probably the biggest conflict but thankfully most golfers know the 'suffering' is for the greater good the rest of the year. Communication is key to make sure to make sure everyone knows what and why things are happening.   

As always if you have any questions please email me alan@ledgerockgolf.com