As the last few hours of 2013 wound down, the focus moved to the new year and the upcoming season.
One of the last nice mornings before the snow arrived
The cold weather arrived early this fall so we lost some late season recovery/rooting but it remained relatively dry so the course was playable right up until it snowed. We had some special guests for the Goat Cup in November and they looked great doing their bit 'mowing' the fescues by 1 tee!
The goats feeding by 1 tee for the Goat Cup
We had planned to cover the weak greens for the winter but the early arrival of the snow meant that we did not get to it. Luckily the snow insulates the turf so it was not too much of an issue short term. Depending on the weather going forward we will cover them if it looks like they will be covered long enough to see a worthwhile benefit; but we also have to be mindful of when we need to remove them for play.
Ice is not an issue at LedgeRock as the greens are bentgrass, which can withstand around 90 days of ice cover; whereas poa annua can only survive approx 30 days under ice before it suffocates. Snow mold can be an issue with prolonged snow cover, so the bentgrass surfaces have been sprayed which should last the winter, minimizing any damage that may occur from it. Desiccation is the other worry over the winter as the irrigation system has been winterized but is more of an issue earlier in the winter while the turf is still slowly growing.
Blowing out the irrigation around 15 green
The remaining snow on 1 the day after the first snow of the season
Due to the shade, the snow lingers longer on the pocketed greens
One of the questions I am always asked is what do we do in the winter? The majority of the staff has been laid off so there is plenty of work to keep the six of us remaining busy! Scott (Shop Manager) and Jeff (Equipment Tech) are busy going over and servicing all the equipment for next season. They are currently finishing up the reel mowing equipment, which is usually the most time consuming. My assistants and I have been busy plowing snow, preparing schedules and budgets for 2014 while keeping up on any miscellaneous maintenance that needs to be done around the property. We also have some tree work planned for when the weather is cooperating.
Cody waiting for the plow truck to finish
Checking the course in the snow
Turfnet is a web based resource for Superintendents and Scott has been featured twice this fall in their tips section for some of his ideas.
Looking forward to a prosperous 2014! I hope that everyone enjoyed a wonderful New Year's celebration!
