Golf Course Update
April 1, 2015
There
has not been a significant amount of melting since the last update. The golf
course has several hole that still have an 80% snow cover. The golf and grounds
crew has cleared all the greens of snow and ice and after examining the 10
greens that we do not put turf covers on and there are some signs of winter
injury on several of those greens, (1, 6, 8, & 18). We are hoping that once
the soil temperatures warm that the damaged areas will grow out of the injury.
The damaged areas will be aerified and seeded. The damaged areas will be put on
a recovery program which will include weekly foliar fertilization and light
topdressing. The areas affected will be covered with turf covers and if
necessary those greens may remain closed until the turf has recovered enough to
survive foot traffic. The remaining greens that have covers on them will be
examined next week to assess the health of the turf.
There are early indications that some areas of our fairway
turf also has winter injury. Pockets of ice that formed in early January and
have been coved with snow for the last 60 plus days has deprived the turf of
the necessary oxygen to survive. Aerification and seeding will also be performed
on the damaged areas.
The practice tee mat system has also sustained some damage
from the winter winds, snow and ice. The supporting structure for the mats has
shifted and several mats have been moved from the structure. Presently the mats
are still under snow and ice. The company that installed the mat system has
been notified and we are on their schedule to fix the problem as soon as the
snow and ice are melted and the ground is workable.
Unfortunately with the amount of snow still present on the
course it will be some time before we can safely open the course for play.
Trying to predict an opening date is difficult, but I am guessing sometime in
the third week of April. The weather will obviously be the determining factor
if that date is viable.
I will continue to keep you updated on the changing
conditions.
Peter Rappoccio, CGCS
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