W
ith spring
right
around
the corner and soil
temperatures gradu-
ally rising, our dor-
mant grasses are
slowly beginning to green up.
When grasses go dormant during
the winter, they turn brown and do
not grow, which means damaged
and thin areas will not recover until
they come out of dormancy and
begin to grow again. Oftentimes,
golfers think these areas are dry and
need water, but that is not the case.
Once a grass goes dormant it
completely shuts down, and until
soil temperatures warm back up in
March and April, the grasses will re-
main in that state. This is deter-
mined by soil temperatures where
the roots grow, not by ambient tem-
perature.
This is a slow process. As days be-
come longer, nighttime temperatures
stay warmer and we have longer pe-
riods of hot weather, and soil tem-
peratures slowly increase.
Our inconsistent and numerous
types of grasses around the property
magnify these areas as the cool-sea-
son grasses remain green and
Bermuda grass is off-color and dor-
mant.
My goal, with direction from the
Golf Committee, is to improve turf
consistency throughout the golf
course. This will reduce the visual
impact of the "winter look" and pro-
vide more consistent playing condi-
tions throughout the year.
In addition, we began trimming
trees around the golf course in Feb-
ruary. It is important to trim trees for
the following reasons:
> To improve sunlight and air
penetration to grow healthy turf. If
we don't have good sunlight expo-
sure, we will not have good turf
grass.
> To allow irrigation to function
properly.
> To remove dead, diseased or in-
sect-infested wood.
> To remove hazardous limbs and
trees.
> To promote a healthier tree. By
reducing weight within the tree we
are protecting it from wind and rain,
which could cause a tree to split or
blow over.
> To protect and maintain the
original architectural vision and the
playability of the golf course.
6
❘
THE DIVOT
❘
MARCH 2019
●
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
GOING
GREEN
■
IMPROVING
TURF
CONSISTENCY
AND
CONDITIONS
ARE
TOP
PRIORITIES
•
BY
MATTHEW
MARSH,
SUPERINTENDENT
< Tree trimming began in February.
......................................................................
