This is an email that went out to every member today.
September 16, 2011
Dear Willow Oaks Member,
Today marks five weeks since seeding of the greens was completed. The greens are progressing wonderfully and we are currently mowing at .240". To put this in perspective, our normal height of cut is .125" (1/8 of an inch) and we began mowing the newly seeded greens at .450" (slightly less than 1/2 inch). The lower mowing height will encourage lateral growth and allow the creeping Bentgrass to tiller out and improve turf density. The cooler weather that has arrived is great for the Bentgrass. We are continuing to lower the mowing heights while focusing on plant health. Greens were topdressed and vented this week. Topdressing not only aids in smoothing the surface, but provides protection to the plants as we continue to lower the mowing height. The venting provides channels for water and air to move to the roots. We are about where we would have expected to be at this point in the grow-in process when greens were seeded in August.
Other projects have also been completed on the course and others are in the process of completion. The majority of the last two weeks have been focused on Irene and Lee cleanup. Tree and debris removal, along with bunker repair and general cleanup have been our major focus. Drainage has been installed behind the forward tee and along the cart path edge in two locations on hole #3. Pre-emergent applications were completed to prevent against winter weeds. This application is the first step in controlling weeds the course experiences in the spring. Drainage will be installed in other locations on #3 and #13 tees, and a foot bridge will also be constructed between #16 green and #17 tees.
During the last three weeks the course has received 8.2 inches of rainfall. Irene and Lee have deposited more water over the golf course than we have seen all year. The rain has filled the quarry and provided enough water for the remainder of the season. The course drained beautifully from all the rain and all new sod, seed, and sprigs stayed in place. In total the course lost ten trees due to Irene but only three that were in play: the pine tree left of #2 green; the oak tree right of the second fairway bunker on #3; and on oak in the cart parking area at #10 green. Other trees lost were in the tree line on #14 and one by the entrance road.
As happy as we are to see the cooler weather, we still have a lot of work to do on the golf course. Fall projects such as leaf removal, fescue aeration and seeding, overseeding of the range tees and target greens, and bunker depth adjustments will begin next week. We look forward to seeing you around the club in the upcoming cooler months.
Current information about work on the golf course as well as educational materials dealing generally with turf grass managment issues are always available at the Club's Golf Course Management Blog. To receive an email whenever a new article is posted on the blog, subscribe from any page within the site.
If you have questions, please feel free to reply to this email. We respond to all questions and comments as promptly as possible.
Sincerely,
Willow Oaks Country Club Green Committee
