The weather over the past week and hopefully the next 6 days has been fantastic. Our team pushed hard last week through Men's Member Guest and even harder over the past two days. Member Guest went very well in my opinion. The golf course held up well and looked great. Our team worked a split schedule from 4:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m or 10:00 a.m. and then back at night to mow out the golf course again. Thank you to our management team and staff for all of the long, hard hours last week. Their work was evident on the golf course.
 |
| Rough and Fairways were mowed for the second time and Greens double cut again at night to improve the finished product. These mowers are staged and ready to roll once play finished. |
The weather has been ideal over the last two days for
core aeration and
topdressing. We used .40" tines to core aerate the greens and backfilled the holes. We also prepped for sprigging and core aerated the putting green surrounds. Earlier this spring we aerated with 5/8" or .625" tines so these holes are a bit smaller. We expect the grass to heal over in the next 7-10 days and this process will greatly benefit the turf heading into the summer. The pictures below best describe the process. A big thank you to Kevin and Ryan for coming in with me at 2:00 a.m. to aerate the greens ahead of the staff's arrival at 5:00 a.m. Our team has been pushing hard and looks forward to a few weeks without any major projects. This summer is off to a great start and this core aeration will allow water to drain and oxygen to get to the roots. The topdressing will also firm the greens up which will help protect them against traffic. As I write this, it is raining which will greatly benefit all turf surfaces but will also push the sand down into the aeration holes. You will see our team cleaning up from this process and readying the greens for play over the next few days.
I have a lot to write about regarding some great questions and have a time-lapse video of tournament prep in the works. The electricians have been here the last two days to install the electrical hook up for the fans. I will write more about this once we start installation. I am just getting caught up as the last week has been hectic to say the least. Over the past 8 days, our department has hosted the Course Care event and Stan Zontek, our USGA agronomist, prepped for the Men's Member Guest and aerated greens. Thank you to our team for a job well done.
I look forward to seeing you on the course,
Jordan Booth
jbooth@willowoakscc.org
 |
| You may notice the head lamp Ryan is wearing. Aerating the greens at night allows our team to start cleanup immediately. |
 |
| Our team pushes the cores to the side of the green and picks them up. This thatch removal will allow the greens to function properly all summer. |
 |
| Following cleanup, the greens are topdressed and soil amendments are added to be worked into the open holes. |
|
 |
| Ruben applying dolomitic lime; a good source of calcium and magnesium. |
 |
| The finished product. |
 |
| The TifSport Collars were core aerated as well to relieve compaction. The healthier that the collars are this summer, the better they will handle traffic and the colder months. |
 |
| The areas between 10 and 12 and 11 and 12 and 12 and 14 were tilled to begin preparation for Sprigs. Depending on the weather, this will be completed over the next week or so. |
