Early Summer
The excessive heat, the arrival of many of our summer staff, and the Member-Guest have kept me busy. It feels like August in too many ways and I'm a little discouraged with the way the summer seems to be starting. Hopefully it's a blip and not the beginning of another tough summer.
During the next few months we're going to be forced to do quite a bit of scouting and hand watering on greens and tees. They are comprised of southshore creeping bentgrass and have held up very well under the recent conditions. As the summer proceeds they may become less durable and resilient to the elements. One of the biggest challenges will be keeping soil moisture levels consistent across a wide variety of sand depths and slopes. For instance, both greens and tees are grown in a sand based medium. In theory the depth should be consistent throughout the tee or green. In our case we may have a portion of a green with 20" of sand just a few feet away from an area with only 9". These two areas require different amounts of water in order to create a consistent result on top. We use soil probes to monitor the moisture content in the top few inches and will add water with a hose when needed. When the moisture levels are adequate, but the temperatures are extreme, we may also use the hose to lightly mist the surface in an effort to provide a temporary cooling effect. Please bear with us during the summer months. It is likely that you will encounter us at some point in your round. We will be quick and do our best to avoid disturbing play.
During the next few months we're going to be forced to do quite a bit of scouting and hand watering on greens and tees. They are comprised of southshore creeping bentgrass and have held up very well under the recent conditions. As the summer proceeds they may become less durable and resilient to the elements. One of the biggest challenges will be keeping soil moisture levels consistent across a wide variety of sand depths and slopes. For instance, both greens and tees are grown in a sand based medium. In theory the depth should be consistent throughout the tee or green. In our case we may have a portion of a green with 20" of sand just a few feet away from an area with only 9". These two areas require different amounts of water in order to create a consistent result on top. We use soil probes to monitor the moisture content in the top few inches and will add water with a hose when needed. When the moisture levels are adequate, but the temperatures are extreme, we may also use the hose to lightly mist the surface in an effort to provide a temporary cooling effect. Please bear with us during the summer months. It is likely that you will encounter us at some point in your round. We will be quick and do our best to avoid disturbing play.
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