Summer Reminders

Each summer as temperatures rise we see the return of several pests and problems.  Some are out of our control while others can be addressed with our staff and/or golfers.  Here is a list of some of the biggest challenges we face each summer:


Cicada Killer Wasps are large and intimidating, but they are not known to sting.  They burrow in greens, tees, and bunker faces and leave large piles of soil behind.  It's not uncommon for us to cut a fresh hole in the green only to have a cicada killer wasp fill it up with soil within the hour.  They arrive almost exactly the same time each year and generally stay for about 4 to 6 weeks.  There is no preventive measure that can be taken and a tennis racquet is the best weapon.  In this picture you see the result of a collision between a cicada killer and a tennis racquet. 

Cart traffic in the heat of the day can be really painful to the rough.  We are seeing a large number of carts in places they shouldn't be.  Also, some basic rules are being ignored. 

• Never park your tires in the grass when stopping at a tee box or green
• If you must pass a cart parked on the path always do so to the "outside" of the path rather than on the tee or green slope.
• Never leave the path on a par three (holes 4,8,12, and 15)
• Always return to the path BEFORE you pass the post with the white top (handicap flags are the exception)
• Never drive in the rough except when going between the path and the fairway. 
• If you and others in your group decide to ride alone, then only two of those carts may leave the path on any given hole.  This time of year it would be a big help to the course if you would pair up whenever possible.  One cart is better than two. Two carts are better than three. Three carts are better than four...

Hand watering by the staff is a necessary evil this time of year.  The timing of this job is critical and it must be performed throughout the heat of the day.  For this reason it is impossible to avoid interfering with golfers.  The difference between a healthy green and a dead green can be a few minutes without relief in the heat of the day. We only need a couple of minutes on a green so please be patient with us should you encounter myself or a staff member hand watering a green.  Wait until we are off the green and out of the line of fire before playing your approach shot.  

USGA VIDEO on handwatering

Fairway Aeration is something we do every other July.  It is the time of year when the zoysia is most actively growing (barring a drought).  Completing the process in a reasonable time frame requires the help of an outside service with a fleet of machines.  The course will be closed on Monday, July 9th and will reopen on Tuesday, July 10th.  It will take us at least a week to completely clean up, but the benefits of aeration will be big.