New Courses and Renovations and behind the green, giving it a penisula green effect. This is also expected to be completed when the course reopens on Dec. 1. The pro shop, restaurant and practice facilities will remain open throughout the renovation. Allen said Forest Ridge will use the down time to add some fescue areas in areas out of play and make sure the entire course is cleaned up and weed free for the reopening. Like every course affected by the winter kill, Forest Ridge has had to so some sodding of the Bermuda and fight weeds that wanted to take over the affected areas.
Winter kill issues linger
The extensive winter kill that affected golf courses throughout Oklahoma and particularly in the Tulsa area continues to be dealt with even through August. Battle Creek Golf Course in Broken Arrow brought in a machine from California that plants sprigs much deeper into the ground than traditional sprigging, allowing it to do some extensive sprigging to repair its damaged fairways with quicker recovery time. The hard-hit course was expecting fairway conditions back to normal in early August. Scissortail Golf Course in Verdigris lost more than 60 percent of its hybrid Bermuda fairways to winter kill. Director of Golf Lynn Blevins said the course has sprigged close to 40 acres and sodded another 12 acres at a cost of more than $80,000. The course is using U3 or Astro, a selection of common Bermuda in replace of the hybrid. Blevins is hopeful the course conditions will be back to normal by early September. Meanwhile, however, the course owners are out the expense of repairs combined with play that is far below normal. That’s a terrible one-two punch that has affected public courses throughout Tulsa. One of the few courses to be spared winter kill issues – Page Belcher – was forced to deal with damage to the greens on Olde Page after a misapplication of fertilizer combined with searing heat. Going back to the record rains in the fall of 2009, record cold over the winter resulting in winter kill, tornados, hailstorms and floods that have affected many courses, it’s been a tough year to operate a golf course. Tulsa County courses LaFortune Park and South Lakes elected to strip sod areas rather than sprig in their affected areas. Like many other courses, they have also had to battle the weeds nutsedge and goose grass that rush to fill in areas vacated by dead Bermuda. “People have been very understanding,” Blevins said. “They say everyone has had problems. But they’re not playing a lot of golf.”
South Central Golf Magazine • www.southcentralgolf.com
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