Golf Course Update
July 17, 2024
from Golf Course Superintendent Dustin Fowler
I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July and enjoyed the beautiful firework display. We are officially in the dog days of Summer, as we continue to heat up and work to stay ahead of the constant grass growth this time of year. We’ve accomplished some major tasks over the past weeks which have translated to positive results. Two weeks ago, we were able to spread our second application of Pre-emergent herbicide, this will help keep our weed threshold low throughout the rest of the growing season into the fall. The herbicide had a light fertilizer carrier included which aided in wall-to-wall turf growth, green up. With the extra fertilizer our fairway edges are more defined and visible, allowing us an easier opportunity to keep those edges dialed in properly.
This week we closed the course on Monday and Tuesday to allow us time to aerify our fairways and greens. Aerifying is a crucial cultural practice in our industry and has a number of benefits including:
Reduced compaction and thatch
Allows oxygen into the soil and carbon dioxide to be released Creates pore space to allow for new growth
We used half inch hollow tines for our greens’ aerification to allow us to remove plenty of organic material. After aerifying we heavily top-dressed, rolled, and dragged the sand in. We spread a granular fertilizer after to help us recover quickly.
Our seasonal workers have been a huge help in several areas, mainly landscaping. Most beds on course and around the clubhouse have been cleaned out, sprayed, and fresh pine straw or mulch added. We planted lorapetalums and annuals to our entrance sign landscape to add extra color to the area. We also cleaned up our palms on #18 and added pine straw for a much cleaner look.
Another positive outcome was seeing the left of the driving range clear cut to allow for the retrieval of more range balls hit over the levee.
With extra watering due to the heat this time of year we tend to have more irrigation leaks and that has been the case over the past few weeks. We’ve been able to locate and repair all the major irrigation problems currently.
This time of year can be very trying for our crew. The heat and dry conditions we’ve had can put a heavy strain on anybody, but our guys have pushed through and continue to help us see great progress. Also, with the extra usage during the growing season our equipment sees plenty of wear and tear, which puts more work on our mechanics. Please take the time to show your appreciation to these team members who work hard daily for the betterment of Tchefuncta C.C.