Adjustments to the Greens Program

We are constantly adjusting how we maintain the greens due to weather, soil conditions, and seasonal growth patterns.  This time of year, bentgrass is slowing down and Poa annua is popping up everywhere.  By the middle of winter, most of our greens will appear to be 100% Poa annua.  In spring, this process will reverse and by mid-summer, the greens will be nearly 60% bentgrass.  These turf types require different inputs and management strategies to produce good playing conditions.

 Currently, we are ramping up our fertilizer applications to get the new crop of Poa annua to fill in and tighten up.  We are also using products that limit shoot growth and increase density and another product that will keep the Poa from seeding.  Our fertilizer type is also different this time of year, utilizing fast release nitrate fertilizers instead of slower forms like urea, which we use more in the summer months to limit excessive growth.


Another recent change to maintenance practices focuses on our salinity management strategy.  Most water has some amount of salts that can adversely affect the condition of turf.  Our well water has over twice the amount of the potable water we had been using.  To get the sodium out of the soil, we have to apply large amounts of irrigation water that will flush out the system.  On most greens, a two hour shot of water will move the sodium out of the root zone for a month or so, depending on weather.  However, this practice has not been effective on some of our greens, especially those with low spots near the collars that act as collection areas for all the nasty stuff that comes with the water.

We are now flushing these areas with 24 hours of low-output irrigation.  You may have seen this practice on the putting green a week ago.  Other greens receive this heavy dose of water throughout the evenings or during Mondays when we are closed.  Some troublesome greens include #'s 10, 15, and 17.  The new method is working and a little rain in the forecast will really make a difference.

One other change, which has been a tough pill to swallow for me personally, has been increasing the amount of nitrogen we put on the greens.  I have always liked the lean and mean approach, limiting growth and puffiness to attain a good speed.  I've now accepted that all this increased flushing requires more nitrogen than I'm used to.  When you flush out the bad, the good goes with it and needs to be replaced at a higher quantity.  Potassium is too low, calcium is flushed out, and nitrogen is needed.  Our water, while having some salinity, is very low in nitrogen unlike reclaimed or purple pipe water.  We don't get that benefit, we actually get stripped of nitrogen and need to replenish nutrients in the soil.

A few quick adjustments and the greens will be back up to speed and as healthy as ever.  I think you'll see the difference in just a few days.  Happy Thanksgiving!!

New Kicks for the Crew

The month of October was an intense and productive period for the maintenance staff.  The annual course closure was filled with long days of physical labor, non-stop projects, and a consistent effort and attitude by our proud employees.

When members returned to the course, they took notice of all the work that was accomplished in a short period of time.  We heard more compliments and appreciation than I'd ever expect.  A few members decided to start a collection for the crew and it quickly ballooned to a sizable sum.

About a week ago, we put those funds to good use with a little field trip to lunch and a shoe store.  I've always wanted to buy good work shoes for my staff, but I've never had the budget to do so.  These guys are on their feet all day, often in wet conditions.  Cheap shoes really take a toll by the end of the day.

Thanks to this member support, we had an excellent and hilarious lunch at a local Korean BBQ restaurant.  It was a unique dining experience to say the least and nobody left with any hunger pains, most of us didn't need dinner that evening.

From there, it was on to Boot World where the guys could choose their own boots, get properly fitted, and even picked up some inserts that make quite a difference in comfort.  You'll see the guys on course with their fancy new shoes, and they appreciate your kindness so much.

From all of us at in the maintenance department, thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness.  Every day is a little more comfortable, and maybe even more productive.

Closed Week Closing Out

It's been a long, hard, productive week at Bernardo Heights Country Club.  The members returned to the course today to meet some sandy greens, some renovated bunkers, and many signs of work in progress.  The most common quote from returning members, "You've been busy."  Yes we have.

More work continues today as we put the finishing touches on the bunkers on #8.  The front bunker saw the most changes.  The front edge was moved away from the green by 4 feet, close to the original dimension of the bunker.  Over the last bunch of years, the edge has creeped in and up making a narrow and very deep hazard.  We removed over three feet of sand to reach the original grade and then added over a foot of clay to reduce the severity of the slope and produce more playable floorspace.  The existing drains worked well, so after packing down the clay, we hand dug down to the old drains and added new drainage right on top.  The view is much different, nearly doubling the amount of sand visible from the fairway.  It might just make somebody think twice of going for a tucked pin.

The back bunker actually had a entire sub grade full of large crushed rock making a vault style drain that was covered with liner.  Changing this design would have taken more time than we had, and since it was still functional, we regraded to remove high spots, tacked down the liner, and added our sand.  

Both bunkers are now more player friendly and have fresh sand that will allow for properly played explosion shots.  They will be just like our other renovated bunkers on holes 5-7 after the sand is matured and compacted over time.  We used a vibratory plate compactor and a decent amount of water today to pack down the sand.  It will get the same treatment a few more times to reduce fluffiness and fried egg lies that is commonly associated with new bunkers.

The contractors have finished up the tunnel connections and are now tying these into our existing mainlines.  We planned on moving on to #5 today, and still will this afternoon, but first must finish our connection through the first tunnel.  Starting tomorrow morning, we will have well water supplying every hole besides number 5 and 6.  This is ahead of schedule due to a change we made yesterday to the configuration.  A good change in hindsight, saving money right away.

This project is rolling along and the BHCC staff still has a mountain on it's plate so stay tuned for more updates as we work to make the course better on a daily basis.

Closed Week Update #4 (Thursday)

These numbered updates represent the days of the week, but I'm falling behind as the week rolls along. This post recaps our work on Thursday and I'll have Friday and the weekend coming up next.

The big event of the day was a deep tine aerification on our greens.  On Monday, we punched the greens with 3/8" tines with close spacing at a depth of 4 inches.  This is pretty aggressive and our standard aerification practice performed twice a year.  Since we remove plugs at the same depth each time, a hard layer can form just below the affected zone.



A tractor-mounted aerifier with 5/16 inch tines punched holes at 2x2 inch spacing at a depth of 8 inches.  What all that means is our greens are going to be feeling really good after so many holes in such a short amount of time.  This helps our roots, our drainage, and oxygen exchange.  Aerification makes everything better.  We followed the aerifier with a cocoa mat to drag the sand into the holes and a roller to smooth the surface.

Work on the 8th hole green-side bunkers continued as we shaped the floor of the front bunker by adding over a foot of clay.  The bunker was way too deep and narrow causing all shots to settle in the same location.  The renovated design will offer more playable space and less difficult shots which I suspect our members will prefer.

Finally, the contractors were busy installing the new valves that connect the 10 inch mainline to our 6 inch loop near the 1st tee. Also, trenches were dug along the tunnel walls and across cart paths on #'s 8 and 4.

Closed Week Update #3

On Wednesday, the project crew continued with the 10 inch main and nearly finished at the connection point near the 1st tee before darkness stopped work.  They are at it again today and working on cleaning up the trench, replacing sod, and moving machinery to work near the tunnel connections.

BHCC staff members sodded Teal Tees on #'s 14, 15, and 17 on Wednesday morning.  That only leaves two more tees, #'s 12 and 18 which will be finished up in the coming weeks.

Once the tees were finished, we moved on to the bunkers on #8.  The drain lines were exposed and tested and new contour lines drawn out.  Most of the excavation and grading will be done by hand so it's a very slow process even with 8 guys on the job.


When you're asking people to work this hard, day after day, you need to find some time to have a little fun.  For us, that means a friendly soccer game with the crew from United GLI Inc.  The game was very competitive, yet friendly, with more laughing than you'd expect.  Those who didn't play, parked carts in the shade to watch the action.  It's amazing that any of us have energy to work after playing hard for 30 minutes, but it seems to revive us and everybody grabs their shovels and heads back to the trenches.

More updates coming soon….

Closed Week Update #2

On Tuesday, the contractors continued installing the new 10 inch mainline completing about 200 yards of trench and pipe.  The pipe crossed the 18th fairway at a 45 degree angle and now turns towards the connection point near the tee on #1.

While they were busy on #18, the BHCC staff excavated the two green side bunkers on #8.  The front bunker, especially, has been the focus of many complaints, most of which say, "there is no sand in the bunker."  I continue to disagree with this comment, because a lack of sand is not the issue, the age of sand is the problem.  As sand breaks down and gets contaminated with silt and soil from edging, wind, and rain events, the combination of sand plus clay equals concrete.  Adding more sand, the typical recommendation from your average golfer is a huge waste of money.  That sand will only help until the underlying sand gets mixed with the new stuff and it only takes one rain event to do that.

The bunker on #8 had over 3 feet of sand.  We dug this out and moved it to other bunkers that could use a little extra.  Sure, it's not new, fluffy sand, but it will improve playability in our older bunkers until we can renovate them as we did on holes 5, 6 and 7 last year.  #8 is being done in-house this week, #'s 15 and 16 are planned for next year, and we will continue along the priority list from there forward.

Other activities yesterday included the seeding of the driving range tee with ryegrass, punching the par 3 tees to prep for overseeding, finishing all sanding and fertilizing of our greens, and some mulch work around the clubhouse.  Day #3 is off to a great start and I will share those notes with you in our next update.

Closed Week Update #1

This will be a very busy week at Bernardo Heights even though we will not record a single round of golf. This period will impact course conditions for years to come as we complete some important projects along with our standard fall maintenance.

 On Monday, we punched (aerified, but I'm going to say punched because spell check keeps changing it to verified and I'm tired of fixing it) all the greens, punched the driving range tee, and verticut all the areas we intend to overseed, which are few this year.

Our contractors trenched another 300 feet for a new 10 inch mainline up the left rough of #18.  Last week they installed about 400 feet of pipe in a very complicated area with many new valves, transition from our existing system, and re-configuring a 3-way mainline junction.  Tomorrow will be smooth sailing with 100 more yards up the left rough before crossing the 18th fairway and heading over to our connection near the 1st tee.

While they were busy with the 10 inch install, our talented staff handled the installation of HDPE pipe in the tunnel crossing between #'s 2 and 3.  Our mechanic, Santiago welded a side bar on our front end loader to raise the pipe above the support brackets.  We used a couple of ladders, another tractor, and a bunch of manpower to move the pipe in place while Santiago drove from one end to the other.  

Up next for our staff is bunker renovation on #8.  More on that tomorrow.

Maintenance practices move to summertime

As we switch from a base of ryegrass to a solid stand of bermuda, our maintenance schedule will shift to accommodate the plant’s needs.  Bermuda grows best in very warm conditions, the hotter the better.  Practices like aerfication and verticutting need to be performed when the grass is growing at its best to recover from damage.

You may wonder why we do all this damage in the first place.  After all, it looks fine before we tear it up so why not leave it alone?  Bermudagrass is a serious thatch builder and can form a dense mat between the leaves and soil in a very short amount of time.  This mat of thatch will restrict water movement to the point that a 1/4 inch of rain will force us into a cart-path-only situation.  Nobody wants that.  It will also restrict root growth, harbor disease-causing organisms, trap fertilizer, and cause unsightly scalping.  

This photos of #8 fairway was taken after it was verticut and mowed.  Today, the fairway is green, smooth, healthy, and free of scalp marks.

We are finished with verticutting for this season, but we’ll be back at it next summer.  The process not only removes thatch, it also reduces grain and promotes new, healthy growth.  The ugly brown lines only last for a week and there is very little change in playability.  

Aerification is also being moved to the summer months to encourage rapid healing and promote root growth.  We may do some work with solid tines during the off-season to encourage movement of rainwater which I hope comes down in biblical proportions.  Until then, I will be enjoying the heat and the effects it has on our new stand of bermudagrass.

Aquatic Weed Control

Our new irrigation pond adjacent to the 11th tee and 17th green has performed very well in its first year, handling it's primary job of storing water.  Of course, the pond is also important to aesthetics and as a hazard guarding the 17th green.  Weed control in an irrigation pond is somewhat limited because, as you may suspect, we can't treat the pond with herbicides that would eventually be applied to turf via the irrigation system.

For most of the year, we've had some subsurface weeds growing in the lake and they were getting thicker as time went on.  Lucky for us, they have started to diminish for whatever reason.  Perhaps the plant's lifecycle is coming to a close, or the soil is no longer supporting growth, or salt build up may play a role.  I'm just glad to see less plant life than more, without any expense to the club.

We do have some cattails growing around the edges and we will remove those by hand.  Just the other day, we had Huckleberry Rafael out on some floating pallets pulling the reeds with Marvin guiding the raft.  We do have a small boat for such purposes, but they were having so much fun making quick work of the problem that I just took a pic and moved along.

Through the Tunnels

This year, BHCC's major project during the annual closure is an irrigation upgrade that will connect our new water source to holes 3 through 8.  To accomplish this goal, we will be installing 4000 feet of new mainline pipe.  Our existing system was designed for five points of connection to the city supply, so the pipes are small in size and cannot deliver the necessary amount from one side to the other.

Work has already begun in the tunnel under Bernardo Heights Parkway.  Brackets are being installed every 5 ft to support an 8 inch irrigation line.  You'll be seeing more work on this project near the tunnels and in out-of-play areas before we start trenching in late September when we are closed to play.  

This year, we have been able to use well water for 2/3 of the course without needing to supplement with our potable supply.  The new upgrades will further decrease our irrigation expense. Another benefit is greater pressure control resulting in less broken pipes and improved uniformity.  Our irrigation technician is especially happy about the breakage reduction.

Check back for more updates on this project and other course news.

Bermudagrass Transition Update

We now have six fairways that are 100% bermudagrass.  Tomorrow, we will have one more after #14 is treated with a herbicide that knocks out all the cool season grass.  Back in March we sprayed #'s 6, 7, 10, and most of 18.  Those fairways are now a great example of where the entire course will be in the near future.

BHCC stopped overseeding 3 years ago to promote year-round, excellent playing conditions and to convert to a turf type that could withstand the summer heat and somewhat salty irrigation water.  We've made a lot of progress over the last two seasons and many fairways are just a summer away from full bermuda coverage.

Some locations, like the recently converted 17th fairway, has some bare spots that had little to no bermudagrass.  We've used some sod taken from out-of-play areas to repair these locations.  We are also bumping up the fertilizer to promote growth and marking ground under repair where necessary.




















When you encounter a location that is a little thin, remember what it will look like in a matter of weeks. Once we achieve 100% bermuda coverage, it will be here to stay.  Bare areas will be a problem of the past, not a normal part of summer.

Please don't hesitate to send your questions and comments directly to the maintenance department and my email, jalwine@bhcc.net.

Just a normal Monday

A few Mondays ago, we did some work on the greens to maintain the current speed and improve smoothness.  The greens have healed up nicely from aerification and are responding to warmer temperatures with better color and growth.  However, the surfaces can get a little bit puffy if they are not groomed properly.  We like to go after this problem before it is a problem to maintain our current conditions.

Above, we have Tomate (that's his nickname, but I don't know why) verticutting the greens two directions while Ricardo cleans up any debris left behind.  The photo shows the effect of this light, vertical mowing.  We follow that with a dusting of sand and broom it in to finish the process.  The sand fills in any imperfections and the slits we cut into the green.  The result is a much smoother surface on greens that were already stimping around 11 feet, now closer to 11.5 with very true roll.

On the same day, Elidio was out with the Wiedenmann aerifier, punching some holes in the green surrounds.  According to the staff, this is the first time this area has received a traditional aerification in it's entirety.  This will improve water infiltration and reduce the amount of water required to keep the green surrounds in good playing condition.

Solid Bermuda

On March 3rd, I spent about 45 minutes driving around with a tank full of herbicide and knots in my stomach.  I was about to spray some fairways with a product that kills any grasses that are not bermuda.  I was nervous about the application because much of the bermuda was covered with poa annua and ryegrass that had been growing through the winter while the bermuda was semi-dormant.  Some locations look like solid cool season grass and I can only hope that bermuda lies beneath.

The fairways that received this treatment were #'s 6, 7, 10 and a portion of 18.  In the coming weeks, we will spray #'s 5, 8, and 17.  Other holes will be sprayed as bermudagrass fills in and the poa annua and ryegrass weakens from summer heat.

The beauty of this product is the slow rate at which the cool season fades away.  For the first week, growth stops, but color and texture remain the same.  About 10 days in, grasses that are not bermuda start to yellow and they are browning up at this time, 17 days after the application.  The grass is still very playable and will not fade away completely for a few more weeks.  During this period, we fertilize the bermuda grass and encourage growth without any competition.

My fears of spraying are usually relieved when the bermuda starts growing through the dead grass.  There is plenty of bermudagrass on these fairways and they will fill in quickly.

A mono-stand of one species of grass is so much prettier than a hodgepodge of turf types.  Most of our fairways have ryegrass, poa annua, hybrid bermuda, and common bermuda in patches and different percentages throughout the playing surface.  Wiping out the rye and poa will really clean up the appearance and provide better playing conditions year-round.

 If we do encounter a thin or bare spot, we will mark ground-under-repair and maybe sod the location if recovery time is too great.  This application is an aggressive technique, but like you, I'm tired of waiting for this transition to take place naturally.  We are on the fast track now and the fairways will look like you've never seen at BHCC.  The last few photos show a portion of #6 fairway that is loaded with poa annua.  Last summer, this area was nearly all bermuda and will be all bermuda once again.

Yellow and dying poa annua covering bermudagrass.

Closer inspection shows some green bermuda within the dying cool season grass.

Here I've pulled up on the bermuda runners that will fill in this area.

Green Aerification

As I usually say, our green aerification is one of the most important days of the year.  This is one of few opportunities to open up the surface, remove some thatch, and add some important nutrients to the soil.  The drainage is improved, the roots are given some room to travel downward, and oxygen is delivered to the plant and microbes in the soil.

 Our process uses a smaller size tine, 3/8 of an inch with very close spacing, meaning many small holes instead of a few big ones.  The greens can sometimes lift up during using this technique when the root structure is not very good.  Our first go around with this setup was October 2012 and the greens heaved up nearly 4 inches.  The crew thought I had ruined the greens, but they can be rolled and pressed back down.  This year, there was no heaving at all, indicating better soil structure and increased rooting.


For an early start, Izzo and I came in on Sunday night to get a couple of greens punched before a grueling Monday.  In the photo to the left, you can see some very long shadows and Izzo enjoying the cool comfort of freshly pulled plugs.  This saved a few hours of labor and allowed us to finish the entire course by 3:30 PM, our earliest finish ever with next to zero overtime.  The crew would have liked the overtime, but they seemed happy to put the shovels away at the same time.

The key to the sanding process is to make sure that all the holes are "capped" with sand.  Many players feel that we put too much sand on the greens, but the cardinal sin is applying too little sand.  If we leave the surface clean and green, the dimples that are here this week will last for well over a month.  Be patient and the turf will grow through the sand and return to a smooth and firm surface.

You can expect healing to take just under two weeks.  The greens are being watered nightly at this time to help the sand work into the holes and to encourage the healing process.  The softness makes them susceptible to big ballmarks, which are YOUR responsibility to repair.  We always have trouble with players ignoring this task because, "the greens are all torn up anyway."  They will heal faster if you fix the damage caused by your ball.  Please help me help you.

Rain Report

This weekend's storm will double the rain totals we've received at the course since early October.  Needless to say, this is much needed moisture that will help to hydrate our landscaping, trees, and turf throughout BHCC.  As of Saturday morning, we've picked up 1.5 inches of rain at our weather station. The slow and steady pace allowed the ground to soak it up.  The sodium that piles up in the greens has been dropped by 50%, which is just what we need going into aerification.  This is a great way to start our spring season and get the course growing and greening up.

Have you ever wondered what the maintenance staff does during a rainy day?  We've been waiting for this opportunity to address some shop work.  We cleaned up all our storage areas, re-organized equipment, and painted three sets of tee markers.  The guys were set up like Santa's elves, scrubbing down tee markers and adding a fresh coat of paint.  The red tees had been painted a few weeks ago by Genie Brown and company, a much appreciated assist from our ladies' groups.

When the rain took a break in the early afternoon, I headed out to survey drainage issues and take note of any down trees or branches.  The course is a little messy and will get a full cleaning on Monday.  We only lost one tree, a half dead tree on the first fairway that was marked for removal.  We will be cart path only for the weekend, but those restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible.

Today, Ramiro and staff were able to mow greens, which are actually pretty firm after the nice rain-powered flushing.  They will do their best to clean up the mess, but bunkers will take some time to get into shape as they need more than a quick raking.  We gladly will accept the little bit of hassle for the huge benefits of this rain.

Fill Up Those Divots

Today, the maintenance department is spending 16 man hours and a small truck worth of sand to fill up neglected divots.  The fairways are not too bad, but the first cut of rough is terrible.  I played this past Friday and the first cut of rough is the favorite landing spot of every one of my tee shots.  I first thought the rough was just clumpy with old rye and underlying, semi-dormant bermudgrass.  I then noticed that all the holes were in the same direction and were actually divots that had not been filled.

Perhaps some people believe that divot sand is only for the fairways.  I would like to encourage you to use divot sand anywhere you remove a chunk of earth.  You will be replacing your divot with much better soil, the healing process will be faster, and other balls are less likely to end up in a hole.  There are refill stations located at every single tee and we try to keep those filled up.



If we can get the golfers to take care of properly raking bunkers after play, filling divots, and fixing ballparks, we would free up well over 20 hours of labor per week.  We have a very lengthy to-do list, so if you can take some weight off our back, we will not waste the extra time.

Bunker Rehab

The bunker master plan is off to a great start with the recent renovations to holes 5, 6, and 7.  Those changes not only improved playability, but also improved upon an already solid design.  The redesigned green complexes are now more attractive and promote some creative golf shots.

Sand screening back at the shop

We can't renovate all the bunkers at once, so our other bunkers will need some in-house rehabilitation.    The main complaint is a lack of sand.  Sometimes this is the case and a club will find the underlying clay bottom, or hard pan as golfers like to call it.  However, many areas have plenty of sand, but it is aged, broken down, and contaminated with clay.  Do you know what clay plus sand equals?  Well, that's the simple recipe for concrete and that's how some of our bunkers feel.  Adding brand new sand is a foolish waste of money and no argument will ever convince me otherwise.  New sand is quickly mixed with old sand and thousands of dollars result in very little improvement.  The USGA recommends that all sand is REPLACED every five years.  I think we can get by with a few more years, but adding sand year after year is not a sustainable practice.

Compaction work on #3 green-side bunker

The maintenance department is surveying the course to find the worst of the green-side bunkers.  We are looking for areas with very little sand, inconsistent amounts of sand from one location to another, and other problems like roots or very poor drainage.  Since we never get any rain (sad, but true) the drainage is not the greatest concern.

The sand we are using to touch up the bunkers has been removed from the renovated bunkers on 5, 6, and 7.  We have delivered this sand to the maintenance yard and built a screen to remove any gravel, clay chunks, roots, or other debris.  The screened material is very consistent with the existing sand in our bunkers and is blending nicely.  We have already touched up over 20 bunkers throughout the course.

Roots remove from #17 bunker near path

When it comes to bunkers, there is a fine line between too soft and too firm.  If sand that has not been properly compacted, the result is fried egg lies.  If you recently saw me driving around in a bunker or two, that is the reason why.  Our staff, which has pretty much taken control of this project, returns to the shop in the late morning with a report of which bunkers need some work.  The next morning, I inspect the bunkers with a few golf balls thrown at a reasonable angle, a wedge to test playability, and my cart to get the right compaction.  I think the bunkers we have worked on are now playing much better.  The sand is firm, but there is sand and it is pretty consistent.

If you encounter a thin area, find a root, or plug a ball, please let the Proshop or maintenance worker know of the problem.  We are eager to make these hazards as friendly as possible.  However, remember that word: hazard. It's supposed to be difficult and you're supposed to stay out of there.  Good luck!!

Winter's Woes

The blog has been quiet, thought about taking the winter off, but I'm not so sure this is winter any more.  I was optimistic that rain would come in January.  The Farmer's Almanac is usually right, somehow, but here is the January forecast for Northern California:

JANUARY 2014: temperature 53° (1° below avg.); precipitation 8" (5" above avg.); Jan 1-3: Clouds and occasional drizzle, cool; Jan 4-10: Heavy rain, then sunny, chilly; Jan 11-14: Heavy rain, mild; Jan 15-16: Showers;Jan 17-19: Heavy rain, mild; Jan 20-24: Rainy periods, cold;Jan 25-27: Sunny, cool; Jan 28-31: Rainy, cool.

Unfortunately, not a drop of rain has fallen this entire month.  I've been getting a lot of questions about the impact to the course concerning the lack of rain and higher than normal temperatures.  We like the rain to flush out salts, take some pressure off the irrigation system, and get some deep watering to the trees and landscape.

The sodium content in the soil has not piled up too badly and we are managing like we would in the summer months with no real problem.  Our irrigation system is running as normal and we are staying below our budget with no issues.  Most locations only need a weekly watering.  The trees and plant material on the slope could certainly use some irrigation so we are working to repair those stations that have been out of use for a few years.

 We normally do not have to worry about checking moisture throughout the course or even turning on the irrigation more than a few times a month during a normal winter.  This year, we are seeing signs of summer even though it's six months away.  To the left, the fifth fairway has some severe signs of hydrophobic soil.  This is all bermuda grass and some of it is dormant and brown while the rest is still green.  The green portion has some water in the soil, the brown part is bone dry.  Tomorrow, we will spray a wetting agent to correct the problem and reduce surface tension to help the soil accept water again.










Just as unusual, we normally don't need to use wetting agents on the greens this time of year because regular rains keep the soil hydrated.  Number 18 green this morning was showing some dry patterns and will need a treatment tomorrow as well along with the rest of the greens.

As far as the temperatures, the warmer than normal weather has been a good thing.  The roots in the greens are as good as we could expect this time of year and I'm sure the lack of frost and warm days have helped that cause.  Many bermuda locations are still semi-green and others are greening up early.  This is not a problem as long as we don't get hit by a heavy frost.  We don't want the bermuda to go in and out of dormancy and waste it's carbohydrate reserves, much like you don't want trees blooming too soon.

More updates coming soon, thanks for reading.