Course Condition Update: Fairways

#5 fairway

I'll start by saying that the fairways at Bernardo Heights are in the best condition they've been for a long time. Gone are the clumps of ryegrass from many years of overseeding that hung around summer after summer, creating tough lies and poor looks. Over the last few years, we've sprayed out nearly all of this rye grass. That was step number one. Late last summer, we were still spraying holes 1, 13, and 15. All three of these have filled in nicely besides a few sections that have other problems.


These fairways have a host of problems that the staff are working to overcome. The main issue was the wrong type of grass, which has now been corrected. Another obstacle is the sodium found in our well water. This is causing the majority of the thin spots on holes 13, 15, and 18. You can see the sodium quite easily when it wicks to the top of the profile.

Sodium at surface of #18 fairway

The dark green stripes are drain lines where the sodium can leach out of the soil. Unfortunately, the native soil is so thick that the drain line has little affect just outside of the drain itself. We have no choice but to sod these locations and have been doing so 1500 square feet at a time. This is as much as our staff can handle and install before it burns up in the summer heat. We have already replaced over 6000 sq feet of bermuda sod this year, most of it in traffic zones and fairways. I ordered more today for next week.


I'm happy to say that the major trouble locations are limited. We have a great stand of bermuda out there that is filling it very well with the first full summer of good growing. Last year, only a few fairways were already clear of ryegrass and they had to endure a 5 month construction program that required heavy traffic, intermittent irrigation, and an unusually cool August. This year, warm temperatures just showed up a few days ago and the change is certainly noticeable.

#6 fairway

#1 fairway

Young bermuda in the  sections that were  previously thick with ryegrass, are being treated as a grow-in, getting bi-weekly shots of fertilizer. Wetting agents, which make the most of our precious irrigation source, are being applied monthly. It's expensive, but an increased budget is making this possible. We are spot aerifying where necessary and sodding any areas that do not show progress. 

#11 fairway

#8 fairway

The hard working staff will continue to improve the fairways and the entire course every single day. This course hardly resembles itself compared to 3 years ago. We have 12,000 new plants, 35 less acres of turf, bermuda fairways, bermuda tees, and greens that are healthy and rolling beautifully. We can always make it better and we will, one day at a time.

#14 fairway