These pictures are just a sampling of the many suffering areas you may have noticed in the rough. These areas are perfect examples of what heavy cart traffic in one place can do to turf. While many of these areas would have unavoidably come to this point throughout the course of the season, our soaked spring has led to a less then favorable reaction to the now parched conditions. Heavy rainfall during the main growing season of turf (spring) can lead to reduced or even stunted root growth. Given how wet the course has been for the last two months, it's safe to say we are seeing the results of that now in the speed at which certain areas are drying out.
Currently we are aerifying these ares to allow for increased gas exchange and to reduce compaction caused by the cart traffic. Along with the aerification we are fertilizing and irrigating these areas to aid them in their recovery. These are only curative actions however. We cannot control the amount of rain we get in a spring, this we all know. We can, however, manage our own cart traffic. The worst areas have been marked off by stakes to allow them time for recovery. Please actively watch where you and your fellow players are driving and try to avoid covering the exact same ground or any other areas that may appear to be succumbing to wear damage!
See you on the course!
Elliott Dowling
