Memorial Day Update

If anyone saw spring let me know because it feels like we went from winter to summer. May 16th we had frost and May 25th it was 90 degrees. The recent shot of heat has really woken up the golf course and things are really growing now. The past 7 days or so we are getting a consistent amount of clippings from the greens and they have been rolling between 10 and 11 feet daily. We will be lightly verticutting the greens on Tuesday since we are closed followed by some potassium and wetting agent applications. The wetting agent helps evenly distribute water in the soil of the greens following irrigation and rain events. Potassium is slightly low according to our tissue tests so just giving the turf what it needs.

Two reminders, please not use the divot mix in the rough and please use the stands next to the greens for the flag sticks on Memorial Day due to the American Flags. If the weather is not good the American Flags will not be placed out on Monday. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the weather and conditions at the course this weekend and let's take a few minutes to remember what Memorial Day is all about.

Lifting Fog

3 Green in the Fog

Fine Fescue Trial

I have started a trial area located on the hill behind the 5th tee in the "native area". My goal for a long time has been to develop a plan for the out of the way "native areas" to have a fine fescue stand that a wayward golf ball could still be found and played. A colleague of mine in Colorado tried a method using a post hole digger to plant fescue on 1 foot centers allowing for a great look and have playability. The method is labor intensive but inexpensive. The area is totally killed of all vegetation with just small holes dug on 1 foot centers for the fescue. I have tried a small area to monitor this season with the goal of expanding this fall. The fescue for this area is a mix of sheep, hard, and red fescue while our fescue for our normal rough areas is tall fescue.

Existing Turf Killed, Seed planted

Seed Germinated

Finished product - Country Club of the Rockies
Photo courtesy of Kevin Ross