I vented trouble areas on the golf course this morning, fairway spots, tees, and some collars. The Poa is struggling right now like most years with the high heat and short roots. The bentgrass is looking great as its a much stronger species but the golf course is 60 percent Poa, see the problem. This venting will help bring oxygen to the roots, vent out the gases from the soil, and allow better water infiltration.
The 10-day forecast is calling for hot and humid July weather with chances of thunderstorms over the weekend. These storms would bring much needed rain but the combination of rain and high heat can cause an explosion of disease or saturate the soil creating high heat issues for the turfs roots. Sorry for the overload of bad news but this is what we face during the summer months in the Northeast. I will quote the great turf pathologist Noel Jackson "There is no free lunch in the turf business"
A few reminders - the turf is growing very slow now with the heat so please fix your ball marks, pick up your feet on the greens dont' shuffle, replace your divots with green sand, and be mindful of the crew and myself out watering with hoses. Please do not spray your legs with sunscreen or bug spray while standing on the turf as this will kill the grass. Drink plenty of liquids and I will see you on the course.
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