After a very warm and dry start to the season, the rain was welcome, although it came all at once. Unfortunately, many of our post-winter repairs suffered from washouts due to the rain, and we are constantly repairing and fixing these issues. We continue to deal with drainage problems, particularly around the road network and in the bunkers. However, the situation in the bunkers has much improved compared to previous seasons, thanks to extensive work on the drainage pipes and the ongoing replacement of old sand with new grey sand.
The drainage project on the 4th fairway faced several challenges and turned into a much larger endeavor than originally planned. Time will tell if the solution is 100% successful, but I can already see that water is draining away very effectively after heavy rainfall. It's a massive improvement over the previous condition. We've carried out extensive aeration work on both the 4th and 5th fairways and heavily top-dressed them with sand in the last few days.
All fairways, tees, and foregreens have now been seeded, including the area in front of the 8th tees. We've already seen significant germination on the 4th fairway, and with the current weather, we should see results quickly on the rest of the course.
We will continue to work extensively on improving turf conditions around the course. This means further aeration in the form of hollow coring or deep tining to improve drainage. This is time-consuming work and requires patience from everyone when we do it.
Ongoing projects include completing the road from the 7th to the 8th; we hope the bridge will be ready in a few weeks so we can open up the new route soon. We also continue to improve the tee sign areas around the course and enhance the general presentation of the course as much as our resources allow.
However, the greens always take priority, and we will continue to improve the surface quality with verticutting, top dressing, and aeration practices throughout the season. So far, I am very happy with the green quality and the overall presentation of the course, but I am never content, so we strive to improve all the time. I hope you can continue to enjoy the course for the rest of the summer.
Please take care of all the repaired areas under blue stakes, try to keep away from newly seeded areas to allow establishment, and remember to replace your divots on the fairways. Help us improve the grass surfaces we have and are trying to create.
Thanks and have a great summer.
The Greenkeeper Team
