Whats Next? Agronomic Report

Dear Member:

After many challenges and a couple ups and downs over the last few months, we are quickly heading into summer with plenty on the to-do list however, we are making some progress. It has been a very long time since it has been this saturated for such a long period at HP; even walking on the fairways was a challenge!

Oops!

Last week, the Grounds team was able to take advantage of the drier weather and carefully create somewhat of a resemblance of fairways with the mowing equipment. After several mowings, the turf looked okay,  considering the Zoysia was not permissible to be mowed for about 2 weeks. 

The grass clippings left behind reminded me of the days working on the farm and bailing hay! The equipment and staff preformed fantastically to eventually reach this end result. (below)

Moving forward, some damage was sustained from the extended wet period. Low lying areas have seen turf loss, along with select areas of fairways where imprints have been left from both carts and mowing equipment. Summer aerfication of the fairways will be a necessity to smooth the surface, reduce compaction and eliminate scalping of the turf as noted in the picture below from the 18th fairway.

Other areas will need to be sodded and drainage added to help remedy this in the future. 

The rough has seen a tremendous amount of stress from the increased rainfall. The rough is composed of over 50 percent Annual Bluegrass. Also known as Poa, this grass type is undesired in this area because of its susceptibility to plant pathogens and poor heat tolerance. The summer is just beginning and we can already see areas that are looking tired. A long-term strategy to enhance the rough is to increase the populations of Turf Type Tall Fescue (TTTF) through multiple seasons of Innerseeding. TTTF  will allow for reduced inputs and increase playability in the rough areas.

Other Initiatives Include:

-Small drainage projects across the golf course

-Cart path repairs will continue with contractor availability (two weeks); most work is confined to the back nine

-Weed Control in the rough; Canada Thistle plants are the main target. 

Thanks to the entire Grounds Team for their continued persistence along with your patience over the past couple months! Please pass along any feedback or questions to grounds@hydeparkcc.com?

Thank-you,

Pat O'Brien
Grounds Superintendent