Hello everyone, I hope everyone is enjoying their start of the holiday weekend.  I wanted to touch base with you all and update everyone on some things that are going on with each of the golf courses.

Miller:  Scott Miller was on property the past few days approving all things that are left for him to see.  The 18th fairway will be shaped differently than before, removing a bunker and shaping that fairway into a split type fairway.  Bunkers are on the list of things to complete, as shaping and bunker lines were approved.  We are installing liners in all bunkers that will prevent soil from eroding into the sand after heavy rains as well as holding the sand up on the steep faces.  We will rake these bunkers by hand going forward.  This will be labor intensive, however, I feel that the bottoms will be just too small to get in with our machine.  We will no longer be raking the faces.  We will broom them to a smooth finish.  This will allow the sand to firm up and cut down on any "fried eggs" that could happen.  These bunkers will be soft when we open, as any new bunker will be, but we will work to compact these faces and bottoms as much as possible before opening.  The greens are progressing along nicely.  After three weeks of being planted, we are now mowing 3-4 days a week as well as rolling.  We will begin heavy topdressing these in the coming months to make sure they are smooth for opening.  Over the next few weeks, we will be aerifying the fairways and rough to promote healthy root zones.  I am pleased with the overall progress thus far on this redo.

Weiskopf:  As many of you who play golf are aware, we have been actively cutting sod off many of the collars and greens edges.  We are not only cutting sod off, but we are also re-grading many of the tie ins.  The tie ins should be a smooth transition from collar/approaches to greens.  We are going hole by hole correcting these tie ins.  Some areas we are removing soil to have positive drainage off the greens and others we are bringing in soil/sand to raise up any holes.  I hope to have this entire process completed in the coming 2-3 weeks.  The greens have healed up nicely after aerification.  We were able to pull 1/2" cores on 2"x2" spacings.  We have also started spraying growth regulators again.  This growth regulator promotes lateral growth versus vertical growth which in turns speeds up the greens.  We will continue to spray this growth regulator weekly promoting smooth faster greens.  I am very excited to see all greens healed up from the scars of aerication so quickly, which tells me we are healthy and heading in the right direction.

Grand Pines:  These greens are also very healthy and growing.  We also have started spraying growth regulators on these greens for the same reason.  We must get these greens to putt faster.  The course certainly has responded to the aerification and the recent fertilizer applications.  We are growing and cutting a lot of grass on the fairways.  I also know that the rough is getting thick and long.  We will work diligently to keep this rough at a cutting height of 1.75".  Understanding that we cut the rough on Monday and Tuesday and by Sunday this height is more 2+ inches, but I was told today, "Yes it is penal, however, it also saved my ball from rolling into the woods" so I am hoping many of your share this sentiment.  The two closed days after the 4th, July 5th and 6th, we will be verticutting these greens to remove some grass as well as smoothing out the roll.  Once we have cleaned up the verticutting mess, we will topdress these greens heavier than our normal weekly sanding.  This will ensure that we do not get "puffy" in the coming warm humid months.  I am very pleased to see how this course is really responding to our cultural practices as well as the recent fertility.

I want to thank everyone for the kind words I have heard recently, but understand we are doing all this work so that you will enjoy your courses more.  I look forward to seeing you all out on the golf courses and Happy 4th of July.

Donny Latham