Grand Pines:  We have hired our new Golf Course Superintendent.  Miles Carlson comes to us from Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond.  We have completed the bunker project and are now sodding all thin areas on greens from the winter shade problems.  We eliminated many of the problem trees over the winter, so we should be healthy going forward.  Expanding many pine straw beds around the course to define areas of where we will have good turf and straw versus the turf being thin around many of the large trees.

 

Miller:  Fairways and Rough and Tees have all been fertilized twice.  We are trying to promote growth but we now need help from mother nature.  Our nighttime temperatures have not been high enough to make the Bermuda grass start actively growing.  Once we get nighttime temperatures in the upper 60’s low 70’s our turf will take off from all the fertilizer that has been applied.  I know I say this hesitantly but I am ready for it to get hot.  The greens are doing fine, but we are still too cool at night to actively verticut and do other cultural practices to really push the green speeds.  I don’t want to push them by cutting super low at this time of the year which could jeopardize the health leading into summer.  I suspect by next month’s meeting, we will be in a different place.  By the end of May, we should be warm enough to be growing like crazy.  We will be sodding some weak and thin collars on Miller next Monday.  We have these areas prepped for sod, but could not get sod until Monday.  

 

Weiskopf:   Same song different course.  WE have fertilized all Bermuda, but need  warmer temps.  We will continue to work on sodding areas around edges of cart paths going forward to eliminate as many bare or thin areas that are in play.  Next week’s focus will be on 13,14 and 15.  I look forward to a warmer May and hope to see you all soon on the golf courses.

 

Regards,

 

Donny Latham

Director of Agronomy