7-21-19

Good Morning,

Every week is like Groundhog Day.  It has been hotter than one would like and then add in a bunch of thunderstorms and high winds.  It’s a difficult situation for our farming community and extends into our own yards where we deal with wind and hail damage.  I guess there really is no such thing as “normal” anymore.

The high temperatures really take a toll on the golf course.  Our greens and tees are sand based so the top of the soil profile dries out quickly and can go through the day at 110 degree temperature.  The rest of our course is clay based and drains poorly.  It all adds up to difficult grass growing conditions due to all the stress the plant receives during these conditions.

I have increased my foliar fertilizer applications and wetting agents on the greens to try and provide more nutrients and water holding ability within the plant.  This has caused our greens to grow rapidly through the heat and also limit the isolated dry spots.  The greens might be putting a little slower but it is for the benefit of plant health and overall quality of the golf course.

Our tees and fairways were fertilized one week ago and they have responded beautifully.  The color and health are wonderful right now.  We have some isolated dry areas on our tees which is a result of some poor irrigation coverage.  They are in a very healthy state right now.

I have continued to struggle with some irrigation issues.  Not that you would think irrigation is a necessity right now, but it is important to keep the greens cooled down during these high temperature nights.  I keep gaining a little more ground with the issues and will eventually get it all resolved.

We have some busy weeks upcoming with golf outings and tournaments.  Then it will all hit us with part time staff going back to school, leagues ending, and people talking about the Clay County Fair.

Each week goes by so quickly and we deal with a lot whether it be personal or work related.  Remember to take a step back once in a while and realize all the great things we have in our lives.  They are so much more important than what causes us stress.  Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.  It looks like a beautiful day!