IT'S ALL ABOUT PATIENCE....

Matthew Kerens - Paramount country Club

 

As we hit June and finally get to feel the warmth of the summer after what felt like an extra winter rather than spring, golf courses throughout the northeast are starting to put their winter woes behind them. Ask any superintendent in the northeast what the most challenging part of the spring is, and they will undoubtedly mention mother nature. And they all know there is no beating mother nature—the weather moves at its own speed and makes its own rules. The only thing we can do at times is be patient.

 

Unfortunately, this past spring brought on a multitude of challenges to superintendents. Whether your poa greens suffered from winter damage, or your bent grass greens were slow to recover from the requisite springtime cultural practices; patience was indeed a necessary virtue this spring. We require patience from golfers to get conditions elevated while performing tasks that promote recovery. At the same time, your superintendent is also preparing your surfaces for the heat and grind of the summer months. Juggling both repair work and preparation practices is difficult but necessary in order to allow turf to perform at its best throughout the season.

 

As the weather has finally turned and golf courses push through the difficulties that came with this past spring it is important to continue to be patient. As a golfer, courses are looking and playing like they are finally in mid-season form, but it is important to recognize that we may have recovered from our winter woes but that has left us with weaker turf in many cases. Grass that has had to be regrown to fill in voids from winter kill requires intense management to ensure that the young turf will survive the stresses of summer. In many cases this may mean extra fertilizer and pesticide applications and more frequent irrigation events.

 

Hand-watering during hot periods is especially important when managing young or struggling turf; especially on putting greens. There are generally two types of hand-watering; one is usually a morning practice to supplement overhead irrigation and ensure certain areas of turf have enough moisture to survive the hot and/or dry day ahead. The other application of hand-watering is normally done throughout the afternoon of a hot and or dry day which consists of a light and frequent application of water to specific areas. The goal of hand-watering is to ensure the plants have enough moisture to survive until the next deep irrigation or rain event. Expect to see the maintenance team of your golf course out hand-watering greens over the entirety of the summer months.

 

So, remember, patience is a virtue! Both for golfers and superintendents alike!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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