The summer of 2010 has proven to be a difficult on for turf managers. Nationwide, with very few exceptions, golf courses have borne the brunt of Mother Nature be it too wet, too dry, and without fail too hot. Here in central Illinois we are no exception. Our golf courses have experienced turf loss on a grand scale with very few exceptions. As it has worked out, the problems have been mainly with Poa annua. Naturally then, golf courses who have more Poa annua have had more difficulties and golf courses with less Poa annua have faired much better. The embedded video was produced to help explain the effects that heat has on turf. As you watch the video, consider the fact that here at CCC we have routinely seen 2" soil temperatures spike at 97 degrees in the heat of the afternoon! Difficult growing conditions to say the least!
We will continue to fight the fight, man the hoses, and baby our turf until cooler temperatures prevail (I can't wait) at which point we will begin making our way around the course to reseed areas that are too far gone to recover.
While we certainly haven't been the hardest hit in our area, we do have some trouble spots. Let's hope for a fall that is conducive to seed germination and subsequent growth!
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