Satisfy Your Urge!

We've finally ditched the snow for the year and the frost has officially left the ground! Yesterday, we put the flagsticks back in the greens indicating that they are open for play.  Winter golf conditions should be expected, and no accessories are put out on the course yet.  Over the next couple of weeks (as weather dictates) we will be bringing out the benches, tee markers, ball washers, etc. until finally the course will set for the golfing season.  Also, because it is so early in the year, golf carts will not be available for some time yet.  Our ground conditions are still very wet and will take some time to dry out enough to support cart traffic.  Please be patient and enjoy a walk around the course!

As expected...

With the recent warm up, I have finally gotten outside to get a look at some of our turf.  As expected, we have a decent crop of snow mold.  While historically we don't get enough prolonged snow cover to worry about snow mold on a large scale, the past two winters have caused some grief.  With today (February 17th) being the first real day of "open turf", we have to go back to early December to find the last day without substantial snow cover.  This is well beyond the 60 days of snow cover usually required to have snow mold issues.  Whether we have Gray Snow Mold or Pink Snow Mold is the question, but it is likely we have a little of both.  Also likely is that they are purely cosmetic and the fungus did not make it to the crown of the plant and cause a lethal infection.

So what now?  With the snow cover all but gone and freezing temperatures in the horizon, the fungus will stop actively growing until freezing temperatures subside.  When the ground conditions warrant, will be making an early fungicide application to take care of the snow mold and some other likely spring diseases.  Once the turf starts actively growing, it will simply grow through the cosmetic effects of the disease.

A Little Bit Closer...

Although we began today with a good freeze, temperatures rebounded quickly and the guys were able to get out and make some progress.  Today marks the third greens mowing of the year (not including the rolling done prior to mowing) and the day we started in on bunkers. 

Steve Horsley mows #10 green

Carl, Alan, and Kenny get a bunker ready for the season

Over the next several days we will be working through the bunkers, working on general cleanup and Carley will be hard at getting her beds ready for the spring.