August 18, 2016 Morning Update

We have finally broken our streak with 7 days of temperatures reaching over 90 degrees with heat indexes over 100 degrees and night time temps above 70 degrees. The 0.5 inches of rain that fell overnight will help the fairways, tees and roughs and allow our wells some more time to recharge so we may fill our irrigation pond. As long as the weather does not turn hot and humid the rain will not hurt the greens.

Have had some questions about how we water greens under hot and humid conditions. This is very different than when we water under dry and hot weather.

Here is a picture of a staff member checking the soil moisture with a moisture meter and marking dry areas with flags.

This ensures only the needed areas are getting water. A previous post described syringing to cool off greens (Syringing Greens). There has been scientific evidence since the 1980's showing that this method of watering greens has a cooling effect of less than two minutes. Doing this in areas with little to no air movement does not allow the plant to naturally cool itself.

One more point to discuss, and one that I am guilty of doing myself, is comparing one course to another. I am in contact with many local superintendents discussing conditions and all our having turf stress. Greens with little air movement and shade are the worse. However, there are many, many variables to golf courses even across the street from one another. Soil, trees, design, budget, equipment, rounds of golf played, etc lead to too many factors that do not allow a correct comparison to be made. I am available to discuss course conditions and ask that this blog be used as an updated source of information for the members.