Taking it Easy

The next couple days will test our experience as turf managers.  Day temperatures in the high 90's and dew points in the 70's equaling heat indexes around 105-115, not ideal conditions for cool season turfgrass.  Plant protectants have been applied to the fine turf areas to protect the plants from diseases such as Brown Patch and Pythium blight. Reducing stress on the turf is a top concern so we will be reducing our mowing and rolling on greens, alternating mow and roll days and will be stretching our fairway mowing from 3 days a week to 2 days a week.  Mowing is one of the worst activities we can do to the plants during long periods of heat stress.  If there is a cultural practice we can control it's mowing, so we will reduce it as much as we feel we can and still provide the members with quality playing conditions.

Venting of greens surfaces will again take place next Monday and we will be monitoring and scouting greens, tees and fairways a little more closely during this brutal stretch of weather.  The good thing about living in Minnesota is, this will eventually end and a cool front will blow this out of here.  Until then we will be monitoring the turf and reducing cultural practices to the bare minimum.