Reserve Reminder
11-11-11
As most of you are aware, we’ve begun changing mowing patterns and mowing heights in preparation for the winter season. The turfcare department would like to touch on why we feel these changes are necessary. The sun travels lower in the sky during the winter months, which creates some areas that can go without direct sunlight for weeks or even months. In those areas, we want to give the turf all the assistance we can. By growing those areas up, the plants have more leaf tissue to complete the photosynthetic process, thereby creating a healthier plant. This sunlight phenomenon is only one reason for the changing mowing heights. Other areas that receive special treatment are locations that have performed poorly throughout the winter months. By growing these areas up, we can limit the amount or stress caused by the various maintenance practices and golfer traffic. Most have you have probably noticed that we have been more aggressive regarding the amount of area we’ve chosen to grow up. We feel that the success we’ve seen over the past couple of winters using this system allows us to keep these areas more consistent throughout a larger portion of the growing season thereby improving overall playability.
Along those lines of improved conditions, we’d like to give a quick update on our new small-tine aerification program. We understand that there was a little dissatisfaction with the number of aerifications scheduled throughout the past growing season, but hope that those that were concerned were able to get out and enjoy the great conditions in October and into November. We’ve heard a great deal of compliments regarding the playability of the greens this fall and we attribute that to the current aerification program. Ultimately, we’d like to get one more ¼” hollow-tine aerification in at the end of November. That being said, reducing the number of hollow-tine aerifications next season will be dependant on our ability to manage thatch throughout the off-season. The goal will be to maintain one 5/8” tine in the spring and three ¼” tines throughout the remainder of the season. As always, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature and will have the long-term interests of the golf courses as our number one priority. If this email has created any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank You,
Mike Turner, Director of Agronomy
