Some people may ask why we seem to be punching the greens “all the time” here at The Reserve. We’d like to take this opportunity to re-publish a RR from December of last year. Take extra care to read the portions in red as they explain why we punch more frequently.
Reserve Reminder 12-8-10
We here at The Reserve hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday season, It’s this time of year when we tend to realize just how fortunate we are. For the turfcare department, that especially holds true considering the struggle we had with our greens this spring! As I write this email, I look back on what the greens looked like in January, and feel blessed to know what they look like right now. We had a great year for growing turf, but we also implemented some practices that helped turn the conditions around.
We feel that one of biggest benefits came from using our small-tine aerifications to remove excessive thatch. In fact, we feel it was so successful, that we’d like to develop a program that would substitute our October large-tine aerification, with multiple small-tine aeriations. With that said, we are planning our first attempt the second week of January. Like always, this process requires Mother Nature to cooperate, so if the weather window closes, we will have to reschedule.
We feel that by removing the thatch a little at a time more frequently, we create a better product in the long term. This new program my impact the tee sheets a little more frequently throughout the season, but the golf courses will be more playable, more often. Our continued goal is to provide outstanding playing conditions for our members, their guests, and the general public, each and every time they choose to play here at The Reserve!
If this email has created any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Here’s to an enjoyable Christmas and a successful 2011.
Happy Holidays,
Mike Turner, Superintendent
On another note, we want to mention the current state of the South ponds. The water quality looks awful, but we believe that it is due to the effectiveness of the current treatment. Let me explain, the product we started using in the South ponds this season settles to the bottom and digests the sludge and muck. When this process occurs, it allows the algae and plant material that is suspended along the bottom to break-up and float to the surface. We had our water treatment expert out here in late August and he assured us that we need to “stay the course” in order to realize the benefits of our current regime. The pond quality should be a lot better next season (similar to the North) due to the amount of sludge being digested.
As always, if this email has created any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank You,
Mike Turner, Superintendent
