10.24.25 Update

October was a really productive month for us out on the course. The weather was hot, sunny, and dry which allowed us to achieve our goals of sodding the remaining turf on fairways without any interference from mother nature. The above normal temperatures also aided in pushing turf growth so we're in a good spot as we head into the first cold front of the season.

Bobby Holmes and his team from Golf Sculptors once again jumped in and assisted us in preparing the areas of fairway for sod. 5am to late into the evening, his team was out there prepping the soil and hauling off the material.

Some fairways, like here on Hole # 6, had significantly more area prepped compared to some other holes. As we walked fairways and looked at turf quality, areas that we felt weren't going to be playable from the sprigging had to be sodded. Maybe if we had a few more months of favorable weather most of the fairway could of grown in but as with any project, you have to make tough calls and move forward.

Geo was the foreman with this crew and I really appreciated his attention to detail. As sod was being laid, if we felt it wasn't matching up with the existing turf, they would peel it back, add soil, and lay back down the sod.

Extensive hand watering took place for two weeks to help the sod survive the hot weather. During the sprig grow in, we were able to rely on our sprinklers to water the turf since we had to water the whole fairway. The sod work presented some logistical challenges since we had to keep the new sod wet while still being able to mow, fertilize, and work on the existing grass on the fairways. Kudos to our team for going with the flow, being adaptable, and taking great care of the turf during this process.

Once the sod was on the ground, we used a combination of heavy equipment and manual labor to topdress the new grass with sand. The contractors did a great job making the new sod level but as the grass settled into the soil, it fell a little bit beneath the grade of the existing fairway turf. We'll continue to monitor the new sod and make follow up topdressing applications until it looks correct.

Our rollers were utilized to help smooth out the new fairway sod, help push the seams together, and work the topdressing sand into the profile.

Fairway areas that are still knitting together continue to be treated with liquid fertilizer. These target applications on just the weaker turf helps these areas catch up to the rest of the grass around them. I was really surprised by how much we continued to grow in October. Even with the shorter days, the amount of sunshine we did get and the hot temperatures helped the bermuda significantly.

On the putting surfaces, only a few remaining areas on some greens need special attention with additional topdressing and fertilizer applications as we try to heal in any weak areas.

Given the overall health of the greens, we've continued to drop the height of cut of the grass on the putting surfaces. As heights got lower, we did run into some minor scalping and scuffing of the turf where there were still some little imperfections from the grow in. These areas should heal in and we've been protecting them by adding small amounts of sand to those specific spots.

Light, frequent applications of topdressing sand across the whole putting surface will continue fill in any imperfections as well as improve the smoothness of the greens. As we've started to roll some putts, they wiggle from time to time but overall I'm encouraged with how the ball is rolling out.

We walk the greens daily monitoring moisture and water only as needed. The overall sand profile that the grass was built on is performing really well. We're seeing good root development, water is moving quickly off the surface down through the sand, and surfaces remain firm.

On # 13, we've added new drainage inlets and pipe to help dry out the low spot in that fairway. We will continue to work our way across the fairway all the way to the cart path doing the same scope of work.

On the driving range, we've overseeded the target greens with perennial ryegrass. If you've been out practicing, you might of noticed the irrigation running throughout the day. These cycles of water help keep the new seed hydrated and will help it germinate. By the time we open, the targets should stand out and give some nice contrast against the bermuda grass.

Thank you for reading and being a member.

Willie