Switching Practice Tees

As discussed in earlier messages, the practice tee (driving range) has really taken a beating. It gets a lot of use over a small area. The weather has not been conducive to fast recovery and we are left with a tee in rough shape. In order to give the main tee a break we are going to move our hitting area to the back of the range by #18 green. You are asked to refrain from hitting driver from this tee due to safety concerns. While this is a slight invconvenience, we see this as necessary to allow recovery of the main tee as we head into the peak of our season. In order to minimize the wear and prolong having usable tee space you are encouraged to practice using a divot pattern in a straight line. The illustration below shows 25 divots taken in 2 different methods. One is a scattered method and the other is a single line. A single line consolidates the damage to the tee and allows us to get a lot more use out of our limited space. Give it a shot!

This Is Florida, Right?

This is Florida, right? That a question I've had to ask myself a lot this winter. Sunshine state? Not so much. Due to the strong El Nino weather pattern we have had many cool, wet and cloudy days this winter. Since it is not cold enough for the grass to go dormant the grass plants continue to use their stored energy. Unfortunately, the cool, rainy and especially cloudy weather inhibits the grass' ability to make more energy through photosynthesis.  I am happy to see sunshine and 70's in this week's forecast. While the next few days probably won't make the grass grow much, it will still help in building carbohydrate reserves to help the grass weather the storm. We have seen some of the weaker or more trafficked areas thin. We will be giving these areas extra attention primarily with a green sand topdressing to help protect these plants.

   Thin area on #4 green

Monday Fertilization and Other Updates

On Monday, February 1st there will be an 8:00 shotgun for all wishing to play that day. The golf course will be closed in the afternoon for fertilization and maintenance. Following the fertilization there may be a few tire tracks left by the spreader truck. The Grounds Department will work to repair any such tracks. However, if you find your ball adversely affected by such conditions you are entitled to a drop. 

The winter months are normally the dry season here in Florida. Not so this year. El Nino has brought us much rain and cloudy weather. We are at nearly 9" of rainfall already in 2016. This obviously creates a lot of issues for playability and cart use. It also presents challenges for maintaining grass. We are receiving excess moisture when the grass does not need it. There is little opportunity for drying as the temperatures are cooler and we've had many cloudy days. The saturated conditions increase the negative effects of wear from foot and cart traffic. The excessive moisture also increases disease pressure from plant pathogenic fungi. We will continue to manage traffic using signs, ropes, stakes and paint. Please adhere to any restrictions. We are on a preventitive fungicide program to reduce the chances of disease issues. Including Monday's fertilization, we are taking all the proper steps to put the pieces in place for quick recovery once the weather turns more favorable. 

   When carts fail to follow restrictions wear is increased

Yesterday the city replaced the ficus along number 3. The previous hedge was removed during the installation of the Pedestrian/Bike path.

Course Care PSA

Being on an island, space is often limited. We experience this every day with our practice facility. Not only do we have limited-flight golf balls, our tee space is relatively small for the amount of use that it gets. The recent cold snap hasn't helped with recovery either. However, we can help minimize the wear in order to get the most out of this space. The illustration below shows 25 divots taken in 2 different methods. One is a scattered method and the other is a single line. A single line consolidates the damage to the tee and allows us to get a lot more use out of our limited space. Give it a shot!

This morning the Grounds Department took advantage of a light tee sheet in order to solid-tine aerify our greens. The cool, wet and cloudy weather tends to keep the green soil profile wet. This causes poor conditions that discourage the growth of healthy turfgrass. Reduced oxygen in the soil and excess moisture promoting disease development are just a few challenges posed by the wet profiles. By punching small holes in the greens we are able to incorporate more oxygen into the soil profile as well as create channels for water to drain more efficiently. While the holes are visible, they cause no adverse effects towards playabilty. The grounds department intends to continue this practice as necessary. 

Annual Palm Tree Trimming

This week the grounds department started its annual tree trimming process. This process is very time consuming and usually takes 4 to 5 weeks to complete. Please be patient with us as we work our way around the golf course. While the rented lift has turf tires designed to minimize impact on grass there may be instances where tire tracks are left by the machine. Our department will be working to remove any such tracks on a timely basis. If your golf ball happens to be affected negatively by these tracks you are entitled to a free drop. 

You may also notice that we are leaving a few more palm fronds on the trees this year compared to years past. In order to get the biggest bang for our buck we previously used to give the trees a "hurricane cut." This left only a few palm fronds coming straight out of the top of the tree. Due to failing health of many palm trees over the past few years we have decided to be slightly more conservative this year. We are leaving more long palm fronds on the trees as those fronds provide a source of energy for the tree to use. While the aesthetic benefits may not last as long following trimming, we are hoping for healthier trees over time.

Happy Sunday!

Just another beautiful morning at Isla Del Sol!

Topdressing Approaches

The Grounds Maintenance Department took advatage of the nice weather and light tee sheet this morning to topdress approaches. Topdressing is the spreading of sand over an area of turf. The main objective we are trying to reach by topdressing approaches is to firm these playing surfaces over time. We have identified topdressing approaches as a program we wish to increase during 2016 growing season and took today as an opportunity to get a head start. 

   #6 Approach after topdressing application

   #6 Approach after sand was incorporated