Another month is over and cool weather continues to be the norm.  Soil temperatures are still in the low 50's and the turf shows it.  Greens aerification takes place next week so we are hoping for temperatures to rebound and enhance recovery.  New sod is knitting in fine but seeded areas are struggling.  We have pushed back installation of summer annuals because the tulips have been so late and long blooming.  Additionally our grower is having a difficult time getting annuals to market size because of the cool cloudy weather.

 

The bentgrass is just beginning to grow.  This is an area infected by pink snow mold that has almost fully recovered.  Bent prefers warmer temperatures.

 

 

The mowing height for our fairways is now set at 1/2".  Here Richard mows the 14th fairway.

 

 

This ball sits up nicely at this height.

 

 

We have begun applications of Cutless growth regulator for suppression of annual bluegrass in our fairways.  The annual bluegrass is in flower at this time and at its worse!

 

 

Seed suppression of annual bluegrass was quite successful as illustrated by these photos.  The whitish area is untreated.

 

Another photo of a "check plot."

 

 

We solid tined aerified all the greens on Monday.  This type of aerification is not disruptive to play.  Core aerification begins on May 5th and is quite disruptive to the putting surface but necessary.

 

 

This fellow is enjoying the sun by the bridge on hole five.

 

 

Our tulips were spectacular this spring.

 

 

Did Billy Graham pay us a visit?