Cool weather persists and plants everywhere are responding accordingly.  There is nothing we can do to expedite growth on the course until the soil begins to warm.  Currently soil temperatures are around 40 degrees and not much growth happens when the ground is that cold.  Around fifty and spring takes off!  The course is beginning to dry out so we can begin getting some equipment on the course.  Fairways will be cut Tuesday and should knock off some of the winter brown.  We are aware of the high populations of annual bluegrass that has invaded many of our fairways but feel confident once warmer days come the bent will begin growing and crowding out the annual bluegrass.

 

Soil temperatures must rise for plants to grow.  Forty degrees will not cut it.

 

 

While waiting for the grass to grow we have many chores to complete.  We are changing all the ball washers to black to match our tee signs.  Here Rony preps the old posts for new paint.

 

 

The course has been so soft that much of the clean up has been done by hand.   Here the crew cleans around the first green Saturday morning.

 

 

The soil has finally dried up to allow mulching of beds to begin.

 

 

Edgar cutting an edge in a bed to hold chips in the parking lot.

 

 

The irrigation system has been up and running for about two weeks.  Though we won't be irrigating anytime soon we use lake water to fill our spray tanks. 

 

 

Flagged annual bluegrass plants to be removed on the practice green.

 

 

Cutting out the plants and replacing with bent.

 

Daffodils blooming on a southern exposure.