The fun continues.  We are now in an extended drought coinciding with prolonged summer heat.  Managing anything green is trying.  Rain is in the forecast tonight so hopefully better days are ahead.

This heron finds the fishing better but who cares!  We need rain and yes we are buying water.

Right on the edge of Hermaine but not a drop of rain to be had.

Greens aerification-only the turf likes it.

We chose small holes based on the weather and feel good with our choice. 

A week later and the greens have fully recovered.  This looks like a young wooly bear caterpillar and an early sign of a tough winter?

Heat stress damage to the ninth fairway with bentgrass plants starting to recover.

One week later more improvement is seen but cooler temps and rain are the prescription we need.

Bent is finally beginning to grow as exhibited by the lateral recovery in this divot.  Temperatures have been too hot for this to occur for almost two months.

Some disappointing pics.  Fresh ballparks on aerified greens…

and not one but two divots on turf that can't heal itself.

Cart damage to drought stressed turf.

Second generation goosegrass germinating.  This weed has been a beast this summer and difficult to control with the weather extremes.

Proof that wetting agents are working!  Nice moisture throughout the root zone with roots starting to grow again.  Fall is coming.

Yours truly representing our club.  My team won the Virginia Turfgrass Research Tournament at Wintergreen shooting a fine 57 with a net 51.4!!!!  Thanks to my friends from Davisson Golf for the invite.

The driving range tee ready for action.  Days practicing on turf this season are numbered as the bermudagrass slows down.

Serenity even if the lake is out of water.

It's been a really difficult August but it is ending and course renovation has begun!  We either set or tied a record for the most ninety degree days for the month.  All things considered the course held up well and should recover rapidly with cooler temperatures and some beneficial rain.

All things considered the golf course held its own this summer.

We recently purchased this fairway slicer/spiker.  When better weather arrives we will incorporate it into our regular maintenance.

It is amazing how ugly one weed can be.  This is a goosegrass plant in a fairway.  This only plants that grow well this summer are weeds-particularly goosegrass, crabgrass, nutsedge and bermudagrass.

Crabgrass around the fifth tee.  We will document where extensive weed outbreaks were and treat accordingly next year.  Too much heat and rain have rendered preemergent herbicide applications ineffective this summer.  Treating later in the heat only hurts the turf.

Great practice technique on the practice fairway.  This will recover once it cools down by lateral  growth of the bent.

Poor practice technique and will not heal till next season.

Josh renovating the nurseries.

Solid tine aeration before and after rolling.

Lots of wildlife on the course.  Here four bucks graze near five tee.

Red tail hawk enjoying the sunrise.

The ladies had a fun "Karnival"event that Richard enjoyed preparing.

Mina's garden.

The lovely twelfth hole!