Another dose of rain today and a fitting end to May.  Cloudy, cool, and damp has been the story this month.  Hopefully the course will begin to dry up as June arrives.  We have been fortunate to dodge some of the bigger rainfall totals that some courses have experienced.  Nonetheless almost ten inches of rain occurred this month.  The crew has performed great throughout.

Consequences of too much rain-soft greens and ball marks needing to be repaired.

Lightning hit on a red oak between two and eight earlier this week.

This tree just fell down last week in the same area.

The sun did come out on occasion.  Here Jose B mows the third fairway.  It takes talent to mow a straight line too!

Julio and company have done some stellar planting throughout the course.  The pollinating garden is the next big task.  Another application of RoundUp is coming before we begin prepping the soil.

The wildflower bed will be worked on next week as well.

This is a welcome sight.  The bermudagrass is just beginning to grow and needs lots of warm temperatures to flourish.

Jack continues to be a work in progress with his people skills but there is no doubt about his ability to  move geese off our property!

Plenty of rain the last ten days-over six inches! The improvement in the way the course drains is remarkable. Can you say money well spent!  Greens aerification went great.  We can't remember the greens putting so well after this procedure.  The mowers will be back on the greens tomorrow.  Annuals and shrub planting will be going full bore this week and next.  Tis the season.  We will be grooming the course for the Member Member Championship this weekend.

DryJect aerifier in action.

Another view.  Irrigation water is pushed into the soil profile creating a void that is then filled with sand.

Once brushed and rolled this is the result.

Greens were seeded after aerification.

All collars were core aerified last week.

Yikes! Annuals have arrived and time to get them in the ground.

Honeybees are back! We are using local bees with help from a local beekeeper and are expecting better results.

This is probably the busiest period of the year maintaining our course. Just about everything imaginable involving turf and landscape management happens now.  We are still a little understaffed but relief is on the way!  We have a number of college students returning with Springfield experience over the next few weeks and boy can we use them.  Pollen has been severe this spring as I am sure you are aware.  Rain is in the forecast towards the end of the week which should help.

This has been the routine getting the course ready for play the last few weeks.  Here the guys move oak catkins from the putting surface before mowing.

An additional hazard that must be removed from bunkers before raking.

The bermudagrass has started growing on the range tee and will be ready for play by the end of the month.

Sod has been ordered to replace the back portion of the tee.

This is a disease of bermudagrass called spring dead spot.  Fungicide applications are made in late summer but are inconsistent.

The club purchased a spiffy new rough mower that so far is exceeding our expectations.  This is the first week we cut the rough twice.

Adding compost to some hard to grow turf areas in fairways.

Here's a nice improvement to the 15th tee.

Another view.

A new putting green nursery was recently seeded with Crystal BlueLinks bent and we had germination in four days!

A bed Augusta National would be proud of.