It's been a struggle but the course is holding up well.  We have received over eight inches of rain in August with most of it occurring last week.  What a great crew we have and what a job they are doing under some trying conditions.  Bunkers were washed out from three different storms with the worst happening on Friday when we received nearly three inches of rain.  Thank goodness we are not having the extreme heat we experienced last summer.

Dick's reaction after seeing the rain gauge Saturday morning.

Every bunker was washed out.  Again.

Storm water successfully diverted to basin on the 12th hole by our crew Friday morning.

Plenty of dead trees to choose from and we lose a large oak on the 12th hole.

Cleaning up wash from our garden.

Seven approach after spraying.  Too wet to mow and looking forward to drainage installation this winter.

Seven approach mowed for the first time in about two weeks!!!

Black algae seen on most every green and controlled with a timely fungicide spray.  We have been fortunate to stay on schedule with our sprays.

Frustrating.

I don't remember Liriope ever looking better.  Wow!

Garden daily harvest.

Chef Lindsey's scones made with Springfield honey!

 

 The weather has done an about face from two weeks ago.  We are currently soaked and need to dry out.  Fortunately cooler temperatures have reduced some of the stress as we await the next batch of rain.  We have received over three inches of rainfall which isn't extreme except the humidity levels are excessive. Hold on to your hat as we enter the last month of summer.

The course is closed today as it tries to dry out.  We went ahead and prepared the course for Tuesday.  This cup on the first green was cut and has filled up with ground water since. Yikes!

Fairways were mowed and we had a little mechanical damage on the tenth hole, though not serious.  We had planned to spray fairways this morning but too big a risk with the weather.  We will try again tomorrow.

Edging fairway bunkers and repairing storm damage from the last storm.

Kudos to our membership for the fine job you are doing repairing ball marks under the soft conditions we are experiencing.  Unfortunately divot repair needs improvement.  This picture doesn't show it very well but the sod was lifted and not tamped down.  There are way too many unrepaired divots.

Nine fairway performing well with its new drainage.  What a difference!

A nice new fence was added at the 12th tee.  We intend to create another pollinator garden with screening in the foreground.

How about our garden this summer!  Hopefully you have enjoyed some fresh vegetables planted and managed by your greens department.  Multiple types of tomatoes and peppers, eggplant, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, melons, herbs and figs are there for the chef to pick and prepare for your enjoyment.

Springfield honey collected and presented to Chef Lindsey to be used in her dessert cooking.

Reflections

   

 What a difference this summer has been when compared to the last two.  This week has been great with mild days and cool nights.  Timely rain has helped as well.   USGA Agronomist Elliott Dowling visited the club for our annual half day visit on July 20th and much of the discussion dealt with upcoming capitol improvements to the golf course beginning this November. 

Elliott Dowling discussing soil and root length at the ninth green.

Pylex herbicide doing its thing to common bermudagrass.  With milder summer temperatures we have been able to use this product on a regular basis.

This summer has featured timely rain with minimal damage to the course.  

Three fairway performing much better this season with adequate drainage and better weather.

The lake is full.  We were about a week from buying water but our reservoir is now full.  

Adding air to the root zone on Monday.  We also did some work on many of the tees.

Two weeds that really stick out in August and on the list for herbicide applications.  Nutsedge and common bermudagrass in the green surround on the third hole.

Hauling off some large logs from trees removed earlier this year.

Taking kids on a tour of our nature trail and a few other areas during Monday closure.

It has been a successful bluebird season.  Here babies rest in one of our houses.

Western wildfires affecting the morning sun.

Wild flower bed planted May 29th showing off.

A closer look shows some pink swamp milkweed blooming.  

 

 
      

 Hot and humid has been the theme this week but fortunately that ends later today with a boom (We hope).  It was 78 degrees at 4:30 this morning.  Extended periods of high temperatures during the day followed by high night time temperatures spells trouble for cool season turf.  Cool season turf recovers at night during the summer when hopefully the temperature cools below 70 degrees.  Please be mindful of this as you drive your cart on the course.  Golf carts are tough on the grass during these heat waves. 

Bad news waking up to this.  

Working on the course in a gap during the Bowers.  Edging bunkers and hand watering.

The course is holding up well under this heat wave for the most part.

Mowing greens on the last day of the Bowers.  The lattice pieces are used as turning boards for the mowers to protect the tender grass.

I repeat no carts on the green collars!!!!!!

There it is brought back to life and adding more enjoyment to your game.  Our recently renovated intermediate mower in motion.

Bermudagrass is beginning to get aggressive in the rough.  The silvery grass is the bermuda encroaching in our fescue-bluegrass blend.  Herbicides will soon be applied to help reduce this invasive weed.  The bermuda in our fairways is suppressed using much lighter rates of Pylex.  Rates as low as 5/100ths of an ounce per acre are reducing its aggressive behavior!

Our new wildflower beds are already shining.  This was seeded on May 29th!

A closer look.  

Bee balm covered with bees behind the 6th tee.

Gill has found a way to cool off in the heat.

Doesn't this tree look familiar?

 

 Summer heat has arrived.  This first hot spell looks to be short.  Cooler temperatures arrive tomorrow with hopefully some beneficial rain.  We have reduced inputs just a bit to weather the storm so to speak.  Mowing, rolling, cart traffic are all forms of stress on turf during very warm periods.  Adding to that is the turf's naturally shrinking root mass during summer and it is easy to see why cool season turf struggles in this heat.

We were able to squeeze in a solid tine aeration prior to the start of July.  This is very beneficial to our greens.  We try to perform this every other Monday during the summer when feasible.

We've experienced some pretty good storms that really bring the cicada flagging down.  This was last Saturday.

Shawn hand watering greens this morning.  There is plenty of this occurring during this heat wave. This is the most precise method of watering and we know what too much water can do.

Our young crewmen performing divot repair before the ladies tournament this morning.

Repairing an area that continually gets destroyed by delivery trucks.

It has been difficult getting our beds cleaned up and mulched but we are finally about there.

Wildflower beds continue to impress.  Here is Monardo or Bee Balm.

The purple flower is new to me.  Anyone know its name?

Liatris or Blazing Star.

Morning Glory (I think)

Asclepias or Butterfly Weed.  These are all flowers we are seeing in year two by 7 tee.

Look closely and you will see a hitch hiker on Luis' dashboard.  We saved the mouse but they are real pests during the winter nesting in many of our machines.