Golf Course Maintenance Update
As we continue moving toward season, our maintenance routines are becoming more repetitive, and the golf course is transitioning from summer maintenance practices into our regular in-season schedule.
This week marked the start of Leagues and Couples, bringing our first shotgun starts of the season. It was great to see everyone back out enjoying the course and getting into the rhythm of the season. We were fortunate to receive some rainfall early in the week, but thankfully, not enough to require cart-path-only restrictions.
Fall Agronomic Consultant Visit
On Wednesday, we welcomed Dr. Kammerer, our Agronomic Consultant for his fall visit. These visits are a great opportunity to discuss agronomic topics and challenges specific to Glen Eagle while also hearing what he is observing during his 100-plus annual visits to golf courses throughout the region.
It was a very productive visit, and Dr. Kammerer was complementary of the overall condition of the golf course. He specifically commented that our new tees and the course in general looked good and were ready for the upcoming season.
Dr. Kammerer will be putting together a report covering the items we discussed and his recommendations. Once I receive it, I will share the report on the club website so everyone interested can review the information.
Keeping Our Greens in Top Shape
With the change in our playing schedule, we will be taking advantage of Friday afternoons to perform light verticutting and topdressing on the greens before the Couples shotgun.
These are important maintenance practices that help us maintain consistent putting surfaces throughout the season.
Light, frequent verticutting helps control excess lateral turf growth and grain, encourages a more upright growth habit, and helps maintain a smooth, consistent putting surface.
Here is a video of the light verticutting, well really more what we call grooming. We still use an verticutting blade but go ultra light which does not remove thatch, the primary purpose of a true verticutting. All we are trying to do is align the leaf blades vertically so we can come behind with the mower and cut off any straggling blades. Like a hair cut when the barber or stylists pulls your hair up between their fingers and cuts it in a straight line. That’s similar to what we are doing.
Frequent light topdressing applies a thin layer of sand that helps smooth minor surface imperfections, dilute organic matter, and maintain the firmness and consistency we want in our greens. By incorporating these practices regularly and keeping each application relatively light, we can maintain healthy greens while minimizing disruption to daily play.
As we get further into the season, these smaller, routine maintenance practices become increasingly important. Our goal is to stay ahead of turf growth and maintain the best playing conditions possible.
I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!
