Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Cutting greens in February... What will this year bring????

I have been a superintendent for 24 years now, and I have never been motivated to cut the greens in the month of February.  Until this year!  A stretch of moderate weather is required before I even think about it.  This year the stars aligned, and we are in the middle of a very mild stretch of warm weather.  The greens were rolled and mowed late last week.  There was a significant improvement in the smoothness of the greens and of course some improvement in the speed.

The forecast for the next 10 days continues to indicate temperatures above average.  These warmer temperatures will wake the grass from its winters slumber, and get things growing.  I see the potential for an early green-up and that the greens will require regular cuttings before long.  Most likely another one before the end of this week.

What could this possibly indicate for the rest of the year???  I have absolutely no Idea!!!  The career path I have chosen, has taught me time and time again, that nothing is predictable when it come to the weather and growing grass.  We will continue to roll with the punches and do whatever is best for the golf course when the time is right.

As the weather warms up, it is always exciting to see the golfers return to the course.  Not many years ago, we would have over 200 players on a single day only 4-6 times a year.  Just this last weekend, we had over 400 golfers come out to play.  What this indicates to me is the need to be prepared for additional golfers through the 2020 season.  With that in mind, we have been looking for ways to improve the course to accommodate additional players and ensure that everyone has an enjoyable experience.  I have already identified some tees that will be enlarged to create more teeing areas to spread the traffic out.

I hope that everyone has a fantastic golf season in 2020.

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