Cart Path Only

 

    As the image above demonstrates, the cart path at Sycamore Ridge is wide enough for two carts to pass while keeping all eight tires on the path.  This knowledge is going to become very important over the next few months.  As most of you know, the majority of courses in the Kansas City golf market have zoysia grass tees and fairways.  The zoysia goes dormant and brown in the winter months.  When this happens, most courses restrict cart traffic to the path to help protect the grass.  Creeping bentgrass, the primary grass in the fairways at Sycamore Ridge, as well as fescue, and bluegrass, are only different in the fact that they do not turn as brown as zoysia when they go dormant.  All grasses, in this region, stop growing during the winter months and go dormant.  Because of this, management at Sycamore Ridge has decided to restrict carts to the path only for the next few months.  The desired goal for this move is to prevent additional damage to the traffic stressed areas throughout  the course.  This sacrifice will create better playing conditions around the course in the spring.

    This time of year, we also begin removing some tees from the course.  The black and yellow tee markers will be removed soon.  If you normally play from either of these tee boxes, feel free to continue doing so.  We are removing the tee markers to reduce the time spent on maintenance moving tees through the winter months, and keep the markers from killing any grass underneath them.

    A significant amount of sod was installed on the course last month.  It is rooting down nicely, and should look great in the spring.  I really appreciate the care that you have taken to keep traffic off of these sodded areas, this will pay dividends in the long run.

    The maintenance staff is looking forward to a very productive winter with more irrigation installation, several tees will be enlarged, tree removal, and brush clearing, all of this is being done to provide you with the best playing conditions.