Why do some areas of the fairway look like this?

 The yellow grass in the fairways that looks like this is Annual Bluegrass(Poa Annua).  This weed has been a growing problem for several years at Sycamore Ridge.  Most of the year it makes for a decent playing surface, but in the spring it is a prolific seed producer, and in the heat of the summer it can easily die out from summer stress.  We have been trying to chemically control it for a while now.  This spring we are finally seeing some good results.  It would be bad if we killed all of the annual bluegrass in a short time, because that would leave no grass in its place.  Instead, we use a chemical that slowly causes the Poa to melt out over time.  This allows time for the Creeping Bentgrass to spread in and fill the area.  It could take many years to significantly reduce the population of Annual Bluegrass, and it will likely never be eradicated.

As we head into the "90 Day War"(June, July and August) the course looks pretty good.  We have had a long spring without excessive heat.  The temperatures coupled with the adequate and timely rainfall, has the course in great shape now.  The maintenance staff will continue to fight each and every battle of this years war attempting to hold onto these conditions throughout the year.