A Slow Fall

Our camera battery has yet to show up, but if you would, picture a green blanketed in oak leaves.  It's been a strange year for leaf fall, and there are still a lot of leaves hanging onto the oaks, maples, and lindens on the course.  After an early wave of leaf fall from the honey locusts, ashes, and some oaks, there was a considerable lull that made it relatively easy to keep the course very playable.  However, times are a-changing, and despite our best efforts, the leaf rule for lost balls will be in full effect for the remainder of the year.  From our perspective, we'd prefer to have the vast majority of the leaves on the ground and mulched going into winter, but that's not looking very likely this year.

With the cold and occasionally frosty mornings that we've been experiencing, our "winter" equipment maintenance has begun.  Our mechanic, Dave, and his team are working on cleaning and repairing the utility carts that get everyone around the course during the summer.  These carts are completed first and then stored in the cart barn by the pro shop for the winter; this opens up space and makes it much easier to move equipment around in the shop.  If you've been on the course recently, you've probably noticed that all of the benches and some of the garbage cans and ballwashers have been taken in.  This year, the benches are receiving a fresh coat of stain, and they are nearly finished already.  On a yearly basis, the ballwashers are completely disassembled for a number of reasons: 1) to assess any parts that need to be replaced, 2) for easier storage, and 3) so that the metal components can be more easily handled when they are washed, polished, and touched-up with paint.

Next week, we will be winterizing the irrigation system by forcing water out with compressed air.  The 0.9" of rain that we received this week was very well-timed and will allow us to blowout the irrigation system with confidence that the soil has enough moisture to sustain the turf plants.  Soon, we will be applying our snow mold fungicides, topdressing the greens with a heavy layer of sand, and covering two greens with some new, added protection that will be detailed in a later post.

Until then, it looks like another nice (albeit breezy) weekend to get out on the course, and if you do make it out, bring a healthy supply of golf balls to combat those pesky leaves.