When it Rains, it Pours

Over the past 9 days, the golf course has received 5.1" of rain, and it took from April 14-July 17 for the same amount of rain to fall.  So much for all of that drought talk.  As you've probably noticed, the rough areas have gone from slightly brown and barely growing to vibrant green and growing like crazy.  For weeks on end, part of my morning routine involved moving portable sprinklers to rough areas that were drying out in an effort to keep them alive until the next rainfall, and it's safe to say that the effort was worth it.  Looking at the course today, it's hard to imagine that we just emerged from one of the hottest, driest periods on record.

Speaking of the heat, it still hasn't left us, and by my tally, we have now had 29 days where the high temperature was at least 90 degrees.  Looking at the extended forecast, most days are predicted to have highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid to upper 60s.  Given that our average daily high temperature never exceeds 82 degrees in Madison, it's strange to think that the forecast is a break in the weather.  However, at this point, the turf (and its caretakers) would certainly like to see a much more dramatic cool down.  I commented to Chad last week that we're learning how to grow Poa annua in Texas this year, and I'm not sure that that's too far from the truth.

All told, the playing surfaces are holding up very well.  With the rain, the greens won't be very fast, and you won't be getting that extra roll on your drives.  But, the forecast looks to be a little more on the dry side and things will return to "normal" before long.   

Field Trip

I'm sick of writing about the weather, and you're probably sick of reading about it.  So, here's something different (until the next post that will likely be weather-related)...

Last Friday, we were joined by 20 rugrats from LaPetite Academy in Waunakee for a two-hour field trip.  With their red shirts, they blended right in with the crew, but we resisted the urge to put them to work.  Below is a photo diary of their time here.

Part-time crew member and full-time owner of Maier Arbor Solutions, Reid Maier started the day off with a presentation on bugs on the golf course.  Reid has a masters degree in entomology, and he coaxed one of our visitors into dressing up like a bug.

 Our resident third-grade teacher, Randy, next showed the kids how we mow tees (above) and cut cups (below).  Safe to say that he's never had such a large audience when performing these jobs.

The kids then made the trip up to 12 tee and were given a history lesson on the Native American history of the land that the course occupies.  Paul (our general manager) has tremendous amount of knowledge on the subject.

Overall, it was great to have them out here, and they seemed to feel the same way.  Hopefully, they didn't learn too much; it is summer vacation, after all. 

Severe Drought

With only 0.35" of rain since June 1, this old course is still hanging strong.

As of July 10, the Madison region was officially deemed to be in a severe drought, and since the local media has the weather stats covered, there's no point in reciting them here.  To this point, we are pleased with how the course survived the heat wave, and despite the possibility of some some destructive diseases during the 100 degree days and 80 degree nights, we escaped virtually disease-free.  However, the lasting effects of the weather that we experienced (and are still experiencing) will be felt throughout the remainder of the summer.  We've had nine days during which the soil temperature at 2" below the surface of 11 green (where we have a remote temperature and moisture sensor) exceeded 90 degrees.  Since the cool-season grasses that we grow start to lose root mass once the soil temperature starts exceeding 75 degrees, you can imagine the toll that 90+ degrees has on the plants.  The sensitive Poa annua that comprises much of our greens and fairways is especially affected.  You need to look no further than our 9th green to see the difference between the much healthier (and greener) bentgrass and the sickly-looking Poa.  Until rooting conditions return in the fall, our effective rooting depth will not be past 1-2".  Thus, water has to be available near the soil surface, and the greens will not be as fast and firm as they once were.  We have to have a fine balance of water as too much will boil the remaining roots.

You will notice a few weak looking spots on the course, and they are all strictly due to abiotic stress.  In other words, there is no disease present, but the plants simply aren't programmed for this weather.  We will do everything in our power to keep the course looking and playing as nicely as possible, but the extended forecast doesn't appear to be offering any relief.

Two weeks ago, three trees (2 oaks and a black locust) were removed from behind 9 green.  Due to the eastern shade that these tree cast, the back half of the green didn't receive sun until noon, and during hot days, the turf plants stop photosynthesizing by then.  Additionally, turf prefers the light quality of morning sun. In other words, this green is now socked with minimal rooting and little ability to photosynthesize. These are the primary reasons why the back half of 9 green is much more stressed than any of the other greens.



Before the tree removal.



The after is better, but there are still a few black locust trees that may be considered for removal.

 
We appreciate the positive comments that many have been passing along, and the ridiculous amounts of Gatorades and ice cream bars that were purchased from the collection that Mrs. Rath took from the junior-day parents have been greatly appreciated.

And the Heat Goes On

It's not exactly news that we're in the midst of an incredible stretch of weather.  June was officially the driest ever June in Madison, and we only received of 0.35" of rain at the golf course.  Normal rainfall for June is around 4".  On top of that, it has obviously been hot, and if the forecast holds true, we will have 11 straight days of 90+ degree temperatures.  From the information that I could find, the longest recorded stretch of 90+ degrees in Madison is 10 days.  As you can imagine, none of this is particularly good news for our cool-season turfgrass.  With soil temperatures in the upper 80s, roots are likely shrinking rapidly, and the high air temperatures do not allow the plants to photosynthesize very effectively.  Accordingly, we have gone into defensive mode and will be doing everything that we can possibly do to get the course through this heat wave with the least amount of damage possible.

The fourth hole would like some 70-degree high temperatures but is hanging in there despite the oppressive heat.

To alleviate stress, we will alternate daily mowing and rolling on the greens, and the heights of cut on the greens and collars have been raised.  Because of this, the greens will not be as fast as they normally are, but slow, alive greens are better than fast, dead ones.

Through judicious water use and a lot of handwatering, the fine turf areas (greens, tees, and fairways) are doing fine, but they have another week of misery to get through.  Please be curteous to the handwaterers, as dragging hoses around in 95 degree weather is tough enough.  It is also very likely that the sprinklers will be used to cool the turf during the heat of the afternoons.  As always, we will attempt to not interrupt your golf round as much as possible.

Further, we will have an additional challenge this week with the annual Shorewood Hills fireworks display from the 10th fairway.  The throngs of visitors should at least not have to worry about mosquitoes this year.  Ah, yes, just another summer...

While the obstacles are many, we are determined to get the course through them as unscathed as we can, and we are fortunate to have a dedicated, hard-working crew to help us do just that.

Have a great 4th of July, and stay cool.