Golf Course Maintenance in May

It’s May! Already! With summer around the corner and greens aerification successfully in our rearview mirror, I look ahead to summer transitioning and lots of mowing. Our aerification holes have recovered, the irrigation pump station has had its spring tune-up, sod work is healing nicely, and we added some new cart paths throughout the golf course. 

Obviously, the most important thing at this time of year is efficiently getting water on the golf course. Ensuring that all the turf heads (sprinklers) are functioning properly is critical. Getting water on the ground prior to our weather day is how we set ourselves up for success against the sun. Irrigation at night is supplemented with spot watering in the mornings and hand watering throughout the day. To assist in my decision-making regarding how much water to put out, we have six sensors placed into fairways that wirelessly relay essential environmental conditions, including ground temperature, soil moisture and salinity percentage levels. Given the expense of the recycled water and the electricity to pull water out of the lake and get it on the grass, every bit of information that can assist in reducing wasteful watering is fantastic. The hours we irrigate are also important, as I do not want to irrigate during costly peak hours throughout the year.

As you can imagine, aerification of the golf course in the spring sets the stage for water and oxygen infiltration to the root zone and assists in allowing salts to be pushed beyond the root zone. I will begin aerification of the roughs starting next week while temperatures are still favorable, and that will complete round one of poking holes in our golf course. I have just received a Toro turf slicer to assist in our aerification needs. It produces a 3-inch slice from razor-sharp blades and has minor impact on the turf. I am excited to get this on the course ASAP.

Thanks for all your patience as we take steps to provide the best playing conditions possible on our beautiful course.

As always, if you see me, stop, and say hello. Don’t forget about our Comments Form, which links your suggestions about the course to me. And PLEASE...REPAIR YOUR BALL MARK AND ONE OTHER.

“Play it as it lies” is one of the fundamental rules in golf. The other is “wear it if it clashes.” 

- Henry Beard

Photos courtesy of Scott Walwyn