Heat Waves and Golf Course Maintenance

Summer is here. How do I know? Last Saturday, I left my house at 2:30 to do some hand-watering around the greens, and my vehicle temperature gauge read 107°F. “F” for “flipping HOT!” As a California coastal guy, 80°F is toasty for me. So, kudos to the brave golfers who were out playing.

These extreme temperatures bring many cautions and things to consider as I rise at 3:45 am to prepare for the day ahead: employee safety, employee production, potential for humidity, which can lead to diseases, coupled with the heat, ensuring the grass is kept short and WATER, WATER, WATER, targeted and on the ground (in the turf canopy) before the heat of the day. A measurement that is often used in maintaining fine turf is evapotranspiration (ET), defined as “the amount of water that evaporates from the soil and transpires from the leaves of plants into the atmosphere.” I use this tool to assist in planning irrigation. Wind adds further concern. At these temperatures, and with this level of sustained heat, any amount of wind can further assist in producing disastrous conditions on very short grass. It's important to balance moisture in the turf canopy to avoid creating a wet environment that could promote disease, while still ensuring the turf is ready for play, heat, and wind. This environment leads me to my next most significant area of concern, and I have harped on it extensively: repairing ball marks on the greens. 

REPAIR YOUR BALL MARK AND ONE OTHER. I have preached vehemently on this topic. At this time of year, with the greens existing at a little more of a “moist” condition, your ball flying in from a beautifully constructed 9 iron from 135 yards out, hurtling majestically toward that pin-high position 6 feet left, will create more of a ball mark, which will need to be repaired BY YOU immediately. My staff and I go to great lengths to provide a pristine putting surface with our blood, sweat, tears, seaweed extract, calcium, ice picks, etc. The least you can do is repair your ball mark AND ONE OTHER. Thank you.

Food for thought: “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” -Gary Player