October Golf Course Update – Preparing for Winter
In this update, Scott Walwyn details the recent aerification process at San Vicente Golf Resort, shares insights on preparing the course for winter, and adds a lighthearted reminder about the importance of ball mark repair and course care.
Happy October, everyone! We are, as always, hard at work keeping our course beautiful and preparing for colder winter months.
During our recent 3-day closure, we aerified the putting greens, collars, and fairways. We used ¼-inch solid tines at a depth of about 5 ½ inches and topped the greens with USGA-approved sand. I’m pleased to report that the process went smoothly, thanks to the hard work of my greenskeepers and the ideal weather for recovery.
A week before aerification, we treated the greens and collars with a special “cocktail” of low-nitrogen fertilizer (to prevent excessive top growth), extra phosphorus for root health, and potassium for stress resistance, photosynthesis, and overall plant strength. Additionally, I included some of my usual amendments: seaweed from Newfoundland, molasses, iron, zinc, amino acids, a wetting agent, and manganese—basically, the same vitamins we take every day to stay healthy (except for the seaweed, I think!).
The fairways didn’t receive sand due to budget constraints (at $1,700 per truckload of 26 tons), but we did raise some heads and valve boxes and overseeded with Bermuda. Next on the list are the tees, which we’ll aerify with ¾-inch hollow tines, recover the plugs to use in the fairways, and then apply a generous sand topdressing to level the tees and build up the thatch layer.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be preparing the course for winter by raising the cutting heights of Bermuda grass for added cushion, applying pre-emergent herbicide to tackle spring weeds (especially Poa annua, or annual bluegrass), and roping off areas to control traffic. We’ll also be re-grassing the par-3 tees with perennial ryegrass.
As always, please repair your ball marks (and one other) on the putting surfaces! This is especially important as we head into the winter months.
Feel free to stop and say hello when you see me around, and remember to drive in the rough and on paths whenever possible. Happy Halloween!
“Golf teaches us that every shot is a new opportunity to excel… or curse wildly, blame anything but ourselves, and cry inconsolably.”
— Me
