Hermitage CC Golf Course Management

 As we near the end of April, we’ve been dealing with some unusually challenging weather patterns that continue to test this grass-growing thing. First and foremost is the lack of rainfall. We’ve received just ½ inch of rain throughout March and April combined. Historically, the Richmond area averages about 4 inches in March and 3.2 inches in April, putting us at a rainfall deficit of roughly 6 to 6.5 inches to start the growing season. To put that into perspective, this marks the third driest spring planting season (in agricultural terms) since 1875, according to U.S. Farm Report . This extended dry stretch, paired with unseasonably cool nighttime temperatures, has left our Bermudagrass a bit dazed and confused. While the turf is green, it’s simply not actively growing, recovering, or moving the way we would expect this time of year. That creates a real challenge, especially as we enter the spring push of play. Increased rounds are always a good thing, but traffic stress without...

 Last week had us feeling like we were taking two big steps forward across the property. Bermudagrass on both courses was showing encouraging signs of green-up, the Sabot greens were recovering nicely from aeration, and the Range Tee grow-in continued to progress right on schedule. Over on Manakin, greens had fully rebounded from their spring aeration and were delivering the firm, fast conditions we all look forward to this time of year. It was the kind of stretch that reminds us prime golf season is right around the corner. This week, however, served as a bit of a reality check—more of a one step back moment. Early in the week, we experienced unseasonably cold temperatures, including a significant frost. The Bermudagrass that had just started to wake up and push color unfortunately took a hit. Much of that early green-up has been knocked back, and overall growth has slowed as a result. Before After While the turf is certainly off-color in areas, this is not unexpected for this t...

 This week gave us a little taste of summer. Just seven days removed from a frost, both courses are already off and running in the race toward prime golf season. It’s always encouraging to see that kind of turnaround, and the recent stretch of warm weather has really helped jumpstart our progress. Last weekend’s Jr. Valentine event was a huge success, and a great showcase for the club. The Manakin Course was prepared and presented at a high level, with firm, consistent playing conditions that held up well throughout the tournament. The team takes a lot of pride in delivering that kind of environment for competitive play, and it was rewarding to see everything come together for such a well-run event. Looking ahead, next week brings a bit of a curveball with cooler temperatures—potentially flirting with freezing on Tuesday morning. We’re hopeful we can dodge another frost and keep the momentum going with our green-up, which has been steady and encouraging across both courses. Throug...

  Our major spring aeration on the greens is officially in the books, with Sabot wrapping up this week. Everything went just about as planned, and the weather couldn’t have cooperated any better. The team knocked out a full program—deep tine, solid tine, and hollow tine aeration, along with topdressing and fertilization. It was a busy stretch, but the crew did a great job staying on track and getting everything done. Over on Manakin, we’ve been focused on cleaning up some of the winter-damaged areas and getting things ready for the Jr. Valentine this weekend. The greens there are finally starting to settle back in and feel more like normal after their aeration a couple of weeks ago. Last week gave us a really good look at where we stand with the bermuda. The warmer temps helped kickstart some solid growth and green-up, which was great to see. This week, though, we took a couple steps back with frost the last two mornings—this morning being the toughest. That said, it wouldn...

 It has been an absolutely beautiful week here at Hermitage. The stretch of warmer days and, just as importantly, warmer nights was exactly what the doctor ordered for our Bermudagrass. To top it off, we received about a half inch of rain last night—perfect timing with those warm overnight temperatures. There’s a certain level of excitement this time of year that only true turf nerds understand. Waiting for the sun to come up after a warm rain, just to see how much more green has popped overnight—it never gets old. That said, we’ve made great strides this week identifying what we have and what still needs attention, and we’re in much better shape than we initially expected. MONDAY # 10 MANAKIN     THURSDAY #10 MANAKIN We started the week by bringing in a tractor load of sod to address the areas we knew needed it. Most of these spots are in high-traffic collars around practice greens, pinch points between greens and approaches on Manakin, and some bunker edges that took...