Hermitage CC Golf Course Management

  This past weekend hosted some of the best weather of the year so far. Cool and dry made for some great playing conditions. 1.2" of rain Tuesday evening brought some moisture back in but nothing that either course wasn't ready for. The greens are rolling great and the rough is starting to show some life while our herbicides are shrinking the Poa down. The Manakin will be closed Monday and Tuesday so that we can poke some solid tine holes in the fairways like we did on Sabot two weeks ago. Again, this should go relatively unnoticed by the golfer. Boomer is enjoying the Zoysia being awake again around the bunkers. We are in what pretty much equates to a full on mowing schedule again. Our summer staff is on board and ready to pick up Boomers slack! The big project for the week was to get the pool kitchen area prepped and sodded before the rain came on Wednesday. A truck load of Northbridge bermuda was delivered Tuesday morning and this area is close to being buttoned up and read

  The big aerators knocked out the Sabot fairways early in the week, poking 5/8" wide holes about 3" into the soil. This annual event helps the bermuda strengthen its root system as we head into the growing season. Manakin fairways will receive the same treatment in two weeks. After a mow this aeration is basically unnoticeable by the golfer. The walk behind aerators took care of solid tine aerating all the tees and approaches. They are able to go a little tighter on their spacing and are much easier to maneuver around the greens and tee slopes. And when we say walk behind aerator we are not kidding! David was running one of the three 648 aerators and clocked in over 22 miles on Tuesday!  Our annual compost application went out in the rough this week as well. The humid air made it difficult to spread in the mornings but that also kept the dust and the smell down. This application is the base of our fertility in the rough for the year, putting down about 1 pound of nitrogen pe

  Sabot Superintendent Ben Longest picked the right day to get married to his new bride Nikki last Friday. A cool sunny day let the two tie the knot and then head west to Primland for their honeymoon. Back to reality on Monday buddy! It has been hot and dry on our side of the state this week which has made for some pretty firm fairways out there. Night time soil temps are still in the mid-60's so the rough is still a ways from waking up.  The Manakin greens are getting close to fully healed. The fairways and approaches have great color for May, and that really goes for both courses! We had a few things on our Monday outing list this week to get done. The guys dug a well water line in for a new shoe cleaner for the clay tennis courts. When you push down on the black stick water jets will clean off the bottom of your shoes. We may have to put one of these in at the new shop! With the outside of the new pool kitchen pretty much done we have been working to reconnect and install new ir