Dry Days, Slow Growth But Still Moving at Full Speed

 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 active turf growth can impact overall playing conditions. This makes it especially important right now to be mindful of cart traffic. Keeping all four tires on the paths around greens and tees, avoiding worn patterns near tee complexes, and truly embracing the “scatter” rule will go a long way in helping us protect turf until consistent growing conditions arrive.

Traffic patterns make a noticeable difference—we’ve included a couple of examples below showing areas before and after traffic control measures were put in place. The results speak for themselves.

    BEFORE

AFTER

The range tee is slowly progressing despite the lack of ideal Bermudagrass weather. The crew completed some sod work on the back portion of the tee, and we’re planning to reopen the grass tee for use on Tuesday. We also installed our final truckload of sod for the spring earlier this week, just ahead of a busy outing, which puts us in a strong position heading into the main golf season.

Our bunker detail work continues as well, with a focus on maintaining proper moisture levels for consistent playability while also refining edges to keep those clean, crisp lines that frame the course so well.

Both courses have been busy, and we appreciate everyone’s help in maintaining conditions. Please remember to repair ball marks and fill divots—these small efforts truly make a big difference in keeping the course at a high standard day in and day out.

Now we just need a stretch of warmer nights—and maybe a little rain—to really get things moving.