A Week We'd Rather Avoid...

 This is the kind of week we were hoping to avoid.

Nearly 4 inches of rain, followed immediately by hot, extremely humid weather, creates one of the most challenging combinations we face all year. These are the conditions that can quickly lead to bentgrass decline here in the Transition Zone. Thankfully, we've made it to August. The days are beginning to get a little shorter, and while the heat certainly isn't behind us yet, cooler nights and more moderate temperatures are finally starting to appear on the horizon. One thing is certain—we're glad these conditions didn't arrive in the middle of July.

This week also serves as a reminder of just how valuable our fans are. They may require plenty of maintenance and occasionally cause a few headaches, but when weather like this rolls in, every bit of air movement matters. Keeping the leaf surface dry and temperatures lower is one of the best tools we have to maintain healthy bentgrass and keep the greens in top condition as we prepare to push them for tournament season over the next couple of weeks.

Fortunately, we were able to make a well-timed calcium and potassium application on Tuesday, just ahead of the rain. The soaking rainfall helped move those nutrients into the soil profile while also flushing excess sodium through the root zone. Replacing sodium with calcium and potassium improves soil structure, promotes healthier roots, and helps the turf better withstand stressful summer conditions. Sometimes Mother Nature gives you the perfect opportunity, and this was one of those times.

Preparation for the Valentine tournament officially began this week as well. Bunker depths were checked and adjusted, bunker edges were cleaned up, surrounding turf was mown, and numerous small detail items were tackled to get everything ready for tournament week.

Beyond tournament preparation, the crew stayed busy mowing some of the more unruly native areas, hanging the state flags, weed-eating creeks, trimming shrubs, and taking care of countless detail projects that often go unnoticed but make a tremendous difference in the overall presentation of the club.

One friendly reminder: please avoid spraying sunscreen or insect repellent while standing on the turf. Many aerosol products contain solvents that can burn the grass almost instantly, leaving behind unsightly spots like the one pictured below. A quick step onto the cart path before spraying can prevent damage that takes weeks to recover.

This week brought a couple of unexpected irrigation repairs that kept the crew on their toes. The first was a blown quick-coupler valve on #9 Sabot, and the second was an old irrigation pipe near the original pump station that decided it was time to make itself known by flooding the area. After a little detective work—and a little more digging than we would have preferred—we were able to get both issues repaired in short order. Not exactly painless, but fixed nonetheless.

Unfortunately, we also had a golf cart driven across #5 Sabot green one evening this week. Thankfully, the damage wasn't severe, but it's a good reminder that we can all help look after the golf courses. If you live on the course and happen to notice anything that doesn't look right, please let us know. Having hundreds of extra sets of eyes around the property is one of the best tools we have to help protect the courses.

Finally, we decided it was time to put one of our golf professionals through a little field training. He got his first taste of life on the maintenance crew this week. Rumor has it we're getting him ready for the next lesson—running the Flymo in the bunkers. We'll see if he's still smiling after that!

Have a great weekend, and as always, thank you for your continued support of the Grounds Department. We appreciate everyone doing their part to help us keep Hermitage looking its best.