Catching Up!
Idle Hour Golf Course Maintenance
Last time I was sharing pictures of snow covering the golf course and talking about how it would help insulate and protect our turfgrass from the frigid temperatures of winter. In fact, the day after my last post the golf course received another few inches of snow raising our total for that week to five inches covering the golf course.
The temperature then dipped to near and below zero degrees on the mornings of the 20th and 21st. But that was ages ago. Since then the golf course experienced a January thaw that included nearly 2.5 inches of rainfall the last week of the month. After a dry ending to 2023, January 2024 saw 5.77 inches of precipitation, talk about making a deposit in the bank.
Today we are enjoying sunshine on the heels of a pleasant weekend that saw nearly 75 golfers tee it up. We are mowing fairways and approaches today, and will mow tees and greens tomorrow in an effort to tidy up conditions for what appears to be a few more days of good golfing conditions before Old Man Winter makes a return later this month.
Since my last post the team has been mostly busy tidying and organizing equipment and making the compound ready for the season ahead. We continue to burn when the conditions cooperate and we have removed a few trees under the direction of our committee and consulting architect. Stumps are currently being removed and the areas made ready for new grass.
In other news, I spent last week catching up with peers at the annual conference and trade show of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). This year’s convention was in Phoenix, Arizona and it was an honor to represent Idle Hour as your superintendent.
It is hard to believe a year has passed since I missed the conference for the first time in twenty years last year. I stayed behind and prepared for an important interview to become your golf course superintendent. ;)
Anyway, it was good to catch up with my peers last week. And it is good to catch up with you now. Hopefully there will be more interesting things to share in the weeks ahead. The club is now sending weekly emails on Fridays and it is my intention to include an update on things accomplished on the golf course, so be sure and look for the Golf Course heading. I will continue to use the blog for meatier nuggets of information, there will just be more stuff for you in more places going forward.
Thanks for reading, and happy golfing!
