Willow Ridge Country Club Turfgrass Chronicles: As the Weather Goes, We go

Mother Nature has a cruel sense of humor and an equally funny way of reminding you that at the end of the day, she is judge and jury. In what can only be characterized as a bizarre week for mid April, with three frost mornings and the pleasant surprise of one last (or so we hope) snow and ice event, the greens department continued to make headway on the course. Fairways one through eleven were verticut, a practice with the same objective as aerification, removing excess organic material. So as you drive around you'll notice deep lines in the fairways, but not to worry, with warmer temperatures the lines will disappear quickly with accelerated plant growth. Due to unseasonably cool weather the grass has not been growing at a rapid pace, because temperature acts as the catalyst for growth. Without sufficient temperatures the grass will have a very gradual growth rate, or be dormant all together. The seventh tee is looking more and more like a tee every day with the grading to the base finished, and the new irrigation installed to accommodate the larger playing surface. So the next step in the process is capping the tee with six inches of a sandy soil, followed by sodding. So with cooperative weather the tee should really come together next week. Lastly, I can assure you that the greens department as I'm sure most avid golfers are ready for these cold temperatures to pass, and the season to take on some form of consistency. That being said the greens department has taken the weather in stride, and continued with an adapt and overcome mentality.