Holding pattern...

I'm not sure the weather could be any less conducive for core aeration... 

The turf canopy is wet, the fog has rolled in and rain showers are sporadic.

Our aeration schedule will have to be modified this time around. With the added moisture, the sand top dressing will bridge over the aeration hole instead of filling it.  We will continue to update...

A (not so) long winters nap...

Spring is definitely in the air today!!! With the next few days forecasted to be much of the same, the golf course should be full of excitement.

It is great to see golfers on the course enjoying this fantastic weather!

This would be a good time to give a brief  update on some of the happenings around the course over the past couple of months...

-The staff continued the tree canopy reduction program throughout the course to allow a better growing environment for turfgrass.

-We began raising irrigation heads to bring them level to the ground.

This should help alleviate some of the 'birdbath' areas immediately surrounding some of the sprinkler heads.

-Your Public Works Department has updated and upgraded the on course bathroom facilities.

You may notice some extra wear and tear along the cart paths from the wider trucks. The added traffic around the cart paths giving access to these few holes will be repaired in the next few weeks.

Get out and enjoy this beautiful weather... This time last year it was still sub freezing temperatures!

Dollar spot in December...

To a kid, any mention of dollar in the month of December will probably bring about smiles and some form of giddiness... But to a turf guy, dollar spot in this month means some sort of weather anomaly.  Generally speaking, the last dollar spot application will come around Halloween, not Christmas.

The sprayer is out today (14Dec2015) making an application for those spots you see in the picture just in front of the boom.

It was in the upper 50's to low 60's this morning with the dew point about the same. Anytime the dew points are able to reach that level for a few nights in a row, dollar spot will occur in this region. 

I still believe winter will be here in the next couple of weeks but get out and enjoy this weather while you can. Maybe it's an early Christmas present!

Who'd a thunk it???

Still mowing greens and getting BUCKETS FULL of grass on 02Dec2015!!!

With the higher than average temperatures and a warm rain over the past few days, the turf is still growing strong. The weather pattern doesn't look like it is going to change anytime soon.

We will continue to monitor the growth rates and determine our mowing schedule accordingly. I still think winter will have its turn but it is nice that it is taking its sweet little time getting here!

'Leaf' us alone...

Leaves, leaves and more leaves... Every year about this time, the maintenance staff will spend the majority of the day cleaning the playing surfaces here at 'the Pines.'

With 80-90% of the leaves on the ground, we will be concentrating our efforts on blowing and chopping leaves this week.

With the the gusty winds, it will be hard to keep up but by the end of the week we should be able to get through the course thoroughly.

This will make for slower rounds while searching for errant shots but should be much better by week's end.

Evaluations...

The maintenance staff is constantly evaluating the conditions of the playing surfaces to enhance the golfing experience here at Ocean Pines.

One way we do this is by monitoring the shade patterns along each hole.

Turfgrass can handle traffic stress if the growing environment is in good order. Things like mucky soils, low sunlight penetration through the tree canopies and lack of airflow through the forest undergrowth can be a detriment to the health of the plant.

An extra tool used here at the Pines is the Sunseeker app. Using this tool helps determine sun angles at different times of the year and allows us to evaluate and determine our tree canopy management program.

Other times, you need only look at the turf to see what is happening. Notice the drip line of the tree to the right of the cart path. This is an example of the large oak tree starving out the turf of nutrients and water. This added to cart stress coming on and off the path equals weak turf that is unable to handle the traffic.

We are quickly approaching the cold days of winter when we can address some of these stressed areas with a more long range outlook by thinning the tree canopies.

Everything in moderation...

If only the weather would heed those words from long ago... My mom used to say, 'everything in moderation, son!'; usually at the cookie jar or in the candy aisle.

It seems to be feast or famine lately in the rainfall category. Currently, we are sitting on the north side of a low pressure. This translates to waves of rain showers blowing off the Atlantic.

Along with astronomical high tides and the substantial winds from the ENE, the canals and ditches are at capacity, running over in some areas... But thankfully, hurricane Joaquin seems to be turning out to sea.

Stay dry over the next few days, we will playing golf again before you know it.