The main factor to determine when to open is when the greens are firm enough for traffic. The greens go from mush to firm when the frost leaves the upper surfaces and the greens drainage system can take away any extra moisture.
The first rounds of spring are exciting for golfers and staff alike. It is fun to be open and see customers return to the links. Due to the sand we "topdress" the greens with in fall we do not mow in early spring but we brush the greens to smooth any water or windblown sand and then roll them. We also change cups and this year raked the sand bunkers that did not have snow in them.
You will notice most of the holes are still dormant and brown as are many lawns in the area. Soil temperatures at 3" are still in the mid 30's and there is still frost in the ground below 12". A warm rain will help to warm the soils and green up the turf. It looks like we are in for a cooler spell but we look forward to seeing you on the warmer days during this bonus early spring golf season.
When the wind, humidity and play allows we do a prescribed burn to some of our long grass or no mow "gorse" areas to reduce the organic matter from last years growth. Burning allows for a cleaner look and reduces the chance of smothering any new growth while reducing unwanted trees and weeds in the native areas.
Burning needs to be taken seriously as it can be dangerous to people and other properties. First we need the relative humidity to allow burning or we are just wasting our time. Second we need to have winds under 15 mph to keep the fire under our control. Most importantly we need to have enough staff to control the fire and ensure players are out of the way from the fire or smoke.
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| Burning the long grass mounds behind the approach bunker on hole 12. |
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| The black burnt mounds are a stark contrast to the still dormant playing surface on the 25th green. |
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