She is in charge....

It has been a few weeks since I teased our audience by saying the next post will cover green speed. "Green Speed" is a sexy topic for golfers as they hear about fast greens on tour and most players think they like fast greens. I had the post written in my head weeks ago but have been tossing around the title for weeks. I thought "speed kills", "the need for speed" or even "how low can you go" in reference to shorter mowing heights but settled on "She Is In Charge.....".

Who is she you may ask? Is it Wendy from our staff who often rolls or mows our greens? No, it is that often cursed fickle woman Mother Nature who gives you good golf conditions one day and just as quickly she can take them away. Although the weather has a major impact on ball roll and putting conditions but we humans also have our say. So why are the greens faster one day then the next or one year to the next? I will try to explain this complicated topic and how it effects your game at Rolling Meadows.

The stimpmeter designed by golfer Edward Stimpson in 1935, is a machined tool
to release a ball at a consistent height or release point. 3 balls are released and then from the
point those balls stop 3 balls are released the opposite direction to achieve a average greenspeed.
The stimpmeter allows a measurement of green speed from green to green. 

Mowing height is a key component to green speed but certainly not the only factor. We mow greens at .120 or just under a 1/8" during the main season with heights of .140 or 9/64 in the shoulder season. The height of cut determines how much grass your ball is rolling on, the less grass, the less friction, the faster the putt; in theory anyway because there are many more factors to it.

• It takes consistent mowing for the height to be reached on a green due to the fact the grass is always growing and the rollers that set the height ride on the very grass we are trying to mow. For instance if we were to take a greens mower onto a tee mowed at 1/2" it would take multiple mowing to reach 1/8" even though that is the bench setting of the mower. It is why greens are mowed multiple times on tournament courses or you may see us mowing greens a second time in the afternoon during grass growth surges. 
• 1/8" on our Jacobsen Greenskings is not exactly the same as 1/8" on a Jacobsen walking mower or Toro and John Deere mowers. That is why it is difficult to simply compare mowing heights from course to course because the type of mower and how it is setup varies. 
• The greens at the recent U.S. Open were mowed 2 to 4 times per day at .09" to reach the consistent green conditions for the worlds best players. The speeds were listed at 13 to 13.5 on the stimpmeter. 
• Then why doesn't everyone mow at .09 if that is good enough for US Open conditions? Some courses do but the lower the height of cut the less room for error and more time is spent monitoring and caring for the greens. More time correlates to increased labor costs and higher green fees. At .120" we can provide good greens with a consistent ball roll through most of the season. We know a couple of our customers would enjoy a green speed of 12' but many of our customers would struggle on our contoured greens. Our greens average a speed of 9' to 10' but can be faster on dry windy days and slower during growth spurts. Yesterday they were 10'4" under dry conditions and after being topdressed Monday. On the fast side for us but still enjoyable. 
• Height of cut is only one of many factors in green speed. 

When Homer Fieldhouse designed our greens in 1970 6'6" was
considered a medium green speed for daily play. The faster our
greens putt the higher the challenge which will lead to more putts
and slower rounds. 

Surface smoothness is the other key component to green speed. Smoother greens allow the ball to roll without interruption or bouncing that would reduce speed of a putt. A bumpy green at a stimpmeter reading of 10 will seem slower than a smooth green at 10 mainly because the ball will not "roll out" around the cup. Smoothness is achieved by:

• Rolling which we have done nearly every day for 2 years as multiple university studies have shown the best putting quality is reached when greens are rolled daily and mowed daily. Second best was rolled daily and mowed every other day which is what we try to follow.  
• Verticutting or thatching the greens removes thatch and organic matter while and increases smoothness. We verticut 3 to 4 times a year. 
• Brushing stands the grass up to provide a closer cut and less stragglers.
• Topdressing with sand dilutes thatch, fills surface imperfections from shoes and ball marks while providing a surface that tends to drain quickly. 
• Thin grass blades provide for less friction and a smoother surface for increased green speed. Blade thickness of individual pieces of grass is somewhat determined by grass variety, moisture levels and nutrient levels.
• Controlled plant growth has a major impact on green speed especially afternoon green speeds when the plant has grown all day. This year we are making a concentrated effort to apply less fertilizer to the greens and keep them a bit "leaner" while still leaving them growing enough to heal from ball marks, traffic and environmental stresses such as heat, cold and drought. Grass is not a carpet to be mowed once in a while and forgotten about. It is a complicated living and constantly changing life form that putts perfectly one day and is bumpy the next. Growth is controlled by many factors but some of the main ones are:
• Fertilization is key to growth and we spray our greens every 14 days on average with very light amounts of nitrogen and other nutrients as shown by our tissue and soil tests and iron mainly for color. We can do everything right with mowing height, topdressing, rolling, fertilization and water applications but if mother nature gives us rain and humidity the grass is going to grow faster and the greens are going to be slower and require more mowings to provide the same quality we had before it rained. Although our nitrogen inputs can be controlled during warm wet weather a natural process called nitrification releases nitrogen from the soil and the plants grow faster. It is why your lawn lawn looks greener after a rain even if you didn't fertilize it. In the summer of 2016 nitrification from perfect growing weather slowed green speeds around the state despite turf managers best efforts. 
• Moisture is key to green speed because it effects surface smoothness as wet greens are subject to foot-printing, faster growth, fatter leaf blades and ball marks. Dry greens are usually firmer than wet greens and dry greens often putt faster than wet greens. The dryer and firmer the greens become the more skill it takes to get a shot to hold, especially from the rough or a club with less loft. Golfers without the skill to hold a shot often need to consider a bump and run approach to reaching the greens. As a general rule grass and especially putting greens are healthier and play better when they are on the dry side. 
• Growth regulators have been shown to reduce vertical plant growth while still providing a healthy plant. The use of regulators started in earnest in the late 80's with some new products that could reduce growth while providing a healthier plant and other products that controlled growth and left plants on the verge of collapse. We have been very happy with the growth regulator use on our fairways but have found on the greens controlling fertilizer and moisture have been more effective ways to control growth. In 2016 we along with many other courses had little luck with controlling growth on greens because mother nature decided the grass was going to grow and there was nothing we could do about it. 

I have heard more comments this year about green speed than any year in my career and I will admit the greens have been faster this spring than most. We have not lowered our mowing height, we are actually mowing less and rolling the same amount as last year. We did purchase a new style of greens roller the Smithco XL70 and it does do a great job. The XL70 is very visible compared to our vibratory rollers that looked and operated like greensmowers. From a distance most customers thought we were mowing. I believe the biggest reason the greens have been faster so far this year is because we had a cold spring that controlled growth and we are applying less nitrogen.

I may not have fully explained green speed but if you take anything away from this topic I hope it is that greens are a living organism and we take great effort to control their quality but mother nature is in charge and we just go along for the ride.  

We hope you enjoy the golf course and mother nature gives you great playing weather. 

Why is that ........?

It is past time for a spring update and I will write while answering common questions I have been asked this spring. Spring.... is this spring? Our memories of weather are short as we remember the best and worst of the weather patterns and forget the many average days in the middle. Having said that I believe this has been one of the worst springs for cold and wet we have seen in many years despite seeing on the Milwaukee news we just finished the 3rd warmest April on record.
It may have been warm in Milwaukee but it was far from warm in Fond du Lac and we had plenty of moisture to keep golfers off the links. The good news is sunshine and golf are in the forecast for the next several days so we hope to see you playing. Now on to the common questions:

Why is that pond so high? Why is that pond so low? With 12 ponds that answer depends on which pond you are looking at. The 4 ponds across the lower part of the course (Holes 1,9,10,18 and 27) are kept low so we can accept water from the industrial park without flooding. The ground is saturated so every drop of water is run-off coming our way. The golf course ponds take the water and slowly disperse it down stream so the house do not flood across the street.
The pond on 5 was very high due to a collapsed drain line and then we pumped it low to allow us to work on it without drowning. The line was original (1971) corrugated tile and you may remember we patched a section last spring. The replaced section was good but a different section collapsed so we waited for a dry spell, pumped the pond down and replaced 150 feet of corrugated tile with solid PVC to fix the problem permanently.
The pond between 7 and 13 is a little low on purpose to allow it to take water without flooding. That pond overflows above ground so we keep it low during wet periods so the cart path is not washed out.

How long is that dead willow tree going to lie on hole 27, it looks like heck from the highway? In a normal year we would have taken care of this big willow right away however it has been too wet to 1 drag it out of the marsh and 2 haul it away. We were able to drag the tree to dry land and cut some of it up last week and should get the job finished soon. We have planted 3 new trees in the area to replace the one that fell.

Speaking of trees... what is going on with the trees? Are you going to replace all those you cut down? As a reminder due to the Emerald Ash Borer and the advanced age of our ash trees we removed 120 ash over the past 2 years. We also removed 2 misplaced pine trees on hole 2 because they were too large to move and in the wrong place for the design of that hole.
So far this spring we have planted 40 new trees with 10 more on the way. 20 of the 50 have been donated by golfers with the course purchasing the rest. For agronomic reasons the new trees are not as close to greens and fairways but will still provide beautiful scenery and a challenge for players for generations.

This birch on hole 17 is one of 40 new bare root trees planted in April

The ladies bathroom looks nice so when are you going to redo the men's bathroom? Thank you, we did a lot of the work in house and are pleased that the women's bathroom has been well received. Our plans will be to work on the men's room for the 2018 golf season.

I thought you were getting new carts? The new cart fleet is scheduled to arrive 3 weeks ago... and now we expect them soon. Fortunately we still have the old fleet to serve our needs until the new ones arrive. Our cart vendor has been very apologetic but has to wait for the supplier to deliver the carts.

How is the course? The course came through winter good although the cold wet spring has things slow to green up. We have a couple patches on fairways to sod but overall things are growing and we are mowing as much as possible with the weather. The ice cover in winter and up and down temperatures had us worried but overall the course did well.

I heard you bought a new greens roller, are the greens going to be lightning fast every day? We did purchase a new style of roller to provide a more consistent speed. Smooth greens that putt similar day in and day out should serve our varied clientele well. Not the fastest, but a good speed every day is the goal. University research has shown daily rolling and every other day mowing provides the most consistent putting surfaces. Green speed is a combination of many factors and although rolling will smooth greens, rolling is a small part of the entire green speed equation. I will address green speed in depth in my next entry.

The Smithco XL roller is a change for our staff to learn to drive
sideways but will help us provide consistent putting surfaces.

In closing the staff, golfers and grass are ready for sunshine and fun on the links. The weather averages out so we should see some improvement soon and will see you out on the course.

Opening Day???

For the first time in our 45 years Rolling Meadows was officially open in February thanks to Mother Nature and a unusual warm spell. We really only had two days of playable weather but it was good to see customers out enjoying the course.

Just 15 years ago opening day used to be a week or so after the maintenance staff could travel the golf course without damage. Often greens, tees and fairways would be mowed, every stick picked up, bunkers raked and benches and ball washers placed by the tees before the first customer was allowed on the course.

Our philosophy on when to open changed due to the realization early season players are not expecting perfect conditions. For the most part they just want to play and get some exercise out in the fresh air. We now open the first day the course is playable and golfers can walk the course without damage. From a maintenance standpoint we can ease into the season and cleanup the course as customers play.

The decision to open is easy as it is based on when the greens firm up and we do not expect damage from walking golfers. To forecast that date more than 24 hours ahead is difficult because it is entirely up to Mother Nature.

In March of 2016 we went from snowcover and "winter" to green and "spring" in 3 mild weather days. However last week it took 6 record setting warm days to go from snowcover to playable. The difference was frost depth. In 2016 the frost was only 5 to 6 inches so once that was gone the course was firm and playable.

However this year the frost was 18 to 24 inches and although we could probe down a foot the surface was still soft and water was oozing out of the ground until the frost broke enough to allow the water to soak in.

It is too early to mow or we would risk encouraging the turfgrass to green up and grow which could cause damage when the cold temperatures return. We lightly dragged greens to even out the fall topdressing and changed cups. I am glad you enjoyed the short February season before the snow returned.

The next warm spell we should be quicker to open because it is unlikely the frost will go as deep this time of year. We hope to see you again soon!

Monday afternoon despite 4 days of 60 degree temperatures water
was still oozing from 3 green as the frost came out. This green faces north
and was the last to firm up.

 

The grass is still dormant but the greens have firmed up to
allow play on February 22nd.

Fall work updates

What a November we have been given! After a rain filled September and early October the weather has more than made up for it with warm and dry conditions for playing golf. We hope you had a chance to enjoy the course before the recent cold spell. We hope to have a week or two of golf yet but it depends on mother nature.
Fall is a more relaxed time for the maintenance staff as the stress of summer temperatures are gone and the day length is shorter causing turf growth to slow down. But we still have plenty to do to keep our crew busy. The rains brought a challenge as it kept the grass growing fast but it also made it difficult to work on the course without causing damage.

The swales on the left side of hole 6 have catch basins and subsurface pipes to take the water away. Oddly the system worked through the September rains but suddenly did not drain water at all in October. We tried flushing the lines with high pressure water and sewer rods without success but we were able to determine the location of the blockage and dug up that section.
The tile was put in during the expansion in 1994 and the portion we dug up must have been damaged during back-filling because we found old pieces of pipe in our hole. The original pipe was laid on the native clay but the repair was laid on a bed of sand. This sand seemed to attract tree roots from the Cottonwood trees 70 feet away. One root found it's way into a joint between the original pipe and the repair and from the picture you can see formed a root mass and blocked water from draining. We replaced that section of pipe and the water was flowing again. This time we taped our pipe seams with multiple layers of duct tape to prevent future root intrusion.

The root mass in this 4" tile on hole 6 kept any water from flowing. 

 During the rainy season we noticed the overflow drain for the pond on holes 4 and 5 was not draining properly causing water to run above ground down hole 4 and 8 to the next drain basin causing traffic problems for golfers and our staff traveling to and from the maintenance facility. After investigating the problem we found a section of pipe just past a catch basin was clogged. Upon digging it up we found a collection of reeds, pond weeds and a dead turtle blocking the waters path. We could have done without the turtle but we did find and release 4 large frogs and one bluegill.

A muddy job but a easy fix to remove a clog and allow the water to
flow from the pond on hole 4 and 5. 

Other fall activities include:

• 300 to 500 labor hours blowing and mulching leaves to make the course better for you our customers. By mulching a few leaves daily we eliminate having to pick up and dispose of the leaves. 
• Mow down the natural grass or gorse areas on the golf course to clean them up and keep trees from growing where we do not want them.
• Blow out the irrigation system with air to remove the water and keep the miles of pipe from freezing. 
• Clean all surface drains and mark the ones that tend to clog up with slush and snow so we can find them in the winter.
• Aerify greens, tees, fairways and rough areas that are compacted.
• After we close for the year we apply a medium layer of sand to the putting greens to protect the greens from winter winds. This application also serves to smooth the greens for spring play.    

Blowing out the irrigation system by blowing in air with a 750 CFM compressor.

9 green after topdressing with sand for the coming winter.

As we move from fall to winter we have a few more things to finish up outside as we close holes 10 - 27. We have started our winter equipment maintenance but by December 26th will be ready for spring to start and get back outside. Feel free to call at 920-960-1678 or email davidb@rollingmeadowsgolfcourse.com if you have any comments, questions or concerns. Think Spring!

What Is In That tank?

Golf courses are perceived by some to use a lot of fertilizer, water and chemicals and in the past that may have been true as products and labor to use them were inexpensive by today's standards.
Today's golf course superintendent has a better understanding of agronomics and the needs of the turfgrass plant in thanks to thousands of research projects conducted at universities and golf courses around the world.
Here in the badger state we are fortunate to have the top notch O.J. Noer Research Station and a great staff of UW Wisconsin professors who do product and method research right here. The research station is near University Ridge Golf Course and the work done by the current staff of Dr. Doug Soldat, (soils) Dr. Paul Koch (pathology) and Dr. Chris Williamson (entomology) along with Bruce Schweiger manager of the diagnositc lab and Tom Schwab facility manager have brought Wisconsin Golf Course Superintendents to the forefront in education.
Today's products are specialized for certain diseases or insects rather than the treat-all mercuries, leads and other heavy metals used up until the 1980's. It takes over 10 years from the time a new compound (fungicide, insecticide) is found for it to make it through the registration and testing process at a cost of over 256 million dollars on average.
Today's products are safer for the applicator, the golfer and the environment. They are also on target and many are very low use with ounces per acre rather than gallons. With any product, along with the  research and technology comes a higher price tag so the goal is to use as little as possible.
Occasionally golfers will make comments such as "the fish in the ponds have three eyes", "you must glow at night after spraying" or "I wouldn't eat fish out of those ponds".
Although our ponds are not made for swimming I do not hesitate to go in them when needed for maintenance or to rescue that push cart with clubs that got away. The water is as clean as any other clay based pond and the fish will be as healthy. The lower ponds on 1, 9, 10, 18, 19 and 27 do take a lot of runoff from neighboring roads and parking lots but so do a lot of ponds.
Research has clearly shown that very little chemical or nutrients run off from healthy turfgrass. That coupled with the fact we use as little fertilizer and chemical as possible makes me confident that our water and soils are safe for animals and humans... but we still do not allow swimming for golf balls!
As far as the glowing at night comment the dose makes the poison. The products we use are safe when handled and used according to the label. I wouldn't drink them, but I would't drink houshold cleaners and products either.

If you play golf on Tuesday or Thursday morning you may think we spray something every day, but if you play the other mornings you rarely see this sprayer. And if you play after noon you may have never seen the sprayer.
For us Tuesdays and Thursdays work out the best to apply plant products because Mon, Wed, Fri are our large staff and mow days while Tuesdays and Thursdays we have smaller staff mowing only greens and rough. Spraying is a bit time consuming but it is important to do the job right with precise coverage.

So what is in that tank? It depends on the area and the weather.

ROUGH - The 200 acres of rough are sprayed once per year either in October or May with a 3-way herbicide mainly for clover and dandelions. Some years we will go back in July with a spot spray and just catch the patches of clover. We will spot spray the no-mow areas in June for thistle and other noxious weeds.

GREENS FAIRWAYS and TEES - These areas are usually sprayed every 14 days through the main season. That seems like a lot of spraying but there is a good reason for it.

• Fertilizer - Based on color and growth rate we apply a very light rate of fertilizer .1 to .15# of nitrogen per acre every 14 days to keep the turf healthy and somewhat green without encouraging heavy growth. Heavy growth means we have to mow more often and greens are slower or fairways look shaggy with less roll. Light frequent fertilization is better than one or two heavy applications because it is less likely to produce growth spurts, wash away from the surface or leach through into the ground and away from the roots. A iron source is usually added to each spray tank to provide color without growth. Potash and phosphorus are rarely needed per our soil tests and recent research in Madison has shown how little these nutrients are needed in turfgrass at least in Wisconsin. 
• Wetting agents - Wetting agents "make water wetter" so to speak and allows the irrigation or rain water to enter the soil in a even pattern without dry and wet spots. The use of wetting agents has greatly improved our fairways and greens and allowed us to keep them dryer without the risk of dry spots and trouble re-wetting the soil if it becomes hydroscopic and resistant to taking in water.
• Herbicides - We generally do not use herbicides on greens but tees are usually sprayed for crab grass once per year and fairways for clover and knot-weed once per summer with a three way herbicide. This year crab grass has been heavy throughout the state so we may need to spot treat some of the rough areas next year. 
• Insecticides - We have been lucky in our area and have had little grub problems in the rough so we have not applied any products there. Fairways greens and tees are preventativly treated for grubs early in the season. Grubs of all kinds eat at the roots of grass plants causing drought like symptoms. They can also lead to damage from crows, skunks and turkeys digging up the turf looking for a tasty meal. New products provide season long control of grubs without any damage to beneficial worms and other insects. Greens receive treatments for cutworms once or twice per year while ant mounds are treated by hand as needed. 
• Fungicides - Our main fungus problems are dollar spot in the summer and snow mold in the winter with occasional brown patch or pythium during very hot and humid periods. Fungicides are added to the spray tank when needed based on the weather pattern and forecast. Research started in Madison and continued at other universities has been invaluable to reduce fungicide use and  reduced fungicide use is the goal of researchers, the superintendents who apply it and the golfers who have to pay for it. The "Smith-Kerns" Dollar Spot Predictor Model came out of UW Wisconsin and can substantially reduce fungicide use by just tracking the weather. It also puts science behind the 6th sense turf managers have had all along. 
• Growth Regulators - Our final category of product is the growth regulator designed to enhance plant health and lateral growth while curtailing vertical growth. This year our regular use of growth regulators has allowed us to mow fairways three times a week rather than 4 (a savings of 12 man hours per week) and allowed us to skip two mowings a week on greens (a savings of 8 man hours per week) during normal weather patterns. The other benefit of growth regulation is smoother greens and closer mowed fairways with less clippings laying around after mowing. With growth regulators more is not better, and in some cases more can harm the turf or stunt growth to a point recovery from traffic and play is reduced.

With greater technology comes more applications of less overall product overall savings in dollars. This was a short description of a very in-depth topic. If you ever want more information on the products applied to the turf you play on feel free to ask.

Mowing Down The Jungle!

Forgive me golfers for I have been busy, it has been 5 months since my last confession... I mean blog post. I do have good intentions to keep you updated but then work gets in the way and time for blogging, tweeting and other social media forums.

Rolling Meadows has 5 acres of marsh that golfers cross on holes 6, 7, 13 and 14. These areas are played as water hazards and hold water during normal weather patterns.  The areas are mainly reeds and marsh grasses with some scruff trees that pop up every year. We try to mow or burn the marshes each fall or winter to keep trees from growing too tall and cleaning up the debris.

The marsh areas look good most of the time but especially the second half of summer when the foliage turns brown and is a nice contrast to the green turfgrass. However this year the weather has been perfect and the areas really grew tall with reeds over 12 feet tall. On Holes 6, 7 and 13 golfers struggled to see the hole and on holes 6 and 13 the plants actually knocked normal tee shots down.

The marsh looks great but really toughens the hole by
knocking down low shots and hiding the fairway.

After mowing the hole looks and plays easier as the second fairway comes into view.

In dry years like 2016 we can mow down the plants with our tractor and flail mower.
In case your wondering there are a lot of bugs in the marsh.

In the pictures below you can see the tools used when the marsh is too wet for the tractor.
A day of slinging the blades and swatting mosquitoes awaits lucky employees.

For our customers who love the view of the marsh we left hole 14 alone mainly because the tees are elevated enough players can see the fairway despite the tall grass and reeds. 

Winter updates

With temperatures the past two weekends giving golfers the itch it reminded me to write a update.
We are busy preparing for the season with equipment maintenance to ensure a smooth mowing season. Reels and blades are ground, bearings and seals inspected and changed when needed, lubricants and fluids are changed and filled. Luckily we have a equipment hoist to allow us to closely inspect frames, hoses, suspension and hidden areas of the mowers carts and tractors.
For turf managers the perfect winter is a warm November followed by a slow steady cool down to put the plants to sleep and the allow the ground to freeze 12-18 inches. On top of this a foot of snow in a couple small storms before Christmas with steady below freezing temperatures are just what the turf needs. To come out of winter it would be best if February 10th we started a slow steady warm up with no temperature swings and a light breeze.
We have never had a perfect winter nor do I think we will so each winter brings surprises and challenges. Although this winter was not severe it did offer unwanted warm spells, snow and rain bringing us a crusty 6 to 18" of snow with a little ice at the surface. Turf mangers wait with anticipation for the snow to melt so we can inspect the turf again and make sure we have had no winter problems.
One concern a lot of course managers had this winter is the fungicides we applied for snow molds were subject to early winter warm spells with sunlight to degrade the contact fungicides and rain to wash away the products. I have been out the past two weekends and the only snow mold I have seen is on the untreated roughs and so far it looks superficial or just on the leaf tips.
The other concern each year is long term ice suffocating the turf or turf sitting in water either in puddles or under ice for long periods of time. With the mild winter long term ice was not a concern but for the past two weeks many parts of the course have been sitting in water under a layer of ice/slush or just in a light layer of water due to the slow snow melt and temps near 30.
Home lawns are rarely a issue nor is the golf course rough but greens, tees and fairways can be damaged from repetitive freezing and thawing. The best thing is to just get the snow and ice off the greens reduce how much water is held.
Many years we are able to take our snow blower and blow the greens off before a warm spell but this year it was difficult due to the crusty nature of the snow and the ground not being frozen. The last thing we need is to damage the turf with tire tracks or gouging from shovels or equipment.
This season to shorten the melting process on greens to remove a layer of snow, slush and ice we applied a green dye to the problem areas. The dark color of the dye absorbs the sunlight and helps speed up the melting process. Other courses have used black sunflower seeds, Gypsum or sand. Milorganite fertilizer can be used because it is black and will not harm the turf and will then be available as a slow release nutrient source in the spring.
The dye worked and yesterday afternoon most of the greens were clear and dry. A little snow this week should not hurt anything and will melt off fast with the sun higher each day as we approach spring.

February  24, quite a bit of snow on 4 and 5.

10 Green Feb 21st, sitting in water and slush.

10 Green Feb 22, Dyed green to speed up melting.

Feb 28, 15 green was blown off leaving a island of turf surrounded by snow.

We are hoping for a warm spring and hope to see you on the links soon!