Augusta

Its the end of the first week of April and that can only mean that the Masters is being played and all eyes are upon possibly the most beautiful setting in golf (at least in April).  Television does not do it justice, it must be experienced.  Every detail has been attended to and even non golfers can appreciate the majesty of Augusta National.

Meanwhile back at the Country Club of Paducah another week has gone by without a frost that could damage the bermudagrass.  Unfortunately, because it came out so early, the cool temperatures the end of March have made the plants very cautious and even though the temperatures have been warm for the last week, the bermuda has yet to show much enthusiasm.  It is perking up though and hopefully it will decide that the time for growing is now.  Next week we hope to further encourage it by fertilizing it.  The practice tee was fertilized today and mowed too and the plan is to open the back tee on opening day next weekend.  That is also the day we hope to remove the golf car restrictions and start implementing the new golf car control policy.  The golf shop will have information for each group detailing the new methodology.

The greens continue to recover from aeration just not as quickly as I had hoped.  It probably has something to do with the topdressing being a week behind the aeration but separating the two allowed us to not get too much sand on the greens at one time.  Sand pickup by the mowers should be almost finished which will allow daily mowing to occur along with daily rolling.  Next week will see a growth regulator application made that should improve the stress tolerance of the turf, create a more uniform surface, and increase the ball roll after several applications.  While there are no illusions that these greens will ever be like Augusta National's during the Masters, I think we are on the path to creating fun, fast, and firm putting surfaces for your everyday enjoyment.

If you have been on the course you may have noticed some new faces on the staff.  They are being trained as quickly as possible but it usually takes a couple of weeks to get new employees up to speed.  As greens and tees are usually mowed with these seasonal staff members,  our frequency has lagged because while training it takes twice as many people to accomplish said task.  Balancing all the plates on the tray can be quite a challenge especially when the rains destroy the bunkers several weeks in a row.  They are now all fixed at least until the next storm.  We have yet to find the time to add the new improved sand but we have not forgotten it.  The rough looks better each day and for the most part the mowers have been able to keep up.

Other little items slowing down our accomplishments have been one of the rough mowers breaking down, the sprayer breaking down, and the irrigation system operating spasmodically.  Between these occurrances and training new people and watching The Masters, one can feel totally inadequate.  But we will continue to give the college try and I know that it is only a matter of time before all plans will come together and we will present you with a course you will not be able to stay away from.