Friday, February 3, 2012

Is this really Winter?

January has left us behind yet we are still experiencing above normal temperatures in addition to abundant rainfall.  The forecasters now think that extreme cold weather is probably not likely.  For the golf course this should mean less of a chance that the bermuda will run out of energy before it greens up and starts to grow again.  Unfortunately that also means that the window of dormancy that would allow Roundup to be sprayed eliminating winter weeds will be shorter than normal.  Our sprayer is ready and now we wait for conditions to be right for the application.  The ground must be reasonably dry and the wind low and of course temperatures need to be above freezing (that hasn't been a problem).  If we do not get those conditions, then a decision will have to be made whether to let the winter weeds run their course or to change herbicides (that will be more expensive).

One of the things I like about wintertime is the chance to dream and plan for the year.  You dream of ideal conditions for the course just like you see in pictures and magazines.  Then you try to plan how to best use the resources available to get as close to that dream as possible.  By using Google Map and Google Earth I can compare what the Country Club of Paducah looks like versus courses all over the country and world. One drawback is that the satellite imagery is not updated very often.  For several years clouds obscured several holes here but last year it was updated giving a clear view of all the course.  Mowing patterns can be analyzed and I have found that contours in the patterns that I thought might be excessive are fairly mundane when compared with other courses.

That part is always enjoyable but the real work is in the nuts and bolts planning.  When to apply, which product to apply, how often to mow, etc. is what makes for a successful year.  John Wooden's saying "failure to prepare is preparing to fail" is very apropos.  I like to plan the work and then work the plan.  Rarely does it go the way I plan it because Mother Nature gets in the way a lot, but that is part of the challenge of being a greenkeeper.  Growing the turf has gotten very scientific and technical but producing a golf course with turf that is playable is still an art because the best playing conditions are rarely found when the turf is growing its best.

It has started to rain again as I write this and the forecast is for copious amounts tomorrow followed by a dry spell next week.  Maybe that will be our opportunity to fulfill the first part of the plan for the year.  Wish us luck

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