Course Update And Other Thoughts - April 22nd

A brief update for the membership:

• All the greens and tees are clear and have come through winter in good condition. They may have issues here and there until it really warms up and we have the irrigation system operating but as of today Eric and I both feel a sense of relief (especially myself).
• The fairways look fairly good but some are still snow covered and most are still very wet. The Poa annua/Kentucky bluegrass blend prevalent at our club results in a mix of early season colors. As long as most of it isn't grey thats a good sign. The Poa will tend to lose the green and go almost an orange tinge until the weather improves and we can really start aggresively managing the turf.
• My approach to the beginning of any golf season is to go easy on the turf until I am confident that any work we attempt will not result in a setback. This is a crucial point in the season that can go a long way in determining conditions for the summer.
• The application of some fungicide around the greens in the rough has held back the snow mold. When you get on the course you will notice the spray perimeter. Greenish on one side; matted, moldy and greyish on the other. Can you imagine the damage if we could not use fungicides to protect the turf in the fall?
• As you are probably well aware the practice facilities open on Saturday. Please refrain from commenting on green speed for awhile. The practice and warmup greens are mowed but they are soft and slow. We have lots of time to knock that topic around. The practice bunkers are not ideal but we will be replacing the sand with new product and cleaning up the edges soon. I'm sure Ted Locke has ideas in place to revamp that area behind the range tee. This season we will be treating that green like all the rest so eventually it should be a better playing surface because right now it almost looks like a  tee box. Time will tell.
• I'm not sure if many of you know this but the grounds crew has undergone a dramatic turnover. We won't go into the boring details but those staff returning are the people I felt could contribute to the success of the club. The other 20 or so new staff have a steep learning curve ahead of them. My team is committed to training them to become valued members of the maintenance crew but there will be mistakes and issues for us so please have some patience in the early goings. 
• My next blog posting will deal with some maintenance practice changes for the season. Yes, one of them involves the introduction of a double cutting program for the greens. Stay tuned.
• Finally, a word about something that is probably on your minds throughout the day. When will the course open? My best guess is around the 5th of May. Weather permitting as usual.

Wade Peckham