On The Course Next Week And Some LPGA Reminders

3 days in a row and no rain. The course is drying up nicely just in time for the Club Championship Weekend and the greens and fairways are firming up allowing for better ball roll and very quick putting surfaces.

We are now mowing the greens at a height not attainable 2 seasons ago. We are also rolling 5 times per week. This is all possible due to a variety of maintenance practices but one in particular has had the greatest effect. Consistent bi-weekly applications of light sand topdressing. We have been slightly off schedule due to the inclement weather and the major club events occurring at present. However, topdressing will be the theme on the course next week. Here is the schedule:

• Monday to Wednesday - fairways
• Tuesday - tees and and approaches (aprons)
• Wednesday - greens

All these applications will be light and should be of minimal nuisance. We will be applying a little more sand on the fairways than last month due to the dates of the LPGA event. In addition we will also be fertilizing all areas of the course by next Friday. Greens will be sprayed tomorrow. Tees and aprons sprayed early next week and the fairways / rough will see granular fertilizer after they have been topdressed. As usual growth regulator (Primo Maxx) will also be applied to greens, tees, approaches and fairways.

As you may have noticed we are also cleaning up some cartpath entrance / exits, adding more fine bark chips around the course and sodding some worn out patches next to greens. I'd love to work on some sorely needed drainage projects but that will have to wait until the fall. A busy week ahead.

Note: The LPGA has requested that no red, white or yellow line paint be applied anywhere on the course 30 days out from the tournament. Therefore we cannot paint the lateral hazard lines on the ponds or mark any ground under repair for the Club Championship.

LPGA REMINDERS

• Please stay off the grass surface at the driving range. Remind your guests too. Somebody has been using the grass instead of the mats. It's not hard to miss. Please help us out, as any divot pattern from now on will not recover by August 18th.
• Please stay off the course tee surfaces used for the LPGA. Again, the divots are giving it away. We don't want to use plastic mesh until Advance Week (August 12 - 16). Its easy to do. Just tee off from whatever markers you are using for that day no matter where they are placed. Back to normal on August 27th.
• The lower parking lot (and any other open space down there) has begun to receive infrastructure from Golf Canada. Parking is going to be difficult for the next 4 weeks.
• Course structure installation begins next week. 

One final note. I want to thank the Royal Mayfair Membership for your patience and understanding over the last few weeks. It's been difficult for everyone, members and all the staff included, with the course closures and multiple power cart restrictions. It has caused me a fair amount of stress. Never in my 22 years as a superintendent have I experienced so much rain in such a short time period. Your cooperation kept the course from being damaged beyond the drainage issues we had. I only hope we don't go through that again anytime soon. Lets hope for a dry August.

Wade