From the Fairways April 2018
Spring is finally here and hopefully the weather will improve with more sunny days in the forecast. In March we removed many of the bulrushes around the lakes edges. This should help playability and also aid in finding your balls on the lakes edge.
We are installing some new drain lines in the bunkers to help improve their drainage. In recent years, some of the edges on #8 and #13 greenside bunkers have been collapsing. We have used stacks of sod to reinforce them and give them more stability. Please refrain from walking on these edges which are marked clearly by a yellow ribbon for the next two months until the roots are firmly established.
The par 3 tees are now open for the season and divot repair bottles are now available.
The greens and fairways will be aerated April 16-19 with the front nine closed for the first two days, followed by the back nine. The tees will be aerated April 23-26.
If you’ve played golf in the last month, you have probably noticed the purple blotches on some of the greens, especially #4. This pigmentation is caused by a wide temperature fluctuation between days and nights. The warmer days cause carbohydrates to be stored in the plant, but when the nights are very cool; these sugars are not effectively released into the roots, causing the plant to turn purple. As night temperatures rise, sugars are then redistributed to the roots, and the chlorophyll once again turns the grass its natural green colour.
Please continue to repair ball marks on the greens. They do not heal well until late April when the grass begins to grow more vigorously, so repairing them this time of year aids in maintaining a smoother putting surface. The course is also very wet in the early spring, so please keep your carts on the cart paths, unless otherwise posted.
We look forward to seeing you on the course enjoying a pleasant round of golf.
John Hart
Superintendent