Crazy Weather and Playing Conditions
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| The last three months have put us back into the "Severe Drought" category. |
Our exceptionally wet spring and start to summer quickly changed over the three last months. According to official rainfall reports (take at Waco Regional Airport) we went 49 straight days without any measurable precipitation - setting an all time record. At RCC we have now received just about 1" of rain since late June. Fortunately, the rainfall we received earlier in the year has helped keep Lake Waco close to normal level, and our water budget is still in good shape. Overall the course is handling the exceptionally dry conditions quite well, but you probably have noticed several areas on the course that are either very wet or very dry. We have made a lot of progress improving our irrigation system over the last year, however it was never designed to completely replace rainfall. We are continuing to make adjustments, change programming, and complete repairs, but any imperfections are painfully obvious during these long dry stretches, In addition to being dry - we have remained several degrees above normal. The heat has forced us to adjust our maintenance practices - especially on greens. Typically by late September we have experienced significant recovery from the summer months and are able to focus more on putting speed and firmness. This year we have been forced to delay some of these practices until the cooler weather sets in. Finally, most climatologist are predicting a strong El Nino effect this winter. If the pattern holds we can expect to have an exceptionally cool and wet winter.
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| We are constantly making notes and changes to our irrigation system |
Driving Range Tees
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| Divot recovery after 14 days |
All of the practice tees are now open for play. All construction has been completed on the main tee box and it is currently open a few days a week for play. The grass is certainly healthy enough to handle traffic, however we are limiting play in order to provide as much time as possible for the grass to get even stronger. We are currently applying weekly fertilizer and cultural practices to help the new grass continue to improve before winter. We will be overseeding all of the practice tees and target greens in mid-October (tentative dates are Oct. 12 for the upper tees and Oct. 19 for main tee). At that time the tees will be temporarily closed until the overseed is established. All of the driving range flags and poles were recently replaced and we are in the process of ordering new yardage markers. Have you ever wondered the best way to take divots in order to protect the grass?
CLICK HERE to learn how to "Practice Like a Pro"
#1 Green and Nurseries
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| #1 Green on 9.21 after planting |
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| 10 days after planting, the seed is doing very well |
After considerable time and effort, #1 Green was planted on Tuesday, September 21st. We spent several few weeks eradicating bermudagrass contamination, removing silt and algae (left over from the flood), and lightly tilling the top inch of the soil profile. September is the ideal time to plant bentgrass in our climate, and the green is already looking great. We are hoping to open the green
around Thanksgiving (10 weeks after planting) - only if it is healthy to handle traffic. Preparation has also been underway to replant our two nursery greens. The "new nursery" suffered the same fate as #1 Green during the flood, and the "old nursery" was severely contaminated with bermudagrass and weeds. These greens are critical to our care of the regulation greens as they provide a source of identical grass that can be used for repairs, testing, and removing bermudagrass contamination. In addition, we are hoping that they will be used as supplemental short game practice areas.
Practice Putting Green Improvements
The front portion of the practice putting green has traditionally struggled every summer. In my three summers at RCC we were only successful once in keeping grass here all year. The reason bentgrass stuggled in this area is due to several circumstances - with air movement, traffic, and heat being the three most difficult to overcome. We made the decision earlier this year to remove approximately 900 square feet of putting surface and to replace it with a more tolerant grass. In order to complete this process we stripped the entire area including the collar. The soil was the then amended, leveled, and prepared for planting. Also, short bump and run chips
are allowed on the putting green for warm up and quick practice sessions. If you would like to practice pitch shots,bunker shots, or spend more time chipping please use the Practice Chipping Green located between #3 Green and #4 Tee.
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| Any good grass in the area was saved prior to preparing the area for new sod |
Current and Upcoming Events
- Preventative Weed and Disease Control - Herbicide applications will begin in the next two weeks to all areas of the course. The products will need to watered in following application - so the course may play extra wet for a week or so afterwards. Fungicide applications will take place on greens and zoysiagrass areas only.
- Tall Fescue - Preparations are underway to re-seed many already established areas and to plant several new areas to tall fescue - including the new parking area at the driving range tee and the rough on the left side of #13.
- Annual Flowers - Fall annual flower change out is already underway. All work will be completed by October 15th.
- Tree Removal - Goss Tree Service will be removing the large Live Oak near the ballroom entrance and our staff will begin working on Cedar Elms on several holes and a couple of large Ash trees between holes #6 and #7. All of these trees are safety hazards and have been inspected by a certified arborist before being selected for removal.
- Cart Path Repairs - Many of our cart paths have shifted with large changes in soil moisture. We are currently patching many places to prevent damage to carts.
- Planet Air Procedure - We completed our first "Planet Air Procedure" on Monday the 14th of September. The scheduled procedure will take place on October 12th.
- Irrigation Repairs - Similar to the cart paths, our irrigation pipes are breaking due to large shifts in the soil. Repairs are taking place daily.
