A Little Back to Normal

After last week this one feels like winter!  What a difference in temperatures and conditions.  Right into summer, right out of summer and into spring.  Cooler weather has helped out in one way, slowing the grass down.  I was a bit nervous after the rain we received that if we had warmer temps this grass would be growing out of control.  It hasn't completely stopped but it has slowed to where we've been able to start getting some other tasks done. 
This past week was busy with mowing while sprinkling in some detail work and other necessary tasks.  The mild winter and warm start to spring has everything early and that required us using this past week to finish up our preemergent crabgrass control application.  We've continued to work at lowering the heights on greens and tomorrow we will be out cutting at .150".  We'll stay at this height for the next 3 week or so and really concentrate on grooming and topdressing.  Density on the greens has increased which is great to see.  This was our main goal this spring.  Verticutting and topdressing took place this week on the approaches as well.  This is a process to increase density but also stand up leggy plants and get that leggy material cut off.  One thing I've noticed with the greens and approaches over the last 3-4 days is that they've gotten a tan tinge to them.  This is most likely due to the drop in temperatures over the last week.  A few nights have dipped to the low 40's even creeping into the upper 30's.  These temps will slow bent grass down substantially thus reducing the amount of nutrient uptake and chlorophyll production thus a tannish/yellow color rather than green.  When temps rise back up things will green up as growth activity increases.  We have applied some foliar fertilizer to keep the turf pushing while things are on the cooler side and will be looking at doing and organic granular application early next week.  Plants got to eat!
Besides our continued labor on the greens and the approaches we have increased mowing frequencies on the fairways as well as mowing rough routinely.  Like I've continued to say the turf is growing vigorously especially the bluegrass.  Here is a nice photo of the 12th hole taken this Friday:

Along with all the mowing, tedious tasks have been accomplished.  I'm a stickler for detail so we've been able to get up to the clubhouse to edge beds, mow, and plant some pansy's for color.  Along with that Luis has done a tremendous job of dressing up the bed between the 19th hole and the 10th tee which has now been designated a bit of a "picnic" area.  The rain here at the end of the week is allowing us to continue with some of the detail theme with jobs like edging beds on the golf course as well as mowing and edging bunkers.  Here are some shots from today's activities.

Abel and Elias mowing bunkers around the 5th grn

Abel mowing bunkers

Rightside grn bunker on 12 after being edged and mowed

Luis and Antonio doing a tremendous job putting a crisp edge on the flower beds and pulling weeds

15 Tee bed after the boys gave it their master touch

14 Tee bed all cleaned up

Good to have another week in the books and have great progress to report.  Next week looks to be just as busy.  We'll be bringing a few new guys onto the crew come Monday to help with more of these tasks.  Look very forward to keeping things growing and creating a delightful canvas for the full opening of BCC.