A Busy Couple of Weeks

It's been awhile since I've put a detailed post on here.  The last three weeks have been very busy and I apologize for not taking the time to update the readers.  It's been two weeks since we opened the greens and we continue to see progression.  The weather has been almost ideal for healthy turf growth.  A few blips through the consistency out of wack but our soil temperatures have reached the proper range for our A1/A4 greens to grow vigorously.  With the turf growing more vigorously we've been able to adjust our maintenance and cultural practices around that.  We've continuously been mowing with the brush attachments down to help groom the laid down and leggy material upright to be removed.  We're seeing great results.  Double cutting has also been instituted from time to time to help removed that leggy material even more.  Golfers continue to notice to difference from day to day.  As things continue to mature we'll be able to adjust our practices accordingly to maintain healthy, consistent, and smooth greens.
This past week we applied our first growth regulator to them.  Growth regulators help us control the significant top growth that we are receiving throughout the day but help increase our lateral density.  Ideal soil temps, air temps, and high fertility create a great amount of growth throughout the day from our morning mowing to the afternoon where then speeds are sacrificed.  These growth regulators will help reduce that daily growth and keep the speeds more consistent through the day.  This upcoming week we'll be looking at getting back on our routine topdressing program along with verticutting.  We've held off a bit as the density in the greens weren't as great the topdressing sand wasn't able to get worked into the turf canopy.  Not being able to get the sand worked in was sacrificing our sharp reels and bedknives on our mowers thus sacrificing the quality of cut.  Here in a few weeks we'll starting looking at getting on a rolling program of a few times a week.  Rolling helps smooth things out but also pick up the slightest bit of speed.  I guess I should get away from talking speed as that is not our goal this year.  Obviously we don't want super slow greens or super fast, we just moderate and fair but mainly healthy greens.  I've continued to state that the first year we need to be patient and cautious! 
Along with continued grooming of the greens we've been able to get more on a routine of maintenance.  Finally getting around to getting caught up on all detail activities as well as normal spring tasks.  With the warm temperatures weeds are becoming more evident throughout the course especially clover in the rough.  This past week we've been working at getting all these weeds sprayed and removed to help maintain a clean and consistent rough.  Bunker banks have also been sprayed with crabgrass prevention along with some fertilizer to perk them up.  The list could go on  and on with what's been taking place but we'll leave it here for now. 
It's been nice to see people out here enjoying the course, you've been missed!  Glad that everyone seems to be happy with how things are at the moment and we will continue to do our best in making things better each day.  I'll leave you with some photos of our past few weeks:

Antonio Vargas mowing 15 Grn.  We continue to use the brushes to stand up leggy material for a nice clean cut.

Antonio continuing to mow 15.  Notice to the right the difference in turf length, the left is mowed as the right is not.

Nathan Bolhous our Second Assistant doing a fungicide, insecticide, growth regulator application to greens and fairways.  We've gotten onto an ever 10-14 day spray program so that protection is always on the greens from disease and insects.  You may have noticed the greenish color on the greens as well as here in the spray.  This pigment is added to help us see where we have sprayed but also beneficial to turf as different wavelengths of light are absorbed by different colors and green is beneficial for turf.

Jorge Zamudio applying herbicide and fertilizer to bunker banks.  We do this each spring to help control weeds but also create a nice growth to the bunkers.

Elias, Jose, and Santiago spot spraying weeds in the rough.  Our main issue right now is clover.  By this method of backpack sprayers we can be more accurate with our application as well as reduce the amount of chemical used.

Luis weeding flower beds throughout the golf course.  Luis is what I consider a "Master" Gardener.  He is very attentive and knows what is good and what is bad, but also makes great decision as to thinning the beds out for proper growth.

One last photo taken from 12 green across to 8 tee.  I always enjoy this view especially as the Lilly's begin to bloom along with the Wildflowers.