Course Update #1 - First Mow of the 2020 Season!
MGC Members -
We wanted to pass along some thoughts on the golf course and how it came through the winter. Please also see the pictures below, taken after the first mow of the season.
Last week, the state government finally granted permission to golf courses to maintain their properties. So Jared and team got right to work and mowed all the short grass - tees, fairways, greens. (Please know they are taking all necessary precautions to help prevent exposure by social distancing, staggering start times, assigning specific equipment to each individual etc.)
Overall, we are very pleased with the health of the turf - very dense, and uniformly green. As expected, there are a few small bare patches here and there, but nothing that won't go away with warmer growing temps and consistent mowing. One item to note. If you recall, 13 green had some washouts last fall due to rain and slope of that green. So Jared and team are green housing it this week to bring it up to speed with the other greens. (Hopefully the last greenhouse we will ever build!). We're confident this will work well and don't foresee any issues.
With warmer temps expected late this week, and for the foreseeable future, we should get some great growing conditions. With consistent mowing, the turf will continue to get better and better...
At this point, I cannot stress how important it is for us to be patient. We need to get the roots of our new turf strong and mature enough to support play. The course will appear ready to play before it really is, so we must continue to emphasize patience.
Lastly, please continue to stay off the golf course. We will continue to keep everyone updated with pictures and info in the coming weeks/months.
Stay safe.
Thank you,
Jared Keller, Superintendent
Matt Gibb, Green Chair
Matt Gibb, Green Chair
Pics below are #1 fairway (facing clubhouse), #3 taken from #4 tee, and 15 fairway.