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Dear Members,
The transition from the cool season Ryegrass to the warm season Bermuda grass is progressing well. So far, the monsoon season has only produced 0.74 inches of rain as of August 1st. Even though we have not received much rain or monsoon activity, we have had several humid mornings where the dew point has been ideal for Bermuda growth. We hope that mother nature will cooperate and deliver some rain and monsoons to help the weak areas fill in. Sod has been laid in areas that did not have adequate Bermuda coverage and we will continue laying sod through August in areas that are needed. Throughout August, we will continue to be aggressive in the weaker areas with verti-cutting, slicing, spot fertilizing and adding extra water cycles to help promote Bermuda growth.
During the first week of July, we had some irrigation issues that affected the back 9 greens, particularly #13 green and the front right slope on #14 green. Due to these issues, we had some turf damage on those greens. To start the recovery of these areas the following week we performed the annual greens aerification and top-dress, in addition, the team is performing weekly light verti-cutting and bi-weekly light top-dressing, applying foliar fertilizer applications 2x a week and applying granular fertilizer every 10 days. We have also adjusted mowing heights and frequency and are running irrigation cycles throughout the day to aide in the recovery. We are very optimistic the greens will fully recover in the next 3 to 4 weeks. Hole #13 is currently closed because of the green condition, and the work on the bunkers on Hole #13. When the bunker project is complete on Hole #13, the management team will make the decision whether to reopen the green or play #13 with a temporary green depending on the progression of the recovery.
The Bunker Renovation project is moving along on schedule. As of August 1st, the bunkers on Holes 2,3,5,6,7,8,10,12 have all been shaped, the new liner has been installed and the sand has been added and distributed, and the bunkers are open for play. We anticipate being completed with the bunkers on Holes 13,15,17,18 in the next 2 to 3 weeks. The contractor will then lay all the sod needed in the impacted areas and will do a 2nd round on compaction and checking the sand depths on all the bunkers.
We appreciate your patience through the transition process.
Sincerely,
Trish Huff
General Manager
Encanterra Country Club |
