The long, hot summer of 2010

The long, hot summer is taking its toll on the turf, budgets, and nerves of the superintendents. With the downturn in the economy, budgets are tighter than ever and superintendents are being asked do so much more with less. Now, you throw in one of the toughest summers in recent records, and superintendents are at their wits’ end. The long-term forecast is still looking tough, and we need to make sure that we are taking measures just to survive the rest of the summer. I have met so many young, new superintendents this summer beginning their career, so I thought it would be a good idea to share a few survival tips.

Survival Mode:

•Open communications with your staff, club managers, and golfers about turf stress
(Keep everyone informed of what should be done in these stressful times)
•Test all irrigation heads to ensure proper operation is occurring daily
•Water lightly and frequently to ensure the water makes it to the plant
•Adjust cutting heights up during prolonged periods of stress
(Height can be slowly moved back down as cooler weather arrives)
•Change your front rollers to smooth
•Use light rolling on non mow days for green speed; skip mowing when possible
•Change up mowing directions, alternate cleanup laps, and keep mowers sharp
•Vent greens when possible to increase water and air movement exchange
(Irrigate well before this process and vent at coolest part of the day)
•Use fans to increase air movement and keep greens dry in those tough areas
(fans should run 24 hours; portable fans are a great idea, also)
•Reduce traffic flow by using ropes or selective pin placements to keep golfers away
from stressed areas.
•Make sure to apply preventative applications of fungicide and pesticides at this time to limit future damage to the turf by other pests.

These are just suggestions from turf managers like yourself, but every course has its unique issues and things have to be adjusted to fit their needs. Please share with us what you do at your course to make it through these tough times. What you have to share may make a difference…