Back To Basics

Over the next few weeks it will be routine maintenance only, course setup, mowing, irrigation etc. With Anthony at TAFE for 2 weeks and Dean on 1 weeks leave it is back to basics and will be attending Course presentation rather than starting any projects or extra work.

We will be finishing the granular fertilising of the back 9 Tee to Green areas starting Sunday and with the manual irrigation on this side more time consuming watering in.

There are a number of projects planned for the winter period and since there wont be much news from the course besides the weekly "same old same old" I will highlight those works over the coming few weeks.

News from the past week, the greens are now sufficiently recovered to start dealing with the repercussion of not being able to spray for the couch encroachment, Saltene and late season crab grass prior to Reno's, with the chemical finally delivered we are commencing control of these weeds for transition, as for the crab grass which is shockingly bad in the 4th 7th and 10th, we will be helping it die a natural death as the weather cools, the greens will be verti cut and sanded should the control leave the tell tale black spots of crab grass dying out.
No one has mentioned it to me, but I don't think you have to, the above greens look appalling with the crab grass, and it is what happens when you don't take control measures as planned for whatever reason at the time, we did apply pre emergent back in spring, all greens were crab grass free through summer, a late summer groom and topdress as part of the summer green speed trial may have contributed to the germination but more importantly we always apply post emergent products prior to renovations to clean up any latish germinated crab grass, we simply could not get the product due to the shortage, meaning no control as planned could be undertaken. I warned of this but even I didn't think 4, 7 and 10 would have so much there at this late time.
With that said it is obvious, not spraying had its benefits with the quicker than normal recovery period, I am sure everyone appreciate the roll of the greens and not having to smash puts to the hole allot sooner than expected.

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