Slight Frost Again This Morning

Damaged Caused by Mower in Oct. -- Already Re-Seeded & Waiting to Germinate

This morning we have pockets of light frost which could potentially turn into hard frost as the sun rises.  To be on the safe side we are slowly releasing the team into the field to perform maintenance until we confirm a frost delay or not.  Check with the Pro Shop for the updates and details.

Golf Cart Damage Leaving 6's Tee

Cart Damage Leaving 3's Tee

With all of the hard frosts in the mornings and with so many days in a row our flaws are showing quite nicely.  Later I will post some pictures on this post to show some differences in the flaws.  Some of the flaws are due to the pythium that hit the ryegrass in October and allowed the bermudagrass to grow through these spots; some of the areas are due to the damage caused by the machines maintaining the golf course during the 100+ degree temperatures; some of the areas are just typical to having Common bermudagrass vs hybrid such as 419 or 328 (the 328 is what is on most of the tees thus making them look better);

The Dark Green is a Patch of 419 Surrounded by Common Bermudagrass

some (quite a few) of the areas are due to cart traffic damage that killed the ryegrass but when the bermuda was still green were harder to see; and some of the areas are to lack of fertilization (this is why the fairways mostly look better).

Under Fertilized in Front of 4's Tee

Pythium Damage on 6's Fairway

As you can see there is no simple answer and that is why most superintendents in the Valley just call this time of year "December Gloom."  Some years like last one are mild thus the "gloom" effect is very minimal, while other years are colder thus exhibiting the issues.  The good news is that even with this almost always by Jan 10th all looks healed ... plus the ryegrass is tillering.  Growing grass is not laying carpet ... it is a natural system with all of the natural flaws.

Along Lake Edge Duck Damage From Eating Ryegrass