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News From James McGrail, Golf Course Superintendent November 2008 Update Great news for the golf enthusiast!! South Shore Country Club will be open YEAR ROUND!! Naturally weather permitting but I feel the turf will handle the stress and the golf course won't take a severe hit. I, along with my assistant Jake, will monitor the conditions and make the determination to stay open for play or not but it is my full intention to keep the course open this year as long as mother nature allows. I feel this will help with revenues obviously but also strongly feel it will be a much deserved benefit for the permit holders of the club. My plan is to extend the 2008 permit from December 1st through December 31st. If you want to play golf in 2009 either you can rejoin the club and play under the 2009 permit which will be good through December 31 or you can pay the daily fee during the winter months until your permit is renewed for the 2009 season. Rates during the winter months will be posted in the pro shop as well as on our website. Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving and I look forward to seeing you at the club.
The latest from the USGA, with an
emphasis on aerification. Finally, the late summer weather has arrived and not a day too early for golf course managers and golfers alike who have had just about enough of the heavy rain and oppressive humidity that has impacted much of the region this summer. The moderate temperatures and lower humidity have cooled and dried the soil profiles and created ideal conditions for new root development and the recovery of some very tired turf. Yes, it is dry, but night time temperatures in the 50’s are tough to beat. Those fortunate ones who are core aerating were especially pleased with the September like conditions in the mid to late August. Many more will be core cultivating in the very near future,and we can only hope the weather remains as favorable. Core cultivation practices are never popular with golfers. The practice is grudgingly accepted, but its need and importance are questioned and we are always in search of alternative methods that will get the job done more quickly and with less disruption. Can we do it with smaller tines, can we schedule it later in fall, can it be replaced with sand injection or some other forms of cultivation are common questions we hear. The majority of golf courses that I visit can not yet afford to scale back their core cultivation practices and nothing illustrates that better than the impacts of extended wet weather. There is no better way to modify older soil-based greens, reduce the impacts of layering, stimulate new root growth and create the firm surface conditions that are required to maintain the ball roll that is demanded on a day to day basis. Arguments for skipping hollow tine core cultivation or moving to other less invasive forms of cultivation will continue and some of those strategies will seemingly work fine for awhile. Ultimately, a price will be paid for compromising on cultivation and topdressing and usually that occurs in a wet summer like this one. As the old adage goes; You can pay me now or pay me later.
9-9-08 Update from James McGrail: Recently we just completed our last aerification for the season. These processes are a vital step in the health of the turf throughout the long summer months. There are three different methods of aerification currently practiced at SSCC. They are core aerification, pencil tine aerification and deep tine aerification.
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