Turf Scouting Report, July 5th

That time of year has arrived once again for all of us. It seems the heat or what heat we may get has begun to build. Its also that time of year where problems start to pop up. This is also the time you lose the most sleep and deal with the emergencies while trying not to pull your hair out. It is also the time that we can over manage.... Turfgrass mowed at such low heights is always a difficult proposition to handle and pushing it through heat and humidity usually results in problems. It may take some form of trigger for you but at some stage soon, raising the mowing height a touch and reducing wear and tear from extra rolling and excess topdressing will stop. You know as managers that pushing the turf hard will result in loss of quality not just on greens but also on collars. Over managing is probably one of the biggest problems we create for ourselves. Therefore - that extra application of product, that extra roll or mow just for a few extra inches - is it really worth it? Grass on your greens all year round is a far better sight than not! 

In light of the fact this week was a holiday shortened week, I did want to make note of the time of year as most of you probably all know. During the summer the golf course industry becomes extremely hectic. Its tough on you as managers, but its also tough on your families - don't forget to take a moment and get out of the tunnel that is the 6.30 am shotgun start tomorrow. The pressure you put on yourself to produce championship conditions everyday is probably undue, and its not the day to day parts that put the course in excellent condition but more a balanced approach early in the year when grass growth is at its optimum that lays the ground work for the good life during the stress of summer. Sometimes it pays to step back and smell the roses so to speak. 

Click here to view the July 5, 2013 Scouting Report. 
 

Ed Nangle PhD 
Director of Turfgrass Programs 
Chicago District Golf Association
www.cdgaturf.org 
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