Course Conditions for upcoming season
I read with interest Rickey Craig, the new Director of golf Maintenance's article about their plans to "adjust" overseed strategies for the upcoming season. While pointing to the lack of rain, the message was clear about the overseed strategies for this fall and winter. Bottom line is that the greens and tees only will be overseeded. While not a huge deal for the Executive Courses, it will have a significant impact on the look and aesthetics of the Championship Courses. They can say what they want about raising the height of the cut on the fairways and pigments to help support Bermuda grass, history says you wont be pleased with the result. Are the plans in place to reduce the fall/ winter bump in daily fees to accompany this? Probably not. I have witnessed many courses where this was done in the "interest of being a good steward of our resources" the bottom line is the paring back of expenses. Very disappointing
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No Overseeding of Golf Courses
Today's Daily Sun tells us The Villages will only overseed the greens and tees this year. The rest of the course will be mowed higher until such time as the Bermuda goes dormant. Plant pigment (read paint) will then be applied. Sounds like a disaster to me. (Daily Sun, 8/24/16, Page B3)
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agreed. see my earlier post
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Here is a link for others: https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...season-207075/ |
OP, this is above my pay grade. I know that over seeding is the traditional method of treating the courses in the winter so I'm guessing what TV is doing might be a cheaper way of treating the courses. But not better in your opinion?
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Well, it's not like they've been very successful with the over-seeding either, given the number of problems and resultant closings of some championship courses this year. :oops:
All I really care about is if the fairways have enough grass that I'm not always hitting from a 'tight lie' in the middle of it and if the greens roll true and are reasonably fast. If they take at least some of the money they save from over-seeding (and can meet the above criteria), then put it towards maintaining better greens and grass in the fairways...I'm personally willing to give it a chance. :shrug: |
I play a lot of championship golf (or should I say golf on championship courses), and I can tell you this guy (Ricky Craig, the new director of golf maintenance and author of the article being referenced) is doing a great job. There has been a clear improvement in course conditions over few months despite the lack of rain we've had this year. You also see more workers out there than before. It had gotten almost to the point of being embarrassed to have a guest play here. Nancy Lopez threatened to have her name removed from her course if something wasn't done, and now it is in great shape.
He has been here less than 6 months, and has earned the right to make this call, which as he explained is due to the lack of rain we have had. Things are heading in the right direction. |
I have been around and worked on golf courses both north and south for the better part of 62 years. The Director is doing as well as he can given what he has to work with. My comments were not criticizing the Director, just clarifying the fact that the courses will look worse and the fairways play worse than if proper overseeding was done. This is purely a cost savings move and it should be stated rather than skirting the issue. They want to spend less on maintaining the championship tracks. That is the mandate. Don't sugar coat by telling us they are trying to be good stewards of our resources or that it will look better in the long run by doing this
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7" deficit is significant due the water restrictions they have to deal with. Are you aware that below 466, there is a single allocation of water that has to cover everything, homes, common areas, recreation centers, and golf courses? The more those other places use, the less is available for the courses. They have to rely on the retention ponds and recycled water to supplement their allocation. Less rain-lower pond levels-less golf course water. |
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If they are trying to save money, why not just require all the players to join a championship member advantage plan?
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Refurbished Executive Courses
Take a look at the newly refurbished Bonita Pass Course. They built two hills at the end of Hole 1. Cant figure out if they planted grass or weeds on the hill...eyesore.
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