LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
The golf course is holding up well to the unusual winter we have had in Florida . It is typically dry and sunny this time of year , but with the El Nino winter pattern that has not been the case . The golf course stays wet longer , and disease pressure is higher with the cloudy weather .
The greens have kept great turf coverage this winter . It is always concerning when you have multiple days pass without the sun making an appearance . The turf coverage will slowly fade away if we are not on top of the issues . A few ways we combat this are the use of wetting agents and solid tine aerification to open small holes to allow ventilation for air to get to the root zone . Wetting agents break the surface tension of water and allow the water to drain more easily into and through the soil profile . This helps get the moisture down and away from the surface allowing the grass to breathe and prevent it from suffocating . Monthly solid tine aerification also allows the water to travel through the soil profile . It creates channels to alleviate the increased moisture that will suffocate the turf . I try to utilize these methods to prevent us from having to spray numerous expensive fungicide applications . Although they are sometimes necessary , fungicides can get quite pricy and be very inconsistent with their results .
The Agronomy team is utilizing this time of year to clear out some landscape areas of old , original plant material . We will be replanting numerous areas on the golf course with a simpler , maintenance friendly design . We are keeping the new plant choices native and consistent throughout the course . Many of these landscape beds are the original plant material that has been battered throughout the years by hurricanes and bad storm events . It is time for some new , fresh plant material to get the golf course to a higher standard .
Wes Parker
eaglebrooke newsletter 9