SUPERINTENDENT
The Superintendent ’ s Cut
8
Course Update : Spring is on its way ! It sure feels like it anyway with the smell of fresh cut grass around the golf course . The warmer temperatures have allowed the LGCC maintenance team the ability to begin mowing practices again .
The team is eagerly awaiting the warmer daytime and nighttime temperatures to arrive on a more consistent basis . But Spring is in the air ! The LGCC maintenance team will be helping with that feeling by adding to the aesthetic to the club . The flower beds around the clubhouse areas will have fresh mulch added as well as some annuals to bring some bright color to the entrances of the club .
The maintenance team will also be conducting the cultural practice of aerification on the greens on April 5 – 7 . The club will remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday for the completion of aerification . We are hoping for a smooth transition between Winter and Spring in order to prepare for a successful golfing season in 2021 .
This time of the year tends to be some of the maintenance teams ’ busier weeks in order to complete a multitude of projects including fertilizing , applying pre-emergent herbicides , aerification , detail work which includes the mulching of beds and other various tasks around the course . We do appreciate your patience with our team as we work to provide you , the members , with the best possible playing conditions in the Valley !
Superintendent ’ s Corner : In this month ’ s Superintendent ’ s Corner , I ’ d like to share some information pertaining to your home lawn care . Below I have identified a few things that you as a homeowner can do to make your home lawn look the best it can . Each home lawn is different and not all the tasks itemized below will be essential to your lawn care plan .
The exact timing of these spring lawn care tasks depends on the climate of our region . Typically , a good indicator will be the time local forsythia plants stop blooming and the lilac bushes begin flowering . This will most likely occur during the later part of March into the end of April . This all depends on ambient and soil temperatures .
Rake Deeply : Even if you were vigilant during the Fall and Winter with leaf and debris clean-up you should think about raking your lawn . A few factors of this task are important , most notably the build-up of thatch . For those not familiar with this term , thatch is the build up of mainly dead turfgrass tissue which lays between the grass rootzone and soil below . If your thatch layer becomes too thick , about ½ ” or more , it can be detrimental to the overall health of the turf . Therefore , removing as much grass clippings and leaves during the Spring is important .
Aerification : If your home lawn receives heavy traffic from kids playing or running in the same spot or wear patterns