I am learning that divots and the cart bottles have been a hot button issue here at Rivercrest for many years. Having spent the season evaluating our current divot program, it seems as though our landing areas are often bowl shaped, a design which exacerbates the divots. The landing areas coupled with long hot summer days that slow grass growth have visually impacted the appearance of the divots on the course. The good news it that with the upcoming cooler nights, the grass will begin to grow more quickly and the divots will recover faster.
After a half season of observation, I do not believe going back to divot bottles on the cart will lead to better results. The plan is to begin using a new divot mix with higher fertility, which will quicken the recovery of the divots. We appreciate the patience as we continue to fill divots daily. During this week’s aerification closure, we thoroughly covered the divots on the fairways in anticipation of cooler nights and better growth. As always, I am always happy to talk grass with any member. It is always a great way to get to know the membership a little better. Email me with any questions you might have! Or, if there is a blog topic you would like discussed, let me know and we will make it happen! tge@rivercrestgolfclub.com Yesterday afternoon we got some much needed rain (1.5 inches) in the form of several severe thunderstorms. While the rain helped the overall health of the golf course, and will expedite the recovery from this week’s aerification: it left the grounds crew with a lot of work to do putting the course back together. The sand in the bunkers washed out, leaves and sticks were strewn about the playing field, and several large branches were down that required chainsaws and loaders to clean up. Thankfully the staff has been working hard since before sun up and many of these issues will be resolved before the golfers get to them. Unfortunately, carts will be on paths only for the remainder of the day.
After being closed for a few days, it great to see the golfers back out there. This weekend’s forecast looks amazing for golf and for quick recovery of the greens. Thank you all for the support: please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Aeration week is in full swing, and despite the heat things are going great! We are wrapping up the greens and approach aeration process with a coating of topdressing sand. Tomorrow afternoon we will double roll the greens and start to prepare them to be open Thursday morning. Unfortunately, we will not be able to finish solid tining the fairways. We started the first fairway, but the environmental conditions are not in our favor. It is simply too dry and too hot to successfully aerate. With some good weather will be aerating the fairways this fall as the golf calendar allows. Next week, the golf course will be closed for aerification from Monday through Wednesday. Our goal is to reopen Thursday if all goes according to plan.
During this week, the grounds crew will be busy aerating most of the playing surfaces. The greens, approaches and remaining tees will be core aerated and topdressed. The fairways will be solid tine aerated. This necessary agronomic process will provide air to the roots, remove unwanted organic matter, relieve compaction from our soils and set up the health of the playing surfaces for a fantastic fall of golf. The goal is to have a very playable golf course by the weekend and an amazing golf course in less than 2 weeks. Thank you in advance for you understanding, while we complete this process. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns. Chris Toporski is the newest member of the agronomic team here at Rivercrest. I had the good fortune to work with Chris at Saucon Valley, as well as Huntingdon Valley as he began his career. From there he moved onto gaining experience at clubs such as: May River in South Carolina, Phoenixville Country Club just down the road, and Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting. Chris brings a friendly, high energy, detail oriented attitude to the team here at Rivercrest. When not at work you can find Chris in town with his wife Sarah, son Eric, and two dachshunds Hines and Rocco. He enjoys running and competing in half marathons, cheering for the Steelers, and cooking in his time away from work.
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Tim Edwards tge@rivercrestgolfclub.com Archives
January 2023
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