Maintenance Tuesday

Today the greens are being vericut, fertilized and topdressed ahead of the upcoming heat, humidity and wet weather. Vericutting and topdressing are the most effective way to manage the organic matter layering that our A1/A4 bentgrass greens build up during the growing season. If not properly managed the organic layer can lead to soft, scalped, diseased greens that will need significant renovation work to get back in shape. While the seemingly constant disruption to the playing conditions may be frustrating, it pales in comparison to the impact of these layers if they are left unchecked.  

The fertilizer being applied to the greens is a potassium product that will help the greens during the upcoming heat stress. Potassium used in the plant to regulate their stomatal pores which allow the plants to exchange gases. 

Finally, I would like to address some questions I have received about the fescue areas on the course. Fescue is an integral part of RiverCrest. It is our intention to condition the golf course so that it is the most enjoyable for all the members and guests. Currently, the majority of the fescue has been allowed to grow up and go to seed. Today, we have 35 acres of weed free fine fescue. Our plan is to evaluate the impact and validity of the fescue with the intent of reducing it to 20 acres of the best fescue for RiverCrest.  Please feel free to contact me with any other questions or concerns.