The weather we have been waiting for all spring has finally arrived. This has been the first week of this year that we have had temperatures above 80 degrees. The bermudagrass does not really get going until the day time temps and the night time temps added together equal the number 150. We will see the course start to take shape and grow with the warmer temps and humidity. We have laid 4 truckloads of sod throughout the course on weak areas and winter kill. The sod has taken and is doing very well and has really improved some of the wear around greens complexes.We have planted over 2000 flowers this week in beds around the clubhouse and golf course to add a little color. The landscape beds have been mulched and are looking so much better. The mulch is not only aesthetically pleasing but it greatly reduces weed growth in the plant beds.We recently spread a 30-0-10 fertilizer on 105 acres of bermudagrass with an insecticide for season long grub control. The fertilizer along with some rainfall and the warmer temps have really improved the color of the course.We will be starting our irrigation injection program on June 1st and this will also increase the fertility and allow for better water penetration into our sand soils here. We will be doing our second greens aerification of the year on June 1st and 2nd to get the greens ready for the coming summer temperatures and stress. We will be using 1/2" hollow coring tines and topdressing with sand afterward. The greens usually take 2-3 weeks to recover with good weather. Overall it is shaping up to be a great year on the golf course so get out there and have some fun!

As the end of March approaches the warmer weather we were experiencing has turned back cold for a few days with wind and rain. Luckily we were able to get our first greens aerification of the year completed with out this weather affecting our work. The greens turned out well and as the weather changes back to more spring like temperatures, they should heal up nicely. We have a couple of projects taking place in mid April thru mid May this year that will greatly improve the look of the course. First, we will be replacing both of our irrigation pump stations. Our current pump stations have deteriorated to the point that they need to be replaced with new ones. The new stations will be much more efficient and will provide better pressure to the far reaches of the back nine holes. The new stations have been ordered and are being built now. We should be taking delivery of the new stations in mid April. The install process will involve taking out the front wall of the pump house on hole number 3 to allow for the removal of the old stations and the installation of the new ones. The pump house will then be re-constructed with any rotten wood replaced and a new coat of paint applied. We will also be installing a new line for the filter flush on the effluent station. We have to up size the current flush line which is two inch to a larger four inch line. This will involve trenching a line from the pump house to the effluent pond on hole number 6. There should be minimal disruption to the course during this time and we are looking forward to having the new equipment. We will also be improving the right side of the 17th hole this spring. We plan to remove several trees around the fairway trap which cause winter kill to the bermuda due to shade. We will be reshaping the trap and adding new sand and sod around the bunker. This will improve turf conditions along the right side of the hole and provide a much cleaner look to this hole from the tee. We are excited about these improvements and looking forward to a great season here at The Currituck Club.

Welcome to 2016

Well, it has been an unusual Fall season with the temperatures being so warm late in to the year. We have been mowing the short grass on fairways and tees the last two months when historically the bermuda is very dormant this time of year. We have to change our weed control strategies this year as it looks as though the bermuda may not go completely dormant. We usually are able to spray Round-up late in the winter to cleanup any remaining poa annua and broadleaf weeds. This year we will be spraying a product called Revolver on the tees and fairways which is much safer to use on semi-dormant bermuda grass. This product works very well to control winter broadleaf weeds and poa which is our major issue this year since the fall has been so wet.                                                                                                                                           We have also installed silt fencing around some of our sand traps that are most exposed to the Northeast prevailing winds. While this fencing may be temporarily unsightly, it helps to contain the wind blown sand that ultimately causes some winter kill damage around the trap faces. This sand is very labor intensive to clean up each spring so the fencing is necessary and with our low volume of golf play this time of year, not too intrusive. The fencing will be removed as play starts to resume in the spring.                                                   Another focus for the maintenance staff as we go through the off season, is to work on some details like the landscape beds. The beds are being raked out and sprayed for weeds as staffing allows and we are hoping to put an experienced landscape person in place this year to keep them clean and weed free.                          We have also begun making applications to the greens to suppress the poa annua that we deal with in the  early part of the year. This application of a growth regulator along with our spring apps of a poa suppressing fungicide will help us to manage the seed heads that the poa produces in early spring.                                     There are plans to lay sod to repair any remaining winter-kill damage from 2015 as the weather allows in May/June of 2016. Lets hope that with the warmer temps this winter we will have little or no winter-kill damage this year. Looking forward to a great 2016 on the golf course. Get out there and play some golf and take advantage of this weather!