Random observations for the week -post snow cover

The weather continues to fluctuate from single digits a week ago to near 60. Add some rain and we have an interesting and potentially dangerous set up for winter kill with the temps expected to drop again. Luckily we did not build a lot of frost in the ground because we had snow cover acting as an insulation layer when the real cold happened. This allowed us to take the rain and snow melt well and there is very little standing water out there and most of the course is firm. Chris and I walked the course checking for frost and opening the greens back up. Some had water in the green cup while others had some in the temp cup in approach. All were firm enough to support play and some were even a little frozen in spots. The work this week ran the gamut from chipping brush to prepping ball washers for paint and in my case even a seminar at Gillette, home of the Patriots. We had serious wind gusts for a day and a half and many twigs and branches came down but nothing major.

Follow the tracks in a zig zag up the road

Chris Peterson, owner Tom Irwin - one of our suppliers

Chris's handiwork on ball washers

No better example as to why we aerate

Hungry geese chewing up the 8th fwy and leaving a mess

We received a dusting Sunday evening so someone had fun driving all over the roads and up the banks. Some day I will find a car wrapped around a tree in here. The Seminar in Foxboro was very informative and always a fun venue. Kevin Cleary lives in Walpole now and had wednesday off so we met up afterwards and had a nice conversation catching up since his departure at the beginning of the year.
The picture of the awesome white healthy roots is a great sign of a healthy turf. Unfortunately it is on the back bank of one of our new tees which continues to have erosion under the sod when it rains. These roots are in the air pocket where the soil has washed away. It proves that roots like open space and why we have to constantly poke holes in turf to promote healthy roots. This will be difficult to repair since the sod is rooted but the holes present a hazardous environment for walking. Oh and then we had a friendly visit from some geese who ate half the 8th fairway and left a million "presents" behind.