Hollow Vent

Today marks the first of 4 Mondays we close this summer for maintenance.  The golf course will reopen for play on each of these days at 1pm.  Maintenance Monday's are crucial for our department and the health of the golf course.

Today we vented the greens with a 1/4" hollow tine.  This process will assist with thatch management, gas exchange and water movement.   We follow the venting with a spray to help manage sodium and bicarbonate buildup.  The greens will be lightly top dressed on Wednesday.  We believe this process causes little disruption to the playability of the greens and will significantly help us maintain healthier greens throughout the summer.  We thank you for you understanding and support.

List of Procedures

• Mow Greens
• Vent Greens
• Pickup Plugs and Blow Greens
• Roll Greens
• Spray Greens
• Apply Amendments
• Water Greens
• Roll Greens Again in the Afternoon Just Before Play Resumes

Cleanup

Before the Roller

Jason applying Gypsum

Our goal is to maintain these roots throughout the summer!  

Heat Wave

It's hot!  The heat wave is exposing the areas we turned off a few weeks ago.  We ask all golfers to avoid driving golf carts in these areas.  Enjoy the conditions and stay hydrated!  

Light Top-Dress

Today we lightly top-dressed the greens at Pasatiempo.  We top-dress every 14-21 days depending on the weather and golf schedule.  Light and frequent top-dressing helps reduce excess thatch.  Excess thatch will prevent water infiltration, reduce air movement through the profile and create an environment favorable for several fungal diseases.  Light and frequent top-dressing is one of the most important cultural practices on golf course greens.  The process is completed overnight with an additional irrigation of the greens.

Before and After Irrigation 

Water Restrictions Start Today

Superintendent Office

Today we begin stage 3 water restrictions in Santa Cruz.  Our allotment during stage 3 is 50% and based on a formula using real time weather data.  The allotment is not based on historical water usage or defined amounts.  Our current heat wave may seem like a bad time to start water rationing but our allotment increases when temperature rises.

We also turned off 225 irrigation heads today which equals 10% of our system.  This includes the driving range and the first 50-100 feet of most holes.  The greens, green surrounds and tees will continue to be irrigated at 100%.  The playability of the golf course should improve for most looking for longer drives and challenging approach shots.  

We ask all members and guests to avoid driving through stressed areas of the golf course.  We prefer you do not drive backwards when entering the fairway after you pass the ropes along the cart path and continue to avoid the native areas.

We are working on several long term alternative water sources.  We feel real progress is being made on several fronts.  Thank you for reading and check back soon!