GREENS

Combating drought stressed areas

Many members mistake the heat and drought stressed areas on the golf course as a sign we are not properly watering the course, or as a sign we are not putting out enough water. In actual fact we are putting out water every night, and making adjustments to all irrigation programs daily. The reason some areas look well irrigated, and others look as if the sprinklers are not working has everything to do with the soil below the turf. Some soils accept water readily, and others become hydrophobic. Think of the hood of your car for a minute. If you have waxed your car well, a drop of water will sit up above everything else in a ball defying gravity. This is caused by surface tension. Soils can act the same way where water will not go into the soil to wet it, but will travel around the soil. We use wetting agent to help break this surface tension and allow the soils to accept this water. As long as the heat and drought stay with us, there will always be stressed turf areas. We do our best to help remidy these areas through hand watering as it is the most efficient way to get moisture back into these areas.
Please view the attached video for a closer look.