Greetings from the Superintendent's Corner on March 6th, 2012!
As spring nears, we here at Elkhorn Ridge have mixed feelings about the weather we're experiencing. On one hand, it bodes well for an early spring, and that means more golf! On the other hand, we've not received near the amount of moisture we would like to see to keep the threat of drought and wildfires at bay. All in all, I'm still betting we get "dumped on" before spring is over....
That being said, we have some tentative opening dates for golf course activites this year. We are looking to open the driving range on March 23 (not including the putting greens), and the golf course for open play on April 6th. It goes without saying that any significant snowfall or freezing temperatures may alter these dates.
It's important from a maintenance standpoint that we keep an eye on the growing conditions of the turf, as that will affect playing conditions and recovery time from earlier-than-normal golf traffic. Turfgrass growth relies on soil temps along with air temps, so nighttime temperatures are an important factor. As always, it is my job to provide the best overall playing conditions to you, the golfers, so any questions or suggestions you have are important to me!