Beating the Heat

We have finally reached the end of the hottest July on state record. I was informed today that our average high for the month was 97 degrees and Epply Airfield reported only .01" of rain. Although we have our thin and dry areas the course has hung in relatively well, especially when you consider that Red Feather and Black Bird are less than two years removed from renovation.

The irrigation break that occurred three weeks ago took its toll on #1 and #2 Black Bird greens. In an effort to build some safe guards against this happening in the future, we will add some isolation valves to the irrigation system over the winter. These will allow us to continue to provide water to those holes in case something like this happens again.

There are a few things we have done to ease the stress on the course. The most obvious of these measures is the cart path only rule. I know this is a huge hassle for most golfers but it really has helped out. I cant express how grateful I am for the patience you have all shown.

In an effort to relieve the greens of as much stress as possible we dusted off the walk mowers and started walk mowing greens during the week. This takes the weight of the riding units off of the greens.

We have also started tank watering hot spots in fairways and tees. Even with the best irrigation systems you will find areas that get too much or not enough coverage. We have found that hand watering these areas provides the best results.

My assistants Jeff and Nate have put in countless hours over the last three weeks and they really deserve a hand. I couldn't tell you the last time they put in less than a 12-hour day. I have yet to hear a complaint out of them either. Thank you guys and and thanks to the rest of my crew for hanging in there.

The extended forecast doesn't give me much hope of a reprieve any time soon. All we can do is keep plugging along and wait for some nice fall weather. Football season is creeping closer.