October in Review

I haven't given my blog much time or attention in October due to my aforementioned vacation time off.  It was nice to disconnect for a few days and not think about grass all the time.  That said I'm happy to be back and motivated to get as much done before the snow flies and the turf shuts down for the winter. 

To begin I wanted to publicly thank our outstanding seasonal crew for all the hard work they did this summer.  Successfully maintaining Glen Riddle at such a high level would not be possible without their dedication and effort.  An especially big thanks goes to Jason, Tim, Brian, and Jordan for taking on the new responsibilities of staying late to hand water, among other things, and helping us get through the summer heat.  We owe much of our success to you guys, so thanks!

Man O War

The bermudagrass of Man O War is currently undergoing a significant change this time of year.  With nighttime temperatures dipping below freezing and daytime highs only reaching the 50's the grass is beginning to go dormant.  Dormancy is this warm-season plants natural response to cold/drought growing conditions.  A better explanation is given by Patrick McCullough at Rutgers University, and Haibo Liu and Bert McCarty of Clemson University:

Dormancy is a natural mechanism warm-season grasses experience when temperatures drop below optimum for shoot growth and chlorophyll retention. As day lengths become shorter and temperatures drop below 50°F, bermudagrass loses chlorophyll and begins allocating reserves for storage in belowground tissue.

Though Man O War is turning brown it is still quite playable, as long as it isn't too wet.  We have overseeded our tees with perennial rye to protect the tee surfaces from too much wear from winter play, and to provide some color contrast. 



Hole #10 teeboxes

War Admiral

War Admiral is currently playing at its best.  While the cool season bentgrass and tall fescue is slowly ceasing growth it remains as green as ever.  We will start to lose color as temps regularly drop below freezing, but the cool dry weather allows us to keep War Admiral dry and firm.  We are making some of our last fertilizer and fungicide applications of the calendar year to give the plants some adequate nutrition and protection going into the winter months. 

Another reason War Admiral looks so good now is the fall color display being put on by the oaks and maples is spectacular!

#13 War Admiral

#5 War Admiral

#6 greenside, War Admiral

#8 greenside, War Admiral

A little love for Man O War, #16 greenside

The pictures don't do the sights and sounds of this property justice, especially in the fall.  At times like these I'm thankful my office is in the outdoors.  Thanks for reading.