We are having some late season rain that makes the maintenance staff have to work a little harder than usual to have the course clean for golfing. When you add the warmer April temperatures with rain, the grass grows very fast. We not only need to mow the grass but also pick up the clip that the mower leaves behind because it is so long.
Our rough might be a little more thick and lush than some other courses because of the work and cost put into it. We aerify, seed, and fertilize the rough two times each year and also spend a lot of time making sure it stays alive in the Summer by hand watering it. By keeping it healthy throughout the year it is then extra healthy when we get perfect growing conditions like we are seeing now. This is why we see so many grass clippings around the course. It is nearly impossible to keep up with the growth rate in the Spring. Our rough mower is mowing everyday and the only thing that might stop that would be a large rain storm. Something I am very excited about is a new rough mower that we purchased and should arrive within the month. This mower will allow us to mow the rough at 2 inches instead of our normal 2.5 inches and also have the power to mulch up the grass and leave very few clippings in it’s wake. This will save many man hours to do other jobs.
Please enjoy our thick and more importantly healthy rough all year long. We are doing everything we can to keep it mowed, clean, and playable as the grass grows faster than preferred.
Sonoma Agronomy 