As I sit and write my first blog since starting here in mid-March, it is currently raining. The quantity of rain (1.7″ as of this writing) we are receiving in the third week of May is not typical for this time of year, but definitely welcome.
My first day on site, we began our spring green aeration. Aeration and topdressing are not a popular cultural practice for the golfing public or the crew, but it is essential for consistent playability of these surfaces on a long term basis.
The number one reason for core aeration is the physical removal of organic matter, which enables us to replace this material with uncontaminated sand. If we do not perform this practice on a consistent basis, the organic matter levels will increase causing problems with the physical soil properties of the putting surfaces. This will lead to other problems such as disease, shallow rooting and most importantly to the golfer a soft, spongy playing surface.
The grass is constantly producing organic matter through the normal growth process, so core aeration along with the need to input fresh sand into this environment will continue to be the most important cultural practice performed on a golf course to maintain quality putting surfaces. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this procedure.
Another item I have been busy with is inspecting, cleaning, and repairing the irrigation satellites throughout the golf course. If they are not cleaned out and inspected regularly, insects and mice can take over and create problems with the internal wiring as you can see in the following pictures.
Wires chewed in half.
On my first day here, we had numerous geese throughout the property. I procured the help of my friend Toby, to create an environment the geese would not prefer. Toby is an actual working herding dog. He acts on his herding commands and the geese think he is a natural predator and leave for a more conducive environment. The top picture is the beginning of the day and the bottom picture is at the end of the day.
We look forward to providing the members of Sonoma Golf Club an enjoyable environment to play the game we all love. If you have any request or ideas on blog subjects, please communicate and we will gladly discuss.
Yours in turf,
Stacy L. Wallace
Sonoma Agronomy 