As I sit and write this, we are entering a dry period allowing the golf course to begin to dry out from the December rain and foggy weather. Due to the fairway sand topdressing over the years, we have been able to mow the fairways periodically over the wet period. Yesterday we started mowing some areas of the rough specifically green and tee surrounds. We expect conditions to be viable by Monday to start mowing all the rough on the property.
The rain totals to date are:
- December total: 11.55 inches
- January through 4th: .45 inches
- Season totals through January 4th: 25.88 inches
Beginning January 15th, the Agronomy Team will be using a software program to develop daily pin location sheets for the golfer. This will not only help us train staff, but it will also create more diverse and interesting pin placements. This will eliminate the current 6 rotation program.
I will publish a blog next week to discuss how the rough mowing is progressing along with other programs we will start working on with the drier weather pattern.
Yours in turf,
Stacy L. Wallace, Golf Course Superintendent
Sonoma Agronomy 