As we reach the second week of April, it has resembled summer rather than spring. With that being said it looks like we will receive some beneficial rain today through Sunday. Our rain total for the season to date is 23.86 inches. Hopefully this weekend’s rain gets us closer to our annual average.
I am sure most of you have noticed the irrigation project has been completed regarding the underground installations. The irrigation contractor is finishing some small items on the punch list and removing equipment and supplies off-site. We still have a few items remaining to complete the project. One of them is the electrical supply for the new pump station. PG&E engineering is complete. We are currently waiting on permits to perform the work. While we wait for that to be implemented, we still have the ability to utilize the existing pump station.
Also to be completed is finalizing the as-builts of the new system to allow our irrigation designer to input all that information into the central computer for optimum efficiency. Fortunately, none of this work will impact the golfing experience allowing all 18 holes and driving range to be fully open.
Another project we completed during driving range was closure was adding drainage at the south end. This area was perennially wet due to the soils and low-lying area. You can see in the picture below where the work was performed.
In our next blog we will discuss the turf trial program we will be implementing in the near future to determine what varieties will perform best in our micro-climate for a future re-grassing project. Please feel free to wave me down or send me an email if you have any questions about the project or maintenance in general.
Yours in turf,
Stacy L. Wallace, Golf Course Superintendent
Sonoma Agronomy 