First, the golf course is very wet. There will be no carts today, and possibly tomorrow. The rain is also slowing down leaf cleanup.
The rain is beneficial in one aspect, as we try to get caught up on our dormant feeding. Putting fertilizer out now, will help the turf push roots before soil temperatures drop too low heading into Winter as well as early Spring, and will lead to an earlier green up next year.
This morning we are deeptining greens. This will also encourage deeper rooting and will help keep water off the greens surfaces through the winter – reducing the risk of ice. The half inch diameter solid tines are reaching a depth of ~8 inches. This depth is about twice what we are able to reach during in season aerations. While we have successfully converted the top tier (1-4”) to a more sand based root zone through our cultural programs, deeptining helps us break through the second tier (4-8”) of heavier soils. Greens will be rolled prior to the first tee opening this morning.