Turf
21 JUN 2024
What can I say about the past week? I can use the adjective 'extreme' in almost every circumstance of our daily lives. Let's start with the weather. First heatwave of the year. Humidex up to 42 0C, heavy rain at the end of the day and high winds. An atypical week in every sense. The daily routine was replaced by projects, cultural practices and lots of last-minute changes. I won't hide the fact that I often change the day's game plans, which are made the day before. More often than I'd like, I change it a few times in the evening, in the morning and in the middle of the night, to the detriment of my sleep. I always want to challenge myself and make the best possible decisions for the turf.
So, we completed our core aeration for 2024. The warm weather enabled us to dry the sand faster. Once again, a great success for the maintenance teams. Healing will take place very quickly, and in a few days, we'll be back to a very good ball roll.
Vertical mowing in the fairway has begun on la Bête course, afterwards the tees will be dethatched. Felt is my main adversary at La Bête, but by following a precise agronomic plan, I'll end up a winner. We must believe in the process, which can, unfortunately, take a little longer than we would like. As a golfer, you don't always see what's going on underneath the turf. The grass may be green and attractive, but there are often problems lurking underneath. That's where the superintendent's insomnia comes in.
Hydroseeding was completed on #9 at La Bête. Paper fiber, fertilizer, seed chosen specifically for each location. Another project where we can say: mission accomplished.
In this heat, I couldn't hide the watering which is usually done at night time. We had to add to this because even if it's hot, humidity is a big player in the decision-making process. Evapotranspiration2is not the same in dry or wet weather. Grass and soil no longer retain water. Often, all we have to do is lower the surface temperature, which becomes too hot. That is why you may have noticed manual watering in drier areas.
Upcoming maintenance:
- Vertical mowing and seeding of weaker areas in the Fairway (Maître)
- Fertilization (Maître/Bête)
- Cutting back harmful vegetation in front of tee (Maître/Bête)
- Continued improvement of practice area (Maître)
Marc-André Doré
Golf course superintendant