Turf
12 MAY 2023
The last few days of good weather have made all the difference in course maintenance this week. This weather has allowed our surfaces to dry out and the river to recede at a high rate. It is always impressive to see this amount of water on the course at this time of year. We are always fascinated with the amount of surface area the river can occupy on our turf. As Nature being so well coordinated, the river finds its bed more quickly than expected. So, I can confirm that we will have a full 18-hole course for the opening on Friday, May 12 at Le Maître. Only hole number 16 could cause problems with its remaining water that exceptionally needs to be mechanically pumped back into the river, which is unfortunately normal on this hole year after year. At La Bête, Wednesday May 17th will be the official opening. These few days between our two courses’ opening will allow us to clean up all the debris that the river has generously brought to us.
In preparation for the opening of the two courses, most of the playing surfaces have been cleared of debris. The two irrigation systems were pressurized without any major breakage. The bridges required some attention to repair them from the normal wear and the impact of the higher than usual floods. The vertical mowing that we have started allows us to strengthen the greens, which are already in good shape, by removing a little thatch. This thatch prevents the infiltration of water and hinders the rooting of our plant. This cultural practice will be done on the bentgrass surfaces: greens, tees and fairways.
We are already very proud of the conditions that we will be able to offer to you as soon as opening day. I am looking forward to the upcoming golf season, especially given that we have a great starting point to build on.
Upcoming Work
- Vertical mowing of tees and fairways
- Fertilization of greens and tees
- Pumping of water #16 at the Le Maître and #18 at the La Bête
Marc-André Doré
Course Superintendant