What a Difference a Year Makes!

The ability to manage and maintain a golf course is often dictated by forces outside the control of the golf course superintendent. The most obvious of these forces is weather. 

Each summer there are routine tasks that the golf course operation staff must complete in order to produce the highest quality playing surface in the busy winter golf season. The two primary and most critical of these tasks are aerification and vertical mowing.

Fairway Aerification 

I am pleased to report that due to the terrific weather and lack of exorbitant rainfall this summer, the staff is approximately 30 days ahead of schedule. This year, the rainfall recorded at Olde Florida Golf Club from January 1 to August 31, 2014 was 38.05”. As a comparison, last year for the same time period, Olde Florida had received 52.45”.

The average annual rainfall in Naples, Florida is just under 60". The majority of this occurs in the summer and is often heavy  

The last major cultural practice that will occur this summer will be fairway topdressing. The fairway counter lines have been redefined and the height of cut is slowly being lowered. Fairway topdressing will take place during the last closed week of the summer, September 15 - 22.

Re-establishing fairway counter lines at Olde Florida Golf Club