Annual Report To The Olde Florida Golf Club Membership
April 2024
Prepared by:
Darren J. Davis, CGCS
Golf Course Superintendent
darrenjdavis@oldefloridagolfclub.com
(239) 353-4441 - Office
Golf Course Update
After four back-to-back winters in a La Niña weather pattern, with numerous heat records and ample sunlight, this year we experienced our first El Niño weather pattern since 2018-2019. This winter turned out to be an extremely strong El Niño weather pattern, resulting in the most difficult winter to manage turfgrass in my 31-years at Olde Florida.
El Niño is a climate interaction linked to warming sea temperatures in the central and east-central Pacific Ocean. The warmer waters cause the jet stream to move south of its typical position. During an El Niño winter, the southern 1/3 to 1/2 of the United States experiences cooler than normal temperatures, increased cloud cover and enhanced precipitation.
The challenge with above average precipitation in the winter months is; with low evapotranspiration rates the soil remains saturated, decreasing oxygen and limiting root growth. Combined with the extreme cloud cover (the cloudiest December and January in over 83 years) growing grass was very challenging.
My staff and I worked diligently and did things never needed in all of our previous seasons. Among other things, disease pressure required increased fungicide applications on greens, tees and even fairways. As a point of reference, we are currently 40% over the annual fungicide budget, with 6-months remaining in the fiscal year. Other adjustments made to combat the weather challenges included increased solid-tine aeration, higher heights of cut and reduced mowing.
For more in depth information on El Niño and the challenges it presented, please visit these four links (written this season) on my blog:
All I Want For Christmas... Is Sunshine
El Niño And Its Effect On Turfgrass Management
How Does Turfgrass Eat? (El Niño Part 2)
El Niño's Effect In Florida: Explaining It To Golfers, Boards and Owners
When sunlight finally returned to normal levels in February our hard work this winter was rewarded and we have finished the 2023/2024 winter golf season extremely strong!
Purity of the TifTuf turfgrass, planted as part of the 2021 renovation remains very high. The goal was 99% eradication of the existing grass during the 2021 renovation, and we achieved that. As of the 2023/2024 season, we are still at approximately 97-98% purity. This level will drop slowly each year.
This summer we will continue similar work that has been performed in previous years. This includes cultural practices such as aerification, vertical mowing and topdressing. Last year we expanded our topdressing of tees and greens to include fairways. All of the fairways received 1/4” of sand. The fairways on holes 2 & 8 (our wettest fairways) received an additional three 1/4” topdressing applications for a total of 1” of sand. It is a significant investment, but it results in firmer, better draining fairways.
For an explanation on why we perform these practices please visit my July 2023 blog entry: "Why Do You Aerify Greens When They Are In Great Condition?"
The cultural practices we perform annually in the summer months greatly assist in winter conditioning. They are also crucial to survive challenging weather patterns.
Drainage, tree trimming and underbrush maintenance are also routine summer projects. Last summer my staff installed 1,700 linear feet (1/3 of a mile) of subsurface drainage. That brought the total subsurface drainage that my teams have installed in the last 30 years to over 16 miles.
For more on the drainage work we perform please visit my August 2023 blog entry: Drainage...Drainage...Drainage!!!
Golf Cart Usage
I would like to thank the majority of the membership who are driving golf carts responsibly and according to club policy. As a reminder, we ask that all members and guests keep golf carts off turfgrass around tees (exiting the path after the last green and white post) and keep carts outside the green and white posts around putting greens. Your adherence to this policy will benefit your fellow member and provide the highest quality turfgrass for everyone to enjoy.
Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension Update
The Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension project is a 7-mile extension of the existing six lane. The extension will begin to the west at Collier Boulevard and it will end at 16th St. The county estimated the project will take approximately three years to complete. The project began in the fall of 2022.
Subsurface work on the road work and the new canal excavation continued this season. This has created a few challenges with dust. I am pleased that the contractor hired for the project by Collier County, Sacyr Construction has been extremely responsive when I have reached out for assistance and updates.
In the near future all existing connections (outfall and intake pipes) into the old canal will be extended to the new canal. When completed the existing canal will be filled in. Next season (2024/2025) paving at our end will occur and if they stay on schedule, the project should be complete in the fall of 2025. Unfortunately the 8’ chain link fence and planting on our southern property line will not be complete until the end of the project.
For more information on the Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension project you can click Here.
Additional Information/Year-Round Updates
Please feel free to reach out at anytime if I can assist with anything, and if you are not already doing so, please follow the Olde Florida Facebook page and subscribe to my blog for more frequent updates on the golf course. Links to these can be found on my website: www.DarrenJDavisGCS.com
