Golf Course News
Wet Conditions Prevail at Lake Tansi Golf Course
By Todd Mathews
Golf Course SuperintendentContinuous and unrelenting rainfall has plagued Lake Tansi for quite some time. The golf course became wet in the early spring and has yet to dry entirely. Certain areas on the course are worse than others. An abundance of precipitation and a shortage of sunshine were the norm all season. 2009 was one of the wettest years on record, causing headaches for course maintenance work and sub-standard playing conditions. 2010 has yet to bring any relief from the deluge. The rain continues.
Lake Tansi golf course received rain on 101 days in 2009. During the 240 day golf season, it rained 75 times. That is over 30% of the available golfing days or another way to look at it was that it rained every third day. May was the wettest month with 8.13 of rain. It was followed by July and December with 7.96 and 6.43 respectively. Surprisingly, September and October (normally the driest months), saw 5.73 and 5.97 respectively. November received the least rain at 1.85. It was followed by August (2.14), February (2.62), and June (2.68).
The wet conditions made course maintenance difficult. The staff experienced numerous rain outs which delayed mowing for several multiple day periods. The grass would quickly grow out of control and become nearly unmanageable at times. The staff would have to raise the mowing heights in order to prevent scalping. As the course slowly dried, the mowing heights would gradually be lowered. The putting greens werent exempt from the problem either. When the greens were too wet to mow, they grew out of control as well. It is very traumatic for the grass on a green to be scalped. Great care had to be taken this year to prevent severe damage to the putting surfaces.
A large portion of maintenance, aerification, and winterization takes place in September and October. The rain put a damper on most of the scheduled cultivation strategies in 2009. Wet conditions also extremely hindered leaf clean up this fall.
Because of the skipped mowing and the out of control growth, playing conditions suffered. The staff was rarely able to attain the green speed that they desired. The roughs were wooly during the frequent wet spells and when they did get cut, the excess clippings would pile and leave unsightly clumps. It was disheartening when the weather prevented the staff from providing top notch conditions.
Lake Tansi was not alone this year when it came to dealing with excessive moisture. As chronicled in a recent article in the USGA Green Section Record http://turf.lib.msu.edu/gsr/2010s/2010/100110.pdf , several courses were in the same boat.
Even though 2010 has not started very well, with over 5 of rain in the first half January, there is hope. If the rain can arrive at a more normal pace, 2010 will be great year. The maintenance staff is eager to provide the best course and the best playing conditions in Cumberland County. They just need a little cooperation from Mother Nature.
