We get a lot of feedback from members about playing conditions. One of the complaints we get is how wet the course is, especially in the mirnings.
We monitor course conditions all hours of the day. We apply water based on plant needs and playing conditions. Our goal each day is to not see drought wilt on our fairways. Drought wilt on Bentgrass is very risky. Once the plant goes into wilt stage it is extremely weak. Cart and play traffic will kill the wilting turf.
We attempt to calculate evapotranspiration rates for each day. Evapotranspiration is a calculation that factors wind, humidity, plant type, and other environmental factors that effect how much moisture is lost each day. We replenish the lost moisture each night with the irrigation system.
One of the challenges we face is often soft conditions in the morning due to the irrigation cycle replenishing the total daily moisture loss in one shot over night.
We are working on a few methods to help minimize the soft morning conditions. One of the solutions is to replenish half of the moisture loss during the night and the other half mid day. This evens out the irrigation so it is replenishing moisture evenly as it is being evaporated throughout the day. The main problem with this method is the potential of getting members wet with the sprinklers running in the afternoon.
We often times walk a very fine line between healthy turf and dirt. Unfortunately firm playing conditions fall right in the middle.
We appreciate your cooperation as we try to fine tune our watering practices to provide a balance between healthy and playable Bentgrass.
