Different Environments, Different Results

Today, while checking the golf course over in the morning, I noticed something interesting.  Even though our staff aerified the greens on the same day, # 9 green is much further along and has recovered much quicker than #1 green.  These greens were punched 26 days ago, and Monday will be 4 weeks.  However, #9 is almost fully recovered, and #1 still has some filling in to do.  Take a look at the pictures side by side below to see what I mean.

 This is a picture of #1 green.  It definitely is not flattering, and very tough to look at, but it is slowly filling in.  The large pine trees surrounding this green look beautiful, but do rob the turf of valuable sunlight in both the morning and the evening.  These trees also reduce the wind and air movement across the green, which is why we have a fan installed behind the green to help move air and cool the grass canopy. 

After 26 days, #9 Green looks much better.  One reason is because it receives full sunlight every day, and the daily winds provide the much needed ventilation.  We treat these greens on the exact same program, and yet you see different results.  Hot weather has played a large factor effecting the putting greens recovery.  When stress levels are high for the turf, the difference of environmental conditions and small microclimates that our putting greens live in become much more noticeable.  Thank you very much for your patience and understanding at this time while the greens are slow to fill in.  We will begin plugging the slowest areas on Tuesday, and should continue to see steady grow as we have the last 2 weeks.