Now that the days are getting shorter, the 90 degree days just don't pack the same punch as they do in July and August. Shadows are getting longer and we have found over the past week that the course is starting to soften in some areas.
This is where things get tricky in regards to irrigation. Daily tuning for irrigation will continue to occur throughout the fall. We are also taking inventory on tree trimming to enhance playability and irrigation distribution uniformity.
There are reasons why the course was wetter than normal recently. The first glaring reason is that the golf course is yearning for aerification. Soils are locking up from a long season and surface tension is building. Compaction of soils leads to poor drainage and reduction of water percolation. Once we can punch holes on the property it allows the soils to breathe and drain correctly. We continue to spike or vent through the season which is less invasive to playability, but core aerification produces better results.
Shorter days and longer shadows are contributing to less water requirements, especially in shady areas of the course. As you will notice pictured above, the fairway and tee box still have high requirements for irrigation, yet in the trees is far less. Through highly populated areas of trees, the uniform distribution of irrigation applications are compromised as tree branches frequently interfere with irrigation. These obstacles make it difficult to maintain even stands of playable turf.
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