Greens and Grounds

Golf Course Update

With 2022 behind us, I’m excited to look forward to what 2023 has in store for us here at Providence. Some big ticket items were crossed off the list over the past two months, and we can now hit the reset button and prepare for the new year. We were able to apply our big pre-emergence/post-emergence herbicide spray back in November. This set us up for a clean golf course through the fall, winter, and into spring. We were also able to finally tidy up the course and get all the leaves cleaned up. Having these things behind us has allowed us to concentrate on other things to get ready for the 2023 growing season. Winter time presents a good opportunity to do some tree work that we may not have time to complete during the rush of the growing season. Trees that we are dead, present a hazard, or trees that compromise turf health are things we look for during the growing season so we know what to address during the winter months when there is time. This year we have quite a few dead trees to remove, all of which were marked with green ribbon before the leaves started to fall. Plant health is at an all-time high on all playing surfaces. We have corrected some soil issues and implemented different fertilization practices over the past few years. These changes are starting to pay off. I am excited to implement my own Pesticide Plan for 2023. After dealing with recurring diseases, I will be utilizing new fungicide chemistries for more thorough protection to help keep the major soils disease suppressed. We will continue to follow a simplistic, no-nonsense approach to maximize plant health through the growing season and year round. We will have our spring pre-emergence herbicide/fertilizer bulk spread application take place near the end of January. We have used this timing for the past three years and it has been very successful at keeping us clean and weed-free. We go this early for two reasons. One reason is: it’s done and over with. However, the main reason is so that the material is there, in the ground, for whenever the plants are ready to start waking up. This may happen with a warm spell in February, or an early spring green-up. Regardless, we will be ready for whatever the weather throws at us. See you on the course, MARK SCOTT Golf Course Superintendent