Fairway Update

 Why do the fairways look spotty?

• In previous seasons ryegrass had contaminated some of our fairways.
• Rye is undesirable as a fairway grass both aesthetically (dark green color) and agronomically (is less tolerant of environmental extremes).
• We have continually tried to minimize the ryegrass contamination, however elimination of the ryegrass through chemical control has been ineffective.
• The ryegrass was unable to withstand the extreme low temperatures this past winter which has resulted in some turf loss. The bent grass withstood the winter weather and remains healthy.

What is the next step?

• While turf loss is always undesirable this actually presents an opportunity to improve the appearance of our fairways.
• We will be seeding bent grass the week of April 14 and will consider sod in select areas.
• When soil temperatures rise to promote germination, the spots will begin to fill in.
• Our goal is to have the fairways fully recovered by early May.

With patience and warmer weather, we are excited to take this opportunity to improve the playing conditions at Wakonda.
Regards,
John Temme and Green Committee