The first week of July typically signifies the beginning of summer at Claremont. The course and club will slow down as members and guests enjoy time away around the 4th of July holiday and the weeks following. Our Men's Invitational and all of the spring and early summer member events are in the rear view mirror. Good news is... the golf course has been in tip top shape since coming out of winter. And, the good new is... we'll begin work next week to ensure this is the case moving forward.
The turf conditions we've enjoyed this season and over the last few years are a direct result of our efforts to modify the soil beneath. Consistent,
firm and healthy turfgrass surfaces are the goal and our cultural practice
routine, while disruptive for a few weeks, will ensure a strong finish to the season. Next week we will perform a
contract aeration again called the DryJect. These machines inject a blast
of water that fractures the soil 6 to 8 inches deep creating a void that is
then filled by sand. The process has proved to be quite beneficial on our soil based push-up greens allowing for improved percolation of water and
healthy exchange of gasses. We will follow the DryJect with our own core
aeration using a ½” hollow tine. We will not over fertilise greens around
aeration as this creates the exact situation we are attempting to alleviate
with this process. Please expect a period of three weeks or so for recovery. The summer
aeration schedule is as follows:
July 9 – DryJect aeration on
greens
July 10 – Front 9 aeration
(front 9 closed)
July 11 – Back 9 aeration
(back 9 closed)
July 16 – Fairway sanding
July 9 to 20 – Solid Tine
aeration on tees, approaches and fairways
July 9 to 20 – Sanding on
tees and approaches
Please enjoy a few nice shots of the golf course from the last few weeks and remember, the reason we do things like aerify, verticut, spike, vent and sand top-dress is so we can provide the conditions seen below.
The Turf Department hopes you enjoy summer with friends and family. Have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday!
