Deer Ridge - US Open Rough

Not quite like the US Open.....but the perfect cool and wet weather conditions....and a little fertilizer has our rough as thick and uniform as it has been in a long time.  Don't worry....the growth will slow down and we are doing our best to keep it cut at least twice per week.  The greens continue to be healthy with lots of turf/root growth and are rolling well.  Our focus for the next few weeks will be cleaning up the peripheral areas (fescue weeding, mulch beds, etc.) to the line of play and detail work as we head into the summer.

The work done by Evansgolf at the Short Game Area is now complete and waiting for drier weather to allow the new sod to begin rooting and firm up the soil beneath  There will be a settling period that will take several weeks to allow subsurface water to find its way into both the drainage and create its own natural pathway through the soil.  The tentative date for opening the new area is June 25th but may change should the weather not cooperate.  The new greens will be considerably slower for most of the season as reducing the mowing height too quickly may cause them to decline as we move into the heat of summer.  Aerification and topdressing will be very important for these new greens to help smooth them out and minimize any potential layering associated with new sod.  Our crew will be working up until the opening of the Short Game Area finishing off any loose ends and tidying up scarring from the construction.




      View from the bunker green looking towards #1


 The new gardens at 17 are now being planted and will complement the gardens between 9 and 10.  Over time, the turf around the gardens will improve now that irrigation has been added and mulch will be added to the gardens once the plantings are complete.

I am looking forward to the member divot party this Sunday June 23rd and would like to thank all of those who are attending in advance.  This participation from our members is an incredible show of commitment to help keep Deer Ridge in amazing shape and allow us to showcase our course at the upcoming Member Guest Event on June 26th
 



I have attached the link to the USGA Green Section usgagreensectionrecord@usga.chtah.com for those interested in reading anything turf.  The link has a great library of pictures from the maintenance department showing the preparation involved in hosting this years US Open event at Merion.

Enjoy the Open