I have been a little more than disappointed with some of the tees this year at the club. We had some irrigation issues that have been fixed, but the problem lies deeper than that. What lies beneath the surface is thatch, excessive amounts of thatch. Thatch is organic matter that consists of living and dead plant tissue (organic matter) between the surface and the soil (a lot like a sponge). Thatch restricts water, creates a good environment for pathogens and insects, and makes fertilizing less effective. Thatch on tees can become excessive fairly easy because of the amounts of fertilizer and water that is required to keep them in good shape.
The tool that we will be using to combat this problem is a Graden, a very aggressive vertical mowing machine. Don't panic if you see this machine being used, it's gonna bring up a lot of material and you might think I'm destroying the tees, but I'm not. In fact, the tees will be much better off for it. Once thatch is brought to a manageable level, less water is required, granular fertilizers are more efficient and the turf is less prone to diseases and insect issues, all of which saves time and money. This process will be taking place through the end of September and should not effect play, it's just an extremely slow, but important process.
Andrew Dalton
Golf Course Superintendent
