As you have probably noticed lately Minor Park and golf courses in general are producing long and lush roughs (hence more lost balls!). Thanks to fertilization and perfect weather (well-timed rains and warm temps) the rough is growing at an accelerated rate as it does every spring. Our rough areas and banks at Minor Park are mostly tall fescue which is a cool-season grass. This variety flourishes in the spring, is a survivalist during hot dry summers, and mounts it's comeback in the fall. Here are some facts about cool-season grass:
· Roots of a cool-season grass plant begin to absorb water and nutrients as soon as the ground temp reached 55 to 65 degrees F. In response, the grass blades soon follow with prolific growth, especially with the air temperatures ranges between 60 and 75 degrees F.
· So with the warm weather early this year coupled with the Barricade plus fertilizer we put down for weed control AND multiple rain events, it's a perfect storm for more rapid blade growth.
Please bear with us another couple weeks, to help alleviate golfer frustration we are lowering mow height and continuing our schedule of cutting rough 5 days a week! Perhaps the only thing to get excited about HOT weather is the effect it will have on the rough, this will cause cool-season fescue to thin out, then all of us can appreciate a slower rate of growth and easier shots from next to the fairway!
Check out this image showing the growth pattern of Cool-season grasses:
