GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT
NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2021
Dear Member / Property Owner,
Following on from the Golf Course Superintendent’s Newsletter sent to you in January, which was designed to keep you up to date with all of the important maintenance procedures which were scheduled to take place on The Indiana Course, we are pleased to be able to give you an update on the works carried out and to inform you of the schedule of works which shall take place in February 2021.
JANUARY COURSE MAINTENANCE UPDATE
Cleaning of Desert & Tee Areas
The dry river bed that runs in front of the 10th hole tee complex has been cleaned, cleared and restored to its original beauty. The dry river bed that crosses in front of the 10th green has also been cleaned and cleared of all unwanted vegetation. This has allowed for a spectacular view from the fairway of the entire green complex and beautiful cactus that grow along the right side of the hole.
Topdressing of the Fairways, Roughs, Approaches and Collars
The roughs on holes 10 and 11 have been topdressed to provide a smooth playing surface and encourage better growth from the tall fescue.
Elimination of Unwanted Grasses from Fairways and Roughs
The last application to be applied to the fairways and roughs has been completed for the winter season. The results are very positive with the visible yellowing and dying out of all unwanted grass species. This process will continue in mid spring to help ensure a pure stand of tall fescue in the roughs. The fairways have also seen some yellowing in places where bent grass and poa annua have established during the fall and winter months. With the soil temperatures now rising, the paspalum will begin to wake up from dormancy and take over these areas of weakened grasses.
Poa Annua Control in the Greens
As you will have seen on the greens and collars, the poa annua has yellowed out and started to die off little by little. This slow die off has allowed the desired bent grass to take over and dominate the poa annua. Continued applications will be needed, however in much smaller doses for continued control.
FEBRUARY COURSE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
Cleaning of Desert & Tee Areas
Designated areas of the desert, tee and green complexes will be cleaned and cleared of old plant material and undesired vegetation and if needed new planting will be added.
Topdressing of the Fairways, Roughs, Approaches and Collars
As stated in last month’s newsletter, we will continue the programme of topdressing the fairways, roughs, approaches and collars to provide a healthier stand of grass. This is a very time-consuming process and will take time to accomplish, continuing throughout the coming months, until all areas are finished.
This maintenance programme will accomplish several goals.
• Smooth the playing surface by filling in any small holes or gaps in the grass
• Create a better soil profile for the grass to grow
• Help with drainage to maintain the firmness of the surface and be able to easily flush unwanted salts from the soil profile
2021 Greens Hollow Coring Dates
In the knowledge that all Property Owners and Members need to have as much notice as possible concerning particular aspects of the golf course maintenance schedule that may temporarily affect the playing conditions of the green’s surface, thus enabling them to plan particular holidays accordingly, please see below the hollow coring dates in 2021.
• Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th of April
You will be able to keep up to date with the full tournament and social calendar, format and any additions, information of how to enter, and much more, by visiting either our official website www.desertspringsresort.es or by contacting the resort reception at Desert Springs.
We and the staff at Desert Springs are looking forward to seeing you on The Indiana course in the near future.
Kind regards,
Zachary LaPorte
Golf Course Superintendent
