Welcome to my blog!
It is my intention to give the readers a better understanding of what we do to maintain The Farms Country Club's 18 hole championship golf course and grounds.


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

It Is Time To Replace Your Divots!

We are removing all the divot mix from the golf course because the colder temperatures keep seed from efficiently germinating. We ask that you now simply replace your divots.

During the primary golf season we use an outstanding divot mix composed of sand and peat moss. While this mix requires a bit of a budget commitment, its benefits far out way the cost. The mix has excellent water holding capacity which allows our desired creeping bentgrass seed the best chance of germination. Creeping bentgrass is our seed of choice because it is genetically superior to the inferior, indigenous Poa Annua. There are times of the year when you may notice that the seed does not seem to germinate as well as others. This is primarily attributable to not enough moisture in the filled divot. We cannot irrigate our fairways with the sole purpose of germinating seed in the divots. If we did this, we would be reducing playability because the fairways would be over-watered. Fast and firm is always our goal.

Other benefits of the mix are that the product is sterile and no weed seeds are introduced to our fairways and tees. It is also dry. Dry mix is imperative because we do not want the seed to germinate in the divot boxes or bottles. This would be a waste of the high quality seed we use.

Finally, our divot filling program has been our most successful tool in increasing creeping bentgrass populations, especially in fairway landing areas and high use areas on tees.

Replacement of divots in the early spring and late fall is important because we must always utilize our resources in the most efficient manner possible. In essence, getting the "biggest bang for our buck"!