The summer of 2024 was shaping up to be very similar to the drought of 2022. Ipswich received very little rainfall over the course of the month of June and July. In fact, rainfall total amounts over those two months where almost identical to what we experienced in 2022. Now as we roll into August we have experienced significant precipitation on 5 of the last 7 days leaving the course in a very wet state. More rain is predicted for Friday and Saturday. The past few days have been very similar to 2023 where maintenance plans need to be altered constantly as we deal with rain and saturated conditions.

In just a few short days, the agronomy team went from hours of hand watering and managing our precious water supply to dealing with saturated conditions and all the challenges that come with that. With more rain predicted for the weekend we are busy venting greens with a 1/4 inch solid tine. This is done to help with gas exchange and the anaerobic conditions that occur with saturated soil. Turfgrass plants, especially their roots, struggle in anaerobic conditions. Photosynthesis shuts down and the plants will begin to decline. It will also help any excessive moisture work through the upper root zone and through the soil profile and into the greens drainage. Venting also facilitates drying of the greens.

Fungal disease pressure has been very high and the spray tanks are very busy and will continue to be busy over the coming days. Luckily temperatures especially the all important night time temperatures will break for a little while.

A positive of the rain is our irrigation pond is now once again full and we should be in good shape with water over the next two heavier irrigation months of August and September. With a full irrigation pond we will also start to resume projects.

The first area we will address will be the area on 13 where we had to remove the large safety hazard pine. This area had been seeded and once it started to establish the growing conditions declined significantly. The results where not up to the agronomy team's standards. We are now in the process of prepping this area for sod. The agronomy team is planning on sodding this area during the week of August 12th.

The agronomy team is also prepping a few areas for seed directly before the fairway bunker on 1. The team should have these areas seeded next week.

After these two areas are complete we will start focusing on our aerations and other rough betterment projects on the golf course. Once aerations are wrapped up we will start preparing two large areas by the first tee for sod. This will be done in an effort to continue on improving the first impression of the golf course.

Wildlife from the past week:

Frogs were out and about on fairways with the rain

A couple of fat and happy bull frogs

A heron patiently fishing

One of our many fawns on the course