April 2012

The Wilderness Golf Course opened on April 13th of this year-the earliest opening date ever. The golf course endured the winter the best it ever has and turf conditions were the best I have seen them for this time of the year. The weather over these past few months has been wonderful-until this past weekend. As I write this article, I can see close to six inches of snow on the golf course and needless to say this has put a bit of a damper on things for the moment.

Vince 5

18 Green April 16, 2012

This is not the first time we have been hammered by snow early in the golfing season and it will not be the last. This snowfall poses no real danger to the golf course and its condition-though it may delay the onset of the consistent growth required to recover from wear and tear. On the subject of wear and tear, I would like to share a pair of articles that should help players to help us to keep the golf course in the best shape possible.

Fixing divots

Key points:
  • If you create divots, you should also repair them -- that's part of the etiquette of the game.
  • Repairing your divots ensures that other golfers have the same level playing surface.
  • Different methods are used to repair divots. Be sure to ask about the local procedure when you are playing at a new course.

If you play golf, you create divots -- it's part of the game. However, if you create divots, you should also repair them -- that's part of the etiquette of the game. Repairing your divots ensures that the golfers who follow you have the same level playing surface you had when you started your round.

A number of different methods are used to repair divots, and each of them is designed to make sure that the type of grass growing around the divot fills in as quickly as possible.

Some courses ask that you simply replace your divot. In this case, you should replace it in the same direction that it came out and firmly tamp it down.

On courses whose tees and fairways feature actively growing bermudagrass, you will often be asked not to replace the divot, but rather to fill the hole with sand the course provides. In this situation, fill the divot and then tamp down the sand so it is level with the surrounding area.

At some courses in the North that feature ryegrass and in the South where dormant bermudagrasses are overseeded, you may be asked to fill the divot with a sand/seed mixture. Again, it is important to tamp the sand down so the seed will germinate.

At the Wilderness Golf Course, we ask that you replace your divots whenever possible. The divot may or may not grow back with this technique (depending on the condition of the divot and weather conditions) but this will help to control the accumulation of debris on fairways and improve playing conditions for other players golfing after you. If in the event the divot is not intact enough for replacement, then the proper procedure is to fill in the divot with the provided sand/seed mix.   The bottom line is that it is the player’s responsibility to make some effort to repair divots.

See you on the golf course.

Vincent Dodge

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