A Cover Update

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about covering portions of our driving ranges that are in need of recovery.  The covers the golf course maintenance crew put down were moved two weeks later and the results were excellent.  Below are some pictures that were taken on the Reserve and Members Club ranges.  The first picture is on the Reserve Club range after the cover had been moved.  As  you can see the covered turf has recovered nicely.

The second picture we have added is on the Members Club range and it shows perennial ryegrass seed that has germinated while being covered for 2 weeks.  The area directly under the cover was topdressed and seeded directly before the cover was put down.  As you can see the ryegrass has germinated well under the cover.

Wait a Minute!

     If you have spent any amount of time outside during the "winter" months thus far, you have probably noticed that the temperatures have been abnormally warm.  This is great news.  Sort of.  One problem with the warmer temperatures is that the bermuda grass on the golf courses is being tricked into thinking that it is time for spring green up.  Well, the time to break dormancy hasn't come just yet.  Below is a picture that was taken in the dormant rough beside of a tee on # 2 at the Founders Club.

      As you can see here, there is a lot of green grass showing in the dormant rough.  When bermuda grass greens up prematurely, there can be a negative implications on the turf when it tries to break dormancy in the spring.  When there is an early green up, the grass plants use stored carbohydrates as energy to grow.  Therefore, when it is the appropriate time for growth in the spring, the plants have used up most of their energy for the early green up.  

     

Driving Range Improvements

Recently, the driving ranges at the Members and Players Club got an upgrade.  Shapemasters, a local golf course construction company, laid a concrete slab on the back of the driving ranges at both the Members and Players Club.  These concrete slabs will soon be topped with golf range mats that will be used at various times for practice throughout the year.  We have posted a picture of each slab that was laid below.  Thank you for patience as we constantly strive to improve your golf experience at St. James Plantation.

Players Club Driving Range

Members Club Driving Range

Flooding at The Clubs at St. James

Last night, The Clubs at St. James received approximately 7 inches of rain during a 6 hour span.  As you can imagine the courses are extremely wet and impassible in spots.  Virtually every bunker on all of the courses was washed out and will require a lot of repair. We will be working diligently in the next couple of days to get the courses back into optimum playing shape.  We appreciate your patience during this time.  Below is a picture from #2 at the Founders Club.