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I think the course will be closed for the day. There is also the potential for more accumulating snow for Saturday night.
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Not even a week after aerification the greens have healed in well. We mowed today for what could be the final time this year. We are currently at .150 for a mowing height as compared to our summer height of .120. We will be supplementing mowing with more rolling now that our roller is running well. I'm a big believer that late in the season we need to grow our greens out a little in order for them to be as strong and as healthy as possible for the winter. Also by ceasing mowing they will put their energy into hardening off versus trying to generate new growth.
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Aerification

Greens aerification has been completed. We used 1/4" tines to remove cores and replaced with sand. Being late in the season I felt comfortable with this size tine. With slow growth rates we should still recover nicely and also allow for fairly reasonable putting. In fact after we get a chance to mow them I think they will putt just fine.

We have a lot on our plate over the next few weeks. Leaf cleanup is a big priority. We still have areas of flood cleanup left. Id like to get into some small drainage projects on the course, but it needs to dry down some for us to work in these areas. We also have our late season work, like winterizing the irrigation system, plant protectant applications and removal and storage of course supplies. Also remember we are doing this with a 4 man staff, so we have our work cut out for us. Hopefully we get some nice days to not only work, but also for people to enjoy the course before winter.

Winter prep

Here we are getting ready for winter. One of the problems with the 7th green in the winter is the very poor surface drainage. The water will damn up from the front right portion of the green. So we decided to shave down this collar area allowing for better surface drainage. Other steps we have taken so far this fall is a nice feed of some organic fertilizer. We are hoping to feed the plant as much as possible, strengthening roots and increasing the reserves it needs to make it through the winter. The greens sure have some nice color. We have also gradually raised the height on greens. The longer the leaf blade the better the root growth and the more room the plant has for winter storage. Its still a hope and pray kind of situation each winter, but we try and do all the things we possibly can to help our greens survive.
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