The past month in northern Europe we have experienced unseasonably cold weather, in the range of -2° to 8° C, which is about 6-8° C below normal for the time of year. As well, the past several weeks have been dry, with practically no precipitation.
These conditions, while not comfortable for working outdoors, have been ideal for producing firm and fast conditions on the golf course. The irrigation system hasn’t been charged, but in any case with these refrigerator-like temperatures the grass hasn’t needed any water to survive, it’s doing just fine on its own, thank you. It’s barely growing, and a mow twice a week on the greens and once a week on the fairways has been all it needs. The fairways are covered with a healthy stand of turf mowed at 12mm, free of insects, weeds, and diseases.
I thought we were cruising along nicely when the director tells me today that we should consider aerating and topdressing the fairways to soften them up.
I won’t name here the chairman of the French Golf Federation committee that managed to secure the Ryder Cup of 2018 for Golf National near Paris, which was quite a coup against stiff competition and a job well done. He is still largely calling the shots on the organization and preparation for the event. Le monsieur is a scratch amateur, with numerous trophies to his credit, and a bona fide member of French golfing royalty.
He played at our course yesterday and his main criticism was that the fairways, “roll too much”. Being an accomplished player and such a prominent national figure in French golf, his opinion carries a lot of weight, Hence the suggestion by our director that we should alter our maintenance practices to slow down the fairways. It is perhaps more than a humble greenkeeper could successfully argue against.
I think this concept of course set up does not bode well for Golf National and the Ryder Cup set up, not to mention the French Open played there every July.
And if this site is making any difference in golfers’ values of conditions, nobody told Europe.