2 Golf Seasons

[Gary Daughters]

Having just lasted 3 holes before I melted in the heat, humidity and swamp-like conditions of post-monsoon Atlanta, it hit me that we have 2 golf seasons here.

One runs roughly from early March through late June.  The other from September through December.  Forget July and August.  I am officially done.

Does anyone else have a similar situation?

PS for Atlanta golfers.  Chastain/North Fulton has ripped up its greens and is sprigging tomorrow with Champion Bermuda (!!!!)  They say the greens will be ready mid-August, which sounds a bit ambitious.  But then again, who's playing golf in Atlanta in mid-August?

[BCrosby]

Agreed.

July and August are to Atlanta golf what January and February are to Boston golf. You can't play.

But what is cool about golf in the South is in the winter you play off dormant Bermuda, which makes for a very different golf course. Fw's run like crazy, rough is non-existent, greens get lightening fast.  The contrast is great stuff. You get two courses for the price of one.

Bob

[Gary Daughters]

Bob --

I am totally in agreement on dormant Bermuda greens.  Funny how folks down here tend to miss that.

[Tom Huckaby]

What's a golf season?

Tom Huckaby
San Jose, CA
 

[Gary Daughters]

Tom ..

August.

Nannook
Pt. Inuit, Canada

[Mike Hendren]

Gary,

Are they using the no-till method?  First soybeans, now putting greens:

http://www.cturf.com/4_champion/01%20No-Till/01%20No-Till%20Page.htm

Mike

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

Here in the Northeast, we have four seasons:

1) Wet (Spring)
2) Really Wet (Current through first frost, or so it seems)
3) Frozen (December - Spring:  Firm & Fast & Cold)
4) Travel (Fly somewhere warm because threre's a foot of snow covering the course)

Glad to see that Ben Curtis finally won at "TPC Avenel in-the-Sea!"

JWK

[rjsimper]

Just played 72 holes over Sat/Sun in Palm Springs with the mercury hitting 115 degrees.  

It's always golf season where I come from, even if it shouldn't be.

[Rick Shefchik]

We have four seasons in Minnesota, too:

1. Too cold.
2. Too windy
3. Too hot
4. Too many leaves.

[Gary Daughters]

Bogey..

I am guessing that the answer is yes.  The preparatory state of the greens closely resembles your picture.

The starter said they killed the grass with Roundup, then did something else, then applied some kind of "gas" (I think) to get rid of any fungus, bacteria, whatever.  All of these steps occurred over about a week's time.

I asked the starter whether any additional soil would be applied and she said no.  They were spreading sand on the greens when I left.

[Andy Doyle]

Gary:

I came to the same conclusion last August.  I played Wolf Creek (one of my favorites in Atlanta) after the torrents of rain we got at the end of last summer.  There was standing water all over the place and everything was soggy, which just added to the miserable humidity.  After slogging through 18 holes, I put my clubs away and didn't pick them up again until October.

Andy

[Mike_Young]

Gary,

Are they using the no-till method?  First soybeans, now putting greens:

http://www.cturf.com/4_champion/01%20No-Till/01%20No-Till%20Page.htm

Mike

they are using no-till.
Lane Creekis doing the same thing and should open in Sept.

Usually takes about 8 weeks here.

[A.G._Crockett]

Very interesting news about N. Fulton and Champion Bermuda.  As I understand it from a guy at The Oaks, the guy that developed Champion won't sell it until he makes several site visits and is sure it will work on that site.  That would be great news indeed for N. Fulton.

Also, I believe it is a no-till process, and 8-12 weeks is the window from killing the old grass to playing on the new greens.

Very cool if it works; that would transform that golf course in a big, big way.

[Gary Daughters]

Mike,

Tell us some more good news about Lane Creek.
What's the word?

[Gary Daughters]

Also Mike..

How realistic is it to sprig CB around about 1 July and expect it to be playable mid-August as I was told today?

What are the weather/environmental factors that may be involved?  I never plant ANYTHING this time of year.

[Mike_Young]

Also Mike..

How realistic is it to sprig CB around about 1 July and expect it to be playable mid-August as I was told today?

What are the weather/environmental factors that may be involved?  I never plant ANYTHING this time of year.

Gary,
I would think this is a good time to plant CB.  The Campions people do the entire process and it is very reasonable.  I would think 8 weeks is good if the supt is on top of it.  
As for Lane Creek.  Butch foust, the former director of Maintenance of the Reynolds plantation courses bought it along with the guys From Medalist Golf.  I have known Butch since he was mowing greens at ANGC.  He later went to Penn St.  He is a very good supt who grew up on a small course in anderson SC that was run by his father, a golf professional/supt.  He has been in a golf family and had been looking for the right opportunity where he own the course.  This was it.  He will deliver a good product.

[Chris Kane]

We have four golf seasons: Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.

We are currently in the middle of Winter, the worst time to play golf - RMGC on Sunday will be horrible (56*).  

[ForkaB]

The 2 seasons in Scotland are:

Regular Greens:  March-October
Temporary Greens:  November-February

Except for links courses when you play the regular greens all year round.

[Gary Daughters]

Mike,

I flee this word like the plague, but the news on Lane Creek is AWESOME!!  I can't wait to get back out there, as it is my #1 hidden gem.

Are any changes being made to the course?  I wonder what it's going to be like putting #14 with CB

[James Bennett]

We have four golf seasons: Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.

We are currently in the middle of Winter, the worst time to play golf - RMGC on Sunday will be horrible (56*).  

sometimes, all four seasons occur during one round of golf in Melbourne.  Apparently.

James B