NEWS AND FEATURES
Great grass, great golfing 
With break in weather, supers breathe collective sigh of relief

By Joe Logan
Published August 26, 2010

With the break in the weather, all over the region golf course superintendents are breathing a collective sigh of relief.

 

"Absolutely," said Stanley Zontek, director of the Mid-Atlantic regional office of the U.S. Golf Association’s Green Section. "This break is what we’ve all been hoping and praying for."

 

Although there are still a couple of 90-degree days in the forecast for next week, golf courses and the superintendents who care for them have made it over the summer heat hump.

 

"The worst is over," said Zontek.

 

This was a particularly rough year, said Zontek, who spends most days out int he field, consulting with superintendents.  Finally, cooler weather first arrived a week ago, about Aug 20.

 

It’s precisely what the courses need, as shorter and cooler days and cooler nights jump-start the recovery process.  Golfers should begin seeing noticeable improvements in their courses by this weekend.

 

"The grass will be greener," said Zontek.  "The heat comes out of the ground and the roots begin to grow.  The plant is starting to grow more normally.  Instead of seeing grass that is yellow and under stress, you will see grass that is healthier."

 

Superintendents in the Mid-Atlantic region have a particular challenge, because they work in the middle of a "major climatic overlap zone," said Zontek.

 

We’re too far north for hot weather grasses such as Bermuda to thrive year-round, and too far south for year-round cool weather grasses.  Most courses in the region favor a blend of cooler weather grasses, such as bent, poa annua, perennial  rye and tall fescue in the rough.

 

Unfortunately, none of those grasses do well when it stays too hot for too long, as it has been for the past couple of months.   Same for superintendents.

 

"They’ve been under as much stress as the grass," said Zontek.

 

Now, we can all look forward to the two peak months for golf in the region, September and October.

 

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Charles[8/26/2010 11:19:41 AM]
Good update update.


 
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