After the brief flash of summer a few weeks ago the weather has toned down a bit to below normals, again! Golf course wise the turf is slowly recovering and everyday there is more grass to mow. We have finally finished flashing sand and edging the bunkers and will begin maintaining them on a regular basis. Aside from making the bunkers presentable, this process also allows us to create an inventory of those bunkers which may need some extra work such as adding more sand or, in extreme cases, a complete redo. We edge to remove grass that has crept in over the previous season and to re-establish any ambiguous edges. Every time we edge there is some contamination from the native silt and clays and eventually these particles cause the bunker sand to lose some of its characteristics that make it playable. For an area being labeled a hazard, bunkers require a fair amount of maintenance to keep them from being too "hazard like". Despite this and their bad reputation with players, bunkers add another challenge to the game and contribute to the aesthetic appeal of a golf hole. One more thing: what is the rule on bunker rakes? There is lots of opinions but, believe it or not, there is no rule. (http://www.usga.org/course_care/faq/Turf-Management-FAQs(4)/). For KGC, rakes are mostly kept inside bunkers parallel with the line of play. The reason is mostly selfish. Since bunkers are hand raked, staff has to walk the perimeter of each bunker to perform their task. It easy for bunker staff place the rakes in bunkers and out of the way of mowers as they rake each bunker. Although it sounds trivial, the time it takes for the mowing staff to move the rakes out of their way adds up over the entire course. Also, the urge to just "nudged" the rake out of the way of the trim mower with the cutting heads while mowing around bunkers is awfully tempting and usually leads to destroyed rake handles and at $15/rake that also adds up!
The grey weather hasn't allowed for many good "photo op's" but regardless I've included some pictures of native plants people often see in the spring.
Prairie Crocus by 12 Tee
Arrow-Leaved Balsam Root #14
Wild Strawberry #14
The crocuses seem to have already lost their blossom and the balsam root is just beginning to become showy. We don't have as many flowering native plants as some other golf courses but if you keep your eyes open (mostly the in the back nine) you can see lots as you go around the course.
