As many of you have seen, the sod has been installed on the 1st and 18th fairways. The GreenCommittee and staff have worked very hard to get to this point in the recovery process. Initially we tried to minimize the cost of the recovery by seeding the renovated areas, but in spite of the record warm weather this spring, complete recovery would have taken too much time so we made the decision to purchase sod. Although this approach was more expensive, it improved the project dramatically for two reasons. First, and most important to members, the fairway will be open for play much sooner. Second, and most important to me, it allowed us to rework the surface drainage which will expand the area covered by the drains we installed last fall. Ultimately this will improve the condition of the fairway, especially after heavy rain events.
The turf that we installed has been growing in southern New Jersey for over a year. This is significant because it allowed the turf to be harvested in large rolls that require less maintenance and will be ready for play sooner. We tried to purchase sod in November, but there was extremely high demand for bent grass in the northeast last year due to the late summer storms and the renovation project at the Mohegan Sun golf course. The persistent rains in October prevented the fields from maturing in time for a late fall harvest, but we were assured that they would be ready this spring. Well, spring came early for most, but the sod in Rhode Island was still very tender and could not be harvested in large rolls. In late March, the only source of large rolls I could find was in Buffalo, New York. Last week I was approached by someone who had access to a field that was reserved in New Jersey, but the buyer backed out. We jumped at the chance, and within a week the fairways were green again.
Due to the high cost of shipping the sod, we only ordered enough to cover the largest areas of the fairways. This week I will measure and order local sod for the rough around the fairways. We have small pieces of turf that we saved along the way that we will use to fill in small depressions that remain on the fairways. Over the next few weeks the seeded areas and sod will continue to mature, and before long we will be playing the holes again.
Until the holes are open, please resist the temptation to walk on the sod.
We have been watering heavily to wet the sod, as well as the soil beneath that is extremely dry due to the lack of rain. This has created some very soft spots, and we must be very careful until the roots start to reach down into the soil. Yesterday I began rolling the areas, and I hope to finish the first rolling early next week. We will continue to fertilize and roll as needed, and will begin topdressing and aerating as soon as conditions allow.
Ultimately all anyone really wants to know is when the areas will be open for play. I have a goal in mind, but it may be a bit too ambitious so I will wait until I see what the weather has in store for us in the coming weeks before I say anything. Last October I was asked to put together a recovery strategy and timeline and said the best case scenario was that it would be open May 1, and in pre-Irene condition by Memorial Day. The weather last fall was far from a best case scenario, but the winter and spring have helped us catch up. I think the initial estimate is still realistic, except the fairways will be far better than before.
Complete recovery will be an ongoing process, especially in the rough areas left of the 1st fairway and on the 2nd hole. We will continue to work on the problems that have plagued these areas for many years until we have restored the entire area. I will continue to provide updates and share photos from time to time. Please remind me if it has been a while since I have posted, as we are extremely busy working on the project and getting the course ready for summer, and it is hard to find time to sit at the computer.
For now, I am excited about seeing so much new grass, as well as seeing golfers on the course again. Thanks for checking in, and we look forward to seeing you on the golf course.
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