The hues of summer....

Greetings!!

Summer dry periods give the golf course different shades of greens and browns, especially in the rough. Rough areas are irrigated, but are not given enough water to provide the lush and green conditions seen during wetter seasons of spring and fall.

Our irrigation system was designed to provide water for greens, tees and fairways. Fairways have three heads placed across their widths, except #7 which has only two, because of this hole's thinner design. Each of the three heads' main responsibility is to provide enough water to keep fairways viable. It doesn't matter if a sprinkler head is placed in the fairway OR the rough, its job is to irrigate fairway turf for golf. (Alternative irrigation designs that provide sufficient water for rough turf were cost prohibitive.)

Providing the additional water through these heads to perfectly maintain rough would cause wet conditions for golf, as well as increases in both turfgrass disease and insect activity.

Because of the above explanation, during the dry months of July and August the golf course rough takes on a few different colors of greens and browns. When turf is stressed as the rough is today, these rough grasses go into a dormant state that protects it from permanent damage. When significant rains of September and October arrive, the plants break their dormancy and again turn to the thicker, lush conditions that lead to greener conditions and more difficult golf shots.

We are fortunate to enjoy the wonderful game of golf during a great summer for golf in Rhode Island! One reason for my love of the game is because every golf course changes each time we play it. Enjoy the changes, the many different hues of summer, along with the less penal rough!!