Save the best for last
The fall season can be the best time of the year to hit the golf course
Groundskeeping is an important activity for the health of any golf course.—Photo courtesy Kimberley Golf Club
As summer wraps up and fall arrives, golfers slowly taper down their activities on the links as the season heads into the twilight.
That doesn't mean conditions are getting worse—in fact, it's sometimes considered the best time of the year for getting out onto the course.
In summer, there is constant stress on golfing turf from heat, and course maintenance workers must be vigilant to keep up a rigid schedule of irrigation and mowing.
But in the fall, the turf is grown out to establish strong roots that will make it through the winter, according to Tim Foley, superintendent at the Kimberley Golf Club.
In terms of its impact on players and the game, a direct result of elevated turf is slower ball speed on the greens.
"So September, especially, can be a really nice time to play golf because it's just a little easier maintenance and there's still enough warmth and things are still growing and looking good," Foley said.
He has worked at the course for over ten years after receiving his science degree and completing a turf management program. To help pay for school, he worked at a golf course and realized he enjoyed being outside doing maintenance on the grounds.
Late summer and early fall are crucial times for him and his staff as they aerate, spray and treat the turf to prepare for winter.
Spraying fungicide is the main defense for avoiding snow mould, a fungal disease that kills patches of grass as snow melts in the spring.
He will also spray a fertilizer that has a different chemical profile, designed to release nitrogen based on different soil temperatures. As the fall temperatures drop, there is less chemical released, but once winter passes the spring warms up the soil, which increases the rate.
"So we're putting fertilizer down now to take advantage of the warm soil," Foley said.
Another element that will keep him and his dozen full- and part-time staff members busy is cleaning up tree debris. Kimberley Golf Club is littered with ponderosa pine trees and from now until the end of the season, Foley and his crew will be out and about, clearing the needles off the turf.
As one would expect from someone working at a golf course, Foley breaks out his clubs every once and a while but eyes are usually on the ground instead of the ball.
"I like maintaining it more than I like playing it," he said.