"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure in the landscape - the loneliness of it - the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it - the whole story doesn't show." - Andrew Wyeth

Winter at Pueblo del Sol

As turf growth finally slows we can shift our focus from the every day grind to equipment preventative maintenance, limbing up trees, deadwood removal, installing drainage in low areas that tend to collect water and continue with course cleanup like sweeping leaves and debris.

Throughout the golf course there are tree limbs that have grown low and impede the irrigation throw preventing the water from getting onto the turf areas that need it. We will go through and selectively prune these limbs to get the irrigation watering more efficiently providing adequate water to the turf and making for a healthier more playable turf.  Along with selective limb pruning, we will go through and remove any deadwood that could be a falling hazard to the golfer. Some of this work will be contracted out as we are not set up to prune anything above 20 feet in house. A good example of this is the eucalyptus tree on #15.

Also, around the golf course there are areas that hold water along the edge of the cart path/grass. In these areas we will go through and install drainage to move the water down off path and turf. There are also areas that any excess irrigation or rain water will collect and run down onto the playing surface making for poor playability. In these areas, we will also try and install drainage to catch the water before it makes its way onto the turf keeping the areas firm and playable.

As always, we still want to provide the best conditions for the golfer, so we will still be out setting up the golf course, blowing and sweeping fallen leaves, mowing or rolling greens as needed, touching up bunkers when we can and keeping a light layer of sand on the green for smoothness and a little bit of warmth during these cold months. 

Clay McKinley

PDSCC Golf Course Superintendent