I am disappointed to say that the weather forecasts were wrong once again. We simply didn’t receive the rainfall that was predicted—certainly nothing close to the 1–2 inches many forecasts were calling for. As I write this, with the storm pulling away, we’ve recorded just 0.16 inches of rain.
If you can even call this a rain event, it did nothing to improve the drought conditions here on the island. We continue to fall farther behind in our annual rainfall totals, and with the water restrictions currently in place, every missed opportunity for meaningful rainfall hurts.
Unfortunately, this has become an all-too-familiar pattern over the past three years. Even Saturday’s storm dropped nearly half an inch of rain in Rockport while we received the big “zero.” We’ve done an excellent job holding things together, but the lack of rain late last week proved to be the tipping point. Add four straight days of temperatures in the mid- to upper 90s, a full tee sheet every day, and constant cart traffic, and turf damage becomes unavoidable.
After a great deal of discussion and consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to move to cart path only until conditions improve. This is not a decision we ever take lightly. Many of you had already suggested it last week, and believe me, I was hoping Mother Nature would give us the rain we desperately needed. Unfortunately, she didn’t.
Below are just a few examples of the damage that has developed over the last several days.
Many people assume that because we’re watering, the turf should be fine. The reality is much different. Golf course irrigation systems are designed to supplement rainfall—not replace it. Unless a course has access to an unlimited supply of high-quality water, irrigation alone simply cannot duplicate what a soaking rain accomplishes.
Right now, we’re able to keep the surface damp, but very little moisture is reaching the root zone where the plants actually need it. Much of the water is staying in the top inch of the soil profile while deeper soils continue to dry out.
This is one of the reasons we aerate so frequently. Aeration helps relieve compaction, reduce thatch, and create pathways for water to move deeper into the soil where it can benefit the root system.
The rocky areas are especially vulnerable. Rocks absorb heat throughout the day and continue releasing it overnight, creating extremely stressful conditions for turf. Areas with excessive thatch, made worse by three consecutive dry seasons, are also becoming hydrophobic, meaning they actually begin to repel water. Even with surfactants, hand watering, and heavier irrigation cycles, some of these areas simply refuse to rewet.
The result is what you’re beginning to see across the golf course—localized browning and turf stress despite our best efforts.
The following photos show damage that has developed over just the past two days. Even with increased watering, cart traffic, pull carts, and in some locations even foot traffic, are leaving visible marks. While the pull cart shown should not have crossed a tee, that isn’t really the point. The turf has become so stressed that almost any traffic is capable of causing damage.
Over the next couple of days, we’ll be punching small holes in the driest tee areas before soaking them with hoses in an effort to get water deeper into the soil profile. We’ll also try to do the same in the highest-profile fairway areas as time allows.
We spiked the greens last week and are repeating that process again today while the course is relatively quiet. Every little bit helps improve water infiltration, and right now every advantage matters.
As always, we appreciate everyone’s patience, understanding, and cooperation. We all want the golf course looking its best, and we’re doing everything we can with the conditions we’ve been given. Hopefully Mother Nature will eventually do her part.
