This picture of #6 Fairway is a good representative of the process we are employing during our first closure. The lines you see in the grass are the result of Verti-Cutting, this cultural practice helps reduce thatch and grain to provide a denser more playable surface. All of our “Short Grass” areas have received this treatment along with aerification, to increase air movement and percolation. We finish the process with a solid coat of sand. This Topdressing will help smooth the playing surface and further impact the thatch layer. Through this week and next, we will apply close to 1000 tons of sand to the course. We will stretch the limits of our resources to make Stonebridge better than ever.

This is a close up look at #6 Green. As always, we attack the greens first to enable them the longest recovery time. We are confident that they will be quite good upon opening next Saturday.

During this closure we have embarked on a few other projects. This photo shows the removal of the clump of trees along the V Tee on #8. The were hindering the growth on the tee through shade a root encroachment. There are a few other projects on the horizon that will enhance your experience on the golf course. We are looking forward to a very productive Summer. As always, we will strive to provide excellent conditions throughout year with an eye on a “Better than Ever” Season to come.

We have received quite a few questions regarding the work being done in the preserve on Hole #2. Earlier this season our Lake Management contractor treated all the invasive vines throughout the preserve. This left us with an unsightly collection of dead vines along the perimeter of the preserve. After a few weeks, we decided remove the wilted vines and expose the desiccated underbrush. Our team cut back all the bare tree limbs to improve the chance of proper regenerated growth. We will keep a close eye on the process of restoring this important habitat, if regrowth is unsatisfactory, we will install some additional native material. It is important for us to maintain the natural habitat for our abundant wildlife that call this area home.

You typically find a golf course update or some interesting wildlife photos on my Blog. This time I am coming to you with unbelievable sad news that my dear friend Lorgio is in the fight of his life to protect and care for his 19 year son Gabe. Fresh out of High School and ready to head to college, Gabe was diagnosed with cancer. As Gabe begins treatments Lorgio has shown up and worked hard to provide his usual outstanding service to our owners. I will do whatever I can to make sure Lorgio and his family are taken care of during this trying time. He is like a brother to me, his pain is my pain. I have attached a link to their family’s GoFundme page. They keep this updated on his progress and other pertinent information. Please keep the Roman family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for all your support throughout the years.

Donate to Help Gabe Fight Cancer – La Lucha de Gabriel Contra Cancer, organized by Luis Alejandro Roman Peredo**ENGLISH BELOW** Ayuda a Gabriel Roman a Luchar Contra e… Luis Alejandro Roman Peredo needs your support for Help Gabe Fight Cancer – La Lucha de Gabriel Contra Cancerwww.gofundme.com

Our Putting Surfaces have endured a tough Summer and an equally damaging end to the Hurricane Season. The goal is to be Perfect, Playable and Pretty. We are Playable and my team is determined to reach Perfect and Pretty.

Let’s dive into some of the root causes of where we are currently. My ambition and aggressiveness to provide Perfection this season backfired a bit due to the excessive rain after our July closure. The cultural practices employed to achieve this end involves Vert cutting, topdressing and growth regulators. Our new “Potato Chip” greens served as quite a challenge due to the high ridges and low valleys throughout. Thinning the canopy and reducing the thatch is the correct course of action for performance. The extended wet, cloudy weather provided little to no recovery assistance.

Once the weather gave us a break, we utilized our Nursery Green to patch and repair any weak area heading into season. All was growing, healing and ready for tournament golf in mid to late September. Thean we had back to back Hurricanes. Helene was survivable, Milton was, and is a major thorn in our side. As stated in my previous post, the lack of flushing rains following the on shore winds was devasting. The short rooted repair areas were deprived of proper irrigation for close to three weeks. Up until 2 days ago, we were still dealing with intermittent power outages. When the power goes down for even a minute, our irrigation system shuts down. This is the reason you are seeing our team pull hoses around the greens to ensure proper moisture.

Let’s talk recovery. We will still maintain the effort for optimum playability through the end of this week. We have one more guest event on Thursday, the Niner’s Invitational. Following this tournament we will re-sod these areas, pinpoint any special irrigation needs and continue to upgrade our fertility programs.

It has been a difficult start to the Season. The feed back from the Men’s Invitational and the Women’s Member Guest were very positive. By no means does that satisfy me, or my team. My goal is to get the course to a point of integrity where we can manipulate the performance as we maintain the aesthetics.

Thank you for your support. Stay Classy Stonebridge and rest assured we will prevail.