Not out of the woods yet!!

Over the last 48 hours we have experienced relief from the extreme weather over the last 60 days, but we are not out of the woods yet! Typically August is the worst month for turf. Although sun intensities have begun to decline, the soil temps are still high, roots are still declining and temperatures remain high into the eveing. We need to view our recovery like an athelete running a marathon. The summer we have been experiencing is much like a 26.2 mile marathon. When the runner has completed the marathon there is a recovery period he or she must go through to allow for muscle recovery. This is done through rest and proper nutrient uptake. Our recovery from this summer is much the same. 48 hours of cooler temps does not mean instant recovery, but every little bit helps. Speaking with the USGA on Wednesday, they felt further turf loss will be experienced by managers feeling this window of weather will allow them to return to normal cultrual practices. The grass is still stressed, and an immediate return to normalcy will stress the turf enough to cause further decline or death. We will continue to apply small amounts of nutrients on a frequent basis along with ventings to allow for respiration. We will also continue with our current cultrual practices, making proper adjustments where needed. Touring the course this morning I am seeing good recovery, but I caution, we need to continue our patience.