Greens Update – Irving Park Bentgrass
Between May 1 and July 15, we recorded nearly 25 inches of rainfall—more than double the seasonal average. This, combined with extended periods of high temperatures (mid-90s highs and mid-70s lows), has created extremely challenging growing conditions for our Bentgrass greens.
It’s common for Bentgrass to lose significant root mass during July and August, resulting in softer playing surfaces. While Bentgrass is no longer widely used in our region, several local courses still maintain it. Despite differences in resources, environments, and construction, all are reporting similar struggles this summer. Some have temporarily closed, others have reduced play, and many are simply managing as best they can.
This week’s cooler temperatures are a welcome relief—not for recovery, but to help stabilize conditions and prevent further decline. Each day we avoid additional stress brings us closer to the more favorable growing conditions of September.
In response to early June conditions, we implemented several proactive measures to support plant health:
- Raised mowing heights earlier than ever before
- Switched to a less aggressive roller to preserve leaf tissue
- Conducted a small core aerification in early July
- Performed a solid tine aerification early August
While these practices help sustain the turf, they do impact green speed and smoothness. Our priority is not peak performance in August, but optimal conditions as early as possible in September.
Lastly, the most frequent concern we hear about is unrepaired ball marks. This is something only players can address. Please take a moment to repair your ball mark—and any others you see—to help preserve the quality of our greens.
NCSU Turf Pathologist - Record Heat NC Bent
https://turfpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/07/record-heat-for-most-of-nc-ugly-creeping-bentgrass-and-tall-fescue/
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
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| All Too Common Unrepaired Ballmark |
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| Chlorosis Indicating Root Disfunction |
Cart Usage at Greensboro Country Club
Over the years, Greensboro Country Club has adopted very member-friendly cart usage policy. Nearly six years ago, all golf cart exit posts were removed from both courses, giving members greater discretion in how and where they drive their carts—including proximity to greens.
Unfortunately, some members have begun to ignore these relaxed rules. We've observed carts being driven too close to greens, between bunkers and greens, across steep slopes, and even parked behind greens. These actions not only damage the course but also compromise the experience for others.
Club Expectations for Cart Usage
To preserve the quality of our courses and maintain the privilege of relaxed cart rules, we ask all members to follow these simple expectations:
- Stay at least 20 yards away from all greens (there should never be a cart left, right or behind the green that is not parked on the path).
- Respect the Cart Rules of the Day, even if you personally disagree with them.
- Avoid driving through wet or soft areas to prevent turf damage.
- Stay out of tall grass natural areas on the Farm course
These guidelines are straightforward and easy to follow. The Green Committee has discussed this issue, and if violations continue, we may be forced to reinstate cart exit posts, issue written warnings, or even implement GPS-cart based restrictions.
We hope to avoid these measures. To the benefit of your fellow members please do your part by respecting the cart usage expectations—and kindly remind others in your group if you see them not following the rules.
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| Maintain 20 Yard Buffer. Do Not Park Beside the Greens |
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| Please Stay Out of Tall Grass Areas |
Bunkers
Recent discussions have highlighted concerns about bunker conditions. While many understand that heavy rainfall affects bunker quality, the extent of the maintenance required after storms is less visible. At The Farm, the bunkers—now 16 years old—were built to high standards for their time. Although they handle erosion better than older designs, years of weathering have led to sand contamination, gradually reducing playability. Also, over the years the design elements related to minimizing washing has become less effective resulting in slightly more erosion and slightly more repair work each year.
Irving Park presents a greater challenge. These bunkers, constructed 27 years ago with minimal erosion control design elements, are highly susceptible to washouts. Despite ongoing efforts to minimize contamination and replenish sand, each storm introduces significant amounts of silt, clay, and organic debris. This year alone, we've had to restore bunkers 12 times, dedicating over 500 man-hours to storm-related repairs. To put this in perspective, if we look at the past 27 years and take that as a low average spent working on washouts each year that’s equivalent to seven full-time staff working exclusively on bunker restoration throughout an entire year. And that's just the financial-labor side of it. It does nothing to illustrate the amount of contamination that has taken place in these bunkers over the past two and half decades.
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| All Too Common This Year |
