The weather has finally started to turn and work on the Traver Creek project is progressing nicely. The spoil areas are starting to be finished and prepped for seed. The seeding of some areas should begin on Saturday. The contractor added a rock wall to the left of #18 green. This will give the hole some relief for shots that go long on the finishing hole.
The new berm along Traver Road get power raked.
With the delay in spring warm-up, the opening of the back 9 of the course has been delayed for two weeks. We are now targeting Friday, April 12th.
Soil temperatures are just under 40 degrees. There is also frost about 4 inches down. This frost prevents the water at the surface of the green from draining. This means the surface is very soft and any traffic on the greens will rut the surface and ruin the smooth surface we work all year long to perfect. We are hopeful that the front 9 will be open be the middle of next week. Huron Hills is open, however, so feel free to play at our sister course. Call 734-794-6246 to make your tee time.
3 comments:
Do you use a meat thermometer to check the soil temperatures? It was very helpful last year when you warned us to apply the crabgrass prevention early. Maybe give us the word again this year?
Brian,
We use a soil thermometer, but it is very similar to a meat thermometer. I think the range is different, however.
As for crabgrass preventer, according to MSU's Growing Degree Day Tracker (which you can find in the link column on the right hand side of the blog page), Ann Arbor is at 122 GDD. The optimum time for applying crabgrass preventer is when the GDD is between 250 and 500. I would think we will be around that mark near the end of this month and begining of May.
Thanks. I will watch the soil temp data. The soil thermometer looks exactly like our meat thermometer but you are correct, slightly different scale. I think our meat version starts at 250 degrees!
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