See more on the photographic competition here.
Day 1: Fungicide Application
Plan your fungicide application around the week of December 20th. Choose the appropriate treatment based on the temperature:
- If it’s cold, go for Medallion (less than 5% Growth Potential).
- If it’s warm, use Instrata Elite (above 5% Growth Potential).
- If it’s really warm, opt for Ascernity (above 20% Growth Potential).
Looking unlikely to be really warm this year from TurfAdvisor.
Day 2: Weather Awareness
Stay aware of the upcoming weather conditions. Will warm air be coming from the South or cool air from the North?
Day 3: Turf Advisor
Tune into Turf Advisor to understand all the climatic factors involved in maintaining your turf.
Day 4: Dew Management
Ensure your team makes dew removal a priority. It is more important than bunkers or tee markers and should never be skipped.
Day 5: Bunker Maintenance
Inform your membership that bunkers will be touched up or raked on alternate days. Greens dew management is the utmost importance.
Day 6: Timely Dew Removal
Do the dewing off process as close to tee times as possible. Avoid having people come in too early, as dews can reform.
Day 7: Effective Dew Removal Methods
Know the best methods for dew removal in order of effectiveness:
- Rolling
- Cutting
- Brushing
- Switching
- Dew brush (especially the large ones)
- Doing nothing
Day 8: Changing Dewing Order
Switch up the order in which you dew off if it takes a long time to cover the entire course. Ensure the 18th hole doesn’t sit covered in dew for longer than necessary.
Day 9: Educating the Team
Make sure your team understands the importance of dew management. A walk-round and bunker tidy alone are not sufficient.
Day 10: Staff Schedule
Schedule the right number of staff to complete the job efficiently. Give them time back later.
Day 11: Application During Christmas
Schedule an application during the 12 days of Christmas using iron, dewsmart, and flow smart to enhance turf condition. Half fill the sprayer with water and measure the product in advance to minimise time spent working during the holiday season.
Day 12: Reflecting on Efforts
Leave an untreated plot somewhere to visualise what Santa could have brought you if you hadn’t put in the hard work to maintain your turf.
Remember, proper maintenance leads to healthier putting surfaces.
And if it all gets too much with the in-laws and outlaws over the holidays feel free to sneak in some ear buds and listen to on the horizon…
Merry Christmas!
