Members,

We have been very busy following our last scheduled closing. Our maintenance team has aerified greens with 3/8" tines, trimmed all of the palm trees along with the oaks behind #11 green to allow more filtered sunlight to get through, prepped and sodded the driving range tee with Celebration sod, added sand to all of the bunkers to maintain adequate depth, and we will be adding coquina to all of the cartpaths to "sweeten" them up for the coming season. All we are currently looking at purchasing artificial mats to be used on the back of the driving range starting in September and going throughout the winter months to March.

Also members in regards to our greens cleanup:

1) Question:  Josh mows the cleanup pattern around the greens twice weekly.  Would this practice not shrink the greens by encouraging surrounding turf to encroach?

Answer:  This practice has the opposite impact.  The more you mow the cleanup pattern the weaker the green turf along the edges, which in turn allows the surrounding turf to encroach.  What Josh is doing is ideal to minimize shrinkage and fringe turf encroachment.  He is minimizing wear and tear on the most sensitive portion of any putting surface.  This area receives several times the wear due to entry and exit of mowers on each mowing stripe.  There is also more friction (and wear) on the turf when mowing the cleanup pattern.