Conditions:
Monday Aug 18	For the first time in several weeks, Coyote Run is playing firm and fast, (our preferred playing condition and a condition that also tends to be beneficial for the long-term health of the grass). Also for the first time in several weeks, irrigation management is an important consideration. With computerized irrigation systems, the decision to apply water is easy...just check a few boxes on the computer screen and away you go. The decision to withhold water is much more difficult because it requires the grounds staff to monitor and hand-water localized dry areas, (more work) and it increases the chances that some turf may die, (more stress for the superintendent). Withholding water is also good for the environment because the water and the electricity required to apply it are conserved. Today will be a routine day for the grounds staff. After morning jobs, the fairways, approaches, and banks will be mowed.
Friday Aug 15	This morning, the last morning of the year with a sunrise before 6:00AM, the temperature at Coyote Run is a cool 58 degrees. Yesterday mid-morning, a fast-forming, localized thunderstorm surprised most of the players on the course as well as the grounds maintenance staff and deposited .32" of precipitation in the official Coyote Run rain gauge. Today the staff will spend the day mowing and trimming in preparation for the up-coming weekend.
Thursday Aug 14	Today is the last day of the theoretical warmest period of the summer; the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August. This year the warmth was very theoretical. With the exception of a couple of days, highs during the period were typically in the upper 70's and lows were around 60. The next four weeks will be a transition period from summer weather to fall. It will also be the period of maximum change in day-length, which is currently shrinking by 2 minutes and 26 seconds per day. Besides routine jobs, the grounds staff will be installing drainage on #12 fairway today.
Tuesday Aug 12	This morning in a break from routine, the Coyote Run staff is mowing fairways and approaches prior to mowing greens. Due to the sand applied to the greens yesterday, they will be mowed later today after the dew has dried. If mowed wet, the sand sticks to the mowers and makes a mess on the greens. We will also be spraying fairways with an insecticide to control white grubs. Adult beetles are currently laying the eggs that will become grubs and the insecticide must be applied before the grubs get large.
Monday Aug 11	This is another fall-like morning at Coyote Run with an early morning temperature of 56 degrees. The greens will be sand-topdressed today. A light layer of sand will be applied, (the sand does not effect the playablility of the greens), then brushed in, followed by mowing. The topdressing is important for the speed, consistency, and smoothness of the greens, as well as their long-term health. Meanwhile in Michigan, past 'course conditions' pick Padraig Harrington broke past 'course conditions' pick, Sergio Garcia's heart, again, by shooting 66, 66 in the final two rounds to win the PGA Championship. This year's pick, Kenny Perry, found a new way to keep curse intact by withdrawing after the first round with eye problems.
Sunday Aug 10	The belt is back! This morning just before dawn, the constellation Orion could be seen low on the horizon in the southeastern sky. This winter constellation, last seen on April 22, is another sure sign that fall is just around the corner. The temperature this morning is a fall-like 58 degrees and the day-length is now decreasing at a rate of 2 minutes and 22 seconds per day. Yesterday evening's rains left .32" of precipitation in the official Coyote Run rain gauge. The course had dried from last Monday's storms so the additional rain will not cause any cart restrictions.
Friday Aug 8	Yesterday, the Kenny Perry pick looked brilliant as 'course conditions' discovered he had an eye condition in a year where anyone with an injury going into a major was almost sure to win. Today...not so good. I'm not sure if it was the eye injury or the pressure of being selected by 'course condition', but Kenny dropped out of the PGA yesterday evening, keeping 'course condition's' record a perfect zero. Coyote Run is now back to normal as all of the storm damage has been picked up and the staff caught up on mowing yesterday afternoon.