We have enjoyed a beautiful stretch of New England weather the last two months. The temperate and dry conditions have made for some enjoyable golfing weather. The humidity finally subsided and our bent grass greens responded by tightening up and playing much firmer.

The SCC green team completed several important cultural practices during this time. All the greens and tees were aerated. Distressed areas of rough and the range targets were overseeded in two directions to improve density and appearance. Recently, the greens were vertical mowed in two directions, and we removed a tremendous amount of organic material in the upper profile. Vertical mowing promotes a more upright growth habit and provides a firmer and healthier playing surface.

The club purchased a fairway verticutter in the Spring of 2023 that I was unable to use last year. In September I did a trial run on the 6th fairway and some approaches. I have found the right depth, and we plan on resuming vertical mowing fairways later this month and into November. My hope is to have them all completed this year.

Turfgrass growth is slowing down and with it so is our mowing regime. We are focusing our efforts on keeping the course as playable as possible with the onslaught of leaves that are falling. Also, please be mindful of the temperature for those of you who play early. Walking on short mown turf with frost crushes the cell walls and could possibly kill the plant. Typical starting times during frost delays is 10am. It’s a nice time of the year to play golf so I hope to see you out in the fairways!