Chemical Damage update

Everyone knows we suffered an unprecedented incident with a course wide chemical application that resulted in a severe decline in course conditions.  Although the majority of the damage has gone away, a few areas are still visible.  Areas that are still recovering continue to be treated with kid gloves.

 

 

These areas receive extra fertilizers and sanding.  The fertilizer is to promote growth and the sanding is to fill in the small voids that create a dimpled surface. 

 

 

 

 

The course won't fully recover until we have sustained high temperatures that promote the grass's full growth potential.  Even if I had an unlimited budget for fertilizer, our limiting factor right now is that it's winter.  Although we've had a warm winter, soil temperatures still need to climb another 10 degrees before the grass kicks into overdrive.   Applying massive amounts of fertilizers right now could potentially make the course regress even more.  It has been documented over and over again that the last thing you want to do to a weakened plant is to over feed it.  The plant could exhaust itself while gorging on the food. I have been fertilizing the course, but in a way to nurse it back without causing more damage.  Also remember  the chemical damaged the root system so severely that massive applications of fertilizers could potentially be wasted because there is a limited root system to absorb the nutrients.  It's $8-10,000 to fertilize the whole course,using round numbers, so I don't want to waste your money.  Once the soils warm up, the course will bounce back. 

 

On a positive note, I have been successful in negotiating with Bayer to cover all of the costs associated with the remediation process.  This includes all of the sod, any additional day labor help, all the chemicals, and all the in house labor used.  If you add it all up, it's well over $45,000.