We are within 2 weeks of our Major Guest Tournaments. The putting surfaces have shown signs of significant recovery from the damage done by the harsh Summer weather. Mother Nature has aided our efforts with some great weather over the last week. We will continue to push growth as we focus on playability for the upcoming tournaments. Our goal is to have the putting surfaces true and smooth throughout the Season. The few blemishes that remain will continue to grow in over the next few weeks. I made the decision to not plug or sod in play areas to ensure a proper playing surface, free of rulings or ambiguity. If and when we survive the gauntlet of the next few weeks, we we take the rest of November and December to perfect the surfaces for the Member events starting in January. Thank you for your patience and understanding, my entire team is doing all they can to provide the experience you deserve.

I have included a couple of pictures of #9 Green. We have a few of these thin areas on 3-4 Greens. They are the result of a very trying July and August. The wet, cloudy weather led to a concentrated outbreak of a Pathogen that causes a fungal disease called Bermuda Grass Decline. We maintain a strict preventative program and will still had issues. Once tested and recognized, a more aggressive curative program was put in place. With 3 weeks to go before our Major Tournaments, we are aggressively pushing growth and recovery. Our entire team is aware of the importance of producing a quality playing surface for the Season. We have the resources and the plan to ensure success. If necessary, any area that needs to be plugged or sodded, this will happen on our last Tuesday closed. Our goal is to re-establish through growth to maximize playability. I am confident that we will achieve a level of Quality that we are looking for heading into Season. Our most affected Greens are #4, #5, #6 and #9. As a whole, it is less than 1% of our Putting Surfaces that are compromised. The last 2 applications have produced good results and we will continue to push forward. On a brighter side, the rest of the golf course is in excellent condition. Once we correct the imperfections on the Greens, we should be good to go for the remainder of the Season.

Another FYI, we have started the installation of the lake aerators. The plan is to install new aerators in all the lakes. There are a few areas where we have had to bury air lines across the golf course. This process has started on #3 and #4. We have tried to keep these disturbances out of normal play areas so it should not effect golf. We will have new compressors on lakes that have previously never been aerated. Some of them will require solar panels, as an electric supply was not available. This program is vital for the health of our lakes.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, this is the most critical part of the year for me and my team. Perfection is always our goal, not being there at this moment is both frustrating and motivating. We will make our back, and soon.

We have had a very productive Summer. Most of our closures went as planned and we have avoided any major storms as of yet. We are looking forward to providing our members and guests with an excellent playing surface for the season ahead. Our goal every year is to improve the property and instill a community wide pride in you property.

This closure was quite challenging. We completed all of our scheduled cultural practices during the first week. This was followed by 8 days of horrible weather. We received close to 7 inches of rain over the last 8 days. The moisture is not that detrimental, it is the lack of sunlight. All plant material needs sunlight to thrive. The stress we put the course under during these necessary cultural practices is extreme during the summer months. Recovery relies on good conditions and proper fertility. Unfortunately we have run in to a stretch of weather that has slowed recovery. The golf course is extremely saturated and we are hoping for a dry forecast over the next few days. The Photosynthetic properties that sunlight provides was lacking for more than a week. The Putting Surfaces are not quite where we would like them. There is a bit of a Silver Lining, the longer the holes are open, the more benefit of Oxygen Exchange continues deeper into the upcoming season. Our team feels very confident that the course will return to optimum conditions well before Opening Days and our Major Events in late October early November. The Putting Surface, although not completely healed, will be very playable. Through proper topdressing and continuous surface rolling, a smooth and true roll should be expected.

On another point, the perimeter buffers are always a topic of conversation. All plantings were installed over the last couple of years and a few of the identified gaps received additional plantings. This will always be a “work in progress” as we continue to enhance the noise and visual buffer around your community. Specific to the #3 and #4 buffer, we have two different types of Bamboo installed, as the availability dictated. They both will eventually grow to 40 to 50 feet tall, at slightly different growth rates. We are constantly looking for landscape opportunities to enhance the entire property and this ties in closely with the new SPC Initiatives being adopted by the Club.

Thank you for you patience and understanding through the summer months, our team works extremely hard to provide the best possible conditions on a year round basis. Thank you for your support and we look forward to the best Season yet!

This picture of #6 Fairway is a good representative of the process we are employing during our first closure. The lines you see in the grass are the result of Verti-Cutting, this cultural practice helps reduce thatch and grain to provide a denser more playable surface. All of our “Short Grass” areas have received this treatment along with aerification, to increase air movement and percolation. We finish the process with a solid coat of sand. This Topdressing will help smooth the playing surface and further impact the thatch layer. Through this week and next, we will apply close to 1000 tons of sand to the course. We will stretch the limits of our resources to make Stonebridge better than ever.

This is a close up look at #6 Green. As always, we attack the greens first to enable them the longest recovery time. We are confident that they will be quite good upon opening next Saturday.

During this closure we have embarked on a few other projects. This photo shows the removal of the clump of trees along the V Tee on #8. The were hindering the growth on the tee through shade a root encroachment. There are a few other projects on the horizon that will enhance your experience on the golf course. We are looking forward to a very productive Summer. As always, we will strive to provide excellent conditions throughout year with an eye on a “Better than Ever” Season to come.

We have received quite a few questions regarding the work being done in the preserve on Hole #2. Earlier this season our Lake Management contractor treated all the invasive vines throughout the preserve. This left us with an unsightly collection of dead vines along the perimeter of the preserve. After a few weeks, we decided remove the wilted vines and expose the desiccated underbrush. Our team cut back all the bare tree limbs to improve the chance of proper regenerated growth. We will keep a close eye on the process of restoring this important habitat, if regrowth is unsatisfactory, we will install some additional native material. It is important for us to maintain the natural habitat for our abundant wildlife that call this area home.

You typically find a golf course update or some interesting wildlife photos on my Blog. This time I am coming to you with unbelievable sad news that my dear friend Lorgio is in the fight of his life to protect and care for his 19 year son Gabe. Fresh out of High School and ready to head to college, Gabe was diagnosed with cancer. As Gabe begins treatments Lorgio has shown up and worked hard to provide his usual outstanding service to our owners. I will do whatever I can to make sure Lorgio and his family are taken care of during this trying time. He is like a brother to me, his pain is my pain. I have attached a link to their family’s GoFundme page. They keep this updated on his progress and other pertinent information. Please keep the Roman family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for all your support throughout the years.

Donate to Help Gabe Fight Cancer – La Lucha de Gabriel Contra Cancer, organized by Luis Alejandro Roman Peredo**ENGLISH BELOW** Ayuda a Gabriel Roman a Luchar Contra e… Luis Alejandro Roman Peredo needs your support for Help Gabe Fight Cancer – La Lucha de Gabriel Contra Cancerwww.gofundme.com