Handy Rules Reminders for Spring Course Conditions MARCH 18, 2024 | LIBERTY CORNER, N.J.By Danny Vohden Ground under repair? Aeration holes? Temporary greens? Golfers may experience these common Spring course conditions. (USGA) My ball landed in a patch of dirt where there’s no grass – do I get relief? Before determining whether free relief is allowed, you must first understand whether the area where your ball came to rest is considered ground under repair. That designation can only be made by the golf course and will typically be clearly marked with paint or stakes. It can ..read more

 The Ups and Downs of Spring Course Conditions Spring is an exciting time for golfers everywhere. Unfortunately, our enthusiasm for playing golf in the spring often outpaces the return of normal course conditions. Spring is a time of transition and there can definitely be some ups and downs when it comes to playability. Here are a few things to expect on the course this spring The grass has some catching up to do Grasses on most golf courses have been growing slowly, or not at all, for most of the winter. It will take some time before they really get going in the spring and that will hav ..read more

Our new Highlander man is back on the white shelter at #18 tees ..read more

  You can see above that mother nature isn't being very kind to those of us trying to grow Creeping Bentgrass greens this spring. Our soil temperatures still have yet to reach 60*F.  As I mentioned before, 65*F is the ideal temperature for Penn A4 Creeping Bentgrass to resume active growth.  That said, what is growing in Highlands right now, is Poa annua.  Poa annua's soil temperature requirement for growth is much lower than that of creeping bentgrass.  It starts growing when soil temperatures top 50*F.  This is another reason why Poa annua is so difficult to con ..read more

  Early Tuesday morning, temperatures dipped down to 30*F, creating a beautiful frost across the golf course.  The golf course looks so good right now!  Greens are slow to come around but we are getting there.  They grow denser by the day.  Tomorrow, we will start lowering the height of cut on the putting greens.  We've kept the cut higher lately to prevent picking up sand that was put on the greens following spring aeration.  Now that the greens are almost healed, the grass stabilizes that sand, and it doesn't get pulled to the surface.  Along with the ..read more

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 CLICK HERE! Click above for the latest issue of the USGA Green Section Record ..read more

The golf course gets better each day.  Leaves aren't on the trees yet but redbuds and flowering dogwoods are in full bloom ..read more

  Thursday morning, our bear didn't approve of the leveling and resodding of the 9th tee box ..read more

I was so fortunate to work at Augusta National Golf Club for Brad Owen, then the Golf Course Superintendent   End of an era: Owen oversees his final Masters Verne Lundquist, who has sat behind the microphone at Augusta National for 40 years, including the past 25 on the par-3 16th hole, is not the only icon retiring after this year's Masters Tournament. After parts of five decades overseeing conditions at the world's most famous golf course, Brad Owen is calling it quits this year. Owen (right), who has worked at Augusta National Golf Club for 37 years, including the past 27 as superinte ..read more