12 Fairway

Historically, fairways 10, 11, and 12 have suffered from slow draining soil due to being such a flat part of the property.  Drain tile does exist in these fairways but many areas need better lateral drain lines installed.  The bare areas you see in these fairways are from water that 'steeps' the grass like you would with  tea.  In the worst case scenario, like on 12,  we're seeing a massive build-up of thatch due to the constantly wet conditions.  Thatch adds to the problem by acting like a sponge laying over the top of the soil.  It absorbs, and stops water from getting to the roots which forces heavier watering and a continuation of the cycle.
A major drainage project is being planned for these holes to alleviate the problem.

The above machine is called a slit seeder.  It cuts a groove into the turf and lays seed in behind.  Similar to a corn planter, it allows us to get seed down into the soil where it's protected and can germinate without drying out.  We have slit seeded the worst areas on 12 fairway using this process.  Grass has already germinated in these areas and is starting to fill in.  The fix is temporary until we address the bigger issues of installing sufficient drainage across all three fairways and discuss the future of the pond and it's effect on the drainage of that area.