By John H. Foy, USGA Agronomist
July 16, 2008
After an erratic start, the summer rainy season has fully arrived in Florida. Beginning in June and continuing through July, afternoon thunderstorms have occurred on a regular basis. Golfers, as well as course maintenance staff, need to be continuously aware of the warning rumbles of thunder that precede spectacular, but often violent and dangerous lightning strikes. With most areas of the state having been plagued by a prolonged and severe drought, the rainfall produced by these afternoon thunderstorms has been desperately needed. Yet, more time and rain is needed to fully recover from the drought and to reestablish normal lake and groundwater levels.
While we should never complain about the rain, the frequent and, at times, heavy deluges do contribute to additional turf and course management challenges. In some instances, 2- to 3-inches of rain has occurred in an hour or two, and the resulting localized flooding causes setbacks in accomplishing routine management practices and requires additional time be spent on debris cleanup and repairing bunker washouts. Continue reading ‘Rainy Season’
