The Short Straw!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Friday, January 28th and we are once again anticipating winter precipitation this weekend!  No, this is not Deja vu and it isn't a leftover message from last Friday. We did in fact receive close to two inches snow last Friday night. That's right, Charlotte has seen two winter weather events already this month and more is expected tonight.

I could not think of that happening before during my tenure here at Carolina Golf Club and I was right, as good friend Brad Panovich pointed out the last time Charlotte received three winter weather events in the same month was twenty-two years ago in January of 2000! Mrs. Greenkeeper and I arrived in the Queen City in 2005.

The last time we had 3 weeks with measurable snowfall in a single month was January 2000 in #charlotte. #cltwx #snOMG #ncwx pic.twitter.com/Dm9bsDioHH

— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) January 27, 2022

Granted the event tonight is only expected to bring anywhere from a trace of snow up to possibly two inches means anything is possible as it relates to the golf course and playability tomorrow. So we will just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

11pm 1/27/22 Update: Going to simplify things and just stick with the Tr-2" amounts knowing full well a few spots could go over that but very localized. #snOMG #cltwx #ncwx #scwx #wcnc pic.twitter.com/LoWdVl1XlE

— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) January 28, 2022

Stay tuned for email updates from the Golf Professional Staff and I'll keep you posted on Twitter so you won't have to venture out unnecessarily should that be the case. And to think, it was 78 degrees four weeks ago. I believe Mother Nature might have over indulged on New Year's Eve and we're still dealing with her hangover.

On the bright side, next week appears to be much improved over this recent cold spell as the 10-Day outlook points to temperatures back up in the mid-50s and even the low 60s before, wait... another cold shot next weekend. Good grief, winter in the Carolinas is nothing but a roller coaster, the only question is are the peaks during the week or on the weekend. Looks like the weekends drew the short straw this year.

Courtesy WCNC

Anyway, stay warm and we'll get you back out on the course as soon as possible. Or just pray for a bust forecast tonight and we'll get everyone started at 12:00 noon. 

Stay tuned,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Winter Storm Watch!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Friday, January 14th and our area is currently under a Winter Storm Watch for later this weekend! Now, it's important to understand that Watch means the ingredients for a winter storm are there. Once those ingredients come together to form the storm the Watch will be upgraded to a Warning.

There should be no confusion of a Watch vs a Warning with this example. A Watch the ingredients are there for something, A Warning it's there. #cltwx #ncwx #scwx #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/nk5kiM2Sfo

— Brad Panovich (@wxbrad) April 15, 2018

Currently the timing of this storm has it arriving in the Charlotte Metro area sometime late tomorrow, and possibly not until after midnight Sunday morning. As typical, the big question facing everyone is who gets snow versus who gets freezing precipitation. And, it is important to remember sleet is one form of freezing precipitation that does not accumulate on trees and power lines but makes roadways treacherous. Freezing rain is another form of freezing precipitation that not only makes roadways treacherous, but also accumulates on trees and powerlines causing other issues to be dealt with.

The two charts above depict the snow/sleet potential and the ice potential for the region courtesy of our friend Brad Panovich of WCNC. It is important to bear in mind these charts are as of 11:00 pm LAST NIGHT and are subject to change as the storm approaches, so please be weather aware!

Being a golf course superintendent I am used to dealing with Mother Nature. After all, She is constantly in control and we adjust daily to the weather conditions. Our approach to this storm is no different from past winter weather events or even tropical storms and hurricanes. We will heed the notifications seriously and prepare for the absolute worst, and hope for the best. Truthfully, that is all any of us can do.

Today we are making a plant protectant application to the putting surfaces to help protect them from any weather related fungal maladies. We will also make a few pre-treatment applications to walkways and driveways around the clubhouse tomorrow before heading home to wait and see what the storm brings. When conditions are safe for travel we will assess the golf course and develop a plan. The agronomy team is prepared and we will do whatever is necessary based on the outcome of the storm.

I was looking back through photos on my phone to see when was the last time we last had significant snow cover on the golf course. Believe it or not, it was four years ago on January 18th when the course looked this tranquil.

I also discovered photos from January 2017, January 2016, and February 2015 so looks like after a four-year run of winter weather we've had a four-year reprieve. So, fill up your vehicle today or tomorrow and gather supplies. Pray the power stays on as it is a good weekend for sports viewing (PGA Tour, NFL Playoffs, College Basketball, etc.). 

And if reading is your thing I stumbled across this blog post yesterday https://www.ukgolfguy.com/golf-blog/british-restoration-opportunities that identifies U.K. golf courses ripe for renovations/restorations. It contains lots of links to other articles and opinions so it might be something to browse if golf course architecture is your thing and you find yourself with extra free time. Stay warm and stay safe!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Happy Christmas!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Wednesday, December 22nd and I would like to wish each of you and your families a happy Christmas! Hope everyone enjoyed themselves yesterday during the annual Christmas Balls tourney and now you're getting ready for Santa's arrival, assuming you've warmed up by now. ;)

Santa should be in a good mood considering this past weekend he won the PNC Championship partnered with John Daly II. Hopefully this means we're all on the nice list and can expect lots of goodies to help with our golf games in our stockings this year!

John Daly and John Daly II

As is customary, the golf course will be closed this coming Friday and Saturday (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). Of course you and your family, friends, and guests are welcome to play provided you receive permission from Mrs. Claus. ;)  The current forecast calls for a morning low temperature of 35 degrees Friday morning, so frost is likely, no early bird arrivals please. Saturday looks unseasonably warm so no issues there. 

5-Day Forecast, AccuWeather

Mrs. Greenkeeper and I are headed to Virginia to visit our families after the pandemic induced hiatus last year. We are both so thankful for our health after the challenges of the past twelve months and look forward to spending a few days with loved ones once again. 

Well, it wouldn't be my final post of the year without a quick weather breakdown. For those of you anxiously waiting the current 2021 rain total at Carolina Golf Club is 40.28 inches following yesterday's intermittent drizzle and sleet. That makes 2021 our driest year since 2016 and more importantly it is more than 18 inches less than the average rainfall received each of the past three consecutive years (58.50 inches)!

Here's hoping 2022 brings us all the peace and joy we've craved the last two years and I look forward to seeing you on the golf course next year! 

Happy Christmas Carolina Golf Club,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Dry Ground for Golf!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Tuesday, December 14th and we are now just eleven days away from Christmas! And can you believe there are only seventeen more days remaining in 2021? I know, it's crazy! Tonight is the Past President's Dinner at Carolina Golf Club. After a one-year hiatus brought about by the pandemic it will be good to once again gather with fellow senior staff, the Board of Governors, and Past Presidents to discuss our love for the game of golf and Carolina Golf Club. 

Recently I shared something on Twitter that garnered a good deal of support and I wanted to discuss it with you here and provide a little more context.

I know many golfers love lush, green conditions. But a dry, semi-dormant course plays more similar to a links than anything else! 😏 #CGCturf pic.twitter.com/WhTSjT3QHf

— Matthew Wharton (@CGCGreenkeeper) December 2, 2021

Last month I posted a few details about a recent trip to Royal Dornoch. One of the gentlemen on the trip was Tom Colombo, the golf course superintendent of Hyannisport Club in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. We were admiring the contours of the green pads, bunkers, and closely mowed surrounds and I commented how Carolina Golf Club possesses similar features but we cannot replicate the links playing conditions until the Bermudagrass goes dormant.

Despite the ability of Bermudagrass to tolerate close mowing, its growth habits (lush and grainy) during warm, humid summers make for a sticky surface that can baffle golfers attempting to play the ball along the ground. But when dormant, and dry, those shots are made less difficult and a wider array of options are now at your disposal.

But the key word in that last sentence is DRY! For the past three years Carolina Golf Club has been subjected to above average rainfall of nearly epic proportions. In 2018 it rained 58.60 inches. In 2019 it rained 57.20 inches. And last year (2020) it rained 59.71 inches!

So far in 2021 it has only rained a total of 39.02 inches! More importantly the rainfall received since the beginning of September has only totaled 6.59 inches as of today. We have always said the best time to play golf at Carolina Golf Club is fall, and this year we have been treated to a dry autumn for the first time since 2017!

NC Drought Index

As you may imagine, if we haven't received much rain then we must be entering into a drought. Above is the latest update on the growing conditions across North Carolina. You can see Mecklenburg County has entered into the Severe category. But the 0.95 inch of rain that has fallen on Carolina Golf Club this month all came after this map's valid data was recorded. Although I don't expect a lessening of our category, just know things are not as dire as they may appear.

The current La Nina is providing us once again with some unseasonably warm conditions as record highs may be reached by the end of this week! Below is the 10-Day Outlook from our friend at WCNC, Brad Panovich.

Don't be surprised if we receive more rain when the cold air arrives this weekend. It is hard to go from record high temperatures to drop-offs of twenty degrees or more without triggering showers and storms. Regardless, the dry conditions we have experienced the past few months have brought about some of the best playing conditions this time of year in quite some time, so please, get out and enjoy them! 

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Thankful!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Wednesday, November 24th, the day before Thanksgiving and I cannot believe it is here again. I swear as the years go by the wheel of life turns faster and faster. 

Besides being my favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving has become a wonderful tradition at Carolina Golf Club. It is a blessing to work for a membership that closes their facilities so staff can enjoy the holiday with their families. But don’t fret, the course is accessible (walking only) for those of you able to secure a hall pass from your loved ones. So, if you’re looking to squeeze in a quick round before dinner, or just wanting to walk off an extra helping of stuffing later in the afternoon, enjoy!

Now, the forecast for tomorrow morning calls for the temperature to reach 31 degrees. Considering we have experienced frost each of the past two mornings, this means frost is highly likely again tomorrow, so please refrain from trying to access the course too early.

As customary, I will make an early ride through the property to ensure everything is in order, and will linger near the clubhouse to engage in conversation with anyone that perhaps arrives too early, just so we do not inadvertently walk on the frost. With the kids not arriving until Friday, I think I may squeeze in a hickory round myself once conditions are frost free.

Another tradition is my annual list of thanks. I must admit, after last year's list, Grateful for Golf and the circumstances surrounding it, I did not think I could do another. After all, my wife's battle was just beginning at that time, and to say the past twelve months were filled with more anxiety would be putting it lightly.

But as always, despite moments of stress, darkness, or despair there is light that shines through and I would be remiss if I didn't share a few things I am thankful for this year:

• Yesterday (November 23rd) was our golf course architect's birthday. Donald J. Ross was born in Dornoch, Scotland in 1872. Personally, I think it is great his birthday falls on or around Thanksgiving, as I am always thankful for Mr. Ross and the contributions he made to this game in America. This year I had the good fortune to travel to Dornoch and walk the streets and play the links where Mr. Ross was exposed to this grand game. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to make that connection.

• Before emigrating to the U.S., Donald Ross spent time under the tutelage of Old Tom Morris. Anyone that knows me well, knows I have a strong admiration for Old Tom and this year the Home of Golf was celebrating Old Tom's 200th birthday! That's right, Old Tom Morris was born June 16, 1821 and earlier this year there were numerous commemorations of golf's Grand Old Man including this wonderfully detailed flip book. 

Hanging in Clubhouse, Royal Dornoch

• I referenced my trip to Dornoch above, and I am most thankful for everything that permitted my travel. Obviously my wife's permission and my vaccinations head the list, but it also includes American Airlines, British Airways, VeriFly, and a host of others that helped deliver me across the pond and back safely! 
  
   
• And speaking of Dornoch, what a treat it was to once again experience links golf! I traveled with seven other industry peers from the Northeast and mid-Atlantic and together we were like school boys at recess. What an amazing experience we had playing Royal Dornoch, Brora, Nairn, and Castle Stuart. I will cherish the memories of that trip for the rest of my life, and before I returned home I was already thinking of how and when I can get back to the Scottish Highlands. 

Royal Dornoch

Brora

• Speaking of Nairn, during our visit there we were invited to visit their archive room. My jaw hit the floor when the door opened and my eyes gazed upon the most amazing collection of golf artifacts, documents, and more. I snapped many pictures and this nerd could easily have spent the night in the room and still not come close to taking it all in. As a member of the Golf Heritage Society and Society of Hickory Golfers I was definitely inspired for new ways to display my own collectables. 

  

  The Nairn Golf Club

  
  
• The truth is I could write for days about my trip and experiences in the Highlands. But that would be a disservice to some other things that are the best part of 2021. I had the good fortune to be invited to Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio to spend a little time with college friends. I have known golf course architect Andrew Green for twenty-five years, and to say I am proud of the work he has recently accomplished is an understatement. What a treat it was to see and experience first hand his handiwork at the sight of this year's Solheim Cup. The USGA just announced the U.S. Amateur is returning to Inverness Club in 2029 and I will not be surprised if it reprises its role as a U.S. Open host sometime soon thereafter! 

15th Hole Inverness Club

• Okay, so maybe I've been a little too thankful for the time to take a couple of trips late in the year, but the biggest takeaway was memorable time spent with dear friends, both old and new. I am thankful for these friendships and the camaraderie we shared. Whether it was hanging with college buddies I've known nearly a quarter century, or playing golf in Scotland with guys I had just met, you can't beat friendship! 

Fellow Hokies

Surrounded by Yankees

• Everything I've mentioned prior to now although special and memorable, pales in comparison to the thanks I must give to my wife's team of doctors and health care providers! Somehow the grace of God led us to these special people that treated her and assisted with her fight. I shudder to think where she and I would be or what may have happened without them in our life this past year! 

Dr. Joshi, Medical Oncology

Dr. Turk, Surgical Oncology

The Angels of Novant Cancer

• Of course I could not end a year of thanks without mentioning things near and dear to me here at Carolina Golf Club. This year we continued to host a high number of rounds and we saw a return of special events like our spring and fall Member-Guests and Invitational. I'm very thankful to the Green Committee and Chairman Brett Boner for leading the charge as we embarked on the bunker renovation. The team from Golf Course Services, Inc. did a phenomenal job in a short window of time renovating the bunkers on holes 1, 2, and the practice area. The installation of the capillary concrete liner and new G-Angle sand has made an instant impact to the overall condition and playability of these bunkers. Project Update from September

• And now that we are on the subject of the golf course, I have to thank my team. In 2019 and 2020 this core group dealt with a revolving door of new members and the pandemic. This year the door stopped revolving as the labor situation facing our country reached CGC. Thankfully we still had access to an experienced seasonal work force that supplemented our manpower and for the first time in quite a while I was truly pleased with the product they were producing. Most folks that know me well know I am rarely, if ever satisfied. Anyway, my hats off to this hard working group for overcoming numerous obstacles and creating a product that saw Carolina Golf Club resurface in the list of Top 200 Classic Courses.  

• Looking back, this past year was mostly occupied with doctors and work. The trips I enjoyed were a welcomed respite and I appreciate very much my wife allowing me to travel and have those experiences to clear my head and recharge. The thing I am most thankful for outside my family is work! I am honored to be your golf course superintendent and the ability to immerse myself in the care of this amazing property has helped me survive the past two years more than you could ever imagine. I want to thank Mr. Cleveland, the Board of Governors, and the Green Committee for providing the tools, resources, and support needed to care for CGC! Because without them none of this is possible. Thank you all for the opportunity to serve you, your families, and your guests and I sincerely hope each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Invited Back!

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Friday, November 5th and tomorrow play begins as Carolina Golf Club conducts the 20th Carolina Invitational. Founded in 1999, this will only be the second time the championship has been contested in the past four years. The tournament was not held last year due to the pandemic and it took a hiatus in 2018 when we co-hosted the United States Mid-Amateur Championship.

As a result, some of you may be asking, "What is the Carolina Invitational?"  Funny thing is, it's a question I have answered before in this very space.  You're Invited was written in 2012 to help those members who joined after the  2007-2008 restoration better understand the origins of the event.  

Earlier this week I had a similar conversation with a member and realized with two years off in the past three, there  once again may be folks that do not know the story. Thus it became time to share the older post once more. I can tell you this year's field may very well be the strongest ever as 17 participants competed in USGA Championships in 2021!

One of those is Carolina's own Hayes Brown! It was just barely a month ago when Hayes was the last player to make the match play field of 64 at this year's U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Massachusetts. Hayes holed a wedge for an eagle 2 to win a 6 for 1 playoff and secure that final spot. He then went on to advance farther than any previous 64 seed in the event's history Click Here before succumbing in the semifinals to eventual champion Stewart Hagestad.

Hayes and Sean Snell are the defending Champions from 2019. You may recall Hayes won his second club championship last month on the heels of that thrilling U.S. Mid-Am performance and earlier this summer Sean advanced to the final round of this year's City Amateur Championship, so they're both coming into the event in fine form.

In 1927 with the help of O.B. Keeler, Bobby Jones wrote Down the Fairway. And it is right there in the opening paragraph of Chapter One that he clearly states there is a difference between the golf most of us play on a regular basis and tournament golf.

"You may take it from me that there are two kinds of golf; there is golf - and tournament golf. And they are not at all the same." 

The Carolina Invitational is Carolina Golf Club's tournament. Sort of like the Anderson Memorial is Winged Foot's, albeit ours is much younger. ;)  History records the results of tournament golf and the Invitational is Carolina Golf Club's contribution to the ever growing history of this game we all love.

I close with the same sentiment expressed nine years ago. My team and I strive each and every day to prepare and present your golf course at its very best for the enjoyment of you, your families and guests. But it is nice once in a while to have the opportunity to showcase your golf course on your behalf to those that play a different game.

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Fall Course Care

Hello and welcome to The Greenkeeper! Today is Wednesday, October 20th and Fall Member-Guest festivities begin tomorrow. Thankfully Mother Nature has delivered on the fall portion this year with crisp, cool morning temperatures the past several days along with blue skies and very little rain to help get everyone in the mood. It seems like it has been awhile since we experienced a typical Carolina autumn like we are currently enjoying, only 0.68 inch rain so far this month!

Since my last update we have been busy preparing the golf course for winter. I know, fall just arrived but that's the way agronomy works in our world. Over the past few weeks we have treated the entire course with pre-emergent herbicide for the management of unwanted annual bluegrass. 

Poa annua is a grassy winter annual weed and this treatment protects the dormant Bermudagrass canopy from invasion. The process is a lengthy one usually spanning from one week to the next as it requires numerous tanks to successfully treat more than 100 acres of tees, fairways, and rough! The product must also be watered-in to activate and bind the herbicide to the upper portions of the soil where it creates the barrier keeping the golf course clean during the winter season.

Following the prevention of winter weeds, it was time to protect our closely mowed areas from Spring Dead Spot (SDS). SDS is a turfgrass disease caused by one of three species of Ophiosphaerella fungi. Ophiosphaerella herpotricha is found primarily in the southern Great Plains region of the western U.S. Ophiosphaerella namari is the prevalent pathogen in California and Australia, but is not common in most other regions of the U.S. The predominant causal agent of SDS in North Carolina is Ophiosphaerella korrae.

Preventative treatment requires applying fungicide that targets the pest and watering in immediately with enough water to move the product into the upper portions of the rootzone where the fungus resides. Needless to say, treating nearly 35 acres in this manner requires a full Maintenance Monday in order to operate the volume of irrigation required without soaking innocent bystanders!

You will also be happy to know we recently overseeded both levels of the primary practice tee with ryegrass for the upcoming winter months. So like I said, although fall weather has just arrived we have been busy preparing the course for the months ahead.

In other news I am pleased to report the plant health of our putting greens has returned to levels last recognized during the 2018 U.S. Mid-Am. You may recall a post from early September click here where I spelled out how we altered our fall aerification practices that year and subsequently the health and performance of our greens declined as a result. 

The surfaces have rebounded quite handsomely with our treatments and more closely resemble the dense surfaces we all previously enjoyed. I focus my attention on the space between aerification holes, when the turf between holes equals the turf directly over the holes we are on the right track! 

So get out and enjoy the game during what is arguably the best time of year to play. There is a hint of color change on the trees, broomsedge seed stalks have bronzed, and Goldenrod dots the natural areas resembling  gorse in the spring. In fact, I think it's time I dusted off the hickories and walk a round myself! 

See What I Did There ;)

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG

Nothing Could Be Finer...