As I was traveling on the west coast of Florida, I heard the news of nearly 2 feet of rain falling in the Palm Beach Area on Feb. 10. The storm is being described as a once-in-a-thousand-year event. For GCSAA members and golf facilities in this area, the timing of this deluge could not be worse.
Typically Florida's golf season commences full throttle after the holidays. This latest curve ball that Mother Nature has thrown comes on the heals of one of the wettest summers in a number of years. Also, I have learned from several superintendents in the area that not only the rain, but the constant cloudy days are taking their toll on turf conditions as leaf spot diseases are finding the conditions favorable for development.
Beyond the turf conditions, there is the cost of repairing irrigation equipment as satellite controllers and pump stations were immersed underwater. These costs can potentially sky rocket as the damages are assessed. There will be a direct impact on budgets as the repairs will need to be made.
It has been a difficult year to say the least in this part of the state. My hope is that golfers at these facilities will be understanding long after the flood waters recede. There will be season-long ramifications that may be difficult to overcome and will be compounded if golfer expectations are not modified while superintendents undertake the arduous task of putting everything back in place.
My intention for blogging about this is to shed some light on a situation that will no doubt take some time from which to recover. GCSAA has resources that can help our members communicate to their golfers the very real impact that this latest weather event has had, and will continue to have, on their courses. If there is anything that we can provide to help you in your recovery plan and communications please do not hesitate to reach out to me as your GCSAA Regional Representative.
My thoughts are with you!
Ralph
