Wild Winds
So what's the deal with these winds? The last few weeks we have been experiencing very high winds here in the High Desert. That's nothing unusual for us, we are used to the wind blowing most of the time, especially in the late afternoon. You can almost set your watch by them but the problem is they just don't let up at night. The wind has been consistently blowing 20 - 30 mph during the night with gusts up to 40. We may get the occasional night where they calm down but in the seven years I have been here at SVLCC, I can never remember a period where they just don't seem to be letting up. As I write this, the Weather Channel is issuing a high wind advisory starting at noon today with a chance of gusts up to 50 mph. You may also have heard of the recent damage in Lancaster where several telephone poles blew over. We have had some minor damage on the golf course with medium to large branches breaking off and falling out of the trees. Many of you have expressed your concerns to me about trees in precarious spots or dead trees located around the course. I am aware of these situations and have been taking steps to minimize any risks.
Wild Winds and Irrigation
The other problems we are experiencing with these winds is dry areas or as we like to call them, "hot spots" on the golf course. When the wind blows all night long the distribution uniformity of the sprinklers is very poor. The wind blows the water or mists it as it exits the sprinkler head causing very little water to make it to the ground or where we would like the sprinkler to water. And after several nights of strong winds and daytime temperatures in the mid 90's, it takes it toll on the course because of the lack of irrigation. This is why we are looking so dry right now. Several weeks of these winds and the course is really showing it. You will notice members of my staff watering during the day. We hand water or manually spot water these hot spots to get some much needed water down. You will see employees hand watering greens and areas surrounding the greens, tees and even fairways. It has been a battle, we apologize for any inconveniences you may have encountered during your round of golf but remember without the water we have no grass. Sometimes Mother Nature is a tough foe, this is one of those times, pray for rain.
