A mild winter and unseasonably warm spring have sent vegetation skyward and people outside to enjoy the weather. Golf courses and landscaping companies are feeling the uptick. The exceptional winters of the last three years โ including an ice storm and 2 feet of snow โ had led to decreased play time on area courses. More rounds usually means higher retail sales in the pro shop. Sales increased People are buying lots of necessities โ balls, gloves, hats โ as well as apparel, he said. Casey Crittenden, golf course maintenance manager for the Bella Vista POA , said the increased play brings welcomed work.
Bermuda grass is out of dormancy three weeks earlier than usual, he said, and the greens are greening ahead of schedule. Scott Murphy, golf professional at Paradise Valley Athletic Club in Fayetteville, said the mild winter allowed people to play year-round โ a sharp contrast to last year when snow lay on the ground for weeks at a time. Business usually picks up in late April or early May, he said. Murphy said he expects higher-than-usual numbers throughout the summer.
Paul DeBoer, golf course superintendent for Paradise Valley , was aerating the greens this week, giving the young blades room to breathe by loosening the soil and creating pockets for oxygen to penetrate the soil. Trees and grasses are all growing well ahead of schedule.
Herbicides have to get watered in before seeds for crabgrass, goose grass and other weeds germinate, he said. That was done in mid-February. Kimbrough owns Second Nature Landscapes Inc. Kimbrough said customers also are already calling for irrigation systems to be hooked up. The weather also has affected the new-home construction landscaping the company does. He said the hotter-drier weather means irrigation systems have to be finished before plants and seeds can be installed or plants might not survive.
Kelly D. The greens have greened earlier and golfers are hitting it hard. An early spring has increased the maintenance schedule, as well. Previous post. Next post.
