Fescue Update

The three 'fescue' areas are progressing better than intended. Number 6/14 South is maturing nicely and the new area behind #3 green (seeded last fall) is looking good for its first year. Naturalizing fescue takes patience and it demands no water or fertilizer, so growth is slow at establishment. It is particularly challenging on the organic, moist soils of the Midwest.

These areas are coming along as expected, but will take 3-5 years at minimum, to fully mature.  Perhaps the best area so far is between 12 and 14 North Course. This was seeded in the spring of 2011. It gives us a comparison with the fall 2010 seeding we did on the South Course. Perhaps by chance, the North spring seeding seems to be doing better.

The seed heads on fescue will open and turn brown sometime in the first two weeks of June and remain that way until fall. At full height, it should be no more than 24".

The feedback from members has been overwhelmingly positive and these naturalized locations will only get better in the years and decades ahead.

#6 South



#12/14 North - looking at 14 green







#12/14 North - looking at #12 green