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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 25, 2005 Hole closure results in re-routing for SOGT Hot weather prevents grass seed from growing on reconstructed third hole at Rogue Valley Country Club By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune A reconstructed hole at Rogue Valley Country Club was hit hard by high temperatures in the past month-and-a-half and will be closed during the popular Southern Oregon Golf Tournament. The 76th edition of the event begins next week, and the necessary re-routing will be the first major change since the tournament was canceled in 1994 because of course renovations. The third hole on the inside nine has changed dramatically with the addition of a two-plus-acre pond, a larger, kidney-shaped green and a new greenside bunker. The green was seeded and sod was laid around it in June. The fairway was then seeded with rye grass, and it was believed that a five- or six-week growing-in period would have the hole ready in time for the Southern Oregon. Advertisement "Mother Nature didn’t hand us the card we were hoping for," said course superintendent Doug Mohler, who met with club officials and SOGT Committee members Wednesday to finalize plans to cope with the hole closure. The tournament begins Tuesday with local men’s qualifying. Because the facility has 27 holes, the third hole can be bypassed with minimal inconvenience. Depending on the circumstances, the first and second holes on the inside will be played an extra time to make up for skipping No. 3; a new tee will be set up on the ninth hole of the inside course — which is the 18th hole on the original course — for matches that go that far, making it a par 4; and a par-3 practice hole on the west side of the property will be brought into play. For golfers, it will present a unique tour of the course that opened with its first nine holes in 1924. And they have Mother Nature to thank. A slew of 90-degree-plus days and warm nights forced Mohler and his crew into a Catch-22 situation: They had to apply enough water to keep the turf from scorching, but water creates its own humidity, said Mohler, and humidity fosters disease. The disease, which is most common in humid regions like the Midwest and Northeast, said Mohler, is called pythium, or melting out. When the seeds broke, the weak, infant grass didn’t have a chance. "The disease wipes it right out," said Mohler, who, in varying sections, re-seeded the entire hole three times. "You could almost watch it die right in front of you. We felt that pain a number of times." Hot days compounded by warm nights made it a losing battle until just recently. According to the National Weather Service in Medford, the 40 days between July 14 and Aug. 22 featured 11 days with high temperatures of 100 degrees or hotter and 27 days that were at least 96 degrees. Until Tuesday, when the high was 87, only one of the previous 40 days was below 90. "And all those temperatures are taken from about five feet above the ground," says Mohler. "Five feet below the ground is what you’re interested in for turf, and it can be 5, 10, up to 15 degrees warmer down there." Only recently, when nighttime temperatures cooled significantly, has the seed on the third hole flourished. "The last five days it’s been growing like crazy," said Jim Wise, the head golf professional at the club. "The cool nights have made the fairway unbelievable, but it’s just too late." The hole could be ready in two or three weeks, said Mohler. "That’s how close we are," he said. Club officials don’t want to risk using the hole if it’s not strong enough to withstand the heavy traffic the tournament would bring, thereby setting it back even further. Hugh Graham, the club general manager, said the club ultimately had to do what was in the best interest of its membership. "We believe it’s more appropriate to let the turf grow in on the hole and green," he said, "then open it when it’s ready for normal play. We believe that’s the better course of action for the course and the membership at large." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail Hole closure results in re-routing for SOGT ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s