"A Tee Grows in Northville"

The range tee is one of the most used and visible areas on a golf course.  With the amount of traffic and heat in the months of July and August, range tees will sustain extensive damage by the end of summer.  As the members have probably noticed, our range tee definitely has seen better days. 

Over 30,000 square feet comprises the range tee with about seven different "lines" that can be used for members to hit off of.  The staff topdresses and seeds these lines with perennial rye grass and low-mow kentucky bluegrass after every usage (once a week) but it is difficult to see germination and growth in the peak months of summer. 

This all adds up to little recovery and a poor hitting surface.  

As fall draws closer we have closed the natural grass part of the range tee for two weeks.  The crew topdressed/seeded the tee in it's entirety and fertilized with high rates of phosphorous which is an essential nutrient, especially when establishing new turf.  All of this is not only an attempt to make the range more playable, but a preparation for winter.  As stated in a previous post, the healthier the turf going into winter the better chance of its recovery in the spring.