COURSE UPDATES
July presents some of the most challenging conditions for turf in the Midwest.
Our priorities are to: Maintain exceptional playing conditions
Protect turf during extreme heat and humidity
Improve firmness and consistency
Invest in long-term course health
BUILDING HEALTHIER FAIRWAYS
This month, we completed core aerification on our tee boxes zoysia fairways.
We made a significant invest purchasing our own aerificat equipment, which gives our agronomy team flexibility to more frequently when condi are ideal for the golf course.
Benefits include:
✔ Relieves soil compaction
✔ Improves oxygen exchang
✔ Enhances water infiltratio
✔ Encourages deeper root
✔ Reduces thatch
✔ Increases turf resilience
Why now?
July is the ideal time because zoysia is actively growing and recovers quickly.
Above: Greens aerification using a 6-inch solid tine.
PROTECTING THE ROUGH
Summer heat and humidity create ideal conditions for Brown Patch disease, particularly in our cool-season roughs.
In addition to our preventative fungicide program, we have raised our mowing height to help the turf better withstand summer stress and reduce conditions that can contribute to disease development.
Our preventative approach helps us: Prevent outbreaks before they occur
Maintain turf density
Protect aesthetics
Reduce costly recovery efforts
Preventative treatments and proactive cultural practices are far more effective than trying to manage an active outbreak once it has taken hold.
SMARTER WATER MANAGEMENT
This season, we're evaluating multiple wetting agent programs on both our greens and fairways to determine which products and application strategies perform best specifically at Oakwood.
Because every golf course has unique soil conditions, drainage patterns, and microclimates, this ongoing evaluation helps us tailor our approach to the specific needs of our property.
Our goals:
�� More consistent soil moisture
�� Fewer localized dry spots
�� Better water infiltration
�� Improved drought tolerance
�� Firmer, more consistent conditions
Above: wetting agent application on greens
This leads to:
More ball roll
Better approach shot performance
Consistent lies
Improved surface uniformity
Healthier turf
We're combining:
Moisture monitoring
Irrigation adjustments
Wetting agents
Cultural practices to create championshipcaliber conditions.
A HEALTHIER GOLF COURSE OVER MONTHS AND YEARS
Many agronomic practices don't produce overnight results; they build a healthier course over months and years
Our long-term investments include:
�� Stronger Root Systems: Core aerification on our zoysia fairways & tees relieves compaction and encourages deeper root growth.
�� Better Soil Structure: Aerification & sand topdressing improve air movement, water infiltration & root development.
�� Improved Water Efficiency: Our wetting agent program on greens & fairways helps create consistent moisture & water movement.
�� Reduced Disease Pressure: Preventative fungicide applications and adjusted mowing heights help protect our cool-season roughs from summer disease.
⛳ More Consistent Playing Conditions: Moisture monitoring, irrigation adjustments, wetting agents, & cultural practices help create firm, healthy & more consistent conditions.
Above: zoysia fairways during core aerification
KANSAS CITY CLIMATE
Summer temperatures in Kansas City from June through August 2026 are shaping up to be consistently warmer than usual. Rainfall during the core of summer trends toward being drier than average.
Moving into the autumn months, a transition begins in September 2026. The pattern shifts toward wetter-than-average weather in the Kansas City region through the fall.
LOOKING AHEAD TO AUGUST
Our next priorities include:
Sand topdressing greens
Gradually lowering mowing heights
Preparing the golf course to thrive in peak heat months
Every practice is designed with one goal in mind: Delivering exceptional playing conditions throughout the season.
Thank you for your continued support as we invest in the long-term health of the golf course. While some of these practices require shortterm disruption, they are essential to delivering the quality conditions our members expect and deserve.
We're excited to continue preparing the course for a fantastic MemberGuest Tournament and an outstanding finish to the summer season.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Best, Jacob Foster Golf Course Superintendent jacob@oakwoodcountryclub.org
