Save the BBQ for the 4th, not your Poa greens

Superintendent Douglas Reed very carefully checking greens for anthracnose back in the 'good old days' at Arrowhead Country Club (San Bernardino) in 2003 (Doug where are you these days? Hope things are going well!)

4th of July weekend usually kicks off anthracnose season on Poa greens in California, usually its a combination of heat, increased play on the holiday and crews taking a well-deserved few days off. Fortunately, the 4th lands on a Sunday this year and that means that most problems can get caught first thing on Monday. Although most of California looks like its going to be pretty mild this Holiday weekend, guys in the Central Valley with Poa greens should be especially careful with avoiding anthracnose. A little extra prevention with fungicides, some syringing and watching your irrigation before this weekend should help avoid any nasty surprises.

Other than that, there's not much to report from California this week, just a few diagnoses from northern California of brown patch from ryegrass and Poa fairways and roughs this week.

Here in Washington DC (where I'm still hiding out on sabbatical) the heat has finally broken for a few days -- I've complained about this before, but damn it's swampy here in the District. According to Univ. of Maryland alum Matt Marsh (and superintendent at Valencia Country Club) "It's like a Petri plate full of fungus" in the summer. After being here through the hottest June on record, I'd have to agree 100%.

Stay safe over the holiday weeekend!

Signing off from the right coast until next week.....