Fountaingrove Golf & Athletic Club is a private club
that provides first class amenities to its members in a picturesque setting in
the hills above Santa Rosa, Ca. The golf course is a Ted Robinson design which
opened in 1985. The course has changed hands a few times through the years
and at this time is the only course in Sonoma County to be held privately through its membership.
The turf is predominantly Poa annua which thrives and is manipulated into a very fine playing
surface. This course is a testament to the fact that Poa annua can produce high quality playing surfaces. The management
philosophy for the property involves embracing this turf type and using its competitive
advantage to our benefit.
We operate year round with a medium sized crew ranging from
sixteen to nineteen individuals including the superintendent, mechanic and
assistants. We are also fortunate enough to have a crew dog, named Dixie the Catahoula, who was purchased by the club for the sole purpose of helping keep our local
geese population off the golf course.
The course is irrigated using well water and we do our part
as stewards to conserve and apply the water in a responsible manner placing a
high emphasis on spot watering. It is essential in these drought influenced times
here in California that we utilize new technologies and are diligent in ensuring
that everything we apply is of necessity. Our property has characteristically
heavy clay soils which intensify the need to be attentive to the turf’s needs.
It is extremely easy to become wet, and when we do, it takes a lot of time to
dry out. Our goal here is to always present a firm and healthy playing surface
for our membership.
There is a slough of property specific nuances that we
intend to shed light on here in future posts. This is truly a beautiful property that
shines as one of Santa Rosa’s finest gems.
-Dustin McIntosh, Golf Course Superintendent
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