Monday, April 4, 2016

Fountaingrove Golf & Athletic Club

     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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