WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - When you think about a golf course, you probably picture nice green grass, but the groundskeepers at Tex Consolver are facing a problem that's turning nearly the whole course brown.
“Just got off work a little bit early and had the chance to swing the golf club,” said Nate Watson.
For people like Watson, golf is much more than just a sport, it’s a form of therapy.
“It's been great. The staff here is awesome. Fairways need a little help," said Watson.
Watson is talking about the acres and acres of dead brown grass at the Tex Consolver golf course, a landscaping challenge that Wichita Golf Director Jesse Coffman says is called winterkill.
“The temperatures went from pretty warm to extreme cold in just a matter of hours. The Bermuda fairways are not coming out like we had hoped, and we have about 70% winterkill on our fairways,” said Coffman.
Coffman says he can’t remember ever seeing it this bad, and since the damage is so severe, he has to completely close the course for about ten days starting May 29th to plant new grass.
“This is probably the worst year since 1989 in this area from what I understand. So our hope is that we get these sprigs in the ground that kickstarts the Bermuda to grow. Once we get into the really hot temperatures, that coverage will spread and it'll cover the ground and should really get us into a position for summer, late summer where we have really good grass,” said Coffman.
Golfers like Watson say it’s a bummer so early in the season, but he thinks it will be worth the wait.
“I mean, they do what they got to do. The municipal golf membership here is awesome. So I mean, there's plenty of other options,” said Watson.
Coffman says the city has three other golf courses that will remain open during the maintenance at Tex Consolver. He says the project is scheduled to last from May 29th through June 8th.