ABC7
Two greens at the Detroit Golf Club, host site of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, are recovering from an alleged act of vandalism.
According to various local reports, the club is rehabilitating Greens 11 and 12 at North Court after chemicals were used on them in mid-April. The rocket mortgage starts at the end of June.
As the local police investigation continues, a clean-up is underway by Superintendent Sam Moynihan and the staff. Moynihan sent an email to club members in late April to explain the situation.
“The time it takes for the Greens to recover will continue to depend on the weather,” Moynihan wrote. According to the Detroit News. “The colder the weather, the slower the recovery. I will work in conjunction with the PGA Tour’s agronomy department to develop an appropriate plan for optimal recovery. I will continue to update you on progress pictures, treatments, and recovery plans moving forward.”
April was warmer than average for the Detroit area, but it’s how Mother Nature handles the course in May that counts. The damage consisted of burning swathes of yellow turf due to the chemicals, and infiltration through the greens. According to Darren Nicholsa local columnist, the club ran the infected lawn through a lab test, revealing that it had been exposed to glyphosate, an ingredient in the Round Up weed killer.
The good news is that Moynihan is seeing progress in the weeks since his accident. The club expects the course to be in peak condition when the tour arrives in seven weeks.
“Every day I see more and more green shoots filling the affected areas,” Moynihan wrote to the members. reports from Detroit News. Moynihan told members that reseeding of damaged areas could begin immediately because the damage was only done to the tips of the grass, not to the roots. His team was already able to mow the lawn with lawn mowers.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic kicks off June 29. Tony Finau was named the defending champion.