Rumblings are emanating from the golf community in Ocean Pines about the condition of the OP golf course. Apparently many of the greens are in terrible shape; some of the golf drainage project work completed over the last several years was apparently not done correctly (millions spent); some golf members reportedly want their money back.

I do not play golf, but I live on the 8th fairway. I can tell you the turf is in unbelievably poor shape. I have not seen it look this bad in the 5 previous seasons I lived here. It looks like it is primarily crabgrass now.

Another poster mentioned that the wrong grasses were used. Well the grass is the same as has been here for the last 5 years. This is poor maintenance.

• I have noticed that the irrigation program has been drastically altered. It used to run during the day. This is ineffective from a water efficiency standpoint and can cause disruption for players. I think it must run primarily at night now. One of the problems we have here is lack of air circulation due to the trees. Watering at night can be problematic since it promotes fungus, mold and other nasty things.
• If this is truly crab grass growing on the fairway I would say Casper was trying to save $$ by not properly treating the turf with pre emergence chemicals or it was done too late. Crab grass is an annual plant that starts growing as the soil warms up in the spring. The chimicals have to go on before this growth starts. It can be devastating to the exisitng turff, because it shades it and the turf dies. Next year that exising turff will not be there to grow and more opportunity for weeds to grow - or another bare spot.
• Has anyone seen the contract with Casper? What are they supposed to do? Maintain the course at its exisitng condition, improve its condition or what? Looks like they are failing on both of those. Where is OPA management on overseeing the quality of the job this contractor is doing?
• What is Casper's experience managing courses that are totally lined with trees? I don't know what the "top soil" of the course is. I know the subsoil does not promote the growth of much. Just not the age vs size of most of the trees in OP. It is a very different challenge than managing an open course.
• Relative to the drainage project "apparently not done correctly". I assume this means the holes that were redone are not draining properly. Again what did the contract call for? Designing a drainage system is relatively straight forward for someone properly trained and experienced. The amount of water to be removed, the required rate of water removal, the types of soils, the use of the area (in this case to grow multiple types of turf), what portion of the water is going to be removed by surface flow, underground tile, and catch basins are some of the design criteria that have to be evaluated and addressed.
• I have two degrees in Agricultural Engineering. I have training in these areas, but my developed expertise is in food processing.