Four for 4

Its been a long month for all of us. My thoughts and prayers go out to all that are struggling during this time. I know many of you have missed being out on the course and I wanted to take a minute to share some pictures and update you on whats been going on.
We've had our hands full working as a four man crew since the shelter in place order went into effect four weeks ago. Bill Sheer, Josh Tavelli and Armando Ramirez have done an amazing job keeping the golf course in shape and ready to go. I cannot thank them enough. We were all pretty stoked when the goats showed up a few weeks ago. While the goats did their thing in the natural grass areas, we were busy keeping up with mowing, making our regular product applications and getting to as many essential tasks as possible. Greens were aerated with a 5/8" solid tine and sanded heavy.  Tees, approaches and fairways were seeded with our fine fescue seed mix. Organic fertilizers were spread across all 35 acres of fine cut turf. 350 tons of sand was applied to approaches and fairways.  A weeks worth of tree work was completed on holes 4, 5, 6 & 7. All mowing equipment was sharpened, adjusted and serviced. A huge effort to be sure.

With the course closed to play we were able to get the goats in a few new spots. This area on 11 was close to 2' tall!

The view from the stone tee on 13 is on of my favorites for sure.  Especially after the goats have gone through.




























The bees arrived a few weeks ago. The property has really taken on an urban farm feel with the bees, the goats and the sent of organic fertilizers in the air.

We don't always mow stripes but when we do, it looks kinda cool. With all of the different types of grasses we have in fairways, spring makes for some varied growth rates. Mowing these areas in different directions helps to clean up any excess growth we see this time of year.  After a month or so of the stripeshow, we'll go back to the more traditional look of half & half.

Thankfully we were able to bring the full time staff back to work this past Monday the 20th. They will work a reduced (50%) and modified schedule until further notice. Seasonal and part time staff will not be coming back until further notice. Things will be different out here, as they are everywhere. We'll need to get used to some new practices and procedures. With more than 50% reduction of labor on the course, there will be many tasks we cannot complete. We will focus our efforts on down the middle conditioning and items deemed essential.

A huge THANK YOU to the membership, the Board of Directors and the Club's management team for their support during this difficult time. Its truly amazing to have such a group of individuals come together and take care of the staff the way you have. We can't wait to see you out enjoying the golf course again. Fingers are crossed. The sooner the better.

And... That's a wrap!

After fourteen months of construction we put a wrap on things last week with the installation of new sod on the 1st fairway. With the sod down our focus turns to grow-in of the new turf. The first tee is open finally and I must say it's been quite the exiting time here at the club with the new facilities being met with overwhelming positivity. As is to be expected with anything new, an adjustment in routine when playing the course is necessary. Please keep the following in mind when playing golf this winter:

• The first tee is open for play but the sod on 1 / 18 fairway is not. Please keep all traffic off new sod. If your ball comes to rest in the newly sodded area inside the ropes, please carefully retrieve your ball on foot then drop and resume play from outside the area.
• The entire new area of sod including the 1^st tee and 18 green surround MAY be closed at some point this winter due to wet conditions. Please be respectful and keep off closed areas when asked.
• Golf carts are not permitted on the 1^st tee or any of the tees. Pull carts are always discouraged from crossing tee tops as well. Please use the cartpaths as much as possible when in the area.
• When playing 18 – as your ball reaches the green or surround please pull your golf cart left to the shared path between holes 9 & 18. Continue up the path and in-between the warm up tees  to the cart parking directly behind the green. Once finished on 18 it’s a quick drive up the path to the cart barn where the golf staff will greet you at the end of your round. The picture below shows a cart parked in the ideal location when finishing out on 18. 
• Walkers on 18 should also move toward the back of the green and finish their round at the cart path behind 18. Please do not walk up the grass slope toward the first tee. Walk off the back of the green toward the tennis courts and then up the path. Please use the cart return area to drop off clubs, pull carts and any other items prior to returning to the golf shop or cafe via the stairs to the left of the cart barn. 

  Kikuyugrass Removal

      With new sod heading our way we made the call to remove all turf on the slope right of 16 green. This area had become infested with the vile weed Kikuyugrass. This particular weed is invasive and difficult to control spreading aggressively on south facing slopes. In this particular area the contamination had reached the green. We chose to remove the entire apron leading up to 18 tee as the Kikuyu creates an inconsistent playing surface and had spread up the slope to 18. We will experiment with various control methods over the next few years in attempt to keep out the Kikuyu. The area will remain roped off until spring. Please carefully remove your ball from the new sod and drop in the drop zone. 

    

  With the New Year approaching I want to thank all of those that have made 2017 such a success.The staff in the Turf Department has accomplished great things on the course while the distraction of construction pulled at us daily. Led by Assistants Bill Scheer and Ismael Valadez and Equipment Manager Armando Ramirez, we had an amazing year for golf course conditions. Firm, fast and fun continues to be our target and I feel we met this in spades much of the year. Thanks so much to GM Steve Shaw, the Board of Directors and Green Committee for the continued support of our direction on the golf course. We do things a bit different here as we are allowed to present the golf course in a very natural fashion resulting in a rough, rustic look around the edges. I am so thankful to have the support from the membership as our approach would not fly at just any Club. We all know that Claremont is not just any Club but a unique place full of charm and quirk. It really is a special place that I feel so fortunate to be a part of. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Claremont Members and families and best wishes for a prosperous 2018!

Golf Course Things and Stuff

The golf course has taken fine shape as we approach summer and our first heat wave of the season this weekend. We have many things going on out there and I wanted to take a minute to update you on some of whats happening.

Natural Grass Areas
The new natural grass areas have grown-in and are no longer to be played as ground under repair. Ground under repair will be marked with signage or white paint. The picture above of the natural grass between holes 4 and 5 shows the area still roped off but this is only to keep carts out. These areas are sensitive to cart traffic and provide a natural habitat for beneficial insects, pollinators and small animals. Please do not drive carts in any of the "long" grass on the golf course. If the grass is over 2.5 inches carts should be kept out. As of this week, all hillsides and natural grass areas have been cut and/or mowed for what was hopefully the last time of the season. These areas will turn color soon and slow their growth to provide a nice visual contrast from the green turf found down the middle of the fairway to the golden brown of the California native grasslands. I look forward to this transition each year as the contrast of color and texture can result in some of the most visually stunning views around the property.

Bunkers (hazards)
I seem to get the question every spring about bunkers (hazards) and their consistency, or lack there of. Each spring we go through the hazards to add sand in areas that were contaminated or where sand was removed during winter. With the heavy rains this past winter our work here has been more than in years past. The hazards where new sand has been added will take time to settle in and firm up. This can create variability from hazard to hazard as some will play firm and other soft. The expectation for the hazards to play consistent is unrealistic even when all the sand is the same. Many factors go into this. The location of the hazard, surrounded by trees or out in the open. Angled toward the sun or away from. How much water does the surrounding turf require to maintain health? More water for the turf means more water in the bunker. Size and shape of the hazard... you get the idea. What will be consistent is our set up and maintenance routines for these hazards. Many hours each week are focused on preparation and maintenance of the hazards. Members can help improve consistency in hazards by making an effort to return them to previous form following play. Unfortunately we see this all to often...

The Small Stuff
We are working hard to catch up on many of the small things and stuff around the golf course. While we are very happy with course conditions down the middle, we know that some of the detail could be better and we are working on it. Things like pruning low branches on trees, edging cart paths, repairing of DG cart paths, pulling and/or treating weeds and many other detail items have had to take a back seat this spring. Why you ask? Long winter and short on staff. With the wet winter that lasted into April, we've had to focus our efforts on getting the greens, tees, fairways, roughs and yes, hazards back into shape. We've had to do so with just two additional seasonal workers when, in years past we would have had 5 to 7 seasonal workers at this point. The lack of applicants willing to come out and work has dwindled over the years. This season has been terrible even with a significant increase in pay being offered. The labor issue is real and is something affecting all clubs, not just Claremont. All this being said, our existing staff has worked well to make up the difference and I thank them greatly for their efforts!

Ballmarks
Unrepaired ballmarks on greens continues to be an issue. Truth is, the fact that their are more ballmarks is a good thing. More of you are hitting the greens it seems! Please remember to find and repair your ballmark. As the greens firm up, the chance that that your ball will land on the green and end up over is real. Don't forget to look for the mark and make the repair as it will help to provide an improved experience for other members and guests. It will also lighten the work load for greenkeepers allowing them to focus on other tasks.

Thanks so much for following the blog over years. We are over 70,000 page views as of last month! That's pretty cool. There is so much information shared in these blog pages, in the newsletter and on the website. Even so, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you have. We are always happy to help...


Enjoy your time on the course this summer!

Josh Clevenger, Golf Course Superintendent

First Rain in 6 Months

Well it's about time...Rain is finally back in Northern California and we couldn't be happier. It's been another great season with many successes, challenges and lots of good times. The rain forecast for today and continuing throughout the weekend will no doubt give the turf and the staff some much needed stress relief. The below picture was taken on September 23rd and it gives you a good idea of what things look like following four weeks without irrigation. As you may know, water was shut off on the 1st tee and beginning of the 1st fairway in early September to prepare for the construction of the new golf shop and cart barn. More on that later...

Currently we're prepping the course for our last big event of the season, the RIX Invitational. In the weeks following the RIX we will work to get the course ready for winter. No scheduled greens aeration this fall although we will verticut and give them a fairly heavy sand topdressing. Tees and approaches will be core aerated, seeded and sanded. Fairways will be slit-seeded and (weather dependent) aerated with a solid tine. Pretty minimal impact this fall.

Our seasonal staff of greenkeepers will head home for the winter on November 4th. During the winter months many of our full time staff take vacations and time away. There will be many days this winter that we are short staffed. This will impact what work we can and cannot complete each day. Please take this into consideration when playing the course this winter. Mowing and course set up routines will change to a winter schedule in early November. Bunkers will not be raked daily but on an as-needed basis. Around storms our focus will be the clean up and repair of the course. When caught up with mowing and clean up our focus will turn to the many projects on our to-do list. You will see quite a bit of work in bunkers this winter. We'll also be out mowing and seeding in various natural grass areas as well as taking on a few irrigation and drainage projects.  Always something to do!

 Thanks and we'll see you on the course.

I am a Greenkeeper

This video was made by one of our seasonal Greenkeepers and it's so cool I had to share here.
So much time, planning and effort goes into maintaining the golf course that it's really difficult to explain. This is a really neat look at just some of the things we are doing out there. Some great pics and video courtesy of Jose De La Rosa. This video is dedicated to the great staff of Greenkeepers at the Claremont Country Club and all great Greenkeepers around the world.

Thanks Jose for putting this together and thank you for your service to our country!

Josh Clevenger, Golf Course Superintendent

First Rain in 5 months!

He's baaackack...........

Yes, it's been some time since this blog was updated and I couldn't think of a better reason to do so... First rain of the Season! As I speak the creek is running, the rain gauge shows .5" with  more forecast to fall throughout the day. It's been a long year for all of us in the Turf Department and a good September rain gives us some hope that this season will be a wet one. Without a doubt, the best day of the year.

This rain will no doubt help some of the stressed areas on the course perk up as we enter our busy fall golf and tournament season. It will also get these greens growing nicely leading up to next weeks aeration helping to speed recovery.

Dave Procter - Lead Assistant Superintendent

I'd like to introduce Dave Procter as the newest addition to the management team in the Turf Department. Most of you know Dave by now. He's made his way to Claremont from across the pond in England with stops at Olympic Club and Ruby Hill along the way. Thanks to Dave, Assistant Superintendent Ismael Valadez,  Equipment Manager Mike Newbould and all the staff on the course for their efforts this year.

As we move forward the Turf Blog will evolve into just that, a true blog where we will update more frequently on a wide range of topics involving all things on the course and more. We will periodically send out an email to the members notifying of an update to the blog. With the addition of "On The Course" to the monthly newsletter, we are communicating to the entire membership with big picture stuff. Look for this page to include a wider array of topics... Stay tuned and check back often.

Thanks and we'll see you On The Course.

Josh Clevenger; Golf Course Superintendent

A Special Thanks

Sadly, it’s that time of year when we have to say goodbye to our seasonal employees.  These guys provide a great assistance to the rest of our staff, as many more projects and special details around the golf course are completed.  Each individual has very unique skill sets and certainly made a positive impact on the golf course.  Their “can do” attitude definitely resonates throughout the staff and supports a healthy working environment.

The seasonal staff did the majority of walk mowing, both greens and collars.  They also spent time in working the corridors of the property, with pruning of trees/ shrubs around the fence line.  Other tasks include, edging sprinklers, bunker detail, clean-up during aerification, flower bed maintenance, blowing fairways and rough, and hand watering of tees, approaches, and fairways. 

These guys will certainly be missed and we hope to see all of them again next year!  Thanks for the great work!

  

New Faces in the Turf Department

I am happy to welcome Corey Beelke to Claremont Country Club as our new Assistant Golf Course Superintendent.

Corey's previous position was at Bayonet & Blackhorse in Monterey where he was Assistant Superintendent and prior to that, Corey was in Oregon at Eugene Country Club. Corey brings with him over 8 years of well rounded golf maintenance experience and single digit handicap as well. Welcome to Claremont Corey!

The other new addition to the the Turf Department is of the 4 legged variety. Introducing (thanks kids) Buzz Lightyear:

Buzz is a 12 week old Black Lab/Border Collie mix and is our new mascot for the Turf Department. While he has much to learn and little golf course experience, he has shown great potential and one day will give MacKenzie a run for her money keeping the course free of geese. Let it rain and we'll see you on the course!

A Celebration of TEAM!

Monday we held the First Annual "Deep Tine" Open at Claremont CC. This tournament was put together by the Green Committee and meant to celebrate the efforts and accomplishments of the staff in the Turf Department.  A major thanks to Scott Stone for suggesting we hold the event and the idea for the name "Deep Tine Open". 



The staff prepared the golf course for themselves and their playing partners as if it were the biggest event of the year. A 10am back nine shotgun followed by a BBQ in the redwood grove made for a great day for those of us in the Turf Department and the members who joined us.

The winning foursome, with a score of 3 under par was : Don Dorward, Octavio Ramirez, Miguel Victor and Mike Newbould. Their names soon to be displayed on the prestigious trophy that will hang on the wall of the maintenance facility!
I must thank all of the members involved; Matt Heafey, Scott Stone, Rick Weible, Tim Carr, Ken Dorman, Ned Wood, Don Dorward, Hank Carlson, Bill Conn, Ken Meyersieck and Bill Caldwell. Also, a big thank you to all of the club staff involved; Eric Gregory, Jason Asbra, Juan Carlos, Chef Robert Gee and his staff, Rich Strauss, Jay McDaniel and Randy Gai. The help and support from all of you on this event meant so much to the staff in the turf department and without that support, this event does not happen.

I am very proud of the efforts made by the staff this year. For many, this was their first time on the golf course as players, not workers. The day was all about fun but at the same time, the staff got a taste of what it's like to see the course from the perspective of the golfer. We look forward to many years of the Deep Tine Open and many fond memories on the golf course. 

Josh Clevenger

Golf Course Superintendent

May Team Member Profile

Richie Pilat 

Maintenance Team Member Since 2003
Position: Greenkeeper
Duties: Equipment Operator
Family: Single, son Elvis
Interests: Biking, snowboarding and IPA

Richie spends most of his time here at Claremont mowing Tees & Approaches.  He is part of the weekend crew and helps with mowing and rolling of the greens and general set up of the golf course.  Richie's easy going attitude and good sense of humor keeps everyone in the turf department smiling.  Keep up the good work Richie!



April Team Member Profile

Jesus Frutos-Victor "Chewy"

Maintenance Team Member Since 2006

Position: Greenkeeper

Duties: Equipment Operator, General Labor and Detail work

Family: Single, 1 child

Interests: Long distance running, work

Chewy started here at Claremont as a seasonal staff member in 2006 and was promoted to the full time staff in 2009.  Over the last year Chewy has taken on many new job assignments with great enthusiasm helping the entire operation become more efficient and cohesive.  While being a quiet person, he always comes to work with a great attitude and leads by example with a tremendous work ethic.  Thanks to Chewy for a job well done!

March Team Member Profile

Juan Berrios

Maintenance Team Member Since 1993
Position: Greenkeeper
Duties: Section Detail
Family: Married, 3 children
Interests: Family, Golf, Raising Border Collies

Juan is a veteran team member who is responsible for section work on holes 14,15,16, and 17.  Section work consists of green & tee set up, all bunker maintenance, handwatering and general detail work within the section.  Juan is one of 5 section members we have here in the turf department and he continues to do great work.  Thanks to Juan!

February Team Member Profile

Elio Ledesma Jr.

Maintenance Team Member Since 1995

Position : Greenkeeper

Duties : Irrigation, Project Leader, Equipment Operator

Family : Married, 1 child

Interests : Family

Elio has worked at Claremont for 16 years and always has a smile on his face.  He is involved with many projects on the golf course and during the summer months his primary focus is irrigation.  Thanks to Elio for all his hard work and great attitude.