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.

What's going on out there?

Here is a quick update on what's been going on out there over the last few weeks...

Tree Roots vs. Grass Roots - It's a competition thing
We've begun work on addressing some of the turf areas impacted by tree roots and/or cart traffic. The roots from this massive Redwood tree extend deep and wide throughout the soil competing with shallow turf roots for water and nutrients. Add to this the stress of high cart traffic and the turf has no chance to survive. The root pruner was out and about on the course last week cutting surface roots that impact greens, tees, fairways and roughs. This helps us to get a leg up with our root competition and that's about it. Soon the roots will regenerate and the battle will resume right where it left off.

High traffic areas prepped for sod

When the course was built, golf carts were not even a consideration. The property is tight and traffic is condensed in many areas. These "high traffic" areas have become an eyesore to the point that we are now stripping old material and re-sodding them. Once established, a program of solid tine aeration, extra seeding and extra fertility will help to keep these areas in better shape. Sod used here is a blend of Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass that will better withstand the pressure of all the wear and tear. To some degree, I still expect this sodding process to take place annually especially at cart path entry and exit points.
Fairway Bunker on 6

This fairway bunker has been a problem for years now. Every time it rains, surface water rushes into the bunker and washes out the sand. With all the rains this season, we have a significant amount of water moving though the soils. The soils in the base of this bunker are extremely heavy clay in that when saturated it can take weeks to dry out. What has resulted is what I call the "waterbed effect" with soil saturated to the point that the bunker floor is unstable and unplayable. After moving sand around the soupy mess in the picture below made it's way up to the surface. Over the next few days we will work to repair the bottom floor of the bunker, add drainage, replace sand and restore the bunker to original specifications. Thanks to all for putting up with these much needed maintenance practices and we'll see you on the course.

Trees and Turf

Please take a look at the video from the USGA. We are working on the course in and around trees right now root pruning, removing surface roots and thinning canopies. This will help us out down the road when we get into the stresses of summer. Good sunlight and air circulation = Good Turf!

Josh Clevenger; Golf Course Superintendent