Spring is here... No Really. It's Spring now.

The first day of spring was Monday the 20th. Yesterday. After two full weeks of dry and warm weather it decided to start raining yesterday. It rained over an inch in 24 hours. Mother Nature must've known we had aeration on the calendar, yesterday. It's all good, par for the course if you will. We'll look to next Monday to begin spring aeration. But I'm not putting it on my calendar.

After a long winter season of rain, storm clean up and projects, it's time for us to get out there and perform the very important cultural practice of aeration. Over the next few weeks we will poke millions of holes on the golf course and make large applications of seed, sand and organic fertilizers. We do not perform these tasks because its fun but because the results of the next few weeks will set us up for another great year on the golf course. We are fortunate to have the support of the membership in blocking four weeks each spring for weather dependent aeration. This is so important and we thank you for this support.

Please check out the attached video from the USGA on why we aerate:

Josh Clevenger, Golf Course Superintendent

A Dry Forecast

It sure is nice to have clear skies this morning. Rain total for the last six days is just over 4 inches. Since January 1, we've received 11.5 inches. As you can imagine, the course is saturated and messy and winter conditions exist. The forecast however has turned to cold and DRY. Today we are out mowing greens and raking bunkers. Over the next few days we will continue to clean in-play areas with a plan to mow tees, approaches and fairways toward the end of the week. We have continued work on drainage and bunkers over the last few weeks. We began hard edging bunkers on 18 last week and work there will continue this week. Lot's more sand there for sure!

Carts will not be available today. We will evaluate course conditions on a daily basis and will allow carts on the front 9 as soon as possible. Thanks and we'll see you on the course.

A Wet Start to Winter

Mother Nature delivered a wet blow to the region dumping over 10 inches of rain since winter began just a month ago. Rain totals for the season are over 20 inches (since October 2016) and the drought has been declared over in the Bay Area. If you've been out on the golf course in the last few weeks, you may have been able to come to that conclusion yourself!

All things considered the course handled the storms well. Sure the bunkers were blown out and large amounts of debris were scattered about but, all in all, no big deal. No trees down, no major issues. Once the storms let up we were out cleaning the course and making repairs to bunkers and surprisingly, the course remained quite playable throughout.

Golf Carts have been restricted for many days this winter. We simply cannot allow carts on to the course when it's this wet. Over the holiday weekend, we went five days without rain and by the 5th day, we were able to lift cart restrictions. Pretty amazing that after all that rain it took just five days to dry out enough to safely allow golf carts. Then, it rained again...
We did get out to mow the entire course yesterday. Numerous wet areas were skipped but, for the most part, we mowed the entire course for the first time in weeks. Again, pretty amazing considering just a few years ago, the course would have been closed for weeks following a similar winter pattern. This says a lot about the commitment the Club and the Membership has made to supporting the golf course over the years. Cultural practices like aeration and sand topdressing are disruptive during the process but pay off greatly in over-all course conditions year around. A big Thank You goes out to the Membership for their support of the Turf Department! Now lets get to Tahoe. I hear the snow is amazing!!

Frost Delay Today

For the first time this season temperatures have dropped low enough to produce frost. The forecast for the next few days is similar with temps expected to reach into the low 30's. Please be patient if you are planning to tee it up this weekend and know that we will allow play to begin when we feel comfortable that there will be no damage to the course. 

The USGA video below explains some of the specifics behind the frost delay:

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.

The Sandman Cometh

The sandman was back to apply 600 tons of sand to the fairways on Monday. A total of 1200 tons have been applied this season (40 tons per acre). This total is half of what was applied for many years. The years of heavy sand applications resulted in a sand base on fairways of 6 to 8". The fairways were essentially "sand capped" over the course of 15 years and now we have adjusted the program to maintain that sand base. Resulting conditions have improved year around. I hear stories from many long time members about losing shoes in the fairways back in the day. No longer the case! In season, we are able to provide firm and fast conditions in fairways thanks to the sand base. It doesn't take much to dry things out here and when playing firm the character of the course is accentuated big time.

We've reached the mid point of the season and so far so good. About this time each year, I find myself looking through files of pictures titled "winter" or "rain" more and more often. It's been almost 4 months since we've had any precipitation. Rainbows and water falling from the sky would be a welcome sight but in all reality, we've got a long way to go. Football season is just a few weeks away though...

Winter / Spring Course Update

After a month or so of dry and spring like weather, winter returned to the Bay Area last week bringing 6+ inches of much needed rain. Due to the wet conditions we had to postpone Spring Aeration that was originally scheduled for this week. New dates for greens aeration are March 21 & 22. These dates are weather dependent as well and if we receive any precipitation at all we will not go forward on greens.

With rain falling for 8 of 10 days and totaling over 6 inches, we have had to restrict carts to the path only on many days. Remember that this is done for your safety and for the safety of the golf course as well. Please follow the cart directions as given by the staff in the Golf Shop and know that we will allow carts on the the course as soon as possible.


Thanks and we'll see you On The Course!


Josh Clevenger; Golf Course Superintendent

Winter Conditions - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It's 2016 and the first blog of the year so... Happy New Year! I know it's a bit late but we've had our hands full both on and off the golf course. I wanted to update everyone on the winter conditions that exist currently. With that comes the good, the bad and the ugly...

The Good: A total of 14.8 inches of rain has fallen so far this season. Our irrigation pond is full and spilling over recharging nicely with fresh rain water. The course has received a much needed flush of good water as well as a much needed break from constant golfer and mower traffic that's become the norm over the last four years of drought. New grass is growing and areas of stressed turf are regenerating as well. The staff has been able to take some much needed days away to rest and spend time with family. Golf course and employees, take a deep breath.

The Bad: The course is wet and has been unplayable at times. On some days following rain events, golf carts have been restricted to paths only and at times not allowed at all. The decision to restrict carts in never easy and is made for safety purposes as well as to protect the course from damage. Rutting and compaction occurs when wet and saturated soils are driven on by carts and equipment. The result is damage that can take months to recover and will set us back come spring time. Our push up style greens do not drain as well as newly constructed greens and we must limit traffic from mowers when wet conditions exist. The result is green speeds slower and bumpier than usual. Following significant rain events like we've had this season, conditions for golf can be below what has become expected in winter. Remember, it used to be like this every year.

The Ugly:




















The pictures here speak for themselves. Bunkers have been washed out and contaminated with soil on many occasions this season. This requires many hours of labor to repair. It is important that once the rain lets up, we get out to at least remove contamination and repair washouts prior to the next rain. Whether we rake bunkers or not following this process depends on the forecast and when we are likely to see the next rainfall.


Once soils reach saturation, there is no where for water to go. During heavy downpours it's common to see standing water on much of the course. It can be days before we are able to mow following such events as the course must be cleaned of debris as well as firm enough prior to mowing. The fairway sanding program and some drainage work in areas around the course have improved overall winter conditions greatly but in times of extended rainfall, the play ability of the course will lessen. So should our expectations.

The last four years of drought have helped us to forget just how wet the golf course can get during a normal winter. The ability to play virtually 365 days a year with good to great conditions has made for long periods of uninterrupted play. Very cool from the golfer perspective. Not that cool from the course's perspective. Really, the course hasn't had a break in years and is thankful to get one so far this season.

So, I say here's to El Nino bringing another 14 inches of rain to finish off the season nicely. Enjoy this winter as we are on track for normal rainfall and that's a good thing. We sure do need it...

Now lets go to Tahoe!

Still Thankful

Just a day after Thanksgiving we are reminded that the golf course does not take days off.

Grass still grows on a holiday, leaves fall on a holiday and yes, pipes can break on a holiday. The picture here is not a new water feature at 14 green but a busted valve late on the Friday after Thanksgiving. At least it didn't happen on Thursday afternoon. Just a part of the job and yes, we're still Thankful!

It got pretty cold here this week with a few frost delays. Please check in with the golf shop if you have an early tee time and cold weather is expected. While we can live with a little frost in the rough, we will hold players from going out when the tees and greens have frost. Thank you for your patience during these times and please know we are doing what is best for your golf course.


Thanks and we'll see you on the course!

Winter Storms Continue

Winter has started off with a bang this year, literally.

On Tuesday morning one of the old Cypress trees behind the 1st green came down.

The ground has become so saturated with all of the recent rains that the old tree gave way. When it did, it fell on the back of the green causing significant damage.

There will be a temp green in play on the first hole until further notice as the tree crew finishes their work and we begin to repair the green.

Two of the large limbs punctured the green over 5 feet deep!

Rain totals for the season are just over 15" with over 11" falling in December alone. We are out mowing greens and tees today for the first time in a week. Bunkers are being repaired for the third time this week. It will may be quite sometime until we can get out and mow fairways or roughs without causing any damage to the turf.

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

Changes

It's been quite some time since I've updated the blog as Spring has sprung and we've had our hands full on the course. If there is one thing that stays the same, it's change. This saying goes especially well for those of us who've chosen the career of managing golf courses. Here goes for the update on what's been going on and the many changes that have kept us on our toes over the last month or so...

NEW FACES

In March we welcomed new Assistant Superintendent Ismael Valadez to the Turf Department. Ismael comes to Claremont by way of Monterey where he spent 13 years working at Tehama Golf Club. His knowledge and work ethic have already made an impact with the crew and on the course. Welcome aboard Ismael!





First Assistant Superintendent Corey Beelke has moved on to a new position in Bend, Oregon. For sure a tough time of year to loose such dedicated employee and a great friend. Corey was with us for over two years and will be missed. Currently, we are searching for his replacement and we wish him the best in his new role at Broken Top Golf Club.

NEW LOOK

One of the changes I've been looking to make for some time now was in the accessories marking on the golf course. The old look, with the white, metal cart directional signs, green plastic rope stakes and standard yellow rope was kind of tired to say the least. Well, this is what we came up with.

These wooden directional markers can be found at the end of each fairway approaching the green and mark the cart boundary. Once you reach these markers, please follow left or right to the nearest cart path. These markers will be moved daily and help to redistribute wear and tear on the course.

Buzz is checking out the new look rope and stakes. Or, maybe just a squirrel in the distance. Either way, the new accessories are much more appealing to the eye and fit with the natural look we are going for. The staff in the Turf Department has been hard at work rummaging through our dump pile looking for just the right branches to cut and shape for use on the course.

COURSE AERATION

As seen in the newsletter and in many a blog post, we like to aerate the golf course! Well, it might be better said that we like to do whats right for overall health of the turf so that it can withstand the punishment that we in the Turf Department put it through in preparation for daily grind of the golfing season. The actual process of aerating the course is a lot of hard work, long hours and puts stress on the turf and staff alike.

We have made some significant changes to the fairways by being aggressive with the aeration over the last few years. The picture here is from 2012 and you can see the layers of thatch in between the sandy soil in each of the cores pulled.

This picture shows a dramatic reduction of layering in the plugs from the fairways that were aerated a few weeks ago. Really cool to see these kind of changes in the soil and to know what we are doing is paying off. Less layering means better rooting, less localized dry spot and over all improved fairway playing conditions.

LATE SEASON RAINFALL!

We have finally received some much needed rainfall and the timing was just about ideal. In the six week period form late February to early April, over 6 inches of rain has fallen on the course with the majority coming on the tail end of the spring aeration. The staff has had their hands full during this stretch of time and my hat is off to them for a job well done! The Quarry pond is now at full capacity and we will have more than enough water to irrigate the course for the season.

The Turf Department is looking forward to a great season. Thanks and we'll see you on the course!

Thank You... It's About Time!

What a difference a week makes. The storm door has officially opened and the last ten days has brought the East Bay hills just over 4 inches of much needed rain. The picture above was taken this morning and as I write, the rain continues to fall.

The creek is running hard and our irrigation pond has come up significantly in the last 48 hours.


























This series of storms is the first since November 2012 to produce any significant rainfall and has everyone in the Turf Department breathing a deep sigh of relief. As with all heavy rains, there will be much clean up and detail work in the coming days and weeks and that's just fine. We'll take it

Just a few more pictures of the golf course this morning... I must say that the smile on my face coming into work this morning was ear to ear!

Even Buzz joined in the fun by chasing some geese and playing in the creek! Really a great day to be on the course...

Nice of winter to show up albeit a few months late. The recent storms will help fill up ponds and reservoirs around California but is really just a drop in the bucket. Thank You Mother Nature... It's About Time and Keep It Coming!

Cold Snap

The Frost Delay... Not exactly the favorite of situations for golfers or the maintenance staff. The last nine days of cold weather continues to be, well I'll just say, frustrating. The average low temperature for this period has been 32 degrees and with the average high just over 50 degrees, we are all more than ready for the forecast of warmer weather this weekend.

Here are a few pictures of frost and the damage to turf that can be associated with golfing when it's just to darn cold...

Cart tracks across the first fairway. Must have been to cold to drive there!

Foot prints from one foursome playing a green. If allowed to play during a period of frost / freeze, these foot prints could turn yellow to black to dead depending on the severity of damage.







Take a look at the USGA video on frost delays:

Thanks for your patience and understanding over the last 10 days. Soon temps will warm and we will get some rain... I hope!

A Good Start

The last few weeks have brought quite a change on the golf course. The completion of the fairway and tee aeration and sanding followed by rain, wind and abnormally warm temps have kept the staff in the Turf Department busy to say the least. See below for a picture tour of the last few weeks.

Fairway sanding on Hole #2

Hydro seeded fescue on bunkers Hole #18. Many Fescue areas around bunkers and in out-of-play areas were hydro seeded in the last few weeks. These areas have begun to germinate with the recent rain and will establish over the winter.

Buzz relaxing on a dormant section of Bermuda grass. The Bermuda has begun to go dormant throughout the course and has contributed greatly to the "off-color" look of the course. This is normal for this time of year.

The creek flowing nicely following a much needed 1.4 inches of rain. The course took the first good rains of the season nicely and the staff was out mowing all greens, tees and fairways the day after.

The putting green passed it's first winter test with flying colors. While there was a bit of standing water on the surface (as there was on many greens throughout the course) during the downpour, once the rains let up, the water dissipated rapidly and we were out mowing the next morning. The green continues to be firm under foot and is draining nicely.

We lost a few trees this week. Following the soaking rains Tuesday and Wednesday the Cork Oak at the clubhouse came down.

The strong winds that blew in Thursday night brought down an Acacia tree along the fence line at Hole #16. We were luck to have no damage to the fencing or netting along 16.

The wind storm that blew through had sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts over 40 mph. This resulted in a golf course littered with leaf debris and small limbs down throughout. The staff worked hard Friday just to clear greens, tees and Fairways and by Sunday, we were still finishing the clean up and raking of all bunkers.

Over the next week, we will attempt to resume normal mowing of the course but will also focus on the continuing clean up of all rough and out-of-play areas. The amount of debris that came out of these trees was amazing and will take weeks to finish the clean up.

A wild few weeks for sure... no down time for staff in the Turf Department! If you are out this week, please take a minute to stop and thank the someone working on the course as they've all had a long year.

Thanks and we'll see you on the course!