Another One in The Books!

Well, the time of year we have all come to know and love has now come and gone... Aeration!

Over the last two and a half weeks, virtually all of the turf on the course has been aerated and seeded. The process is a long and messy one wearing on the staff, the equipment and the golfing membership. The process is also a vital one, insuring a healthy and resilient turf as we head into the long marathon that is the growing season. See the cores in the picture above? The dark rings in each core are layers of thatch that result in poor water infiltration and localized dry spots in the summer months. Gotta get in and mix those layers up! See below on the many benefits of the aeration.

We were blessed with great weather throughout the aeration and this has lead to a speedy recovery. The picture below shows the 5th green just nine days following the aeration. The greens have healed nicely and we are now working on getting back the speed and smoothness that we have all come to expect. Greens will be verticut and sanded on Monday the 25th to insure this.

The coming weeks will be very busy for all in the turf department. The to-do list seems to continually expand and our focus for the remainder of March and into April will turn to raising sprinklers around greens and fairways, refreshing all bunkers with new sand, trimming all native grass hillsides, and the clean up and detail of the perimeters of the property. All of this while we train a new seasonal staff of seven and prepare the course each day for member play.

 We look forward to a great golfing season all the while knowing it may be a tough one. The average rainfall for January thru March is over 10 inches. To date, we are at 1.78 inches and hoping for more! This has a major affect on the soils we work with and remember, when it comes down to it, it's all about the soils.

 

Keep an eye on the blog for the down low on many of our practices on the course and as always, suggestions on content are welcome and wanted. Thanks and we'll see you on the course!

Spring Aeration Schedule

This coming Monday all systems are a go for our spring aeration. The weather forecast is for clear skies and temperatures in the high 60's making for near perfect aeration conditions. See the schedule below:

Monday 3/11 - Front 9 Greens Aeration & Sanding

Tuesday 3/12 - Back 9 Greens Aeration & Sanding (Back 9 CLOSED for the day)

Wednesday 3/13 to Friday 3/15 - Tee & Approach Aeration & Sanding

Monday 3/18 to Wednesday 3/27 - Fairway Aeration

There are many factors that play into a successful aeration. Equipment malfunctions and breakdowns, rain and/or cold weather, tournaments and large amounts of play can all effect the timing and efficiency of the operation. Check back here on the blog over the next few weeks for updates on the progress of the aeration.

Why must we punch holes and bury the greens in sand you may ask? Click on the link below for a short video courtesy of the USGA on the how's and why's of a green aeration. Thanks and we'll see you on the course!

http://www.usga.org/turf/articles/video/aerate_greens.html

Drainage Repair

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

Yep, that there is a low drainage catch basin, the result of a very successful fairway topdressing program. Over the years, so much sand has been applied to the fairways that now we are going through and raising things like sprinklers, valve boxes and now catch basins. On Monday the staff dug up and repaired all three of the low catch basins on the 4th fairway.

Note the tree roots in the picture above and keep in mind that this drain is 30 yards from the nearest tree!

Once the drain is exposed, the old box is removed. A new connection is made at the 6" drain pipe and the hole is filled with a sand/soil mixture that will allow for the immediate area to drain better.

The area is then compacted and prepared for sod.

The finished result is a level area surrounding the catch basin. Not only do the catch basins look better but they will no longer be hard on our equipment each time we mow. Look for a more expansive drainage project this fall on the 4th fairway. Thanks and we'll see you on the course!

First tee irrigation project

Last week the crew worked hard to install new irrigation heads around #1 tee.  This area is notorious for being very dry during the summer months and requires daily hand watering.  By installing an additional 8 irrigation heads, the slope heading up to the putting green, as well as the turf surrounding the oak tree will now be sufficiently watered. 

The pictures below help describe the process.



Once the spacing of the irrigation heads had been determined,
the crew began by removing the sod and laying plywood before trenching.

 

With the plywood in place, we trenched all the lines in order to install our 1 1/2" pvc pipe. 



Buzz inspecting the project.



 

With the trench cleaned and measured for a depth of 18", the crew began the process
 of installing the irrigation pipe.  (Notice the huge rock on the bottom left of the picture. 
The crew ran into several big rocks throughout this process
which certainly slowed down this project.)




With the pvc pipe in the ground, the crew started the process of replacing the soil
that had been removed during trenching. 




Carlos carefully replacing the sod.



View from the sidewalk heading down to the golf shop.













Frost This Morning

Attention all winter golfers.... Its COLD OUT THERE!! Expect a frost delay today and tomorrow. We hope to have the first tee open by 9am.

Below, courtesy of the USGA, see a brief description of the how's and why's of the frost delay.

Frost Delays

Posted: 12/27/2012

By Ty McClellan, Manager, Green Section Education

I am an early morning golfer and have never fully understood the justification for frost delays?

Frost is essentially frozen dew. Ice crystals visible on the outside of the plant can also form on the inside of grass blades. The grass plant, normally resilient to footsteps or cart traffic, becomes brittle and fragile when ice crystals form. Under the pressure of traffic, ice crystals puncture living plant tissues and rupture plant cells. Damage will not appear right away, but it will show up in footsteps and tire tracks the following days as the plant is unable to repair itself and begins to die. Frost damage can occur on any turfgrass mowed at any height, but it is amplified when the plant is mowed low, as on a putting green.

Keep in mind, a foursome typically takes several hundred footsteps on each green, so even allowing just a few groups to play when frost is present can be very damaging to the greens, and the rest of the golf course for that matter. It is not completely understood when frost will cause damage, so the decision to keep traffic off the golf course must be made conservatively to protect the condition of the course. For this reason, golf facilities are wise to delay starting times in the morning until frost has completely melted.

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!