Happy Father's Day Dad!



Happy Father's Day Pop and Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there. My Dad introduced me to the game of golf. He got me me up early in the morning to get in 9 before school. He taught me to leave the course better than I found it and sent me to the car when I got out of line. My Dad is the one person I have to thank for the very rewarding career that I've now gotten myself into. Without his introduction and my resulting love for the game, who knows what I'd be up too!  Father's Day Sunday is indeed a great day. For more reason than one.

Father's Day means US Open Sunday. This year the toughest test in golf lands at Merion Golf Club. A classic gem at less than 115 acres with wild fescue grass areas, roughed-up bunkers and quarry holes. Sound familiar?











As I look across the course at Claremont, I see many similarities to the look found at Merion. The bunkers are wild with minimally maintained fescue grass edges on both properties. Claremont is a charming 18 hole classic laid out on under 100 acres while Merion is a brute set on a small property as well. Both courses ooze character with the select placement of fescue native areas mingling in between lush green fairways and greens. Both very cool tracks with a rich history in the game.



 While the look is similar, it's not the same and for the most part this is due to climate. The fescue at Merion is long, lush and green right now thanks to the climate of the northeast that brings regular rainfall during the season. With the dry season that we experience each year in California, our fescue and native grasses take on a golden hue that resembles the native grass hillsides found throughout the state. Maintaining these areas to look natural and to be acceptable for playing the game of golf is truly an art form. Ask some of the pro's this week how they feel about the playability of Merion for the Open!

  

A big congratulations goes out to Superintendent Matt Shaffer and all of the staff and volunteers at Merion this year. They received over 7 inches of rain in the days leading up to the event and the course is looking flawless. Nothing short of amazing!

Here's to a great US Open...

Here's to great classic golf architecture...

Here's to a great Father's Day!



It's That Time Again!

Boy does time fly when you're having fun... Seems like not to long ago, we were getting ready for the winter that never really happened and then, all of a sudden, it's Invitational Time!

Over the last few weeks all of the staff in the Turf Department have been busy catching up on the many details around the course that we seem to fall behind on over the winter. Due to the dry beginning of 2013, the course has been so busy with member play and outside events that our focus has been on mowing and daily preparation. Thanks to the staff's hard work, we are now caught up and the focus this week will be on the mowing and general clean up of the course in preparation for our biggest event of the year.

The forecast this weekend is for hot weather (for Oakland) and we will have no problem getting the course to play firm and fast. Thanks to Mother Nature, the course is looking and playing different than in years past. To give you an idea as to why, in 2012 between January and June, our rain totals were 12.75". This year, in the same time period we've received just over 3" and no rain what so ever in the last 2 months! The farmer in me says it's gonna be a long season....

All things considered, the course is looking and playing very well and we are looking forward to a fantastic Men's Invitational! Thanks and we'll see you on the course.

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.