Course Update 3/28/19

We had another productive week thanks to a little help from Mother Nature.  So far this month we've received 1.39" of rain compared to our average of 3.07".  The forecast calls for decent chances of rain tomorrow and this weekend, but maybe we'll end the month with a deficit.  The lack of rain has been a welcomed change for maintenance activities, and this week we were able to mow greens again, as well as collars, approaches, and fairways.  The turf is healthy and looks great with a fresh cut.  We're planning to mow tees tomorrow, but that's dependent on what the weather does tonight.  Course cleanup is nearing completion, bunkers are being repaired, and the driving range tees were core aerified and overseeded ahead of tonight's rain.  Stump grinding and cleanup also continues on Lakes #4.  The contractor is working near the rain shelter then will move behind the green.  He anticipates another day or two in order to finish. 

Collars and approaches being mowed for the first time this year.

First cut of fairways, too.

Core aerifying the driving range tees.  When finished, we spread seed over the plugs then drag the material to loosen the sand and soil from the turf.  Dragging also helps incorporate the seed into the tee and achieve proper soil/seed contact for optimum growth.  Sand topdressing will then be applied to dry out and level the hitting surface.

Course Update 3/21/19

It's been another busy and productive week for the maintenance operation.  Seasonal staff have started to return and they've been performing winter cleanup of the golf courses and grounds.  Greens were double rolled yesterday to smooth out frost heaves and other imperfections in the surface, then mowed today.  They look great and have more color now that the old leaf tissue has been removed.  We anticipate mowing approaches, fairways, and tees next week, but that's all weather dependent.

In addition to the turf maintenance activities, a few of the staff continued with tree work, a contractor started grinding stumps on Lakes #4, and a tree company felled the large Oak near the gold and blue tees on Lakes #9.

Rolling greens is always the first thing we do in the spring.  It smoothes the surface prior to mowing, which minimizes the chance of scalping the sensitive turf.  The color variation is normal for us this time of year due to our mixture of grasses.

Stump grinding has begun on Lakes #4.  It will take several days to complete all the stumps on this hole.

The staff is removing the dead/undesirable trees to the right of Lakes #7 fairway.  This ties in with the work we did to the left of Lakes #8 tees.

Here's the finished product on Lakes #7.

It's been two years trying to remove this enormous Oak tree on Lakes #9 near the gold and blue tees, but never found the ideal time.  Well, this year we hired a professional tree company and got it done!

The lead cutter for the tree company is cutting a notch to determine the direction of fall.  Just above his head is a heavy duty chain that is tightly wrapped around the the trunk to keep the tree from splitting while cutting.  Large logs were placed on both sides of the cart path to support the heavy trunk and keep it from damaging the path. 

This is the stump with a rotted, hollow center just as we expected.  The hand-held radio is 10" long so you get an idea of how big the tree was.

These are the anchor roots for the tree on the slope of the blue tee near the cart path which made it impossible to keep grass alive.

The roots were also starting to heave and crack the cart path.

Only one log from the main trunk could be hauled in our trailer at a time.  It measured 40" in diameter.

This is the current view from behind the gold tee on Lakes #9.

Course Update 3/14/19

Tree work is wrapping up for the winter and we're very pleased with the progress made.  Many of our "problem" areas have been addressed and you'll see a noticeable improvement once the areas recover.  This past week we worked on several holes, finishing projects started earlier this year and even a couple from last year.

Two large Oaks were removed on the left side of Lakes #4 that were blocking the left side of the fairway from the tees.

Here's a current view of Lakes #4 with the trees removed to the right of the cart path and the two Oaks mentioned above.

Here the staff is removing brush and trees on the left side of Lakes #5 at the beginning of the fairway.  The vegetation had become so overgrown that it was blocking a view of the left rough and fairway bunker from the tees. 

Here's a current view of Lakes #5 from the tees.  Eventually all the vegetation down the left side of the hole will need to be thinned out but this is a good start.

We removed two more trees on Lakes #3 to the left of the cart path after it was determined they were in severe decline and posed a safety risk.  This was the largest of the two trees that suffered major damage early in its life and created a huge cavity in most of the trunk.

Here's a view of that same trunk showing the extent of the damage.  The can of spray paint resting on the log is 12" high and provides a good reference about the size of the tree.

This is one of the main leaders about 40' up that broke off when the tree hit the ground.  The items resting on the trunk are old honeycombs from a bees nest that were inside the tree.

Here's a shot from the gold tee on Lakes #3.  Last year we removed a considerable amount of brush and saplings that were blocking the view of the fairway.  More vegetation started to encroach over the summer so we spent another day clearing out the new growth and opening the right side more.

Two large Poplars were removed to the left of Lakes #1 green that were in poor health and blocked most of the morning sun from hitting the left side of the green and walk-on area.  

I've always liked this view of Lakes #1 and you can see the turf is starting to green up.  It won't be long before the sound of chainsaws are replaced by mowers!

Course Update 3/7/19

I can't believe it's March already!  Tree sap is starting to flow and the leaf buds on maple trees are swelling and turning red.  This week saw another blast of winter but spring is not far away.  The cold temps provided ideal conditions for another productive week of tree work in several areas.

We removed the final two trunks from this Oak on the hill to the right of Lakes #7 green.  The tree has been in decline for many years and there was a significant amount of dead wood in the canopy that posed a hazard to everyone passing by.  The stump is nearly 50" in diameter and will have to be cut into several pieces in order to remove it.

Here's a view of the area surrounding the stump.  There is more bare soil than turf, but that will change now that the tree is gone.

We spent a few more days working to the right of the tees on Lakes #9.  Frozen ground makes it easier for the equipment to work on the slopes and causes less damage to the turf.

Here's a view of Lakes #9 from the blue tee.  The right side has been opened up considerably, but there are a few more trees that need to come out.

We took a break from the golf course one morning to clean up storm damage and dead trees where the club's property borders the Courtyards at Appleridge.  This was a large Sumac that had split and was leaning towards a neighbor's deck and several utility boxes.

This Cherry tree had lost several large limbs and we could tell it was hollow.  The trunk was filled with ants that were feasting on the rotten heartwood and the tree unexpectedly split while we were cutting.  Luckily no one was injured.