Earlier this month we took advantage of the above-average temperatures to perform a late-season deep-tine aerification and topdress of all 29 greens. We originally planned to complete this process in November, but the nice weather allowed for an extended golf season so we delayed as long as we could. In addition to aerifying greens this month, we completed the arduous task of leaf cleanup throughout the property and applied snow mold fungicides to prevent disease on all 53 acres of greens, tees, and fairways. With some extra time around the holidays, the staff started cutting back overgrown vegetation along pond banks on Lakes and Orchard. We plan to resume this work after the New Year along with starting tree removal in some key areas.
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| Greens were aerified with a 1/2" diameter solid tine 10" deep to relieve compaction and allow for better drainage of surface water during the winter. |
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| The aerifier was setup at 2" lateral x 3" forward spacing to maximize the number of holes while not causing damage to the putting surfaces. |
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| A heavy layer of sand was then applied to the greens following aerification which will be incorporated into the thatch layer over the winter. Topdressing sand is crucial to having firm greens that drain well. |
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| Standing behind the gold tee on Orchard #9 you can see how the overgrown vegetation along the pond prevented golfers from seeing the green and using the right half of the tee. |
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| Orchard #9 with the vegetation removed. It will be easier to maintain the pond edge now that the woody brush and thick weeds are gone. |
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| Here's a similar scenario on Lakes #6 where the overgrown vegetation along the pond prevented golfers from using all the available tee surface. |
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| A significant amount of vegetation had to be removed on Lakes #6. |
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| Golfers now have an unobstructed view of Lakes #6. |