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.

Course Update 2/28/19

Work continues along the tees on Lakes #8 with 45 trees removed so far.  I anticipate another day or two and we should have this area wrapped up.  It appears the ground may freeze next week from another cold spell, which would allow us to address a few other areas this year.  Despite a few chilly mornings, the dry, sunny weather has been a welcomed break to all the rain!

When leafed out, the large Oak tree to the right of the excavator completely shaded the front corner of the blue tee and was the main culprit for the turf loss.

We're already experiencing a lot more sunlight and air movement on the blue and gold tees with fewer trees.

This view gives you an idea of how much we've cleared along the cart path.

Course Update 2/21/19

We took advantage of frozen ground earlier this week and continued clearing brush and unwanted trees along the right side of Lakes #9 near the green.  We started clearing the right side of the green last year, but ran out of time and weren't able to finish.  This week we picked up where we left off and worked our way back to approximately 100 yards out from the green.  There was a significant amount of honeysuckle, jaggers, sumac and black cherries that were blocking the entire right half of the green no matter where you were in the fairway.  We pruned up and left a couple large oaks and numerous silver poplars to provide a visual indicator regarding the edge of the hazard.  We should be able to finish the area tomorrow by hauling off some logs and doing one last cleanup of the rough.

The right rough near Lakes #9 green always suffered due to the amount of shade and tree roots taking up all the water and nutrients.

This is the right side of #9 fairway looking back towards the tees.  You get an idea of how dense the vegetation was.  Most of the trees are still there but pruned up.

The right side of #9 green has been cleared except for a large maple to the right of the bunker in this picture.  The tree had a considerable amount of dead wood and major structural damage, which made it an easy decision to remove.

Here's the trunk from that maple tree after we got it on the ground.  We could tell it was hollow by how easily the saw cut through the wood while making a notch.

Here's the stump from that same maple tree.  There isn't much good wood supporting a 30" diameter tree so it was the right call to remove it.

Expanded view of the green from the 150 post in the fairway.

Course Update 2/14/19

We lost a couple days to rain, but still making progress around the tees on Lakes #8.  28 trees have been removed so far and I'd estimate we're halfway done.  Similar to other areas, we're finding most of the trees are in decline with varying amounts of trunk damage and wood rot.

I'm very fortunate to have a dedicated, hard-working staff that enjoys being outside no matter the weather.

This type of work would not be possible without an excavator with hydraulic thumb.  We rent the machine for 3 months at a cost of $3,000 per month.

The large oak in the center of the picture blocks most of the morning sun on the gold tee and was too close to the tee for pruning to be effective.

Here's what it looks like now with the oak removed.  A few more trees need to come out to allow for full sunlight.

Here's one of the stumps showing a significant amount of wood rot/decay.  This limits the trees ability to circulate nutrients up and down, and causes the trunk to become weak and less able to support the full weight of the tree.

Course Update 2/7/19

Mother Nature has not made it easy on us the past week with the abnormally warm temps and rain.  The soft, muddy conditions forced us to alter our plans and work in some areas less susceptible to damage from the equipment.  We started the week removing brush and dead trees behind Lakes #2 green, working our way towards #9 then up along the tees.  Following #9 we cleared out the marsh area to the left of #8 approach in front of the green.  Once finished there, we moved to #8 tees and continued removing trees near the water cooler by the silver tee.  We'll be working along the tees on #8 for at least a week given the number of trees that need to come out to allow for sufficient sunlight.  The work area on #8 is less prone to damaging surrounding turf because the cart path is so close to the tree line and there's enough room for the excavator to maneuver in the woods.

While working on Lakes #2 we cleaned up the brush and jaggers along the stream bank adjacent to green

Brush and jaggers removed along the right side of the white and silver tees on #9.  This is looking back towards the blue tee from the silver tee

Lakes #9 from the gold tee.  We can start removing trees down the right side now that the brush is gone and the goal is to see most of the fairway bunkers on the right side.  They are visible now since the trees don't have leaves and it's easy to tell which trees need to come out

We also cleaned up around the bridge on #9 because the brush and vines were taking over the left side

We spent one day in the marsh left of #8 approach removing brush, sumac and willow trees prior to the ground thawing

With the marsh cleared on the left of #8 you can now see the entire green and all the bunkers from the fairway

Tree removal underway near the silver tee on #8.  We'll be working our way along the tees on #8 finishing behind the gold tee