Course Update 4/25/19

We resumed mowing greens on Lakes and Orchard less than a week after DryJecting and the injection holes are barely visible.  Another few days (hopefully we see the sun again) and the greens should be fully healed.  Grove greens were DryJected on Monday and our plan is to mow them this weekend.  We'll also start lowering the height of cut which will speed up the greens and improve ball roll.

Fairway core aerification was postponed once again due to the weather, and next week's forecast doesn't look good with a chance of rain every day.  In preparation for aerifying fairways, we began topdressing this week using the large pile of sand in the back parking lot.  We purchased 480 tons last fall and our goal was to topdress all the fairways prior to winter.  That didn't happen with the record setting rainfall, so we're spreading it now.  We maintain 40 acres of fairway so the 480 tons works out to 12 tons of sand per acre, per application.  Our goal of topdressing twice per year will result in 24 tons of sand per acre, and when combined with core aerification the two processes will dilute and reduce the thatch that causes the fairways to be soft and spongy.

We began overseeding thin turf areas in the rough on Lakes this week.  We're using Turf-Type Tall Fescue seed that is less susceptible to the Gray Leaf Spot fungus.

The overseeder cuts a thin groove in the soil then drops seed into the groove.  It will take 7-10 days for the seed to germinate.

Topdressing sand on Orchard #1 fairway.

Fairway topdressing in action.

Course Update 4/18/19

Aerification season is underway and we started DryJecting greens this week.  Both practice greens and Lakes greens were completed Wednesday and we were able to finish Orchard today after a brief rain shower went through.  Grove greens were scheduled for Friday, but have been postponed until Monday due to the likelihood of more rain.  To obtain maximum benefits, the DryJect process requires us to use kiln-dried sand and the weather has to be dry.  You may be wondering why we don't DryJect more often and stop pulling cores.  The answer is that DryJect is just another "tool" we use to help manage the organic matter (thatch) in the greens.  The process injects sand to dilute the thatch, but does not actually remove anything like traditional core aerification does.  We've found that DryJecting in the spring heals faster with our uncertain weather patterns compared to core aerification, while still accomplishing our goal of diluting the thatch.  In the fall we still pull cores to physically remove the thatch and topdress to fill the holes.  The healing process in late fall is relatively slow, but open holes during the winter helps water drain from the putting surface, limiting the amount of ice buildup and potential for winter injury.

Click Here To Learn More About DryJect And How It Works

Core aerification of fairways was also scheduled this week, but was postponed due to heavy rain last weekend and the threat of rain at the end of this week.  We are closely monitoring the weather forecasts for next week and will make a decision over the weekend if we're able to aerify fairways.

DryJecting the practice green.  The staff uses the yellow buckets to scoop dry sand from our large utility vehicles then dumps it into the hopper on the DryJect machine.  The machine connects to our irrigation system through a 1" diameter hose to receive 120 psi necessary for the injection process.

This is what the putting surface looks like immediately after DryJecting.  The holes with sand around them are from the DryJect, while the other small holes are from our aerifier.  We needle tine the greens prior to DryJecting to de-compact the root zone which allows for better penetration by the sand during the injection process.

We drag the greens once they dry out to work any remaining sand into the turf which further dilutes the thatch.  After dragging, the greens are rolled twice to smooth out any tire tracks and helps firm up the putting surface.

Here is the finished product after needle tining, DryJecting, dragging and double rolling.  We will continue rolling the greens for several days until most of the sand is off the surface.  Mowing too soon after aerification only results in dull mowers and picks up perfectly good sand that could help in diluting thatch.

A day after DryJecting the putting green we experienced our first irrigation leak of the year.  It's pretty common to have leaks in the spring but this one was so close to the green it bubbled some of the turf along the edge.  We were able to quickly isolate the line to prevent further damage and will repair the turf once it dries out.

This corroded fitting is responsible for the irrigation leak and has been in the ground for a very long time.  We use PVC pipe and fittings these days which are much more reliable.

Course Update 4/11/19

The main focus this week was the Lakes course green surround re-sodding project that addressed the areas affected by Gray Leaf Spot last fall.  As mentioned in previous posts, the damaged Ryegrass turf is being replaced with Kentucky Bluegrass that is more resistant to the Gray Leaf Spot fungus.  The company doing the work is East Coast Sod & Seed out of Pilesgrove, New Jersey.  They are the same group that was here in 2017 assisting us with the fairway re-grassing and tee renovations.  When the project is complete, 57,600 square feet of sod will be installed at a cost of $53,400.

The sod crew normally works a 12 hour day, so that means the maintenance staff is working at least that long.  Anything of importance (irrigation heads, valves, drains, etc.) have to be located and marked by one of my staff, then the work area is painted and reviewed with their foreman.  Measurements are also taken to ensure we're not removing more turf than is being delivered.  The sod crew will then start cutting inside the painted boundary lines, pick up and discard the old turf using our utility vehicles and a tractor with a dump trailer.  The entire area is then raked to clean up all the small debris and a starter fertilizer is applied to provide the sod with essential nutrients once the roots begin to grow.  Once the new sod is installed it is then our responsibility to keep it alive.  The past several days have been warm and breezy with very low humidity, which equates to numerous man-hours watering the sod to keep it from drying out and dying.  Kentucky Bluegrass sod will normally start producing new roots in 3-5 days after being installed if enough water is provided, and should have a significant root mass after 10 days.

Please note that the newly sodded areas will be mandatory Ground Under Repair until they have matured enough to handle foot and mower traffic.

#2 green - The collar and rough have been removed along the rock wall and the maintenance staff is removing the crowned area that developed after the wall repairs in 2017.

#2 green - A sand/soil blend was used to level the collar and rough area and provide a better growing medium for the new turf.  The white flags mark the edge of where the collar and rough meet.

#3 green - The crew from East Coast Sod & Seed is installing new Kentucky Bluegrass sod around the green and bunker.  Two truckloads of new sod are staged behind the green on the cart path.

#4 green - Cutting and removing the old turf around the green and bunkers .

#5 green - Maintenance staff watering the recently installed sod.

#6 green - Ready to start installing new sod.

#7 green - New sod installed around the green and bunker.

#8 green - New sod installed around the green and bunkers.  We had enough new sod to remove the turf below the bunkers that was contaminated from sand washing out during heavy rains.

Course Update 4/4/19

The week started out cold with a little snow, but ended up rather mild and dry.  It almost seems like normal spring weather.  The Golf Course Maintenance team had another busy and productive week, and we're hearing positive feedback regarding course conditions.  All the short grass (greens, tees, fairways) has resumed active growth and is being mowed as needed.  On days we don't mow greens they are rolled to provide a smooth surface and remove dew.  The rough is showing signs of life, but still dormant in a lot of places.  That's a good thing because we're able to complete other tasks such as stump grinding cleanup instead of mowing and blowing rough.  One mowing practice we started early this year is the 5' wide first-cut of rough around fairways and greens.  We call it the intermediate cut, while others may refer to it as the step-cut.  We put a priority on establishing it early to avoid the issues we faced last year.

Here's a summary for the week:

• Mowed or rolled greens daily
• Mowed fairways, collars, and approaches for the second time
• Rolled and mowed tees for the first time this season
• Mowed intermediate cut around fairways and greens
• Sprayed tees
• Topdressed driving range tees
• Continued working in bunkers
• Cleaning up around the clubhouse
• Finished course cleanup
• Opened the restrooms on Lakes and Grove (There's a water leak we're dealing with on Orchard so it's not ready yet)
• Started putting out tee markers, divot boxes and bottles
• Finished grinding stumps on Lakes #4 and continued debris cleanup
• Tree removal on Grove #3, 7, 8

Monday started out in the low 20's and didn't warm up much.

These two trees were on the hill to the left of Grove #3 green.  We removed them Monday due to the dense morning shade they cast on the approach.  This picture was taken last July.

This is the approach on Grove #3 when the turf should be getting abundant morning sunlight.

Here's a view looking towards #3 green and the shadows are covering the problem areas in the approach and rough that are always wet.

This picture was taken Monday after we removed the tree closest to the path.  Even without leaves these trees cast dense shade on the problem areas mentioned above.

First mowing of the intermediate cut this year.  We follow the mower with a blower towed behind a cart to remove clippings and other debris.

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.