Course Update 1/30/20

After finishing the tree work on Lakes 6 we moved to Lakes 5 left of the green.  This area had become overgrown with jaggers, honeysuckle, sumac, and black cherry, and obstructed the bunkers and surrounding rough as viewed from the fairway.  The dense canopy from all the vegetation also created thin, weak turf due to a lack of sunlight and airflow.

We finished earlier than anticipated on #5 so we spent an afternoon removing brush that had grown back on Lakes 4 in the hazard left of the tees.  It's only been two years since we last worked in this area, but it doesn't take long for the vegetation to rebound.  The purpose for keeping the brush knocked down is to prevent any obstructed views of the fairway.  The tee boxes closer to the fairway and lower in elevation were most affected by the brush.

The tedious process of removing the underbrush is necessary to access and remove the larger trees.

This was taken standing on the 100 yard marker in Lakes 5 fairway.  Notice how much the two large cherry trees left of the bunkers obstruct the view.

#5 after removing the trees.

Removing brush on Lakes 4 left of the tees to improve the view of the fairway.

#4 after removing the brush.

Course Update 1/29/20

In addition to our regular activities this time of year which include equipment repairs, refurbishing course amenities, snow & ice removal, and continuing education, we've been able to tackle some projects on the course.  So far our time has been evenly split between edging bunkers and tree work.  Colder days are the ideal time for tree work since the ground is firmer and/or partially frozen.  It's easier for the staff and equipment to maneuver without causing major damage.  Days with temps well above freezing we've been edging bunkers and moving sand in preparation for the upcoming season.  Our goal is to have all the bunkers edged by April 1st.

Establishing a fresh edge on Lakes 9 greenside bunkers.

Finished product after cleanup and moving sand.

Tree work on Lakes 6 right of the green.

We cleared the treeline back 15-20' to allow for more sunlight and airflow.  This area stayed shaded most of the day and never dried out.

After completing tree work to the right of Lakes 6 green we moved to the left side.

10 trees were removed to the left of the green to allow for more sunlight and airflow.  These trees blocked most of the morning light and this will noticeably improve the turf both on the green and the surrounding rough.  Once the stumps are ground the area will be prepped for seed and maintained as regular rough.

Course Update 12/28/19

If you've played recently you may have noticed that the putting greens were very hard, but also very bumpy.  The reason is the rootzone was frozen due to the very cold temperatures we experienced last week and the bumpiness was caused by frost heaving.  There's always a certain amount of water in the rootzone and as we all know when water freezes it expands in the direction of the least amount of resistance.  Fortunately, the mild weather over the past few days allowed that frozen layer to thaw and the staff is changing cups and rolling greens this morning.  Rolling will help smooth the majority of the putting surface, but don't expect summertime conditions.

Course Update 12/20/19

Over the past two weeks the staff has been working on a mix of inside and outside tasks dictated by the weather.  Outside activities include leaf cleanup, topdressing, and irrigation repairs.  We also started refurbishing the rain shelters and course restrooms that were showing their age.  Inside work consists of preventative maintenance of our $1 million equipment fleet and refurbishing course amenities such as tee markers, divot boxes, and yardage markers.

Orchard restrooms have been updated with new toilets, sinks, and wall coverings.  Thanks to Doug Glenn, Facilities Manager, for his help with this project.  Grove and Lakes restrooms will receive the same updates this winter.

All the rain shelters on property date back to when the courses opened and needed some TLC.  We're removing the deteriorated benches and walls to create more space similar to the shelter on Grove #3.

Some of the original framing was left to temporarily support the shelter's roof, but will be replaced by a permanent 6"x6" post in the near future.  Additional repairs will also be made to the roof and trim boards.

Tommy and Joey are cleaning and sanding tee markers before they're freshly painted for next season.  We need 232 tee markers for one complete set on all three courses, but need an additional 60-70 markers to replace ones damaged or lost throughout the season.

Course Update 12/4/19

Please be aware that we had to close and winterize the restrooms on each nine to prevent the pipes from freezing.  The walls and ceilings are not insulated and the buildings were not designed to stay open all year.  The restrooms will re-open in the spring once the temperature warms up.

Course Update 11/29/19

It was a short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but we took advantage of several days of nice weather at the beginning of the week to aerify Grove greens.  We utilized the same process from Lakes and Orchard; topdressing, coring, cleanup and brushing.  The greens are in excellent condition and health going into winter.  Snow mold fungicide applications are one of the final steps in preparing the putting surfaces for stressful winter conditions, and will be completed in the next few weeks.

In addition to aerifying Grove greens, the staff finished topdressing Orchard fairways and spent a considerable amount of time cleaning up leaves.  Fortunately, most of the leaves are down, but there are still certain areas of the property that will require several more days of cleanup.

Course Update 11/21/19

Orchard greens and both practice greens were topdressed and core aerified this week.  We experimented with topdressing first to help work the sand down into the turf canopy during the aerification process and the layer of sand also made cleanup easier allowing the plugs to slide across the putting surface with less friction.  Core aerification occurred later this year since the greens were DryJected in August.  This new schedule provided great playing conditions all fall, while still achieving our goals of removing/diluting organic matter and creating firmer putting surfaces.

Topdressing the greens first with kiln-dried sand.  The dry sand settles into the turf and leaves very little on the surface.

Core aerifying the greens using .25" diameter tines on a 1.5" x 2.0" spacing.  This setup creates 48 holes per square foot.

Here is the end result after the plugs are cleaned up and the putting surface is brushed once.  More topdressing sand will be applied after we spray the greens with a winter fungicide.

Course Update 11/14/19

Due to the cold and snowy weather this week we decided to winterize the irrigation systems.  Every fall all the water has to be removed from the irrigation systems to prevent ice from forming and damaging critical components.  As water freezes it expands and ice is much stronger than plastic pipe.  I've even seen ice cause steel pipe to split open.  The first step in the process is to shut down the three pump stations, open all the drain valves, and let gravity remove most of the water.  Once the water has drained out a large air compressor is connected to the irrigation systems and air is forced through the lines at a high volume, but low pressure.  Too much air pressure can damage pipe and irrigation heads the same way high water pressure does.  The staff will then split up into several teams and go to every satellite control box to systematically turn on approximately 1,300 irrigation heads to blow out any remaining water.  After all the heads are blown out we will go back to the areas that tend to hold water and run through those heads for a second time.  It usually takes 4 full days to winterize both irrigation systems.

In addition to the two irrigation systems on the golf courses, the maintenance staff is responsible for winterizing the restroom facility on each nine, along with miscellaneous landscape irrigation and a water line in the driving range building.

We rent a 900 cfm air compressor that connects to the irrigation systems through a 2" hose with special fittings.  We have to install a pressure regulator on the compressor's discharge line to lower the operating pressure from 150 psi down to 50 psi to prevent damaging the pvc pipe.

Water is pushed out of the irrigation lines by the compressed air and we run the irrigation heads until only mist is coming out.  The irrigation heads are manually turned on from the control satellites throughout each course.

Course Update 11/6/19

We recorded 6.94" of rain over 12 days in October, which is 4.27" above our average for the month.  Year to date we've received 47.24" of rain versus our average of 32.6", or 14.74" above normal.  Heavy rains this time of year have a greater effect on course conditions and areas tend to stay wet longer.  This happens because of shorter days and less sunlight that doesn't evaporate the excess moisture as quickly as it does during the summer.  There's also reduced turf growth that doesn't require as much water so the plants aren't using the soil moisture as quickly.  It's not uncommon to lose .20" or more of moisture during a hot, windy day in the summer to evaporation and plant uptake.

Lakes #4 Rough Project Update 10/17/19

The area to the right of the cart path on Lakes #4 was recently hydroseeded, along with a few other areas, also on the Lakes course.  The hydroseed consisted of Kentucky Bluegrass and Fine Fescue grass seeds, a starter fertilizer, and hydromulch.  The hydromulch makes up the largest portion of the spray mix and is mostly paper fibers.  The grass seed attaches to the mulch during the application process, and the mulch holds water that the seed needs to germinate faster.  If applied properly, the mulch will also stick to the ground and minimize washouts during rain events.  We've had a couple heavy rains and the areas have not washed out thanks to the proper application by the contractor.  The next few days are supposed to be sunny and a little warmer, so we should see new seedlings in that time.  We won't mow the new grass until it has mostly filled in and had time to mature.

Lakes #1 tee where the gazebo used to sit is prepped and ready for hydroseed.

Hydroseeding along the road at Lakes #4 tee where we stockpiled topsoil during the project.

The contractor started hydroseeding down near the rain shelter on Lakes #4 and worked his way back up towards the tees.

Right of the cart path on Lakes #4 after hydroseeding was completed.  The bluish material is the hydromulch and makes it easy for the contractor to determine if enough mixture has been applied.

Hydroseeding above Lakes #7 green where a large Oak tree was removed.