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2007 Green Page - Microsoft Word
June 26, 2008
After one
nice day the rain has returned. Weather.com has Dalton for over 8" of rain in June. It makes it difficult for us to keep
up with our mowing schedules. Instead of mowing by the days of the week, we mow when we can or when it is dry enough. We also
tend to double cut more since we don't know if and when we will be able to get out there again. It also puts a damper
on any project work (ie 7th tee). It is tough to transport material when the course is this wet.
The greens
have started to gain speed, but everytime I get somewhere with them it rains. The heavy moisture robs us of our speed. If
it where dry I think we would be in a comfortable 10' range. Typically this is what I shoot for, 9 1/2' or 10'.
I'm sure by the end of July I will be praying for rain, but not now.
June 20th, 2008
With
the wonderful weather the grass has really taken off. The greens are evening out nicely and the ball roll is much improved.
The greens have a decent amount of fertility in them and this has caused the very green response and slower putting conditions.
We are working on that, in fact we double cut the greens this morning for the first time this year. It takes 5 people 3 hours
to double cut greens by hand. Walking an average of 3 miles per hour these operators are walking probably beween 6 and 8 miles
in a morning.
I have begun shaping the addition to the upper 7th tee. A little history is in order here. For those
that remember, the original tee up here was tucked back right and ran along the spine of the ridge. It used to be a three
level tee, yet very small. It was used only as a blue tee, with the white tee down below on a tee added in 1960 by Rowland
Armacost. I proposed in 2001 that we build two upper tees on the top of the hill. I thought the view was better, the tee shot
better and the thought of playing it as Wayne Stiles built it was the way to go. The green cmt, liked the idea, but suggested
I only build one tee, which we did. I however always wanted to build a second tee, that kept the spirit of the original
tee intact. Built into my budget is about $1,000 to do some tee work like this each year. We have done some small tees
like this, the 14th blue tee, the 10th ladies, the addition to the front left 4th tee, the leveling of the 16th tee have all
been done using these built in funds. This year we are targeting the 7th tee, next year we will focus on another forward tee.
|
| View from behind 7th tee. |
June 17th, 2008
We measured
a little over 3/4" of rain last night. The course is a little wet, but has handled it well. Carts are out. The most
significant part of the storm was the leading winds. We had several down limbs and branches. We will be cleaning these up
throughout the day. We were able to topdress greens lightly this morning. Along with this we also spiked and brushed. The
brushing will help stand up the runners, which will then be clipped off in future mowings. All of this is designed to help
us get closer to our summer speed. We have been lowering the heights in response to the increased growth rate and paying more
attention to providing a firmer, smoother surface.
We also fertilized fairways this morning. This will perk them
up a little, but I hope not so much that we are bailing hay. This should carry us for about six weeks or so when we will
schedule another application. All in all things are starting to come together.
|
| Storm cleanup |
June 13, 2008
Well you guys finally
wore me down. I put out hole location flags on the 2nd, 5th and 14th holes. The higher the small flag is on the pole the deeper
the hole location.
|
| A mid to front pin on #5 |
June 11, 2008
The heat and
humidity have pushed out and some drier, yet still warm air is in place. Normally I'm not a big fan of that soupy weather,
but this time it did alot of good to the golf course. Essentially our turf needed the heat to begin actively growing. We have
been pulling off a much higher clipping yield than at any other time this year. In fact we have grown more grass in three
days than probably the last three weeks combined. As the greens continue to fill in and improve we will be adjusting our mowing
heights accordingly and zeroing in our target heights and speed for the summer. We are also putting out our first fungicide
application in fairways this morning. This is mostly targeted at doller spot. Traditionally mid June is the time I usually
start to see it here, so we are hoping to catch it ahead of time if possible. We have a budget which can handle three such
applications in a season, yet four to five would most likely keep our fairways disease free.
Yesterday Jay and
I had a chance to visit with some Jacobsen reps. at Stockbridge Golf Club. Stockbridge is hosting the Mass Open next week
and they are using Jacobsen's new greens mowers. It was a very imppressive display and a good educational look at some
of the new technology. By the way if your looking for something to do, head down to Stockbridge early next week and watch
some of the action. The course looks great and there will be some local guys to root for. Even with only 29 bunkers
the course is an excellent test. The fairways are tight, the greens are small and the rough is absolutely nasty. As we
drove around I said to Jay there is absolutely no place to miss, you must be accurate. By the way Stockbridge is where I
got my start in this business.
The last thing I want to share is a couple of links from
other Superintendent web pages that I read from time to time. These guys write some pretty good stuff and much of what
they say can be applied to us here. One of the pages is my brother's and he puts mine to shame.
Dedham Golf and Polo - Mike Stachowicz
Castle Pines - Sean Mccue
Northland - Chris Tritabaugh
June 9,2008
2008 Northeast News Update 
By Jim Skorulski, Senior Agronomist Northeast Region Green Section
June 6, 2008
Nothing
can beat a few mild nights and a warm rain to remedy impatient golfers and superintendents alike. The warmer conditions spell
the end of cool season diseases, speed surface recovery, and promote more consistent fertilizer response and growth rates.
Mother Nature is finally making hay and let her proceed without interruption. All the clever little tricks we try to accelerate
the process help, but there is nothing like the real thing. The cooler, dry spring weather
has not been all bad. In fact, the root development I have observed has been vigorous, and reports from around the New England
generally support those observations.
June 7, 2008
What a crew! So
yesterday we get hit with 1.75" of rain in the morning. With this much water on the course our hands are tied as far
as getting all of our mowing done. After speaking with the staff they all came in today and we were able to get all of our
mowing completed. Makes me feel good to know these guys and gal would give up some of their weekend to come in and make the
course look good for the tournament.
After a day, the course has handled the rain as well as could be expected.
Of course we had no Carts yesterday. This leads to some complaints, yet it is important for us to keep the course in as good
a shape as possible. If I don't feel comfortable sending out our trained staff on mowers in those conditions, I certainly
don't feel comfortable letting carts out. Jim Underdown and I often have to make unpopular decsions, but we do it
with the best interest of the golf course in mind.
June 4th, 2008
I received this email yesterday from our Club
President Peter Blake. I don't think there is anything earth shattering in it so I thought that I would share it here
and respond.
Good afternoon Jeremy
I had the opportunity to play this weekend. I can see that the course is making some progress. I can also see that
the 13th was pretty bad. I commend you for bringing it back to where it can be played. I think that the 13th was in a condition
far worse than what we see now. If I was you I would have been losing sleep. I
have noticed that for some reason the greens are very firm. I keep looking for a ball mark and can't find one. The fairways
seem to be firm and when I take a divot there isn't much to replace. Now this may be what we should expect this year due
to what you have told us about cutting back on fertilizer, or maybe because of colder than usual temperatures or maybe because
of a late Spring. I have no idea. I have also heard some of the members discussing this phenonenon. If I am seeing this and
I am hearing folks speak to it then I have a suggestion. Could you please take some time and speak to this on your web page
and educate the membership. You are telling us a lot on the web but I would urge you to discuss this topic. I know that you
have a game plan pertaining to the greens and fairways and I suspect that you have benchmark dates as to when you expect
to see changes depending upon the weather. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy your day
For the most part Peter answered his own questions
in regards to the firmness of the golf course. The bottom line is the weather has a greater effect on the playing conditions
than anything else. We have measured about ½" of rain in the last 14 days. It has been very windy and also humidity
levels have been low. This all adds up to firm, dry conditions. During this time I watered the greens once, with a possible
syringe cycle or two mixed in. I have yet to water fairways or even considered watering fairways. The reason? During the spring
when soil temperatures are low we are trying as hard as possible to develop a strong root system. When we can get away with
it we try and force the plant to search for its water by extending its roots downward. If we were to apply water this early
in the season the plant becomes "lazy". I really don't want any lazy plants lying around when the heat of summer
arrives. Once humidity arrives and soil temperatures increase we will most likely enter into a regular watering pattern. The
greens will soften some, but I hope to maintain a firmer surface than we have had in the past. The second part Peter touched upon was the idea of cutting back on inputs (fertilizer, plant protectants and water).
It is no secret that we are all under the gun when it comes to maintaining a budget. My job is not only to provide good conditions,
but also to do it within the confines of a specific budget. The money I work with now doesn't go nearly as far as it did
5 years ago. Fertilizers themselves have increased in cost by at least 30% or more. We used to apply as many as 4 fertilizer
applications to fairways in a single year (spring, 2 summer and one dormant). We are now down to just two. This is a good
thing. We are saving money, the fairways are firmer and the ball rolls further, however they are not as green, lush or pretty.
We also plan to continue to cut back on water usage. It is better for the environment and the plant is still getting the essentials
that it needs. The following paragraph is from Golf Digest and sums it up perfectly.
"Experts tell us a smart first step for any golf course is to cut back on water
usage. Drier turf is usually healthier, less susceptible to diseases and provides more roll to tee shots and smoother surfaces
for putting. Less water means lower electric bills for high-volume pumps and less fuel for mowers used less often. Granted,
the shade of turfgrass might be less intense." GolfDigest May 2008
GolfDigest Article
"As water becomes scarcer, as organic-management practices increase,
as environmentalism and environmental legislation start to bite more than they have, as the economy struggles, and as we come
to appreciate the aesthetics of golf courses in all their many natural, beautiful hues, the way the game looks will change.
And the way it plays will change too, with firmer and faster turf demanding a return to shotmaking, creativity, the bump-and-run.
It's starting to happen already: The hot courses are not dutiful apostles of Augusta; they are unique, wild and woolly-looking
layouts like Bandon Dunes, Sand Hills, Chambers Bay. Americans increasingly love to visit the rugged, natural links of the
British Isles, where the game began. That's where we're headed: back to the future." GolfDigest May 2008 "How Green is Golf"
The bottom line we are doing the best we can within our means. As I told Mr. Blake the golf
season is a marathon and not a sprint. I prefer to focus on the whole race and not just the start. As always questions
and comments can be sent to me at jstackwcc@netzero.net.
June 2nd, 2008
Well we
are finally up to an 18 hole golf course again. I appreciate everyone's patience in getting the course back to this point.
I tried to communicate through this forum as much as possible about the status of our greens. I think it helped everyone
stay informed and lowered the number of questions I needed to answer. We still have some filling in to do on some of these
greens, but I'm confident that we can still go forward with these greens while handling play. We will continue to scratch
in some seed and topdress these greens when needed. Overall considering the winter and the amount of ice present on the course
I'm not that dissapointed with how we came through. I am a little dissapointed with the spring and cold weather, I think
that contributed to a slower than expected recovery.
We will be finishing up our bunker work this week. June and
her crew do a great job on the bunkers, they know exactly what I want when it comes to bunker maintenance. It really
sharpens the overall look of the golf hole. We have some more cart path work to finish up around 4,5,6 and 7. After this
we hope to begin some work on the upper 7th tee. I'd like to have this done by the end of the month.
|
| 13th Green in April |
|
| 13th in early April - Severely damaged |
|
| 13th Green with the Pin in. |
May 29th, 2008
We have started to work on edging, weeding bunkers and checking sand depths.
This takes us roughly two weeks to do all the bunkers working around our other duties. In fact we probably spend more man
hours on bunker maintenace than anything other than greens. We repeat this process 2 more times during the summer. Bunkers
are probably one of the biggest complaints of golfers. "They are either too firm, too soft, the sand is no good,
the lip is too high etc." Rest assured we spend a great deal of time trying to perfect the bunkers for you
eventhough they are a hazard. If your bunker play is suffering we have built a nice practice bunker down by the second tee
where you can practice or even take a lesson from James Underdown.
The 13th green will open for this weekend.
This took way longer than I expected, mostly due to the slow growth rate this cold May. In fact as I write this there is a
scattered frost on the course this morning and our second one this week. The 13th is still very thin, and will be a little
bumpy until we get it to heal in completely.
| | 3rd Bunker Before |
| | 3rd Bunker After |
| | Weed wacker on the bunker face |
| | Practice Bunker |
| | 13th green May 28th |
May 27th, 2008
Memorial
day already, and so it begins. We groomed, spiked and topdressed greens this morning. This is something that in the last few
years I have gotten away from, but I am making it a regular part of our maintenance schedule this year. The grooming is a
light verticutting that does a good job cutting runners, standing up the turf and also promoting speed. The spiking keeps
the surface open allowing postive air/gas exchange. The light frequent topdressing is a good way to promote smoothness, filling
in imperfections, improving ball roll and dilluting thatch.
May 27th, 2008
Memorial day already, and so it begins. We groomed, spiked and topdressed
greens this morning. This is something that in the last few years I have gotten away from, but I am making it a regular part
of our maintenance schedule this year. The grooming is a light verticutting that does a good job cutting runners, standing
up the turf and also promoting speed. The spiking keeps the surface open allowing postive air/gas exchange. The light frequent
topdressing is a good way to promote smoothness, filling in imperfections, improving ball roll and dilluting thatch.
| | Light Topdress on the 3rd, with one pass swept in. |
| | Drag Brush |
May 23rd, 2008
Here
is a picture of the 15th green from the rear. If you look close enough you can see a purpulish/ brownish color to it. Many
of our greens have this color, especially in the spring and fall. Some would say it is a leafspot, others have called it a
phosphorous defeciency, however this is really a response from our greens to the cold weather we have experienced. The older
bents in our greens respond to the cold weather by turning a dark shade of purple. I love to see this in the fall when growth
has stopped and greens are preparing for the winter, but I'm not so fond of it in the spring when we are trying to even
out the growth of the different grasses and fill in any left over winter damage. By far one of the slowest months of growth for
a May I can remember. The 13th is really starting to fill in, we topdressed it again this week and it is getting stronger.
It will be open very soon, I want to thank the membership for your understanding. It has been a few years since we have had
to deal with winter damage, and this has been a challenging spring to grow grass.
May 23rd, 2008
Here is a picture of the 15th green from
the rear. If you look close enough you can see a purpulish/ brownish color to it. Many of our greens have this color, especially
in the spring and fall. Some would say it is a leafspot, others have called it a phosphorous defeciency, however this is really
a response from our greens to the cold weather we have experienced. The older bents in our greens respond to the cold weather
by turning a dark shade of purple. I love to see this in the fall when growth has stopped and greens are preparing for the
winter, but I'm not so fond of it in the spring when we are trying to even out the growth of the different grasses and
fill in any left over winter damage. By far one of the slowest months of growth for a May I can remember. The 13th is
really starting to fill in, we topdressed it again this week and it is getting stronger. It will be open very soon, I want
to thank the membership for your understanding. It has been a few years since we have had to deal with winter damage, and
this has been a challenging spring to grow grass.
| | 15th Green May 23rd |
May 22nd, 2008
Our
tournament season is underway. The following are a few pictures of us getting the course ready for a shotgun event. With a
good experienced staff we get everything done, even with a 1 hour frost delay.
May 22nd, 2008
Our tournament season is underway. The
following are a few pictures of us getting the course ready for a shotgun event. With a good experienced staff we get everything
done, even with a 1 hour frost delay.
May 20th 2008
The following is my report to the Board of Directors for the month of May. It quickly
touches on all areas of the golf course, what we have done and where we are headed. Greens Report May 19, 2008 a) Tees – Have all been aerified, fertilized
and overseeded. We try and get this done twice per year. Some of the damaged areas will see more attention (4/5 Tees) b) Fairways – We have
been overseeding any damaged areas, most of this work is done by hand. The drainage lines on #16 are really becoming a major
concern of mine. These failing pipes need replacement in order to level off the many sunken areas. We have been applying our
early season products that include crabgrass control, wetting agents and poa growth regulation. I will be applying a liquid
fertilizer to start, followed by two granular fertilization for the year. That is half of what we used to apply. c) Greens – Very
slow in growth so far. Soil temperatures today are in the high 40’s. The 13th green under cover was 55 degrees.
Significant growth does not occur until temps reach the low 60’s. I am not confident that this green will be ready for
this week’s tournaments, however I am happy with the overall seeding and catch. I am confident it is improving and just
needs a little more time and weather. Aerification went very well and the holes are
mostly filled in. All greens have been fertilized and overseeded. d) Bunkers – We have not
done a ton of bunker work except for raking 3 times a week. We installed a drain on the left bunker on #8 and it seems to
be doing its job. We also sodded some damaged areas from grubs as well as seeded the face of the middle bunker on 18. We will
start edging and weeding bunkers next week. Bunker surrounds have been sprayed for crabgrass and also broadleaf/clover weed
control. e)
Cart Paths – Paths in general are passable. We resurfaced the paths on 4,5 and 6. We will finish
this in the coming weeks. The 7th path will also get new blue stone up to the tee. f) Roughs –
The rough is about the only consistent early season grower. We have been spot treating weeds and crabgrass in the rough. g) Staff – My college
help is in. We are at almost peak staff. I have two new staff members, the rest are all veterans. h) Green Cmt – We
have held one on course meeting and we will continue with this throughout the summer months. We have been revisiting the tree
issues that we have discussed at the board level and a recommendation will be forthcoming. We have also discussed land usage
for the area adjacent (right of) to the 7th and 8th holes. i) Irrigation
– The system is in good running order. The new hydro tank is doing its job and I have rebuilt the pressure relief valve
and it is doing its job for the first time in years. (I don’t think it ever worked) I did have a software glich that
erased my data, but with our current gsp(global service plan) with Rain Bird this was corrected very quickly. j) Trees –
Please be aware that there are several Blue Spruce and Douglas Firs which are declining. I have some ideas why, but will share
when I get conclusive evidence. (Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid)
Greens
Report May 19, 2008 a)
Tees – Have all been aerified, fertilized and overseeded. We try and get this done twice per year.
Some of the damaged areas will see more attention (4/5 Tees) b) Fairways – We have been overseeding any damaged areas,
most of this work is done by hand. The drainage lines on #16 are really becoming a major concern of mine. These failing pipes
need replacement in order to level off the many sunken areas. We have been applying our early season products that include
crabgrass control, wetting agents and poa growth regulation. I will be applying a liquid fertilizer to start, followed by
two granular fertilization for the year. That is half of what we used to apply. c) Greens – Very
slow in growth so far. Soil temperatures today are in the high 40’s. The 13th green under cover was 55 degrees.
Significant growth does not occur until temps reach the low 60’s. I am not confident that this green will be ready for
this week’s tournaments, however I am happy with the overall seeding and catch. I am confident it is improving and just
needs a little more time and weather. Aerification went very well and the holes are
mostly filled in. All greens have been fertilized and overseeded. d) Bunkers – We have not
done a ton of bunker work except for raking 3 times a week. We installed a drain on the left bunker on #8 and it seems to
be doing its job. We also sodded some damaged areas from grubs as well as seeded the face of the middle bunker on 18. We will
start edging and weeding bunkers next week. Bunker surrounds have been sprayed for crabgrass and also broadleaf/clover weed
control. e)
Cart Paths – Paths in general are passable. We resurfaced the paths on 4,5 and 6. We will finish
this in the coming weeks. The 7th path will also get new blue stone up to the tee. f) Roughs –
The rough is about the only consistent early season grower. We have been spot treating weeds and crabgrass in the rough. g) Staff – My college
help is in. We are at almost peak staff. I have two new staff members, the rest are all veterans. h) Green Cmt – We
have held one on course meeting and we will continue with this throughout the summer months. We have been revisiting the tree
issues that we have discussed at the board level and a recommendation will be forthcoming. We have also discussed land usage
for the area adjacent (right of) to the 7th and 8th holes. i) Irrigation
– The system is in good running order. The new hydro tank is doing its job and I have rebuilt the pressure relief valve
and it is doing its job for the first time in years. (I don’t think it ever worked) I did have a software glich that
erased my data, but with our current gsp(global service plan) with Rain Bird this was corrected very quickly. j) Trees –
Please be aware that there are several Blue Spruce and Douglas Firs which are declining. I have some ideas why, but will share
when I get conclusive evidence. (Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid)
| | 13th in Mid April |
| | 13th Green on May 20th: Pretty good coverage |
| | 49.9 Soil Temps on May19th |
May 19th, 2008
If
you haven't noticed we have been having some issues with the website. After spending some time on it this weekend I think
I have it running again and back at its original wahconahcountryclub.com location.
The golf course is improving
daily. It has been a somewhat slow spring as far as growth goes. The 16th green is open, yet still sparse. The 13th green
is still further away. I'm fairly happy with the seeding and the catch, but the growth rate has been slow. They
all have been heavily fertilized, yet it hasn't really done much yet. Both these greens have seen multiple light
topdressings of sand, and will continue to see more. In the meantime we have been workin on a few other areas of the course.
We aerified tees last week. This includes a light overseeding and some fertilization. We have been spraying the course with
our crabgrass prevention. We don't spray everything, but rely on spraying the susceptable areas and the areas we have
seen crabgrass before. This includes bunker banks and the lawns around the clubhouse. We have also been spraying the rough
for weeds. Last week I sprayed about 10.5 acres of rough. This again should be considered spot treatment, as we maintain about
50-60 acres of rough. We have also done some cart path work on hole 4,5 and 6. I'll be ordering more material to finish
up these locations in the near future.
We held our first on course Green Cmt. meeting this past Monday. It
is always good to get these folks out on the course and looking at different things. These are the people that give me the
permission to carry out certain actions, for instance the removal of certain dead, diseased or dying trees. We talk about
everything when we visit the course, including drainage issues, tree issues, future tree plantings and bunker rebuilds.
We also look at our tees, their placement, possible expansion and potential rebuilds.
May 19th, 2008
If you haven't noticed we have been
having some issues with the website. After spending some time on it this weekend I think I have it running again and back
at its original wahconahcountryclub.com location.
The golf course is improving daily. It has been a somewhat slow
spring as far as growth goes. The 16th green is open, yet still sparse. The 13th green is still further away. I'm
fairly happy with the seeding and the catch, but the growth rate has been slow. They all have been heavily fertilized,
yet it hasn't really done much yet. Both these greens have seen multiple light topdressings of sand, and will continue
to see more. In the meantime we have been workin on a few other areas of the course. We aerified tees last week. This includes
a light overseeding and some fertilization. We have been spraying the course with our crabgrass prevention. We don't spray
everything, but rely on spraying the susceptable areas and the areas we have seen crabgrass before. This includes bunker banks
and the lawns around the clubhouse. We have also been spraying the rough for weeds. Last week I sprayed about 10.5 acres of
rough. This again should be considered spot treatment, as we maintain about 50-60 acres of rough. We have also done some cart
path work on hole 4,5 and 6. I'll be ordering more material to finish up these locations in the near future.
We held our first on course Green Cmt. meeting this past Monday. It is always good to get these folks out on the course
and looking at different things. These are the people that give me the permission to carry out certain actions, for instance
the removal of certain dead, diseased or dying trees. We talk about everything when we visit the course, including drainage issues,
tree issues, future tree plantings and bunker rebuilds. We also look at our tees, their placement, possible expansion and
potential rebuilds.
| | Pear Tree #8 |
| | Crab #3 |
| | Shadblow #13 |
May 8th, 2008
With greens
aerification behind us, we turn our attention to other details. Since we still are not really growing that much we have some
time between mow days in order to fix up a few bad area. In particular was the left bunker on the 8th hole. Ever since the
flooding of 2003 and also the fall of 2005 this bunker has held more and more water. I'm not sure if it is from silt accumulation
sealing it off or what, but we finally had a day to address the issue. I knew there was a drain line that ran close by, so
all we wanted to do was run some drainage from the bunker into the nearby drain. We installed drain tile, stone and ran into
the existing nearby line. Within minutes the bunker drained.
May 8th, 2008
With greens aerification behind us, we turn our attention to other details.
Since we still are not really growing that much we have some time between mow days in order to fix up a few bad area. In particular
was the left bunker on the 8th hole. Ever since the flooding of 2003 and also the fall of 2005 this bunker has held more and
more water. I'm not sure if it is from silt accumulation sealing it off or what, but we finally had a day to address the
issue. I knew there was a drain line that ran close by, so all we wanted to do was run some drainage from the bunker into
the nearby drain. We installed drain tile, stone and ran into the existing nearby line. Within minutes the bunker drained.
| | 8th bunker drain tile |
| | 8th Bunker with drain installed |
May 6th, 2008 We aerified half the greens yesterday and we will do the other
half today. It works well for us to split the process into two days. I remember in years past we tried to get it all done
in one day, which was ok, but after working 12 - 14 hours on it, usually a mistake would be made. Guys would get tired or
rush at the end and something would happen. This way we all stay fresh and focused on what we are doing. Here are a few pics.
May
6th, 2008 We aerified half the greens yesterday and we will do the other half today. It works well for us to
split the process into two days. I remember in years past we tried to get it all done in one day, which was ok, but after
working 12 - 14 hours on it, usually a mistake would be made. Guys would get tired or rush at the end and something would
happen. This way we all stay fresh and focused on what we are doing. Here are a few pics.
May 2nd, 2008 We were able to get a
light verticutting on greens yesterday. I mention light, because our verticut units are very old, and really not the ideal
setup I'm looking for, however you make due with what you have. I would prefer a much deeper cut, that digs in and pulls
out truckloads of thatch. Just getting some thatch out and cutting some runners is a good thing. We also aerified the
Practice green and the nursery green. Doing this a few days early allows us to get two greens out of the way and also makes
sure all of our equipment is working properly as we head into Monday and Tuesday. If it rains any of those days you can expect
that aerification will also include Wednesday. Today we will be putting out an acidic based fertilizer. This is
one of my favorite products that helps aid in a quick recovery from aerification. The acidic base also helps lower soil
ph's and is good for some patch type disease suppression. Even though it is lightly raining we will still
be running the irrigation to water the product in. This happens a lot. We put out several different products that need to
be watered in, so if you see the irrigation running while it is raining out, there is almost always a very good reason.
We removed the covers on 13 and 16 to mow and fertilize those greens. 16 is getting very close, I would say within
a week. The covers will go back on for the weekend and we will check them again in a few days.
May
2nd, 2008 We were able to get a light verticutting on greens yesterday. I mention light, because our verticut units
are very old, and really not the ideal setup I'm looking for, however you make due with what you have. I would prefer
a much deeper cut, that digs in and pulls out truckloads of thatch. Just getting some thatch out and cutting some runners
is a good thing. We also aerified the Practice green and the nursery green. Doing this a few days early allows us to get two
greens out of the way and also makes sure all of our equipment is working properly as we head into Monday and Tuesday.
If it rains any of those days you can expect that aerification will also include Wednesday. Today we will be putting
out an acidic based fertilizer. This is one of my favorite products that helps aid in a quick recovery from aerification.
The acidic base also helps lower soil ph's and is good for some patch type disease suppression. Even though
it is lightly raining we will still be running the irrigation to water the product in. This happens a lot. We put out
several different products that need to be watered in, so if you see the irrigation running while it is raining out,
there is almost always a very good reason. We removed the covers on 13 and 16 to mow and fertilize those greens.
16 is getting very close, I would say within a week. The covers will go back on for the weekend and we will check them
again in a few days.
| | Verticutting the 7th |
May 1st, 2008 Good heavy frost this morning. This is one of the reasons we keep later
tee times in the spring. Yesterday we repaired the exit point for the clubhouse roof drain. It was severly compromised by
the nearby tree roots. We are also going to be doing some verticutting on greens today. It will be good to get some thatch
out, couple this with next weeks aerification and topdressing and we will put a good dent in our thatch layer. Tomorrow we
will be fertlizing greens in preperation for next week. Hopefully we begin growing sometime soon. We usually come
in one day and things just sort of blow up. All of sudden greens and fairways are jumping, we just haven't reached
that point yet. The rain this week was nice, as the greens have been recovering nicely. 13 and 16 have a lot going for them
now, it is just a matter of getting them to fill in enough to handle traffic.
May
1st, 2008 Good heavy frost this morning. This is one of the reasons we keep later tee times in the spring. Yesterday
we repaired the exit point for the clubhouse roof drain. It was severly compromised by the nearby tree roots. We are also
going to be doing some verticutting on greens today. It will be good to get some thatch out, couple this with next weeks aerification
and topdressing and we will put a good dent in our thatch layer. Tomorrow we will be fertlizing greens in preperation for next
week. Hopefully we begin growing sometime soon. We usually come in one day and things just sort of blow up. All of sudden
greens and fairways are jumping, we just haven't reached that point yet. The rain this week was nice, as the greens
have been recovering nicely. 13 and 16 have a lot going for them now, it is just a matter of getting them to fill in enough
to handle traffic.
| | Tree Roots Breaking the Pipe |
| | Roof Drain into Lower Lot |
| | Heavy Frost |
April 29th, 2008
I want to share a link with everyone that takes you to our associations monthly newsletter. There is an excellent
article about the Essex County Club and the work they have conducted to get ready for the 2010 Curtis Cup. Included in that
work is the removal of some 600 trees, the pictures of the famous 11th hole are stunning.
April 28th, 2008
The rain has finally come. After two plus weeks of dry summer like weather, the rain has come. We were able to get out
early this morning and mow the entire course. It is pretty miserable sitting on a mower in 40 degree, rainy weather, but we
like to get the course mowed before the ground gets too saturated. With the rain things are already starting to perk up. The
greens looked much better this morning.
Reminder that next week we will be conducting a standard core aerification on greens. Followed
by a heavy topdressing and overseeding the greens will be setup nicely for the year. I have gotten away from a spring aerification
in the past few years, after reevaluating my program over the winter I came to some conclusions. One of which is that we need
to do as much as possible culturally to promote as strong of a stand of grass as possible. One of the ways to set us up for
a good season is to have some solid work done in the spring while the grass is growing its roots. Just look at the spots that
didn't succomb to last weeks dry conditions, most of it was in last seasons aerifiction holes. The 13th and 16th greens continue
to come along, yet I do not have a date in mind yet to have them open.
April 24th, 2008
Most of the week has been spent getting the irrigation system up and running. After a long day on Monday we got water
out to the 13th and 16th greens. By the end of the day Tuesday we had water throughout the entire course and we gave most
greens a good drink. Yesterday we fine tuned the stuck heads or problem areas. With a little rain last night and a cooler
wetter forecast on the horizon the greens will start to rebound. During periods like this with no water you realize a few
things. How much stronger Bent Grass is, how much Poa we actually have and how long grass can actually go without water.
I have had a number of comments about the early season conditions and how much fun it is to play with the firm
dry ground. It is something I have bee trending towards the last few years and something the industry on a whole as been
trending towards. And by the way the 13th and 16th both have germinated seed, so they are headed in the right direction.
|
| Watering the snow on 15 |
|
| A look inside our pumphouse |
|
| Slow Play? |
April 21st, 2008
Ok where did spring go? We went from winter right in to summer. The course is open and we are off and running into our
78th season of golf at Wahconah. The dry conditions make for some good early season golf, but have us scrambling to get our
irrigation system up and running. With our system, that is no easy chore. Once we get the sensitive components installed in
the pumphouse, we need to clean out our wet well. After a winter with a lot off rain, the wet well is filled up with silt
and debris. The only good way to get it out has been to blow the well out with compressed air. This alone takes about a day.
Once this is done we reinstall the pipe into the river and begin to fire up the pump station. The key then is to slowly fill
the lines checking for leaks and breaks as we go. Meanwhile some of the weaker poas on the shallow rooted greens have begun
to wilt even tough soils that are deeper in the profile are still moist and cool. My theory here is that grass that is going
to check out in April is probably grass we don't want on our course in August.
The 13th and 16th greens are coming along. We have seeded these greens twice, using two different methods. With seed
in the ground it becomes even more crucial for us to get water to them. Once the water is flying we can force the issue with
applying fertilizers etc.
The two pictures below are the methods we use to seed. The first is regular verticut units that we use to chop in the
bent grass seed in two directions. The second picture is our Proseeder that spikes seed into tiny holes. I like using two
methods of seeding, hoping one of them works really well.
|
| Seeding 16 green With Verticutters |
|
| Massey Tractor w/ Proseeder Spike Seeder |
April 16th, 2008
With the course opening tomorrow I am posting a few updates on conditions. First as you know 13 and 16 will be temp
greens. The 2nd, 3rd and 9th are also thin, but will be playable the other greens are all very good. We have been concentrating
on cleaning up this week and we mowed greens yesterday. Most likely we will mow greens again before the weekend.
We will also look to mow a few other areas, like tees and fairways. Not that they need it, but it helps
clean them up and provide definition. Most likely the bunkers will not be done for this weekend. Several
have some washouts, so I would suggest a drop if you end up in one. We will get into the bunkers next week, moving sand around,
fixing washouts and getting them playable. Course supplies will also find their way out on the course over
the next week, be patient. Carts will be ok for the front nine starting Thursday. The back is a little wet
in spots, but we should have it ready for carts by the weekend. We need a day to fix up some of the paths like 14, 16 and
17. The best place to drive carts right now is down the middle of the fairways and on cart paths. Places
near the woods, rivers, streams, ponds, out of bounds etc. are the places where you will get stuck. Have fun out there,
remember it is early April and things change rapidly when we begin to grow.
|
| Mowing the 11th Green |
|
| 9th Green April 15th |
April 15th, 2008
I have been asked about doing these updates etc. and what it entails. With the new format for the website it is very
simple. I have made it a habit of carrying my camera with me at all times. I have missed to many great shots by not having
it with me. So in the morning I download my photos, write a 5 minute blurb and post it to the site. The whole thing takes
me 5 minutes, spelling mistakes and all.
This morning we have a heavy frost. So the guys are folding the covers and getting them stored away until next fall.
The other picture is of the fence on #5/6. Walt and Ed did a nice job here, all it needs is a coat of stain. We will be mowing
greens today for the first time. There are a few that need it, but several that don't. We will mow them all anyway to clean
them up and smooth them out.
|
| Staying Busy in the Frost |
|
| 5th and 6th Fence |
April 14th, 2008
We finished the bridge last Friday. It took a little longer than expected, mostly because I wouldn't let them work on
it if it was raining/ snowing or if the river was real high. With a frost this morning we are getting our equipment organized,
range mats out and raking out the parking lot banks. After I get a chance to view the course I'll update you on our plan
for opening and what type of conditions you can expect.
Update II: Course Opening
After having a chance to view the course this morning we are gearing up to open on Thursday April 17th. We will have
two greens that will be out of play (the 13th and 16th). These two have experienced a fair amount of winter damage. We
will be seeding them today. Typically when we have had damage on these greens the recovery has been fairly quick. The 2nd,
3rd and 9th greens have also experienced some damage. These greens will be put into play to start the season. They are not
the greatest, but I'm confident that we can have play on them and still recover the damaged areas. If it stays dry we will
probably have carts at least on the front.
|
| Finishing Touches on the 2nd Bridge |
|
| Last of the Snow April 14th |
April 11th, 2008
Yesterday we removed the final impermeable (ice shield) cover from the 15th green. Well not totally, as the left
side of the green has a good amount of ice/snow still. We pulled the cover over into the left bunker, exposing 90% of the
green. This area is probably the single hardest area to grow turf on the entire course. The green itself drains well, but
is very shady. Ice is not a huge concern of mine and this green does not have a significant history of damage, but if
the green were to have damage, it would be very difficult to recover. That is why I continue to use the ice sheild in this
location. The second bridge will be completed today. We will be coming in Monday looking to get the course ready for late
in the week. Hopefully we don't get too much rain and the ground remains firm and the rivers stay within their banks.
|
| 15th Green - Only a little snow left (April 10th) |
|
| 6th Green - View from the 7th mens tee |
April 10th, 2008
As you can see in the following pictures we still have some pretty good pockets of snow on the course. The good
news is that we really are not dealing with much frost, so the ground is really starting to set up nicely. We will be cleaning
off greens today and possibly rolling or mowing them soon. My plan right now is to shoot for an opening later next week. This
certainly is weather dependent more than anything.
|
| 15th Hole April 9th |
|
| 5th Hole April 9th |
|
| Installing Railings on #2 Bridge |
|
| 6th Fence Construction |
|
| 6th Green April 9th |
April 9th, 2008
We were able to remove the covers from the 4th and 7th greens yesterday. Those that have been following along know that I
have been nervous about these greens and the large amount of ice they had on them all winter. Starting around Dec. 11th until
April 7th, these greens were under almost a foot of ice. That's 4 solid months. Dating as far back in club history as I can
go, these greens were almost always severally damaged in the Spring. Not only that, but with the limited sun exposure they
also usually took until at least Memorial Day or later to recover. The club was at the point of considering
rebuilding these greens. When I started as Superintendent I took a chance on using impermeable covers to try and help
minimize the damage. I even remember some in the industry telling me it was a bad idea, but I thought since they died every
year anyway what risk was I taking? Impermeable covers are basically a large sheet of clear plastic that doesn't allow
water to penetrate. In one of the most difficult winter's I have ever experienced the following pictures shows this years
results.
|
| Ice shield on #7 in late November |
|
| Water flooding #7 green in Jan 08 |
|
| #7 Green ice - Hammer is 14" long |
|
| #7 Green April 8th |
|
| 4th Green April 8th |
Other than some slight snow mold and what looks like some snow scald, both these greens are in good shape. I'm absolutely
thrilled. These covers were on for almost 150 days. Why do these covers work so well here? I really think
it is the environment we put them in. I know that these green locations stay pretty locked in all winter. There is
very little sunlight and thus very little temperature movement under the covers. I would be very hesitant to
use this type of cover on say our 13th or 16th greens, since the temperatures here can be so variable. Most
people think that all you do is grow poa under the covers. When we pull the covers off the bent grass is significantly further
along than the poa. The end result is the club no longer considers rebuilding these Greens, that is about a $100,000 savings.
April 8th, 2008
We are marching on, getting ready for the season. Here a few pics of this mornings action.
| Skiing Anyone? |
|
| Looking Back To 15th Tee April 8th |
|
| 6th Fence |
|
