There has been a lot of activity on the course over the past couple of weeks as we prepare for our busiest months of the year. We have been working from tee to green on final details to set us up for a successful season. Before I get into the good stuff I need to let you know about a hydraulic leak on the 4th hole. One of our rough mowers blew a hydraulic hose and it leaked and sprayed oil over an area of rough. We have flushed the area, and applied a compound to help soak up the heaviest concentration. Time will tell how effective this treatment was. Much of the damage from an oil leak is from the heat of the oil burning the turf. Once we know the extent of the damage, which will be within a week, we will re-sod any areas that turn brown. Our Green Committee Chaiman, Charlie Murphy shared a quote that I had never heard before, but is very true. When it comes to oil leaks "there are 2 types of superintendents - the ones that just had an oil leak, and the ones that are about to!" It is a reality of this business that we live with, and deal with when it happens.
Damage from this hydrauloc leak will be repaired as needed.
Daily course rules signs have been installed at #1 and #10 tees. These signs have sliders that display different messages. Examples are "Course Closed", Fertilizer Applied", and "90 Degrees Rule Today" Be sure to check these daily.
We continue to look for solutions to the weak perimiters we are experiencing on some of the greens. To date we have managed irrigation to these areas by taking moisture readings daily and hand watering accordingly, dedicated a less agressive cut mower to cut greens perimiters, put these areas on a perscription fertilization program, and replaced drain vents with caps. Our latest effort was a multi step process.
The first step was to hand aerify the area. The device we are using is a hand made tool that our equipment technicians fabricated. This tool pulls a small plug and creates holes in the green.
This is a close-up view of the holes.
Next, a soil ammendment is poured onto the area.
The material is then worked into the holes and spread evenly over the surface. The product we are using is a greens grade porous ceramic. Each particle has microscopic holes that perform better than natural soil. By amending our greens mix we are greatly increasing pore space which will increase water and air movement, and nutrient holding capacity. The areas that we are having challenges with on the greens are persistent - they are the same spots we have been struggling with since last summer. As I have stated before, we will continue working on these areas until we have consistent quality turf throughout all greens.
Our last wall to wall fertilization was completed this week. This granular application will get us through until spring. We can expect a burst of color and growth as the quick release portion of the fertilizer kicks in. Then the slow release portion will feed the turf throughout the season.
This large spreader quickly spreads the fertilizer over the wide open areas of the course.
Push spreaders are used around tees, green slopes, bunkers, and lake banks. Blowers follow the applicators to move the fertilizer off hard surfaces and onto the turf. It is important for us to keep the fertilizer on target and out of lakes, preserves, and areas that could run off into drains.
As you can see we have been busy with last day preparations for our busy golfing season ahead. We are expecting a record season with not only a high number of rounds of golf played, but also high member satisfaction. As this will probably be my last posting of the year I am wishing everyone Happy Holidays, and a healthy and happy New Year!
