What a spectacular weekend we just experienced.  Unfortunately those visions of spring were short lived and we are once again facing another wicked cold pattern.  About half of our staff are using vacation this week so lucky them!  The rest of the crew is splitting wood from the trees that were recently cut down.  Split wood is available on a first come basis and may be picked up by the driving range near the 12th green.  We have just completed cutting back all growth in the eighth creek which concludes this work for this year.  Ornamental grasses are next.

 

A "dusting" of snow this morning.

 

 

Tulips starting to break the surface in the cutting garden.

 

 

Cutting back all growth in the eighth creek.  This wraps up this work for the year.

 

 

We are starting to see some green up in the bent fairways.  This is a southern slope on the sixth hole.

 

 

We have seen some minor disease in the fairways as the snow melted.  This is called pink snow mold and it is common to our area.  Fungicides were applied in November to prevent this.  Rarely does it kill grass. 

 

 

Once the ice melted off the lakes the hooded mergansers returned.  These ducks are very reclusive and hard to photograph up close.

Winter will not go away.  Hopefully this is the last of the snow and may the great melt begin!  Snow is beneficial to the turf as it insulates it from extreme cold and the slow gradual melting process is great for the water table.  This snow should be superb for our new turf.  Our crew did a great job with snow removal and are to be congratulated for their hard work.  Erik and several staff members arrived Wednesday night and stayed all night clearing the parking lot.  Other staff came in before sunrise to supplement the work. 
 

 

Prior to the snow the crew completed cutting back all growth in the 7th creek.

 

 

The completed ditch ready for the season.

 

 

While the ground was frozen we hired a tree company to remove five large trees that were either dead or in serious decline.  Here a large white oak is being removed between two and seventeen.

 

 

A look with the tree removed.

 

 

Lots of firewood but a real shame to lose a tree like this.

 

 

These guys don't mess around and they have the equipment to get it done.  The loader will feed this main trunk into the chipper.

 

 

Feeding the white pine into the chipper.  This is their small chipper!

 

 

Grinding the stump at the seventh tee.

 

 

Two trees were completed on Monday while the ground was still frozen.  This twin lead oak is at the beginning of the first hole on the right.

 

 

A view after removal.

 

 

We received about a foot of snow.

 

 

To get home the guys had to dig themselves out!

 

 

Keeping geese off the course is difficult when there is this much snow but Quincy tries.

 

 

Damage to the seventh fairway from kids playing.  Sometimes a fence would be really nice as signs don't work.

 

 

Spring is coming as these daffodils pushing through the snow illustrate.

 

We are about half way through winter and we say uncle!  With every passing day winter's grip is a little less powerful but enough already.   Erik and I attended the Golf Course Industry show in Orlando last week and the weather was really nice.  We had several days of continuing education and then walked the trade show looking at everything under the sun involving golf course management.  Annika Sorenstam received our associations most prestigious award and gave an enlightening talk with The Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman.  Meanwhile our crew continues to prepare for the upcoming season working outside when possible. 

 

The trade show has over 175,000 square feet of floor space that our feet will attest to.

 

 

The John Deere booth.

 

 

Annika Sorenstam and Kelly Tilghman.

 

 

A birthday card signing celebrating Toro's 100th birthday.

 

 

Sanding benches prior to finishing with teak oil.

 

A newly finished bench.

 

Juan preparing rake handles for vinyl guard.

 

 

Francisco working on fairway cutting units.

 

 

We are collecting seed from ornamental grasses in the 7th creek and planting in other creek beds.

 

 

Cutting down piles of brush below the 3rd tee.

 

 

Annual bluegrass is easy to spot in dormant bent.  On this particular day the turf thawed out and allowed us to remove annual bluegrass plants in the practice green.

February is here and the frigid winter continues to be the story.  We are experiencing a mild weekend but the forecast goes downhill again next week.  We will be glad when this winter is over.  The crew continues to ready the course for the coming season.  The new turf looks great and will be ready for play this spring.  The third fairway continues to improve despite the cold.  We expect to play this hole as a par three to begin the season but there shouldn't be much of a delay until it opens.  This will be a real test for the Patriot bermudagrass on the driving range tee.  This variety of bermudagrass was bred to withstand extreme cold but this winter is the first real test since it was developed.  Hopefully some of the common types on the course will be hurt!

 

We installed snow fencing to deter children from playing on the fifth green and it has been effective.

 

 

Another tree down from the snow storm at the 16th tee.

 

 

Dormant fescue adjacent to bent on the 16th hole still illustrating a nice contrast.  It has been a while since we have seen such a harsh winter.

 

 

Crystal BlueLinks in winter dormancy.

 

 

Patriot bermudagrass that is hopefully only dormant.

 

 

Clearing brush around the lake on hole fifteen.

 

 

The crew clearing the right side of the fifth hole for increased visibility of the hazard.

 

 

This picture shows the effect of a late season application of iron on the third hole.  The light square area was not sprayed.

 

 

Our red tail hawks have a new nest not far from where they nested last year on the twelfth hole.

 

 

The third fairway continues to improve through the winter.

 

 

The fifteenth hole before renovation.

 

Number fifteen after renovation.  We can't wait to open!