Thursday, March 17, 2016

Spring has arrived early and there is plenty going on the golf course.  Anytime we can get a jump working on the course is a bonus in our book and everyone wins!  After the last two winters what a marvelous March.  Heck we were just starting to open the course at this time last year.


All the greens and most of the tees have been deep tine aerated.


These holes are over nine inches deep creating voids for roots to grow.


Soil temperatures are almost three weeks ahead of this time last year.  This was taken on March 8th and current soil readings are now in the low fifties.  Look at the difference in the turf color in one week in the previous photo.


The early warmth has started the migration of annual bluegrass weevils from their overwintering sites to   our fine mowed turf.  This is the adult stage and very difficult to see.   We begin insecticide applications soon to control this damaging pest.


Weak rough areas have been core aerated and seeded with tall fescue.  These areas are filling in rapidly.


Roots are looking superb so far.  Here is a plug from a fairway with nice white roots.  Cool season grasses grow their most extensive roots in the spring.


Thirteen tee has six inch roots!  All the new tees will open sooner than expected if the nice weather keeps up.


Here is a long over due piece of equipment recently purchased and a very happy Richard Purple.  No more manual push and pull rolling again!


Fungicides and growth regulators were applied to fairways and greens this week.


Fairway growth regulators must be watered in.  We did not receive the expected rain last night so fairways were irrigated this morning. 
  

Purple martin houses were put out this week in anticipation of their spring arrival.  We have the good fortune of having red tail hawks nesting on the course in a new nesting site.  Be the first to discover where and respond to this blog or to me in person and receive a dozen Pro V's!



Saturday, March 5, 2016

Winter's last gasp has occurred and spring has arrived!  The course is so much further along than last winter when we didn't open till March 21st.  This week all of the bunkers were intensely cultivated and the faces compacted and are ready for play.  Next week we begin aeration and seeding of weak rough areas.  The following week we will deep tine aerate the greens and tees.  With the excellent weather we expect lots of golf this week!

The tarps are off and the greens look very healthy.  Once they are acclimated to the  environment
they will open.


Using a tine harrow to lift up matted rough from the snow.  New shoots are rapidly emerging in these areas.  We will begin aeration and seeding this week.


The first mow of the fairways.


Winterberry hollies still showing plenty of fruit in late winter.  These should be gone soon as new seasons growth occurs.


The last snow of winter? 


Friday found us back in the shop wrapping up some final course accessory work.  Here Luis measures and cuts Vinyl Guard for hazard stakes.


Using a heat gun he shrink wraps the vinyl over the pvc.


Voila! The stake is complete.  No more painting and a polished professional look.


Sure signs of spring…


Bee colony #2 survived the winter!  The warm weather last week brought them out of the hive and we started feeding with sugar water.