We are entering our first hot spell of the summer,  The course looks exceptional entering this heat wave and our turf is much stronger than this time last year.  The root system is much more vigorous entering summer and should be able to handle stress better.  Please remember to do your part by driving your cart according to the rules as well as repairing ball marks and divots properly.  The course performed admirably during Men's and Ladies Member Guest.  Thanks to my staff for some stellar work before and during the competitions!

 

It's five am and the maintenance department is bustling.  It must be Member Guest!

 

 

Great job by the crew getting the bunkers back into shape after the heavy storms.  We compacted all the faces before the tournament began and avoid raking them afterwards.  This is called the 'Aussie" method as seen in Australian competitions and common in the U.S. now.

 

 

We have created some excellent definition in mowing heights around the greens.

 

 

Dave Cameron and his guest Bob Gibson enjoyed the course during Member Guest!

 

 

The rough throughout the course is getting more uniform.  The TriMax rough unit does an amazing job and was an excellent purchase (made in New Zealand).

 

 

The weeds have been out of control this spring but we are on a mission to eliminate as many as possible.  Here Josh sprays roundup with a preemergent in our wood chip beds.  New chips will be added soon.

 

 

We are also preparing two areas for wildflowers.  Here the seventh tee bank is flagged and ready for an herbicide application.  These areas not only benefit wildlife but save labor-no more grass to mow!

 

 

We are also doing these two areas directly behind six tee.

 

 

There are plenty of plants showing off this spring/summer.  This is a golden rain tree in all it's glory.

 

 

A different view of the fifth hole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Member Guest week has arrived.  Unfortunately so has the rain.  We received one and a half inches last night and six tenths the day before.  Last nights rain set us back.  All the bunkers washed as well as many of the beds .We will need a little luck going forward with the potential of more drenching storms through Thursday.

 

This looks eerily familiar to last season.

 

 

Our bunkers are old type construction that wash when we have extreme downpours.  Newer construction featuring Better Billy or Capillary Concrete type drainage liners do not erode.

 

 

We purchased a new bunker rake and blower just in time.  Check out this rig.

 

 

Tano pushing sand with our new equipment.

 

 

More storm damage-NOT what we need before a big tournament.

 

 

On Tuesday we double cut the greens.  We have found mowing back and forth on the same pass is an efficient way to accomplish this.

 

 

Finally some tree work was done after all the storms.  This is one serious chipper that can do up to 24 inches in diameter!

 

 

Cutting up the tree by six tee.  It is too soft to move equipment around most of the course so some work remains.

 

 

Some nice green repair done on the 8th green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The course received a beneficial .85" of rain Sunday and Monday.  Nice and slow-sometimes called a superintendent's rain!  Boy does the course show it's favor today.  We were able to get the outing off on Monday.  Rained on us all morning but stopped by 12:45 just in time for golf.  The guys continue to get it done on Monday with partial closure.  All the fairway sprinklers were edged, all greenside bunkers except the 17th hole were edged, depth checked and slopes firmed up and almost ten acres of rough were treated with an insecticide for grub control-perfect for a rainy day!  Fairways were mowed and greens were rolled as well!

 

Josh spraying Acelepryn insecticide for season long grub control in light rain.  Perfect!

 

 

Greenside bunkers edged to perfection.

 

 

Today we crosscut greens and groomed at the same time.  Grooming is a light form of vertical mowing that reduces lateral growth and forces the turf to grow upward.  We removed a lot of grass from the greens.  Interestingly the greens actually slow down as the turf is pulled upwards from this process.  This is short term and green speed will increase over the next few days as we mow, roll and lightly topdress.

 

 

Our Audubon Sanctuary Program continues to excel.  We planted milkweed along four tee bank as part of the Monarchs in the Rough Program.  Please google this if interested.

 

 

Milkweed beginning to bloom,  I keep searching for monarch caterpillars but haven't seen any so far.

 

 

The wildflowers on three continue to surprise.  Last month yellow coreopsis bloomed in profusion and now white daisies are in abundance.  What's next?

 

 

We have nineteen bluebird houses on our property and have bluebirds, tree swallows or wrens in fourteen of them which is an amazing success story.  Here bluebirds are just hatching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another week, another damaging storm.  Sunday night the power pole near the sixth tee that feeds our pumping station was struck by lightning.  The variable frequency drive (VFD) was damaged and will need to be replaced.  The pumps are back up today having bypassed the drive and running the pumps full bore.  Hopefully warranty will cover the drive-if not there is an insurance claim coming.
Monday featured another outing.  Before it began we were able to repair divots in all the fairways, treat the fairways with a fungicide, growth regulator, preemergent herbicide and fertilizer, remove the downed tree in the driving range and work on flower beds.  This work is in addition to prepping the course for the outing.  Mondays continue to be our most productive day.
 

 

Here is the power pole that was struck by lightning.

 

 

We have begun herbicide applications in fescue/blue sod to eradicate bermudagrass.  Here is sod that  was treated on Saturday on the 16th hole.  Turflon Ester and Acclaim herbicide were applied to specific areas that have encroaching bermudagrass.  These areas will be retreated in 30 days.

 

 

The mounds behind 16 green were treated as well.

 

 

New sod requires more fertilization the first few years to help it establish.  Here the yellow turf around 18 fairway is saying feed me which we just did! 

 

 

Trimmit growth regulator letting the Poa annua have it on the practice green.  The morning sun allowed this picture to really illustrate the effects of the regulator.

 

 

We have at least one baby red tail hawk on the 9th hole.  Here the adults supervise the nest. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been a great spring for the golf course.  We are just about caught up with most of our spring cultural and chemical applications.  The storm on Thursday was unfortunate and required us to divert labor to cleaning up the mess.  Such are variables when working with the weather.  Oh well that is what makes this job so interesting.

 

Debris being cleared from the practice green Friday morning.  Tee times were pushed back one hour to give us a little breathing room setting up the course.

 

 

Four large trees fell.  Half of this tulip poplar is resting on an oak.

 

 

 

The other half is in the driving range fairway.  This will be cleaned up on Monday.

 

 

Left of three tee.  It is remarkable this tree lasted as long as it did.

 

 

Large oak through a neighbors fence at six tee.

 

 

Half of a white pine in fourteen fairway.

 

 

Our last Sargent crabapple on the course.  We'll plant a better variety later.