Happy Holidays!  Drainage work couldn't have gone better prior to Christmas.  All work was completed except for the 3rd hole before the Christmas Eve deluge.  Can you say perfect timing!  The 3rd hole drainage begins on January 4th and that will complete this project.

Adding a six inch drain line from the chipping and practice green to the creek on nine.  There are several basins in this line as well.

The completed drainage with plenty of water flowing.

We added a diversion berm on the 8th hole with soil from the 9th hole drainage spoils.  Storm water use to cross the rough and then follow the fairway towards the tee.  Water now follows the path and releases left of the cart path.

More aeration and dormant overseeding in bermudagrass on the 8th hole.

Covering cold, shady greens for winter.  These covers will be removed in March.

'Tis the season for cold hard frosts.  Walking on frozen turf bruises and can actually kill the grass. Gill knows better! 

Have a socially distanced and healthy holiday.  From our staff to you Happy Holidays!

  

What a weekend we are experiencing.  Sixty degrees in December and a packed golf course.  This comes to a screeching halt next week as winter arrives along with a possible snow storm on Wednesday.  We had an excellent week of work.  The drainage project began and the 15th fairway work is nearly complete.  With a rough weather week coming production may slow down for a while.  Fifteen was by far the largest part of this project and we are fortunate to get it done before next week. 

Our crew continued to lay sod this week.  Nearly a half acre was installed on holes 4, 6, and 8.  That will do it for this year in the sod department.  The crew also enlarged the 4th green tee and replaced the playing surface with new grass.  This will be covered next week and remain closed until spring.  Temporary greens have been readied and tarps will be installed on greens 3.4, and 5 to prevent winter injury by the end of the year.  

Drainage installation on the 15th hole.  Here one of the catch basins is being prepared.

Meet Alvaro-an artist with a backhoe.  Alvaro is our favorite construction foremen with McDonald and Sons.  In this photo he is shaping the catch basin at the beginning of the drainage system.

Sod installation on the sixth hole.

Prepping for new sod on the eighth hole.

Setting the grade on the green tee on hole four.

The completed tee Friday morning with frost blanketing the turf.

Julio and Pedro picking up leaves.  Divot mix came in the white totes which we find are great for collecting leaves.

Leaf blowing in the parking lot waiting for the frost to lift.

Friday morning.

Eight green.

It's going to be a busy Friday in December???

Happy Saturday morning.  The course received 1.5" of rain last night.  The best time to evaluate drainage is when it's raining and we have seen plenty lately.  Drainage work begins this week.  We had another excellent week of work on the course.  All the greens received deep tine aeration and then were treated with a season ending fungicide application.  More sod was laid on holes 2, 16 and 17.  In addition we are core aerating bermudagrass in fairways and then overseeding with bentgrass.  Hopefully this will weaken the bermudagrass and the bent will germinate over the winter/spring. We shall see.

Deep aeration of greens.  The more we do this the better the greens!

Preparing two rough for new sod.

Beautiful work by the crew at 17 green.

Core aeration in bermudagrass encroachment in 18 fairway.

After the fairway is drug and blown it is seeded using this spiker seeder by Josh.

All the tulips have been planted and mulched.

The drainage equipment has arrived.  Work begins on Monday.

A lot of hooded mergansers were at the course this week.  Mallards too.