Happy Sunday morning!  We just received a very beneficial 3/4" of rain and the firm and fast course conditions we have been experiencing are over for now.  Wind arrives and then some spring heat will help dry the course out.  There is plenty going on with the most important news that our First Assistant Superintendent Josh Peters resigned and is now First Assistant at Washington Golf.  This is a good career move for Josh and we wish him well.  We are actively pursuing candidates and hope to have a new Assistant on board very soon.  

Josh spent over five years with our team and will be missed.

We had a nice catered lunch from Anita's.  It was a great way to say thank you.

Last weekend we had two bird watching sessions that were overwhelmingly successful.  Two birding experts guided us through the sights and sounds of different birds.

We saw forty-five different species over the two mornings.

All the greens collars were aerated on Monday.  The expanded collars were topdressed on Tuesday.  Greens will be aerated on May 3rd.

If you suffer from spring allergies you can blame the oaks for some of your misery.  Here our crew blows the practice green off.  The flowers of the oaks are called catkins and this goes on for about two weeks.  The invasion of the catkins!  

Preparing for more wildflowers.  The darker green areas have just been treated with a non-selective herbicide to remove all competition.  This will be repeated in about ten days.

The eighteenth hole starting to show off.

The grand finale of our 2021 tulip display.  

 It has been a busy week on the course.  Fairway aeration was moving along nicely until just enough rain came to stop the operation.  More rain that night forced us to stop and move into panic mode.  The crew was great and we were able to clean up the remaining cores by back pack blowing to high areas where tractors could safely pick them up.  Seven holes remain and these will be completed the week greens are aerated.  

Monday morning and we are off and running.

When the weather cooperates this work gets knocked out quick.

After the cores have dried they are drug and then picked up neatly with the core collectors.

Unfortunately it rained and we had to clean up by hand on Tuesday afternoon.  Eventually we had ten men on blowers moving cores to high ground where we could carefully use tractors.

Club grounds were aerated as well on Monday.  Fertilizer with weed control was applied on Thursday.

The driving range tee is showing nice results from seeding last fall with low grow bluegrass.  Here bermudagrass can be seen just coming out of dormancy next to the tee surface that is about ready to play on.  

The tee after mowing on Thursday.  We can expect to practice on grass on weekends in early May and then set the pedal to the metal once the bermuda starts growing by the end of the month-Weather Permitting!

Spring is the time when winter weeds begin actively growing.  This is called hairy bittercress and it has been quite prevalent.  The leaves are edible and can be used in salads.  Most winter weeds can be removed by simply mowing and waiting for warm weather to bid them goodbye.

Our tulip display has been a real show stopper!

 

 

 It's Masters week!  Wednesday we had our Master's Par Three competition and the course provided quite the challenge.  We even experienced Augusta weather!  Let's hope this is a sign for a great golf year.  Fairway aeration begins Monday including the driving range.  The entire course is closed as we expedite this important cultural practice.  The club grounds will be aerated as well.

Eighteen green all waxed and primed for the Par Three.

Jose B and the crew are doing some great detail sod work. 

Repairing a poorly drained area on the first hole.

This week the rough received the first of two preemergent herbicide applications followed by irrigation.  This will be reapplied in about six weeks. 

Insects are on the move as soil temperatures rise.  There are more ground beetles on the greens than we can remember and if you look closely you will see an annual bluegrass beetle below it.  Insecticide applications to control these adult beetles will begin shortly.

Plenty of tree work this week.  Here is a look before and after of some removals on the first hole.

The oak to the left of the bunker was planted too close to the bunker and the maple to the right was dead.

On the ninth hole we removed the red maple on the left and pruned the willow oak in the foreground to open up the left side of the fairway from the gold tee.  

The new view.

Cleaning up an eyesore by the 12th tee.  This will be planted with more pollinators this spring.

Our tulip display is spectacular.

We all love Gill.  I'm requesting that we stop giving her treats though and see if she can shed a few pounds.  

 

  

 

 Opening day is this Thursday with a forecast of 49 degrees and windy.  March is going out like a schizophrenic lion.  Warm then cold then warm.  Well that's March.  We have been plenty busy getting the course ready for the start of the golf season.  Hopefully we will complete rough aeration this week.  It looks like our first rough mowing will be next week as well as our first preemergent application to the rough.  This will be repeated in about six weeks.  Annual bluegrass seed head prevention applications began on St. Patrick's Day.  A second application will happen soon.  So far results have been quite good.  The greens should be fast and smooth for the Master's Par 3 competition.

Rough aeration began last Monday.  With a little luck this should be completed this week.

This yellowish circle is a disease called brown ring patch.  It has been quite prevalent on our greens the last few springs but a change in our fungicide program has reduced the severity of this disease.  I believe we have nipped it in the bud!

Our putting surfaces are starting to shine.  Roots are beginning to grow deeper and deeper.

Expecting perfect annual bluegrass seed head suppression is impossible.  Here a small plant exhibits some seed head inflorescence.

 Ball marks continue to be a concern.  Please don't forget to repair these to keep our greens uniform and smooth.

Saturday morning and the course is starting to shine.  

The 11th hole looking good.

Wind damage and one less pine on the course this morning.  More tree work is planned next week.

 

     

 Spring is about to bust out.  Much needed rain followed by warming temperatures is on the way.  Soil temps have about reached fifty degrees as well.  Our first application for annual bluegrass seed head suppression went down today along with a fungicide application.  Hold on cause the season is here!

Soil temperatures are near 50 degrees on March 15th. Time for our first fungicide.

Monday morning sunrise special.  Deep tine aeration of greens under perfect conditions except for the cold chill in the air.

Awesome results that did nor require immediate rolling.  The tees were done next.

Cutting back the lirope with a rotary mower before mulching.

How about the professional mulch job by our staff!  They have spread 100 cubic yards so far.

Proposed pollinator garden left of  the 12th tee by our shop.

Proposed wild flower garden between the 11th cart path and the 12th hole.  This area is flagged to view more easily on the course.

Red tail hawks pairing up.

Spraying the green GREEN on St. Patty's Day!

  

 Quite a change in the weather this week.  Turf covers were removed today and all greens will get their first mow tomorrow.  The entire course will open on Wednesday and all play will start from number one.  This great weather will be with us all week so we expect to see lots of golf and some greening of the course.  It has been a while since the course has been so dormant.

Removing the turf cover on three green.

In the afternoon they were rolled and ready to me mowed on Tuesday.

What a contrast to the dormant turf.

The crew has been busy.  Here they are finishing up the tie curb removal and then gently sloping the grade for a more natural look.

A much better look and easier to maintain.

We have a Richard Purple sighting pruning some long overdue crabapple trees!

An overdue drainage repair on the 12th hole.  Here our men are diverting storm water from entering the fairway to a catch basin in the rough.

Mulch Madness has begun!

Spring is around the corner.  Currently soil temperatures are 40 degrees.  It will be interesting to see what they are by the end of the week.