Bench Pads

Written by Jerry Richard Monday, 23 April 2012 11:38

Each spring we put out about 25 benches on the course near the tees.  It is mostly arbitrary where they go exactly and so in some cases we have been able to make pads for the benches like on #1 or #10.  More recenty we did bench pads on #12 and #13 a couple of years ago.  We are constructing 3 more bench pads on #12 and #6 using bricks that were liberated from the job on #15 black tee last fall.  These pads create sites for the benches, many of which are memorial and assigned to specific holes by family or friends.  They also look very tidy and reduce manhours for maintenance.

It is a nasty windy and cold day today and so with other maintenance jobs postponed we are working on the practice range, as well as picking branches and making bench pads...in the foreground is a new pad on #6, with Jay and Matt finishing another beside the silver tee...

A Mighty Wind...What a Mess!

Written by Jerry Richard Friday, 20 April 2012 15:59

We spent a considerable amount of effort in the early spring cleaning the course of debris, but Monday's heavy wind has all but returned it again.  We are back out on the blower, blowing sticks back into the tree lines and natural areas.  It is amazing what a couple of thousand weak-limbed trees will drop, and the wind we had on Monday was enough to knock out the power and blow over fences.  Our poplar trees are especially dirty and much time is spent on #1, #5 and #18.  Willows are just as bad but easier to clean up.

This branch came down on #8...

Well on #12

Written by Jerry Richard Wednesday, 18 April 2012 18:34

It's been several years since we drilled a second irrigation well beside hole #12.  Our intention back then was to prepare for pressure from the M.O.E. to reduce or even eliminate water taking from Mud Creek.  With our permit to pump water renewed for another 10 years, they are looking at that very thing.  Our permit to pump water include 3 sources, both wells plus Mud creek, and so the #12 well is already permitted for use, it is just the cost and the work that we have been avoiding until now.  We are employing 2 methods of installing the pipe and wire that will connect the well to the pond, a stretch totalling 750 feet.  About 500 feet of the run will be horizontally drilled in under the 4th and 13th fairways to limit disruption in those sensitive areas.  Horizontal drilling is the same as vertical drilling except that the hole is drilled parallel to the ground surface.  The rest of the 250 feet will be trenched in by our staff with a rental unit.

The beauty of horizontal drilling is that it can go below things like irrigation pipes. tree roots and any other obstructions near the surface.  They drilled the 500 feet in about 3 hours...

Roots

Written by Jerry Richard Wednesday, 18 April 2012 10:44

Nothing can get a Superintendent more excited about his greens than seeing roots burrowing deep into the soil.  This droughty spring is helping our greens produce some thick white roots penetrating through aeration holes, with the help of the wetting agent  recently applied.  The fellas changing hole this spring have been reporting a noticeable increase in deep white roots while moving the cups on the greens.  This was not unexpected as many of my Superintendent friends have told me similar stories after vertidraining their greens, as we did last fall.  The relative dryness encourages roots go grow deeper where more moisture is present.  Creating the best medium for roots to grow by aeration and increasing pore spaces is also important.

...We are seeing roots as much as 8 inches down into the muck layer below the sandier surface...

Dry Greens Relief

Written by Jerry Richard Saturday, 14 April 2012 14:40

The dry spell has certainly created some unique conditions on the course.  The greens are so firm that it has been difficult to change holes over the past few days.  Saturday morning we treated the greens with a first application of wetting agent, irrigating before and after treatment to get the product into the soil profile.  Sunday's rain helped as well, but the very early spring, recent cold temperatures and heavy maintenance traffic has the greens looking pale and hungry.  Nutrient uptake for any plants at this time of year is minimal and so it will take some time for the turf to get good colour.