The Country Club at Castle Pines Golf Course Maintenance

Night and Day

2012-01-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest regional update from the USGA. It is amazing how the weather patterns are so different from year to year. This confirms what I have always said, that the winters are more difficult on the turf than the summer time. The link to the update can be found Here enjoy.

High Winds

2011-12-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Today the high winds have taken their toll on some of our Elk fencing that is protecting the greens. Every day we are checking to make sure the fencing is still up and undamaged by the wind or wildlife. Most of the time when repairs are needed they are relatively quick and easy to do.

Generally the area of failure comes from the rope rubbing against steel poles causing the rope to break. We have been installing sleeves made out of old hose to help reduce the friction on the rope in these wear areas. The fence installation has been an ongoing experiment and we are continuing to find out better ways of securing the fencing material to the post.

At First Look

2011-12-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

With a little over three weeks of snow cover on the golf course, today I took my first peek under the snow to see how things are doing. The area of greatest concern is always the greens and as of right now they look great. The snow is more than one foot deep and is all still powder which allows for great air and light movement to the turf below.

All turf managers biggest fear is the formation of a lasting ice layer under the snow which will over time suffocate and eventually kill the turf. Poa Annua is the most vulnerable to this problem and fortunately for us our Poa populations are not terribly high. Damage to Poa can occur in as little at 14 days whereas Bentgrass can withstand prolonged cover of more than 30 days with out problem.

The snow is still very light and powdery with a thin crust on top which is actually holding the snow cover in place against the strong winter winds. Another side benefit from using fencing to keep the elk of the greens has been the fact that the snow on the greens has been untouched. All of it remains light and fluff and not packed down by foot traffic which also can lead to ice formation.

The seven day forecast looks to be warm with high winds, so a great potential for significant snow melt exist. We will be closely monitoring the melting and take any necessary actions to protect the greens from ice forming. This could include complete to partial snow removal and making sure no excess water freezes on the greens surface.

There is no off season when it comes to managing turf, the only thing that changes are the situations that create a different set of problems for turf loss.

Picture Perfect

2011-12-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

The timing of our latest snowfall could not have been better for providing us with a white Christmas. I would like to wish everybody happy holidays and a Merry Christmas.

Another One Is Done

2011-11-15T15:51:00.001-07:00

As the wildlife activity increases another green has been shut down for the season. The latest green to be closed is #6 which was one of the most heavily damaged ones last year.

The fencing has been put up and but unfortunately some minor damage has already occurred. That being said the entire green was dormant seeded and then covered with a heavy layer of sand to help insulate and protect the green throughout the winter. The hoof marks appear to have only scraped away the turf leaving the crown of the plants in tact which should allow for a full recovery. If not new seed is in place to help repair these areas come spring.

Additional greens will be closed as deemed by the wildlife traffic. Eventually they will all be shut down by the 1st of December.

Close Up of Hoof Damage

Heavy Sand Topdressing

The Replacements Are Here!

2011-11-11T13:55:00.001-07:00

We have begun replacing some of our trees that have died in the last several years with new ones that will help re-vegetate these areas.

This fall we are planning on planting 10 new pine trees that will range in height from 16' to 22' tall so that they do not look out of proportion with the surrounding trees. These trees will be a combination of both Austrian and Ponderosa Pines which will add some genetic variability to the Forrest.

That's A Wrap

2011-11-03T12:17:00.000-06:00

It looks like things on the golf course are coming to a rapid close for the season after the last snowfall of more than 10". Fortunately for us there are only a couple of things remaining on the course that needs to be done before winter sets in for good.Earlier this week we were able to accomplish a few critical tasks that needed to happen before the snow fell. These would be preventive applications for snow mold control on greens and tees, additionally a dormant fertilizer application was made to the fairways.

This fertilizer application will supply the nutrients to the turf immediately and allow the plant to store "food" (carbohydrates) for next spring. An effective late fall fertilization will benefit the turf by producing carbohydrates, encouraging early spring root growth, providing good spring color and improving turf density.

Next week we are scheduled to blow out the irrigation system and it looks like we will be doing it with snow on the ground.....again.

Mocking Up

2011-10-28T13:19:00.000-06:00

Today we began the process of finalizing the Elk fencing installation. As the parts required for the fencing continue to arrive, we finally had the chance to put together a working version of my concept plan. What you see in the picture above will become the future of our winter greens protection program.

All things considered the design will stay essentially the same but minor tweaks will be done to ensure the Elk remain on the out side looking in.

Back By Popular Demand

2011-10-25T15:38:00.000-06:00

Due to the overwhelming positive comments we received this year about our new expanded intermediate rough cuts, we will be adding a few more. These new areas will be found on holes #1,#3,#7,#15 and #18. All in all these areas will make up about 40,000 sq ft or just under an acre of new intermediate rough.

These extra cuts are targeted in areas where the higher handicap players tend to hit, now these areas will be more player friendly and help with pace of play.

What Are The Blue Dots?

2011-10-21T16:12:00.000-06:00

What are the blue dots around some of the greens are for ? The answer is that we are marking the locations for fence posts that will installed to support material to protect the greens from winter wildlife damage. The post will be spaced every 25 feet to provide enough support for the fencing material. Once we have layed out the initial post configuration we will then locate the underground irrigation system components before any posts are installed.

You all are aware of the damage that was caused to the greens by the Elk last year and we will be doing all that we can to avoid a repeat of that damage. Currently the greens are scheduled to go on temporaries beginning December 1st as they are every year, at this time the greens will be closed off with fencing for the remainder of the winter season. There is also a chance that some of our more trafficked greens will get fenced off before the December 1st date, the most likely candidates for this would be greens #4,#6 and #10. In one night the damage caused by the Elk can require month’s of recovery time that includes wasted man hours installing thousands of replacement turf plugs to the greens.

These fences will be eight feet tall in order to keep the wildlife from jumping over them. We are still currently engineering the final configurations of the fences, but at this point they will be constructed out of steel fence post and tennis wind screens will serve as the fence boundaries. The reason we are using a fabric as the fencing itself is so that we can still easily access the greens during the winter for maintenance purposes. A more rigid material will become unworkable in the middle of winter when temperatures are routinely in the single digits.

Once again the Board has stepped up and provided the necessary funding for this extremely important project of protecting our greens. In the next several weeks we will begin to install the post for the fences at the greens locations in advance of the ground freezing. These post will be in play, so if your line is effected you will be allowed to take a drop from the obstruction. These post will be an inconvenience for some of our later season play, but I believe the benefits will far outweigh the damage that is caused annually. The wildlife is spectacular to see up close and personal, but it comes with at a price.

Turf Slapped

2011-10-19T11:22:00.000-06:00

A Golf Course Superintendent could only wish.......

And So It Begins

2011-10-17T15:55:00.001-06:00

It is once again that time of year when the wildlife namely the Elk and Deer have a negative effect on the golf course. These animals have been back for a while but until recently their damage was minimal. It seems as if each morning we are finding more and more damage to the turf throughout the golf course.

This year the Board has funded a greens protection program in which protective fencing will be installed at most of the greens that have had historical damage to them. The timing for fencing will be around the 1st of December which is our traditional date for closing the greens and utilizing temporaries throughout the winter months. The timing could change for our more trafficed greens by days or even weeks. We will begin installing the support post in the next several weeks before the ground becomes frozen and we are no longer to get them in the ground. These post will be there long before any of the fencing goes up and will add some additional challenges for the golfers around the greens complexes.

This protection will go a long way in helping to protect our greens from avoidable damage in the winter months. It will be a welcomed change in the spring to not have to spend the first several months repairing the damage to the greens. Thousands of plugs and and countless man hours will be spared and will be more effectively utilized elsewhere.

Urine Burn

Hoofing It Up

Needle Drop

2011-10-07T12:22:00.000-06:00

One would thinkthat a tree classified as being an evergreen would mean that pine

trees keep theirneedles indefinitely. Pine trees actuallyonly keep an individual needle for

two or three years.After that time period, the tree stopsfeeding the older needles and the

needles die in thefall, turn yellow or brown, and drop off the tree.

Each spring thepine trees grows new set of needles, while each fall the pine tree sheds itsoldest set of needles. Some years a pine tree may shed two sets of old needles, making the fallneedle drop even more apparent. This year with the abundant moisture in the we had a great year of needle growth.

This fall there is an incredible amount of needles that are going to fall and fortunately for us us the last several days of high winds have blown the majority down in one shot. Now the cleanup begins.

Older Needles Turning Brown

It Looks Nice But Don't Touch

2011-09-27T13:48:00.000-06:00

Poison Ivy [Toxicodendron radicans] is found throughout most of the United States and southern Canada.Poison Ivy can grow as a self-supporting woody shrub or as a thin trailing vine running along the ground and even an aerial-rooted vine growing on shrubs, trees, power poles, and fences. Older (ten years or older) vines can grow to several inches in diameter as high as 30-feet.

Poison Ivy is a perennial plant that is reproduced by seeds and woody rhizomes.Over the years the populations have steadily grown throughout the Village and is now on the verge of becoming a major problem.

As a result of this we have stepped up our efforts to help control this dangerous weed. Currently the Poison Ivy is very easy to spot due to the beautiful fall color that it is currently displaying, Don't be fooled though stay away. We have been using mixtures of broad leaf herbicides to control it with varying degrees of success. The Ivy is very hard to kill due to its waxy leaf surface that makes herbicides unable to be effectively absorbed by the plant. As a result of this several herbicide applications may be necessary to completely control this plant species.

A Little Help

2011-09-02T11:31:00.000-06:00

We are scheduled for our fall aerification October 3rd thru October 5th on all of the play areas. That being said, yesterday we went out and aerified the greens on holes 4 and 10 in efforts to help these two greens which have struggled since they were sodded last year. These two greens have never really rooted properly and I decided it would be in the best interest of the overall greens health to punch these an additional time before October.It will take a couple of days for the excess sand to become less visible as the green grows out through it. This extra aerification will go a long way to help with rooting and a disruption of the sod inter phase layer that has had a negative impact on sod establishment. Couple this with cooler temperatures and additional nutrients applied, the greens will have a fighting chance to become a real green one day.

Watch The Video

2011-08-31T12:57:00.000-06:00

The wear and tear on the golf course continues to mount as another summer month has come to an end. The Golf Shop has put together a GREAT!!! video that shows the correct way to care for the golf course while your out playing. I would personally like to thank The Director of Golf George Kahrhoff and Assistant Golf Professional Brian Nishi for taking the time to put together this great teaching tool. This goes to show that the Golf Shop and Golf Course Superintendent can work well together.

The View From a Intern

2011-08-16T16:13:00.000-06:00

For the last fifteen years we have had a highly successful Internship program here at CCCP. Many of them have moved on to become Assistant and Golf Course Superintendent's at other clubs both in and out of the state of Colorado.

Not too long ago one of my Interns from this year William Sechrist asked me if he could write a blog post for me. I was thrilled to hear that he wanted to write one and I am happy to say this will be the first non Sean McCue post in this blog. Enjoy the perspective from a young man working his way up the ranks that has a bright future in the industry.

Every day at the County Club at Castle Pines begins thesame. The convoy of carts from the maintenance shop makes its way up the cliffto the club house. As I drive up the dark cliff I gaze over to see the risingsun hitting the mountains. I have always imagined how awesome it would be tonot only wake up to the sunrise, but also the Rocky Mountains, and this summerhas been unforgettable.

A good internship is one where you are communicated with andfeel involved. It is important to feel that you can give your opinion and thatyour ideas, good or bad will be considered. The Country Club at Castle Pineshas two interns and the one-on-one time with Sean and his two Assistants hasbeen very valuable. Other high profile CountryClubs commonly have four or more summer interns and may look good on a resume,but the experience that is gained is far less than it should be. What has made my internship at CCCP so enjoyableis the variety, each day brings new challenges in which I can learn and growfrom. However big or small the golf course is, the work is going to be hard andyou have to give your all each and every day. You must expect to work long dayswith very little time off, but the hard work pays off in the end with theexperience gained which will solidify my future in the industry.

There are two summer interns this year. I am currently enrolledin the Turf Management program at Rutgers University in New Jersey. It is agreat program with a lot of intelligent experienced professors whom are all connectedto the golf course industry. I am enjoying bringing what I’ve learned in theclassroom out to the golf course and applying into real world situations.

Studentscome from all over the country to attend Rutgers University and the majority ofthe internships that are taken remain back east. I came to Colorado looking toexperience how differently golf courses are maintained out west in an aridclimate. Combining this with my previouswork experience in Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia will help to solidify myagronomic foundation. Believe me when I say there is a BIG difference and thereis plenty to learn out here! My experience at CCCP this summer has beeneverything I hoped it would be and more. I will miss it when I leave in Octoberand if lucky, I’ll be back some day!

Whats In My Cart

2011-08-12T15:56:00.000-06:00

Earlier in the year Epic Creative came out to shoot pictures and video on the golf course as a follow up to see how the Bentgrass fairway conversion is doing. Epic originally came out in 2007 to first document the success we were having with our Bentgrass fairway conversion.

What started out as a photo shoot and interview went horribly wrong when they asked me to show them whats in my cart. As you can see it has a lot of things that are needed on a moments notice on the golf course. My cart is kind of a mobile office, tool box and trash can all rolled into one.

The video can be found Here enjoy.

The Birth Of A Green

2011-08-08T17:46:00.002-06:00

In an earlier post I mentioned a grow in taking place on our North Chipping Green, well the grow in is complete in just 42 days! We have shifted the maintenance of this green from a grow in to being included in the normal daily maintenance of the other established greens on the golf course. This includes daily mowing, grooming, fertility, irrigation and topdressing.

You all have heard the old saying it's like watching paint dry or grass grow. Well now you can actually watch this take place. I documented the grow in process by taking a daily picture of the green to show how things change from day to day.

Enjoy the video.

Does Anybody Care?

2011-08-04T13:08:00.000-06:00

Everybody is quick to point out the flaws in the maintenance of the golf course, but it seems as if rules and etiquette don't apply to anyone. With more than 5200 rounds in the month of July, the golf course is getting worn out. You need to do your part while playing to help maintain your golf course and help with the overall member experience

Do your part, fix your ballmarks, replace your divots, rake bunkers and follow all cart signage and traffic ropes. These seem like things that should go with out saying, but that is not always the case.

I have a staff of hard working men and women that give their all each and every day to make CCCP a better place and it becomes frustrating to them when people seem to take for granted the effort that is put in every day.

Here is what my staff gets to see most mornings on the golf course at first light. There is a lot of activity taking place on the course after hours of which is not helping anyone out. Practicing on the golf course is prohibited! If you see someone out practicing on the course at night tell them to stop, or if you are not comfortable doing that call the golf shop or even Emergency Services and let them handle it. These people who are out routinely practicing at night are ruining your golf course.

Do your part, it is your golf course after all.

Practicing on the course at night.

Lack Of Respect

Divots taken off greens

Playing catch with dogs on the fairways

Carts

Taking sharp turns

Running over traffic stakes

Growing In

2011-07-14T12:08:00.000-06:00

The re-grassing of the North Chipping Green is coming along nicely. It has been three weeks to the day since the initial seeding and it almost looks like a green again.

The north chipping green was stripped of sod earlier in the year to use for repairs made to the other greens on the course after some winter damage occurred. We were forced to use the chipping green as a nursery because our old nursery green was abandoned due to a previous construction project. Later this summer we will be reestablishing a new nursery green so that we will have grass available in the future.

The north chipping green was seeded with two improved Bentgrass varieties, The green was split in half as a side by side test of the two different varieties. One side of the green was seeded with A-4 and the other T-1. These grasses will be evaluated for future overseeding into the existing greens based on the their performance on the chipping green. Initially the T-1 is out establishing the A-4, but time will be the true determining factor as to which grass performs best under our difficult growing conditions.

Germination 6 Days From Initial Seeding

T-1 21 Days After Initial Seeding

A-4 21 Days After Initial Seeding

Big Rain = Lots Of Work

2011-07-08T16:05:00.000-06:00

We have settled into the monsoonal moisture flows and the afternoon thunderstorms have been impressive. In the last two days we have received more than an inch of precipitation which is always a good thing.

Unfortunately the rate at which the rain fell washed out several of the bunkers on the golf course and took several of our staff members most of the day putting things back together. Our goal today was to get the sand back in place and we will re-compact these washout next week. Until that time some of the washed out faces might be softer than normal.

No Wonder You Can't Make Any Putts!!

2011-07-07T12:24:00.001-06:00

We are now in mid season and golf rounds are quickly mounting and so is the wear and tear on the golf course. In the month of June alone we had 4800 rounds and not all of them took the best of care of the golf course while playing.

The picture below shows the twelfth green and in the photo and each golf ball represents an unrepaired or improperly repaired ball mark. There are 165 balls on the green and there should have been more if not for the fact that I ran out of golf balls.

Over the years I have charted the number of unrepaired ballmarks per green and it has been at constantly at 10% of daily round played. In other words if we have 180 players in a day the next morning I can expect to find 18 unrepaired ballmarks. This damage quickly adds up to some impressive numbers, on Twelve green alone the more than 165 ballmarks adds up to fourteen square feet of dead or damaged turf. Do the math that's a rectangle with an area of 2' by 7' on this one green alone.

Take responsibility for your actions and fix your ballmarks and replace your divots. Make the golf course more enjoyable for your fellow members.

Just Like That!

2011-05-21T15:06:00.017-06:00

In the Last ten days we finally have had some long over due significant soaking rains. Our precipitation totals are just under 4" of a combination of rain and snow. In one of those days alone we received 7" inches of heavy wet snow that slowly melted down and moved through the soil profile.

Looking at our soils after the precipitation we have observed the moisture traveling down as far 6"-7" inches deep which is amazing. Talk about a natural sodium flush!! This deep penetration of water has moved the sodium out of the rootzone and allowed the other essential elements to become available to the plant. This has produced great color and welcomed growth throughout the golf course.

Below are some images that I took yesterday morning that show how the course has responded from the precipitation.

A Matter Of Time

2011-05-11T08:30:00.017-06:00

With the mild snow less winter we just experienced you knew it would be a matter of time before it would begin snowing. Well it did and yes it's May 11th, I guess its better late than never.

This precipitation is extremely welcomed in any form, it will do wonders to the golf course by kick starting active growth which is just beginning to take place.

Aerification

2011-04-15T13:29:00.000-06:00

Anther aerification is in the books and the golf course is on the road to recovery. We were fortunate with the weather coopering until the very last minute on Wednesday. The rain started to fall at 5:00pm right as we were completing work on #18 fairway.

Similar to last fall you will find the golf course very playable after aerification, the greens are perhaps the most playable of all the surfaces. The tees and fairways will take a little longer to return to normal conditions but it will be worth the wait.

The fairways were heavily topdressed with sand to help with drainage and surface firmness to increase ball roll off the tee shots. This will have been the second complete topdressing of the fairways with sand and this process will require several more years to fully realize the improvements. More than 500 tons of sand was applied to the fairways after aerifiction, the majority of the sand worked its way into the aerification holes while a significant amount still sits on the surface. The sand will take a couple of weeks to fully work its way into the turf canopy as new growth takes place in the fairways. Currently the fairways look more like bunkers, but the amount of sand needed to modify the surface requires that we apply these heavy rates to achieve our long term goals.

Applying The Sand

Fairway Covered In Sand

After Sand Has Been Drug In

Polka Dots

2011-04-08T14:49:00.001-06:00

I am not sure which is more difficult, the winter weather or the wildlife damage to the course each year. It seems as if every year we cannot escape winter without some sort of damage. This year with the winter weather being more mild than usual the course is beginning to come out of dormancy in good condition. The exception being the areas that were damaged by the Elk and Deer.

With a lack of snow cover for most of the winter the turf was exposed to the resident wildlife and they had a ball out on the course. Our biggest issues out on the course are the numerous areas of urine burn from the Deer and Elk. The areas in the fairways have already been seeded with Bentgrass and the areas on greens will have to be plugged out. The plugging on greens will not take place until after aerification due to the fact that the repaired areas might pull up from being aerified. This process will take several days to complete and then a couple of weeks for the repaired areas to blend in on the greens.

The hoove marks on the greens appear worse than they are, the damage that was caused is on the surface above the crown of the plant. The plant will regenerate new tissue and repair itself from this damage as soon as active turf growth begins to take place. During aerification additional seed will be applied to these areas to help with recovery.

Urine Burn on #10 Fairway

Urine Burn and Hoove marks on #7 Green

Rough Aerification

2011-03-28T10:10:00.000-06:00

Last week we began the long process of aerifiyng the rough. Historically this has been a difficult task for us based on the older equipment utilized to previously do the work. The aerifier was an old pull behind unit that had poor spacing and produced plugs that were too large and were incredibly difficult to clean up. Crazy as it may sound we received more complaints from aerifing the rough than from aerifing greens.

One of our recent equipment purchases included a Toro 1298 Pro Core aerifier that is primarily used in fairways , but we decided to take it out into the rough. This machine produces a nice small core based on the tines that are selected. Additionally the spacing between tines is extremely tight, we are punching the rough with a 2" by 2" spacing which is normally something done in the fairways. This spacing will do wonders to our heavily trafficed rough allowing for some oxygen exchange into the rootzone as well as compaction relief.

The tight spacing will result in 36 holes per square foot or when you do the math for the rough on the entire golf course that will be more than 101,930,400 cores physically removed. The cleanup of these cores will be relatively easy by taking a steel drag mat over them which will break them up, or even just mowing the rough for the first time will take care of most of them.

Close Up Of Rough On The Eight Hole

Side Benefit

2011-03-24T16:06:00.000-06:00

Last week we went out and heavily topdressed some of the lower lying bowled fairway areas on the fourth fairway. The sand was applied to help us with improving the fairway firmness in these low areas that tend to get wet and stay wet.

Sand Topdressed In The low Fairway Areas

Close Up Of Sand Thickness

We applied the sand after aerifing in an attempt to get some of the material in the aerification holes to help allow moisture to move more quickly through the surface and down into the soil profile. This process will be repeated two to three time a year in localized "problem" areas throughout the golf course. Over time the sand will also help with surface firmness which will in turn help with more ball roll off the tee shots.

Perhaps the nicest immediate side effect of applying the topdressing sand this time of year was the acceleration of spring green up. In five days time after applying the sand to the fairway the Bentgrass color went from brown to green. This rapid green up can be attributed to the sand increasing the surface temperature and therefore aiding in the green up process.

Green Up Of Turf From Sand Cover

Cart Paths Only??

2011-03-23T18:03:00.004-06:00

So far this March the weather has been unusually warm and free of snow or any moisture for that matter which has been great to get players out on the course. We have already had more than 650 rounds played in the month of march which is not something that happens very often.

All of the play is great form a revenue standpoint, but the amount of traffic coming from golf carts is taking it's toll in areas. We are technically still restricting carts to the paths only, but with the high number of handicap flags being issued a lot of wear is beginning to show up in the rough areas on the golf course. The grass is not yet growing and therefore not able to handle the traffic it is being subjected too. Many of the cart path exit and entry points are showing a great deal of stress already, this is not a good thing because these areas receive the brunt of the traffic all season long. If these areas are worn now, it will be a long and difficult road ahead.

Until the turf is actually growing and can recuperate from the traffic it is extremely important that all carts follow the signs and traffic ropes so that these sensitive areas can be protected. Your cooperation with this will enhance the golfing experience had by all of the membership.

Hand Rails

2011-03-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

We have begun the process of installing handrails on some of our steeper stone stairs that are found throughout the golf course. The stairs that have been selected are ones that we receive the most comments of concern on, these would be found on holes #3,#8,#10 and #18.

The hand rails will be constructed out of steel and will have a hammered appearance which will add to the aesthetic appeal. Currently the post have been set and the rails will be installed shortly by another crew. These new handrails will greatly improve the safety at these locations which has been long overdue.

Why Is The Golf Course Brown?

2011-03-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

The real answer to that question is because it's early March, but there is much more to it than just that. Don't be alarmed the Turf is not dead it is just dormant.

It all began last fall when we did not get a lasting snow cover until the end of December, by then the Turfgrass had gone dormant and lost most of its green color. Normally the grass is still holding some of its green color when we get our lasting snow cover and this color holds until the melt in the spring.

This year in addition to the late snow cover there were also times that the snow cleared and exposed the turf to the weather which further added to the brown color of dormancy. All in all our spring green up will occur around the same time regardless of what color the turf is now. It takes longer days and soil temperatures to get out of the 30's to get things rolling.

Ice Removal

2011-02-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

As the snow has melted back from the fairways several areas of ice formation have been created. These areas generally occur in the lower lying areas in which poor surface drainage exists. Most of these areas have drainage systems in place which are frozen and no longer allow movement of free water.

Traditionally we have used compost to help melt theses ice areas in addition to mechanically breaking the ice with aerification equipment. This year we found another way to help with ice removal that appears to be less damaging to the turf (physically). While blowing off debris from the fairways it was discovered that the ice lifts from the forced air coming out of the blowers. This method works best when a person is working with the blower to help lift the ice and make the wind force more effective.

From Snow To Go

2011-02-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

The golf course is once again open for play. This will mark the beginning of the 2011 golfing season. Although there still is snow located in many of the northern exposure areas on the golf course, the vast majority is quite playable.

The greens will also be back in play as the temporary winter greens will no longer be in use. This fact alone will bring many people back out to once again play our beautify golf course. In addition the main play areas have been cleaned of Elk Duds and Pine needles, keep in mind that the Elk are out every night and leave us new opportunities to clean up after them every day.

Enjoy this break in the weather because it is hard to say how long it will last around here.

Never Thought Of It As Weird

2011-02-15T17:33:00.028-07:00

I ran across this online and was surprised to see Golf Course Superintendent fell into this category. Although I do have to admit over the years in conversations with people they are surprised to hear what I do for a living and they are even more surprised there is a degree for it. So I guess maybe I shouldn't be surprised after all.

To read the online article click Here

Fun With Software

2011-02-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

Now that we have gotten into a rhythm with regular snowfalls, I can spend the majority of my time working out the kinks of our new irrigation software. We began testing the new Toro Lynx irrigation control system this past fall in an extremely limited basis and I liked what I saw.

We are a beta site for this new software and I am extremely excited to see where this control system is now and where it will be going in the future. Compared to SitePro this is what irrigation control software should be. The inter-phase is much more user friend and now there is a commonality between actions that are executed from screen to screen.

On a daily basis I am running and creating new real world scenarios that will occur when I am actually watering with the software in season. These daily dry runs are allowing me to better understand and make recommendations for improvements in the software.

To see more information about this great new Lynx software visit Here

Bitter Cold

2011-02-03T10:00:00.018-07:00

Over the last two days the temperatures have been extremely cold with the day time highs barely reaching zero. The nights have been beyond cold with temperatures falling as low -16 degrees. These night time lows have set new historical records here in Denver.

I have able to monitor what this bitter cold has done to the soil temperatures with the use of soil sensors that are out on the golf course. Currently we have six sensors located in green, tee and fairway areas. These sensors are located at a depth of three and six inches. In a two and half day period the soil temperatures dropped eleven degrees.

This is just another example of how sensor technology can provide an incredible amount of useful information to help better manage golf courses. To find out more information about Toro Turf Guard click Here

Three Years Later

2011-02-01T14:25:00.024-07:00

Today is the four year anniversary of the blog and it is hard to believe I have been at it for that long. It continues to be an enjoyable process coming up with material that is both informative and relevant to what we are doing here at CCCP.

I do have to admit that coming up with new material becomes harder with each passing day. In the last four years this blog has received more than 55,000 hits which I believe would not be possible unless I was providing quality information. I would like to thank everyone who has visited in the last four years and I hope that I can continue to capture your interest in the future.

To Clear Or Not To Clear

2011-01-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Each winter we are confronted with an ever growing problem on several of our greens. This comes in the form of heavy shading from the Ponderosa Pines casting shadows which does not allow enough sunlight to effectively melt snow from the greens.

As a result of this we have routinely cleared snow off these shaded greens in efforts to help control the potential build up of ice and excessive snow. A lot of thought goes into the decision as to when and whether the snow is removed such as:

Snow type (heavy or light)
Snow amount
Duration of snow cover
Future weather forecast
Soil moisture levels
Wildlife activity
Time of year

The golf course is 25 years old and the trees throughout the course have grown significantly causing issues that did not exist as few as five years ago. Over the last several years we have begun and active tree management program in some of these selected green sites. Management strategies include heavy pruning and all out removal

At Last

2010-12-31T10:28:00.000-07:00

Finally after seven weeks with little or no snow on the golf course yesterday brought us 4" of much needed snow cover.

The timing is great for several reasons, the first obviously being the desperately needed moisture and secondly providing an insulating cover for the turf. Over the next several days the forecasted temperature highs will be in the single digits with the lows falling into negative numbers. With out the protective snow cover the turf would be exposed to extreme temperatures that could have potentially damaging effects.

Frost Pattern

2010-12-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Even thought the season has changed the fundamentals remain the same, each morning we monitor the moisture levels throughout the golf course.

Similar to what we do in the summer with looking at dew patterns we now are looking at frost patterns to help determine moisture levels. The irrigation system was blown out six weeks ago and with little or no snow falling since then, we have relied on the frost free components of the irrigation system. This time of year without snow cover we make sure the main play areas receive water every two weeks.

The process of winter watering is very labor intensive, it requires six people to run the quick couplers and complete all of the hand watering. The entire golf course can be completed in three days with a lot of hard work.

Until a lasting snowfall occurs we will be doing everything we can to ensure that adequate moisture levels are maintained throughout the golf course. As I have said for many years, the golf course is more difficult to maintain in the winter months than durring the growing season and this is proof positive of that fact. Weather is always a determining fact in the level of success achieved in any season, but the winter months can be particularly unforgiving.

The Native Tells The Story

2010-12-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a long year with many challenges along the way but none has been greater than the lack of natural precipitation. This year we are nearly 10" of precipitation behind from last season and the effects can best be seen in the native grass areas.

Many of these native areas have been decimated by the lack of precipitation that has thinned out the non native species within the original seed mix leaving many areas free of turf. These area are now being overseeded with a "true" native mix that will thrive under this low precipitation environment. Native grasses are very slow to establish and often times it takes years for the grasses to become fully established. Some of these areas may require multiple overseedings to become fully re-established.

Area Before Seeding

After Seeding

The seedbed was prepared using an old aerifier with solid tines to create pockets in which the seed will reside. These pockets create the perfect environment for the seed to germinate and become established.

Spreading The Word

2010-12-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to speak at the RMRTA turf conference and trade show here in Denver and it was a thrill. I was asked to speak about blogging and the Golf Course Superintendent, the talk was well attended and I think that there will be several new blogs hitting the web soon.

I would like to thank those involved with the RMRTA who asked me to talk on this subject, it was an honor to be able to speak in front of my peers about something I believe will make their jobs easier to do in the future.

A Winter Blanket

2010-12-07T11:39:00.005-07:00

One of the final steps in preparation for the upcoming winter has been done to the greens. They all have been heavily topdressed with sand to provide some protection from the harsh winter environment.

This heavy sand layer will help in two ways, the first being physical protection and the second being insulating qualities. The sand will provide a physical barrier to foot traffic from animals such as Elk and Deer as they walk and run over the green surface. The second and most beneficial way the sand will help is to provide to insulation to the crown of the plant.

The crown in the turfgrass plant gives rise to the leaves, roots and all other stems; consequently the survival of the stem is critical for survival of the turfgrass plant. The crown is also the area in the plant which carbohydrates are stored which is necessary for growth of the plant. In essence the crown is the heart of the plant and everything must be done to protect it from the extremes found in our Colorado winters.

What Is The Purpose Of Winter Play

2010-12-02T09:18:00.024-07:00

I found a great article to covers the basic reasons why we go to temporary greens in the winter months.

Here are a few excerpts from the article;
"If winter play is a controversial topic at your facility I urge you to ask the following question. What is the purpose of winter play? I doubt golfers want to compromise turf health or future playability. Instead, winter play allows golfers to work on their swing, get outdoors, and stay active and exercise......This leaves us at a crossroad. Do what's best for the turf or what's best for the golfers? The answer is undeniably do what is best for the turf!"

The article can be read in its entirety at the USGA's website Here

Winter Setup

2010-12-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Now that it is December we have gone to our winter golf course setup. This includes restricting carts to the paths and the use of temporary greens for the next three months.

We do all that we can to protect the golf course durring the winter months so that less outsides stresses are put on the turf. This is key to having the course come out of winter in better condition and giving it a head start for the next growing season.

During the winter months the turf is unable to recover from divots, ball marks and wear caused by foot and cart traffic. Once the turf begins thinning out from these stresses the opportunity for Poa Annua invasion is significantly increased. Currently we dedicate a lot of resources to mange the Poa populations and by us not taking these extra precautions we would not have the same efficacy of control.

Turkey Day.... Almost

2010-11-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

This morning while out on the course I ran into several Wild Turkeys that must not know what time of year it is. They were proudly walking around in full view for all to see.
It has been several years since we have had Turkey's on the property, so it is nice to see them once again.

Soil Temperatures

2010-11-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

With the cooler weather finally here to stay the soil temperatures have had the bottom fall out from them. As recently as four days ago the soil temperatures were still climbing into the mid fifties, whereas now they are holding steady in the low thirties.

This is particularly evident in the following picture that shows a graph of our soil temperatures over the last week. The colors on the graph show different areas on the course such as greens and fairways. It is interesting to note the large variation in soil temperatures in the graph between the orange line to the greens lines.

The green lines represent two different greens on the course and the orange line represents a fairway area. There is nearly a fifteen degree temperature difference between the green and fairway location that are no more than 450 feet apart from each other. This temperature difference is due to the fact that the native soils are better able to retain the heat in them versus a green that is built out of sand. The sand areas contain more pore spaces for oxygen which separates the particles from each other not allowing conduction for heat transfer.

From Blow Out To Snow Out

2010-11-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

The day started off nice, but the weather was predicted to change by days end and it sure did. We are into our second day of blowing out the irrigation system and it turns out our timing was pretty good to put the irrigation system to rest for the season.

Unfortunately we did not complete blowing all of the system out and we will have to finish up a few holes tomorrow with snow on the ground. The hardest part will be getting the compressors around in the snow, but we will get it done one way or another.

Destroyed

2010-11-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

You know its going to be a great day when the first thing you see on the golf course is this. Unfortunately last night was our final irrigation that would be run for the season and a deep soaking was done to the golf course. This was done in preparation for the irrigation system being blown out in efforts to saturate the soil profile one last time.

This made the course extremely soft and the Elk did an incredible amount of damage to this one hole. The worst part is the damage to the green which at this point in the season will not recover until next spring at best. As usual my staff will be working hard to put these areas back together with ballmark repair tools and sand and seed mixtures.

#11 First Fairway

#11 Second Fairway

#11 Green

Close Up Of #11 Green

Loading Up

2010-11-03T14:47:00.000-06:00

As winter is approaching we are in the process of soaking down all of the southern facing slopes on the golf course. This all needs to take place before we begin to blow out the irrigation system next week.

After blow out of the summer system these areas will be more difficult to maintain adequate levels of moisture, but fortunately we have numerous frost free hydrants located throughout the course. These frost free hydrants are located every 115ft from tee to green so that we can properly maintain the golf course throughout the winter when no snow cover is present.

Still Growing, Still Mowing

2010-11-01T11:40:00.001-06:00

Today is November 1st and we are still mowing a lot of areas on the golf course that are normally done for the season. The weather continues to be warmer than normal creating conditions in which the soil temperatures have stayed in the mid to upper 50's.

These warmer soil temperatures can be found in the fairway and rough areas which are comprised of native soils which tend to stay warmer than other areas on the course such as greens and tees which are constructed of sand. Temperatures in the sand based areas are at least 10 degrees cooler which has resulted in a significant slowdown of growth in these areas.

Buried

2010-10-28T07:29:00.000-06:00

Over the last several days we have experienced extremely high winds that have created a mess on the course. The Ponderosa Pines are shedding their needles right now and the winds have accelerated this process.

Although most conifer trees are considered to be "evergreen", their needles don't live forever. What makes them evergreen is that their leaves persist more than one year before falling. Since new needles are added every year, there is always an overlap between green needles and those that are due to drop in the fall.

Older needles on the inside of evergreen trees are shed each fall after they turn yellow, brown or reddish tan in color. Sometimes this natural process is very subtle and goes unnoticed because only the inner most needles area affected.

Needles In The Rough

#12 Green Buried In Needles

Stampede

2010-10-26T08:48:00.000-06:00

The Elk and Deer have been at it again. With the recent rains we have finally received, the golf course has been a little on the soft side which is not a good combination for the heavy footed animals.

Damage To #7 Green

Damage To #7 Fairway

Over the last week in particular the damage has been getting worse, so we have started putting out lights on the more trafficked greens in hope of keeping the Elk off. These light help, but ultimately the Elk and Deer will end up going wherever they want especially when they are on a full run.

Blinking Light In Action

With the cooler weather setting in the ground will begin to freeze which will be our best defense against the damage we are currently dealing with. After each damaging occurrence we will fix each area as best we can and hope that we can ride out the storm of damage.

It Doesn't Get Any Better

2010-10-20T16:49:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures I had the pleasure of taking today while out on the golf course. Today was a spectacular day and these pictures do not do justice to a perfect fall day in Colorado.

How Does Turfgrass Prepare For Winter?

2010-10-19T11:51:00.000-06:00

All plants develop a tolerance or hardiness to cold temperatures. That hardiness serves as a defense against freezing. Turf plants develop hardiness by storing carbohydrates in cells found in crown and root tissues. The higher concentrations of these materials act as antifreeze that prevents ice crystals from forming within the cells. Moisture content in the plant tissues also decreases during the hardening process, and cell walls and membranes undergo changes that improve their ability to tolerate ice crystals. The hardening process begins in late summer with the onset of cooler temperatures and shorter days and can continue through early winter. Maximum cold-temperature hardiness is obtained after the turf has been exposed to sub-freezing temperatures.

At Last

2010-10-13T15:18:00.000-06:00

Finally a month later than usual we had our first real killing frost. This morning the temperature bottomed out at a chilly 30 degrees. This will help slow down the growth currently still taking place throughout the golf course.

The timing is good from an agronomic stand point since we have essentially already recovered from aerification just one week ago.

Perhaps the most exciting part of my morning was watching the recently fried annual flowers come out of the ground. My staff started removing the flowers from the clubhouse parking lots and will over the next several mornings remove the remainder of the flowers from the golf course.

Mowing Changes

2010-10-12T11:56:00.000-06:00

As the weather begins to cool down we are now able to safely change some of our mowing patterns. The areas which will be changed are some of the intermediate rough cuts.

Currently there are many areas on the course that is currently mowed as rough and is end location of numerous golf balls. These rough areas tend to be thick and slow down play because many players try and force shots they don't have. The end result is lost balls and time wasted looking for poorly though out shots.

These new mowing changes will help with pace of play and make a more playable golf course that creates many different shot options. Below is a picture of the fifteenth hole that has a large rough area between the fairways and green. This is a location that most poorly hit shots end up and recovery from this area is difficult at best. This area is currently being converted into intermediate rough and we will evaluate the member feedback and look at other areas for expanded mowing changes.

Rough Aerification

2010-10-08T11:10:00.000-06:00

After completing aerification of the main play areas over the last three days we have now moved into the mowed rough areas on the golf course. The rough in particular is perhaps our weakest link on the course and will bennefit the most from the aerification process.

Over the last four years there has been a significant amount of construction traffic on the course which has severely compacted many of the rough areas. Strangely enough I receive more complaints from aerifing the rough than I do for aerifing the greens, go figure? One of the things we have begun to do to minimize the complaints about the left over cores in the rough is to use a smaller size aerification tine.

Traditionally we have used 3/4" tines in the rough while now we have switched to 1/4" tines which is the same size as what was used on the fairways. The end result will be smaller cores left in the rough, which will not cause some of the problems we have experienced in the past with the larger cores being smashed into the turf by golf cart tires.

We have more than 65 acres of rough to aerify which will take more than a week to complete. This process is also drawn out due to the fact of trying to do this through play. Any help or courtesy on your part to minimize the operation will help with a more rapid completion of this task. I am truly excited in seeing the rough aerified in this new manor, the benefits will be reaped next season from this highly invasive process.

Aerifying The Rough

Close Up Of The 1/4" Cores

The Final Push

2010-10-06T07:46:00.000-06:00

Today is the final day of aerification and we are well on our way to the finish line. Over the past two days we were able to complete the aerfication and topdressing of all the greens and tees. The fairways will be completed today as far as aerification goes, but the slow process of sand topdressing them will take another two days to complete. Unfortunately the final fairways will be topdressed through play which will add to the time to complete the task. Your patience durring this process will be greatly appreciated.

Once we reopen for play tomorrow I think the members will be pleasantly surprised with how playable the golf course is.

Aerification Information

2010-10-02T07:20:00.000-06:00

With aerification coming next week I found this great video that explains in detail the importance of aerification to golf course greens in particular. This process holds true for all of the play surfaces, but is most critical for maintaining healthy greens. I hope you can take the time to watch the entire video.

First Time For Everything

2010-10-01T12:16:00.000-06:00

In the fifteen years that I have been at CCCP this would be the first time that we have not had frost in the month of September. This months weather was strange in many ways, we had only .07" of rain the entire month when historically we receive over one inch of precipitation sometimes including snow. We were also significantly warmer than normal with 2 days of temperatures in the 90's,13 days in the 80's, 14 days in the 70's and only 1 day in the 60's.

This weather has been a nice bonus for additional play durring the month of September of which we did more than 600 extra rounds for the month. These extra rounds are also partially due to not aerifing right after Labor Day.

I am hoping the weather holds for a little longer, so that the golf course can recover from aerification which is set to begin next Monday.

Changing It Up

2010-09-30T14:00:00.000-06:00

Next week the golf course will be closed for three days to aerify greens, tees and fairways. This year we are going to be changing up some of our techniques to help deal with the later than normal timing of aerification in addition to some key agronomic changes for the future.

We will be using 1/4" hollow tines on tees and fairways and 1/4" solid tines on greens. These smaller tine sizes will help speed the recovery to the turf by reducing the size of area that needs to re-grow. This is critical due to the time of the year we are in as the turf begins to slow down and prepare itself for the upcoming winter.

The biggest change to our aerification approach will come in the way of topdressing fairways with sand instead of compost. For the last eight years we have been applying compost to the fairways to help with our Bentgrass conversion in addition to restoring biological activity in the soil. The compost has done its job really well by restoring life to the soil and has created an environment in which the thatch is in an active state of degradation. This process has left the surface a little softer than I would like so we will be embarking on a long term sand fairway topdressing program to help restore some surface firmness. Another key benefit will come in the form of improved surface drainage that will allow for more ball roll off the tee shots.

Combining the compost rich aeration cores that come up in the fairways with the sand will create a nicely blended material that will be mutually beneficial and provide the best of both worlds for the fairways.

We will be applying more than 1000 tons of sand to the fairways which is a huge task in itself. Our biggest challenge will be getting the material around the golf course in an efficient manor and the only way this can be done will be utilizing the development roads. The sand topdressing process will unfortunately spill over the three days that we will be closed and carry into the following week to ultimately complete the process.

Elk Damage

2010-09-22T16:29:00.000-06:00

It looks as if the Elk have made there way down from the foothills and are taking up residence locally for the winter.

Over the last two nights we have had a fair amount of activity on the course, the most significant occurred on the sixth fairway. As bad as it was it could have been worse and we have already repaired the damaged areas with sand and seed. A couple of areas might need to be re-sodded, but i am waiting until after aerification to do so. The more severe areas of damage will be marked as ground under repair for the upcoming events.

Damage in The Rough

Damage in The Fairway

New Sand

2010-09-18T07:32:00.000-06:00

As most of you are aware the sand in the bunkers has been contaminated due to repeated washouts from last seasons heavy rains. This has caused several bunker to remain wet even when small amounts of water are applied to the surrounding area. These bunkers have become less than ideal from a playability standpoint.

In order to properly address this problem we have started targeting the most problematic one first. The work that is necessary to resolve the bunker problems are; complete removal of sand, inspect and improve drain tile and reinstall new bunker sand. This process was recently done to one of the fairway bunkers on the seventh hole.

After completion it was nice to visit the bunker in the morning after irrigation was run the prior evening and see no standing water in the bunker.

Bunker Work in Progress

Completed Bunker

Close Call

2010-09-16T11:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had a close call with a wildfire that started just over a mile away from the golf course. Fortunately the fire was put out as quickly as it started by the local fire department. The fire quickly consumed 13 acres before control was gained, it's speculated by authorities that a spark from a passing train ignited the blaze.

Change Is In The Air

2010-09-14T06:45:00.000-06:00

As the Scrub Oak begins to show its fall color the weather conditions are changing as well. Although we have yet to have our fist frost of the season the mornings are beginning to feel crisp and even cold. Last week we have started to have several days in which the temperatures are in the 30's but not quite cold enough for frost to form.
Once we get into consistent frost weather the turf will begin to slow down its growth and prepare for the upcoming winter. This is something I am looking forward to since our staffing levels are dropping off at this point in the season. Currently every day is a struggle just to get things mowed, let alone do any kind of improvements that need to be done.

Over Due

2010-09-04T08:10:00.000-06:00

Currently the greens are sorely in need of being topdressed. Throughout the season we have faithfully topdressed them every two weeks, but due to recent tournaments and holidays we will have missed the last two scheduled topdressings.

These missed applications have resulted in a visual and slight playability reduction in the greens surface. When looking at the surface of the greens it is not hard to find old ball marks that have not been repaired properly. These frequent topdressing help fill in these imperfections with sand and help maintain a smooth ball roll.

The next opportunity we will have to topdress will be on September 13th and at that time we will be applying the sand a little heavier than normal to try and make up for the missed applications.

Jacked Up

2010-08-21T17:11:00.000-06:00

Throughout the main play areas on the golf course (greens,tees and fairways) we use PGR's Extensively. The main purpose of these Plant Growth Regulators are to control growth of the turfgrass.

The regulation of turf growth comes with several side benefits such; increased turf density, increased green speed, reduced mowing frequencies,pre stress conditioning and my favorite Poa Annua control. Not all growth regulators hurt the Poa, some even help make it stronger which is great for some places but not here. I specifically choose the PGR's that will hurt the Poa the Most.

This is most evident on the greens and collars right now. The Poa is discolored and sunken down in patches which will allow the Bentgrass to out compete it and over time encroach back into the space occupied by the Poa Annua. This is a long term process that takes many years to fully realize the success of the program.

The picture below shows and area on a collar where Poa Annua, Ryegrass and Bentgrass all reside. The visual effect of chemical regulation on the different grass types shows itself very differently on each of the plant species.

One Week

2010-08-16T15:22:00.000-06:00

That is how much time it took to completely destroy a turf area. This is the cart parking area at the ninth green and is a perfect example of how people park their carts with two wheels on the path and the other two on the grass. The was a result of us removing the green and white traffic stakes so they could be used to protect another area on the golf course.

This type of cart parking serves no purpose other than to wear out the turf unnecessarily in the high traffic areas. I would strongly encourage all people that are driving carts to keep all four wheels on the path while parking at green and tee locations. The golf course receives more than its share of wear and tear, so anything you can do to minimize unnecessary damage will go a long way to making the golf course a better place for all to enjoy.

Bunker Conditions

2010-08-11T20:01:00.000-06:00

Over the last several weeks I have fielded several comments regarding the condition of the bunkers. The comments have ranged from "there is no sand in the bunkers" to "why is the sand so wet?"

The answer to the first question would be there is plenty of sand in the bunkers, it is just wet and plays like there is no sand in the bunker. If you look at the following picture it clearly shows how the bunker is staying wet in the lower portions of the bunker floor.

This next picture shows the depth of the sand in the bunker floor and you can see the sand is nearly four inches deep. The problem is that the sand is wet and reacts with the club in a similar manor as a lack of sand.

The true cause of the bunker problems comes from the sand being contaminated repeatedly last summer from all of the rain storms that washed out the bunkers. The sand has been mixed with the native soils which are now clogging up the pore spaces in the sand and not allowing water to flow freely through it into the drain tile within the bunkers.

The ultimate solution is replacing the bunker sand and installing some sort of liner to reduce the possibility of future contamination. We will be addressing the most problematic bunkers by removing portions of contaminated sand and fill it back with new sand that is the same as the original sand in the bunkers.

With all of this talk about improving the playability within the bunkers that is an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Last time I checked bunkers were hazards aren't they?

Decluttering The Fairways

2010-08-08T09:06:00.000-06:00

Over the years many different outside components have been added in the fairways such as valve boxes and yardage markers. The sheer quantity of these items has taken away from a neat clean appearance in the fairways.

Now we can finally getting rid of these unnecessary items due to them no longer being needed since the new irrigation system was installed. The need for stand alone yardage markers is not needed due to all of the sprinkler heads being marked from 300yds in. Old irrigation valve boxes that contain either electrical or frost free components are also being removed. The most important part of the removal process is cutting out the old galvanized pipe utilized for the old frost free couplers. These are being removed with a sawzall to a depth of one foot below the surface which is out of aerification range.

Old Valve Box

Removal of Old Components

New Sod Installed

Green and White Stake

Once removal of the components has been completed the holes are carefully backfilled,compacted and new sod installed in the place of the old valve box lids that were visible on the surface. Green and white stakes are being placed in the sodded area to help call attention to the new sod that was installed and keep carts from driving through it.

Topdressing Approaches

2010-08-03T13:19:00.000-06:00

We recently topdressed the approaches to help with the overall playability of the golf course. Nearly 25 tons of sand was applied to the approaches to help increase drainage and firmness.

The sand was applied evenly over the approach surfaces and then was aerified with solid times tines to minimize surface disruption. The sand was drug in and it naturally moved into the aerifier holes and other low pockets in the approaches. Over time as sand is repeatedly applied, a well draining firmer surface will be created therefore improving the overall playability of the approaches.

Topdressing Applied

Solid Tine Aerified

The Final Product

Mark Em Before You Lose Em

2010-07-20T16:14:00.001-06:00

As part of the ongoing maintenance of the golf course and irrigation system we must keep all of our components readily identified. Needless to say this is a huge under taking for the newly installed irrigation system.

Throughout the growing season the Bluegrass rough moves laterally and can quickly grow over valve boxes that are ten inches in diameter. This would become problematic if the box became completely grown over and we were unable to quickly locate it in the case of an emergency. Generally we will only have to edge around the boxes once a season to them them easily identifiable.

If we were to ever lose track of a critical component we could always refer back to the GPS coordinates to find the item, but that would be the last choice in the case of an emergency.

Pressure Recorder

2010-07-15T12:30:00.000-06:00

One of the most important tools we can use to monitor the operation of the irrigation system is the use of pressure recorders.

These recording devices monitor the pressure of the system durring actual flow events. This is very similar to how an EKG monitors a person heart and helps diagnose potential problem before they occur. We will be using this information to fine tune the overall operation of the system and closely monitor the pressures throughout the system.

These devices will be placed throughout the golf course, so when you come across one of them please do not touch or remove them.

Turf Mystery Solved

2010-07-11T08:14:00.000-06:00

The other day while driving around I noticed a couple areas on the golf course that distinctive rectangular areas of turf damaged. At first I though it was odd and was not sure what caused the damage but upon further investigation the mystery was solved.

It turned out the day before on a warm day with temperatures in the 80's my irrigation tech was working on some of the bunker pop up zones. These zones are controlled by an electric valve contained in a valve box that had the lids removed during the servicing. The warm temperatures and intense sunlight heated up the plastic lid that was laying on the grass and burnt the turf underneath.

Fortunately only the leaf tips were damaged and the turf is already growing its way out of the injury. It goes to show you that the turf can be damaged in many different ways several of which are not expected.

What Is The Yellow Grass In The Fairways?

2010-07-05T11:46:00.000-06:00

Throughout the fairways there are many areas that are off color and under stress, this is an intended effect from the use of herbicide that targets Poa Annua.

The fairways have received successive applications of Velocity to help control the Poa populations and this is what has caused the visible signs of turf injury. Currently the Poa is not dead, but it is under severe stress and the plant is in shut down mode which will help the desired Bentgrass to out compete it for space in the fairways.

We will be backing down the future applications so that unacceptable turf discoloration does not persist into the upcoming Member/Guest tournament in a few weeks.

Scalping

2010-06-27T07:29:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago when the weather began to heat up we had a flush of growth throughout the golf course. This occurred even with the use of growth regulation products.

The flush of growth helped us with some final recovery in the rough areas, but hurt us on a couple of the greens. The greens that were effected were some of our more contoured greens in which the mowers began scalping the turf. The scalping took place due to the fact that the turf got puffy from the excess growth and when the mower when over it scalping occurred.

On the greens which the scalping took place recovery has already begun and the good news is that the scalping does not effect the putting quality of the greens it is more of an aesthetic issue than anything else.

Bear Cub Tees

2010-06-25T08:29:00.032-06:00

We have recently added an additional set of tee markers to the golf course. The latest addition are th Bear Cub tees which can be found in the fairway areas. This new golf course setup was designed by Golf Professional Sean Mackin for our Junior Golf program.

The Country Club golf course is a very difficult course to play for kids just starting out, so the idea behind these new tees is to make learning to play more fun. These tees eliminate the need for forced carries which are present on nearly every tee shot out here and additionally the holes will be played from a reduced yardage. Hopefully this new setup will make the learning of the game more fun for the Club's up and coming golfing generation.

Leak Repaired

2010-06-16T12:13:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have been wondering why the water level in the pond at eighteen tees has been so low all year. The reason for that has been that the overflow collar had a leak around it causing the water to flow out to the current level.

The other day I had a contractor out to try and repair the collar seal and I think we were successful in doing so. He used a hydraulic cement to reseal the joints between two of the collars. We have begun to raise the water level to the point at where water would leak and it appears to be holding so far. Over the next several days we will top off the water level in the pond so that it will once again look as it should.

Low Water Level In The Pond

Installing the Hydraulic Cement

Raising The Water Level

A Lack Of Respect

2010-06-14T14:37:00.000-06:00

It amazes me to no end the lack of respect that people have for their own golf course and fellow members. Over the last several weeks there has been an alarming number of divots taken out of the putting surfaces on the golf course.

The latest crime scene occurred on the eight hole sometime durring the day on Saturday. Imagine the horror of my setup guy Sunday morning as he walks up to the green to change the cup and he sees this:

This type of behavior is unacceptable and shows a complete disregard for the rest of the dues paying members and also is a slap in the face of the entire maintenance staff that goes above and beyond the what is asked of them each and every day.

Splotchy

2010-06-10T12:00:00.000-06:00

Throughout the golf course there are many areas that are off color (brown) by design. These brown areas are occurring as we continue to fine tune the adjustment of the new irrigation system. It is my goal to provide the driest conditions possible, while still providing enough moisture to keep the plant alive and viable.
As hot spots develop it tells me we are going in the right direction with controlling the amount of water applied to the critical play areas. These critical areas are greens, approaches and fairways.

When the hot spots show up we will hand water them only, so that we are more specific with the water applied creating a more uniform playing surface.

#13 Approach

Close Up Of Stressed Turf

#15 Approach

Too Many To Count

2010-06-01T16:30:00.000-06:00

On the golf course there still exist many areas that have still not quite recovered from winter and most especially Elk urine kill. It is a mixed blessing to have the abundance of wildlife on the course that we do, but it also presents numerous maintenance issues.

The Elk are beautiful to look at but the damage they leave behind can be devastating and very labor intensive to repair. Year after year the biggest challenge we face from the Elk is the Urine burn that occurs on all of the playing surfaces. We typically will start repairing greens and tees first and then move to fairways and finally the rough. This year the rough is probably the most damaged area on the course. The recovery has been slowed by less than favorably growing conditions this spring and a lack of resources to do the work.

Now that we are fully staffed for the season will will be putting a large focus on repairing these damaged areas by re-seeding them. This will all be done by hand with the use of hand tools to prepare the surface for soil to seed contact. Without this prep work the re-seeding will not be successful and further delay the recovery process.

A good Two Weeks Behind

2010-05-19T12:17:00.001-06:00

We are now in the third week of May and just now is the Scrub Oak pushing out leafs. Typically by the middle of May the Oak is fully leafed out, but not this year. This year spring does not seem to want to consistently stay and this has caused the delay in not only deciduous tree leaf production but has also significantly delayed germination of seed.

During aerification the fairways were overseeded with Bentgrass which has just sat without even thinking of germinating. Finally 35 days later I am beginning to see germination in the fairways as well as on some of the greens that had additional seed applied to them. Typically Bentgrass will germinate after 14 days in the spring with normal weather conditions.

This spring has gotten off to a slow start which hasn't help the overall recovery from the late season winter damage. Let's hope we start consistently warming up and get things actively growing so the golf course can be once again at its best.

Meeting In The Middle

2010-05-15T15:55:00.013-06:00

Part of the challenge in bringing newly installed sod down in height of cut to match other play areas is not doing it too quickly but doing smartly. Often times when purchasing sod from an outside vender the sod comes in at a different height of cut for where it is being utilized on the course.

For Bentgrass sod used on greens this is especially true when the sod farm maintains it at nearly 1/3 to double the normal height of cut that most guys maintain their greens at. The reduction in height can be still done smartly and quickly if you attack the height of cut difference from both sides. By this I mean rather than only lowering the height of the mowers and focusing on the amount of green material coming off you need to be thinking about raising the turf canopy.

This is accomplished with frequent heavy topdressing of the new sod to help fill in any imperfections and unevenness in the sod in addition to helping reduce scalping. The applications of sand are generally around 1/4" deep at a time so the material can be worked in without completely burring the green. The frequency of topdressing applied is based on the growth and recovery of the turf from the previous time material was applied. These applications of sand essentially enable me to lower the height from two directions without stressing the plant too much.

Other cultural practices that help with the establishment of the new sod is weekly solid tine aerification of the new sod to help increase the rooting. Fertility levels are increased and preventive fungicides are being applied to further help with the transition towards matching up with the rest of the greens on the golf course.

The Sand Applied To The Green

Solid Tine Aerification

The End Result

Ball Marks

2010-05-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

It is the age old problem of unrepaired ball marks and what to do about. Recently at our last Green Committee Meeting we discussed new ways to get people to fix their ball marks and I am convinced that nothing will help.

The only way the problem will get better is for people to take responsibility for themselves when they are playing. Everyone needs to understand that a tremendous amount of time and money is spent on maintaining the golf course for all the members to enjoy and show off to their guest.

The most frustrating thing for me to see is on our newly sodded greens how many ball marks go unrepaired. We are starting off with a clean slate and to see the lack of effort in caring for them is mind boggling. Perhaps the best way to think about it is, if your not going to fix it for yourself then do it for your fellow members.

Don't Be A Follower

2010-05-06T08:53:00.006-06:00

As play increases on the golf course the negative effect of golf carts becomes readily visible. Due to the design and construction of the course we suffer from limited exit and entry points from the cart paths. Most of the obstacles come in the way of severely shaped landforms as well bunkers and native plant materials.

These areas are managed daily with the use of ropes and stakes. In efforts to minimize the use of the materials I encourage golfers as you are playing to to the path less driven. By this I mean don't follow the same tracks that were formed by the previous carts, go a different way. This should be done in a smart manor as to not endanger yourself or someone else by taking the cart in an areas it should not be. This would include areas such as; within 25 feet of greens or tees, native grasses and steep hillsides.

All other areas that are safe and not controlled with ropes are fair game and I would encourage you to take the path less traveled. By doing so will help spread out the wear and tear in our heaviest cart traffic areas.

A Different Look

2010-05-04T10:47:00.000-06:00

While playing golf this spring you may have noticed a different look to the mowing pattens on the fairways. We have been mowing in a light and dark pattern which is more commonly used on golf courses with classical architectural design.

The main reason we are mowing in this manor is due to a reduction in labor. We were asked to reduce expenses in the 2010 budget and the easiest way to do that is with labor. We will not be at full staff until June and until then we have to get by with a smaller than normal staff. This has forced us to change some of the ways and frequencies of how we maintain the golf course.

The quality of what we do is in no way being reduced but some of the aesthetics will not be as they are under normal staffing. The classical mowing patterns allow us to only use two operators to mow the fairways with larger equipment as compared to smaller lightweight mowing which requires seven people to do the same job. Once we reach full staff we will be converting back to the look that you all have become accustom to seeing.

Classical Mowing Patterns On Hole #8

Classical Mowing Patterns On Hole #9

Typical CCCP Mowing Patterns On Hole #18

Rolling Pull Lines

2010-04-30T11:41:00.000-06:00

Throughout the golf course there are still irrigation pull lines that have not completely settled from last years irrigation installation. These areas have gotten better after a freeze and thaw cycle, but they still are acting like mini speed bumps every 55 feet across the fairways.

We have recently rolled the pull lines with a small asphalt roller to smash down the heaving that took place. After rolling the lines have flattened out, but a slight bump is still present. One of the visible signs of rolling is a slight discoloration or blackening of the turf from the roller's drum going over the pull line several times.

Is Spring Ever Coming?

2010-04-29T15:03:00.000-06:00

I am beginning to wonder if we will ever warm up and start to get active growth of the turf. The moisture we have been receiving in the last couple of weeks is great, but if soil temperatures do not increase growth will not take place.

We have started to green up but that is it. We are still mowing in a modified (reduced) schedule of what we would normally be doing this time of year because of a lack of growth. Soil temperatures are still in the upper 40's and peaking out in the low 50's durring the day when ambient temperatures are at their highest. It seems like when we start to make positive steps in warming up the soil, we are thrown off track once again with unpredictable weather. A perfect example of this would be that yesterday we had a high temperature of 74 and today we have not gotten any higher than 39 degrees with snow coming down.

Enjoy the video below that shows today's wonderful working conditions.

The Driving Range Is Open

2010-04-28T16:06:00.000-06:00

After many months of hard work and fighting Mother Nature the new and improved driving range is open. Weather conditions today were not great today for practicing, but those who braved the wind were able to enjoy the new configuration.

Even though we enlarged the tee surface by more than 25% it up to you to help us by practicing in a systematic manor. The most efficient way to hit balls is to keep your divot patterns tight and not randomly within your teeing station. A tight pattern leads to more efficient use of turf and allows for easier divot filling and faster re-establishment of turf.

Proper Divot Pattern

Horrible Divot Pattern

Plenty Of Precip

2010-04-26T08:49:00.000-06:00

The crazy weather patterns have continued and the snow and rain keep on coming. In the last four days we have received nearly 3.0" of precipitation. Historically for the month of April we only receive 1.83", so that puts us way ahead of normal.

The excess moisture is great to a degree but we are now being effected in a negative manor due to the lack of being able to mow the golf course. Many areas have not been mowed since last Thursday and with active growth taking place most of the areas will require additional cleanup after mowing takes place.

Spring Flushing

2010-04-23T11:03:00.000-06:00

On this beautiful spring morning we woke up to quite a surprise it looked more like winter than anything else. The timing of the snowfall is not great but the moisture that comes along with it is hard to beat. From an agronomic standpoint the moisture will put to work the soil amending products that were applied durring aerification last week.

Applications of Gypsum were made to the main play areas to help offset the high levels of Sodium found in our soils. The natural precipitation from the snow will further help putting the Gypsum to work by saturating the soils and moving the Sodium down and out of the soil profile. This process is made more effective with the use of natural precipitation versus effluent water which contains the elements we are trying to remove.

More Is Better

2010-04-22T19:41:00.009-06:00

Now that the greens have begun to actively grow, the areas in which Poa Annua was lost to Crown Hydration are easily identifiable. We are fortunate to have relatively small populations of Poa on our twenty five year old greens. This has resulted in small circular areas of damaged turf that can be more quickly re-established than larger sprawling areas of turf loss.

Aside from increased fertility levels and the use of PGR's to promote increased tillering many of these spots have been overseeded with Bentgrass. Full scale broadcasting of seed has taken place throughout the greens with even more specific work being done to the small spots. The seed that was broadcasted was spiked into the soil surface to increase soil to seed contact which is vital for germination. On top of that a divot mix that included Bentgrass seed was also applied to these thin areas to further improve the germination likelihood. This sand mixture also serves another purpose in keeping the green surface smooth because some of these dead Poa areas are slightly sunken below the turf line.

As existing Bentgrass moves laterally and germination of new seed occurs the putting surfaces will still roll true even though adequate turf might not exist.

Close Up Of Dead Poa With Bent In The Middle

Sand And Seed Mixture Applied To The Voids

Almost There

2010-04-20T20:05:00.000-06:00

A little more than a week has passed since completing our spring aerification on the course and things are beginning to get back to normal.

I am extremely happy with the recovery on the greens as you would be hard pressed to find any indication that holes were punched only eight days ago. Ample fertilizer and soil amendments have been applied to the greens to encourage a quick but health recovery. One of the negative side effects from this would be slower than normal green speeds due to the amount of positive growth taking place. Now that full recovery has already taken place PGR's (Plant Growth Regulators) will be utilized to help slow down growth and encourage a more dense stand of turf which will result in an increase in smoothness and green speeds.

One area that is still not quite where I would like to see is the fairways. They are still a bit messy from the compost that was applied during aerification. Each time we mow the compost is still being tracked up by the mowers and requires dragging to breakup and re-work in the compost. This problem should get better in the next week as the material works it's way down the canopy and active growth begins to take place in the fairways.

Compost Being Tracked Up By The Fairway Mowers

The Range Tee Is Complete

2010-04-16T19:17:00.000-06:00

I am happy to say that the driving range tee has been sodded and construction on the range is nearing completion. The sod on the tee surface has been down for one week and is already showing roots that are approaching one inch in depth. The immediate tee surrounds were sodded only two days ago and is also beginning to show signs of rooting.

Under normal situations the sod should have three or four weeks of time to become established before letting people play on it, but we are pressed for time and will be opening the teeing ground here in the next week or so.

The First Mowing

New Tee Complex

A New Beginning

2010-04-15T09:38:00.001-06:00

The damage that was incurred throughout the course from the March snow storms is being methodically repaired. The fairway areas that were damaged are being overseeded during aerification which will help establish the proper turfgrass species in these problematic areas.

The greens are being overseeded as well to encourage new Bentgrass growth in some of the newly created voids from the dead Poa Annua. Not all of the Poa is totally dead and some regrowth is occurring which will help with the overall recovery of the turf. Ideally the Poa will stay inactive and the Bentgrass seed will germinated and allow new seedling to become established.

Most of the greens have minor damage on them with the exception of the greens on #4 and #10. Rather than fight a long re-establishment period on the tenth green, I decided to bite the bullet and re-sod the entire green. Although not ideal this is the best thing that can be done to get the green back in play as quickly as possible. The green will be mowed at a higher height of cut for several weeks before being slowly brought down to match the other greens. Throughout the years the green will receive additional care such as increased fertility topdressing and aerification all to help with the elimination of seams and help with establishment.

The Tenth Green Ready For New Sod

Sod Going Down

Back In Play The Next Day

Aerification Woes

2010-04-14T20:06:00.001-06:00

Today was the last of the three days we normally use to aerifiy the golf course in the spring and the weather has not cooperated. This would be the first time i can remember that wind has caused delays in our aerification process. Over the years we have had rain and snow delays but never wind.

Over the last three days the wind has been consistently blowing 10- 20 mph with gusts reaching 45mph. This has made it impossible to overseed the fairways with Bentgrass and apply compost on top. Both of these materials are very light in weight and would blow away from the intended area of application. This has forced us to delay seeding and composting until Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately this will have to take place through play. This is the best thing to do because but if we did not wait the money spent on the seed and compost would be wasted.

We Have Sod

2010-04-10T06:18:00.000-06:00

After numerous delays that were caused by the weather we were finally able to get the tee surface and some of the surrounds sodded yesterday. We will continue to work on the tie in area around the tee so that the rest of the sod can be installed shortly.

The fact that the sod was able to be installed is largely due to our staff, Green Valley Turf and Modern Golf's commitment to doing whatever it takes to successfully complete this project.

The End Is Near

2010-04-05T21:48:00.000-06:00

After nearly a month of weather induced delays the new driving range tee has been laser graded and is ready for sod. The teeing area will be sodded in two phases due to overall size of the area and the fact that our sod contractor is booked out for several days.

The tee surface will be the first area to receive sod and then the surrounds will be done a couple of days later. The overall footprint of the new teeing ground takes up more than 150,000 square feet.

Once the new sod is installed on the tee surface I would like to give it two weeks to become established before opening it up for play. This would give us a tentative opening in the third week of April. Lets hope the weather cooperates from this point forward allowing us to successfully complete this project.