Island View Golf Club

When Lightning and Tree Meet

2011-09-22T10:33:00.000-05:00

I was looking through some pictures we have taken over the last couple of months and ran across this one I though I would share. It is of a large Ash tree behind #1 green that was hit by lightning on August 22nd. The tree was hit much higher then the top of the picture but this shows all the things that happen when the moisture inside the tree expands in a instant. The bark has been blown off in streaks going up and down the trunk. The sod has been blown off around the base of the tree and along some of the shallower roots. We will be keeping an eye on the tree to see if it is going to make it, but from what we have seen in the past it should probably survive the strike, thought the quality of the tree itself is usually degraded.

Big Split

2011-09-20T10:26:00.001-05:00

Here is a before shot of the fourteenth green before the tree between the pond and bunker was taken out last week. The tree canopy blends well with the background so in the after it is perhaps hard to notice the difference.

To the right is the current look of fourteen green from the other side of the pond. From an elevated position such as the fairway it is very noticeable and the area looks kind of bare now. The greens committee will evaluate the space and determine of trees are needed in the area.

The reason the tree came down is apparent in the picture to the left. The split went all the way to the ground and was a very hazardous situation. While it was evident the tree had been cracked for sometime, the separation was unnoticeable until early last week when I spotted it while painting the hazard line around the pond. This is the same thing that happened to the Ash tree on the right of the approach that we took down a couple of months ago.

Aerifying Schedule

2011-09-13T14:25:00.000-05:00

Last week we aerified greens, and it went about as smooth as it ever has. The weather was absolutely perfect and at a week out the greens are healing nicely. My previous post gives a pictorial of the process from start to finish, for those of you who might be interested in what it takes to go from really nice putting surfaces to something akin to putting over large holed pegboard. By this coming weekend they should be in pretty good shape.

This week we will be aerifying tees, which we started today by getting half of the driving range tee done. Wednesday and Thursday we plan to do the front 9 and back 9 respectively. And then on Friday we plan to finish the driving range tee. The process is a bit different then greens. We pull cores, pulverize them, and then drag the sand/soil into the turf canopy. The par 3 tees and some of the par 4 tees will get some seed and topdressing as part of the process also. Like the greens, we will be mowing the tees a little less frequently over the next week or so, and also waiting a little longer in the day so they have time to dry a bit and we don't track around any mud.

Fairways will follow next week and it usually takes a couple of weeks to get them all done. We use large solid tines and the disruption to play is minimal. They will also get some seed and topdressing dragged in where we feel it is needed, though they have recovered very nicely from the summer issues we had a couple of months ago.

10 Steps or so...

2011-09-07T07:33:00.001-05:00

Pulling Cores

Harvesting Cores

Spreading Sand

Dragging Sand In

Brushing Sand In

Hand Broom And Fill Remaining Holes

Backpack Blower Cleanup

Mowing

Fertilizing

Much Needed Irrigation By Step 10

September Informer

2011-08-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

I want to start off with a huge thanks to my staff for setting up a great golf course for Club Championship. A little rain on Sunday was more annoying then anything else, but other then that the weather was terrific and the course played great. From the comments I heard it sounded as though everyone had a great weekend, even though some golf games were not that “fun”. So with the Championship behind us we are now prepping for aerification. The greens will be aerified on the 6^th and 7^th, the Tuesday and Wednesday right after Labor Day. Tees and fairways will follow, and like in the past, that should not disrupt play much at all. With such a slow start to the season it feels like the last 2 months just flew by and it’s hard to think about fall and getting the course ready for winter. I am sure we still have 2 good months of golf ahead, and perhaps even a decent part of November if the weather holds.

Unlike last October when we were renovating 4,7, & 18, there will be no major projects going on this fall. We have some drainage work and some curb projects to tackle, and we will definitely be continuing the tree trimming. As I mentioned last month, we will be doing some major tree work on #16 in order to create a much better environment for the green and hole in general. It will start with the removal of the Oak tree closest to the green on the front right corner. The large Oak behind the green will be drastically trimmed up this fall, as well as some major trimming along the left side with some potential tree removal there also.

With the season winding down the Greens Committee will be looking for a new member very soon, so if you are interested please let them know. There are five members on the committee with 2-3 board members also sitting in. The commitment is 5 years, we meet once a month for most of the year, and tackle issues regarding all aspects of the golf course.

Enjoy the rest of the summer,

Kurt

When The Stars Align...

2011-07-22T12:21:00.000-05:00

Or in this case; When the temperature, humidity, and dew point align we get one heck of a disease outbreak.

( Brown Patch #11 Fairway - 2011_07_22 )

( Pythium #11 Fairway - 2011_07_22 )

This last week has taught us some new things and reiterated some of the lessons we have picked up along the way. From the 3" of rain we got leading into the weekend to the 5 days of record dew points and high temps. The factors leading to a severe disease outbreak aligned and bam! there it was. I am showing you pictures of an untreated par 3 fairway so you get an idea of what the worst of our disease issues look like now that things are in remission because of the weather change.

Due to the costs involved for preventively spraying fairways for pythium we take a more treat-it-when-you-get-it approach. And when we do spray we try and balance disease control with cost as much as possible. It can cost as much as $10,000+ to treat all 24 acres of fairways just once for Pythium with a good control type chemical, and perhaps only a few thousand for a more knockdown with less control type of one. This past week we had to make that very decision of which one to use. Over the weekend we knew the conditions were perfect for a disease outbreak, and for the most part we had things protected which is why we did not see much of a problem come Monday. By the time we headed home at the end of the day on Monday we were still looking disease free. When we got to the club on Tuesday morning it was a whole different story, fairways and tees did not cope well with 4 days of intense disease pressure... The driving range tee was a sea of fungal mycelium (a cotton like growth that is an active sign of certain diseases, Pythium in this case). The fairways were much similar, though the active Pythium was isolated to low wet areas and not quite so rampant as the Brown Patch that was working 'kinda all over'. Our tees also had signs of active disease and needed treatment. We proceeded to treat the entire golf course and get the disease in check to limit the amount of damage that would take place. While Brown Patch does not necessarily kill massive amounts of turf like Pythium will, it can definitely do some damage. Since it looked as though the favorable conditions would break in the next day or so we decided to go with the less expensive chemical option and be sure to maintain vigilant scouting for the days to come.

Is it over and behind us? All I can say is we made it through the first onslaught and kept most turf in decent shape. There are some larger patches of fairway that Pythium did kill, we are seeding and topdressing those areas to encourage quick recovery. Some more problematic areas will get aerified, seeded, and topdressed within the next week. So why did I leave #11 fairway untreated? I often leave untreated fairway turf, usually a par 3 like #11 or #4, as a barometer of what diseases are active and when. And it happened that we ran out of chemical with only #11 fairway left to spray, so we will use it as a check and also experiment with a couple of seeding methods to determine what might work best for when this happens again. Because I know it will happen again, hopefully much later then sooner.

2011 Renovation About To Start

2011-06-23T11:10:00.000-05:00

( 2011_06_23 - Tree Removal Before Bunker Work )

The bunker renovations are about to continue, with only a few holes left we are almost done. Over the next week Hartman will be renovating 4 bunkers and adding 1. The 2 approach bunkers and right greenside bunker on #15 will be re-worked. The picture shows us removing the damaged Oak tree in preparation for the work, not only was it in the way for the bunker renovation project, its removal opens up the area for better turf conditions and it was almost completely hollow which is a safety issue. The other two bunkers being done consist of the fairway bunker on #2 and the addition of a second bunker a little further up from the first. As part of that work we will be removing the first two Ash trees along the left side of the fairway just beyond the current fairway bunker. Hopefully now the weather will start cooperating and allow the work to be done inside a weeks time, we are keeping our fingers crossed.

( 2011_06_02 - Deer Wandering Around #17 )

One of the joys of working on a golf course is the wildlife one sees on almost a daily basis. This young deer was wandering around #17 and #14 with another older one. It's pretty common to see a deer or two on a weekly basis. The turkeys have not been very abundant this year, but last year we counted over 20 in a flock on #16 numerous times. And of course there are always squirrels, egrets, blue herons, and various small critters. If you have been around the clubhouse in the past two weeks you are well aware of a not so pleasant critter being on the premises... Just recently 7 skunks were found living under the 4 season porch/deck area, and since have been removed. This is a first that anyone can recall of having a issue with animals under the clubhouse, but we are working to alleviate any further problems by closing up the openings that exist.

Renovations Complete on #16

2011-05-20T09:34:00.000-05:00

Before

After

Hole #16, What's Going On.

2011-05-18T10:52:00.003-05:00

05-10-2011

05-11-2011

05-16-2011

05-17-2011

Here are shots to summarize the work so far of the bunker renovation taking place on hole 16. It is expected to be completed by the end of the day today and sod should go down tomorrow sometime. In about 2 weeks we should be able to open up the new bunkers and surrounding rough providing the weather cooperated and the new turf roots down good.

And on another note, #16 green will be open for play starting Monday the 23rd. We have kept the height of cut a little longer compared to the other greens to encourage better growth, especially once it starts getting traffic, and overall it is in great shape. There are still some thin spots but the bulk of the damage down the center of the green has recovered very nicely. Once the younger plants have matured a bit more we will start a topdressing program, same goes for #7 green, which should help with the thinner and uneven spots...

If this weather can start to stay more typical for this time of year we should have the turf back in no time.

Progress on #16 Green

2011-04-27T07:45:00.000-05:00

( 2011_04_05 - #16 Green )

( 2011_04_22 - #16 Green )

Here are before and to-date snapshots of #16 green, we seeded and covered on the 13th of April. While we do not see a lot of seed germination taking place, the weather even with a cover has made it difficult, the good turf under the cover has become much more vigorous then anything left open. We'll keep you up to date...

At least this is rain and not snow!

2011-04-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

( 2011_04_26 - Rain gauge reading )

I'm not even sure those are great numbers if your a duck! An inch of rain and 42 degrees, are you kidding me. I think someone missed the memo that there are golf courses out there trying to get some turf recovered and rounds in the books. Oh well, such is life. We actually have it easy with just a little rain and some cool weather. My heart goes out to those further south who are experiencing major flooding, numerous tornadoes, and such heart ache.

Summer is on its way, I know it is...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T09:23:00.000-05:00

( 2011_04_24 - Deer in the woods on #15 )

I Love It! (insert sarcasm)

2011-04-20T15:41:00.000-05:00

( 2011_04_20 - #3 Green )

How can you not love Minnesota! I believe we are experiencing the winter that just does not want to give in to Spring. Oh well, all you can do is roll with it and take it as it comes. On a positive note though, the Daffodils are blooming and it is a joy to see some color during such a bleak week we are having.

( 2011_04_19 - Daffodils in perennial garden by #5 green )

#16 Green Seeding

2011-04-13T15:55:00.001-05:00

For the most part the golf course is in really good shape for this time of the year. We have gotten a first mowing on all the fine turf areas: tees, greens, approaches, and fairways. Things have greened up considerably in the past week, and most of the thinner areas in the fairways from snow mold damage are going to heal without much input on our part. The few greens that are damaged are a little different story however, and the seeding process is all figured out. We will not be covering #7 or #4 so we are waiting to seed them until next week when the freezing temps should be behind us. #16 got the treatment today and we have put a cover over it, taking it out of play.

( 2011_04_13 - Verticut in two directions #16 green )

( 2011_04_13 - Job Saver tines on #16 green )

We started with the verticutters and went in two directions, and followed that up with Job Saver tines in the aerifier. They create about a half-inch round dimple in the green for getting topdressing and seed into. So then we topdressed, seeded, and dragged the green. When all that was done we fertilized, watered, and covered...

( 2011_04_13 - Watering after seeding process #16 green )

( 2011_04_13 - Covering up the damaged section )

Now we just need the weather to cooperate, a quick warm up and some good growing weather. By keeping the traffic off and covering the green it will allow us to greatly speed up the process of recovery during this unfavorable time for seeding and establishment.

Most good, but a little bad.

2011-04-06T11:13:00.001-05:00

( 2011_04_05 - #15 Green )

While most of the greens, and the rest of the turf for that matter, look like this... Which is pretty good considering the snow mold pressure we had this winter and the ice layers that covered most fine turf areas for the better part of the winter. There are a couple of issues you will see when you make your way around this opening weekend...

( 2011_04_05 - #16 Green)

Here is a good overall shot of the entire 16th green and the extent of the turf damage it has. This is the worst of the three greens that got damaged this winter, 4 & 7 being the other two. You can also see in the picture the amount of snow mold that the rough areas have, it is drying out nice and the rough should not have much of an issue growing out of it. The greens on the other hand will need some extra care. We have a few options, and over the next week or so when we get a much better idea of how large the dead areas will be, we will determine the best way to go about getting the greens back into shape. In a lot of the less damaged areas on these greens there appears to be a decent amount of green tissue which should aid in recovery once things get growing.

( 2011_04_05 - Snow mold and Vole damage #6 )

Here is a picture of a nice double wammy. Not only did the mound behind #6 green get over run by snow mold, but the voles decided it was a great spot to hang out over the winter also. Rough areas like this will just take a bit longer to recover then areas that did not get hit.

Over all we are in pretty good shape and with the breezy weather the past couple of days, not to mention the sun, the course had dried out very quickly. The range is open today and the course opens this Saturday. Our plan is to start getting the first mowings done next week if the weather continues to be good. The long range weather forcast looks like it should be pretty nice, maybe a few sprinkles here and there but it does not sound like any soaking rains... It appears it should be a nice weekend to get outside, let's hope so.

The Second Melt Down

2011-03-30T15:47:00.000-05:00

( 2011_03_30 - Hole 5/6 Composite )

Well we can see some turf again! Though there is a cool down expected next week, it looks as though we might get rid of most of the snow by this weekend. A good rain would go a long way to clearing the course of the winter white stuff. In my walk around this morning this was no water ponding in any of the usual places, so my guess is the frost is pretty much gone throughout the course. And where it isn't, the drain tiles appear to be all open so the water is able to exit quickly. A guess as to when we might be open for play... Ask me next week and I might have a better idea.

Yesterday

2011-03-23T09:40:00.001-05:00

( 2011_03_22 - #12 Green )

Yesterday Brandon and I went for a walk to see how the water was moving and the ice was melting. There were quite a few greens where we could see a lot of turf and the above picture of #12 green is a good example of what we were seeing. However there were a couple that showed some signs of poa annua death in a very sporadic pattern, greens #16 and #7.

( 2011_03_22 - #16 Green )

( 2011_03_22 - #7 Green )

Some of the turf loss is obviously caused by where the water was sitting in the low pockets, the back and center of #16 and the back and front of #7. Weak Annual Bluegrass, freeze/thaw of water, perhaps smothering under ice cover for the entire winter; These are all possibilities of why we lost turf in these areas. I will say it is a bit early to declare the spots completely lost though. When things start to dry and warm we will be able to better determine if there are any living plants in these spots and take the actions we need to take to get the turf back.

It is amazing what changes in 12 hours though. Today we are looking at a blanket of 3-5" of heavy wet snow covering the entire golf course. So when it starts melting off we will be back out making sure the ice is getting broken up and water is moving off the green surfaces. And other then the few spots of potential turf loss, the turf looks pretty good coming out of winter. It appears the snow mold chemicals we used for protection over the winter have worked, and the vole damage is much less then anticipated. Let's hope this is the last blast and spring is right around the corner.

Spring Melting

2011-03-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

( 2011_03_17 - Ice layer on #10 green roughly 3/4" thick )

Here comes spring! Well it has to be right around the corner anyway the way the snow is melting and the water is running. It's nice to see some grass for a change, the white stuff has been around since before Thanksgiving last year. Currently we are looking pretty good on the golf course. There is about a foot of snow on the greens and beneath that is about 0.5-1.0" of ice. After chopping through some of the ice today we found the turf beneath in good shape still. Once sign of problems would be the smell of death when you expose the turf under the ice cover, and so far everything smells good. I know for many they don't want to hear this, but what would really help us out is a quick thaw. The sooner the snow and ice can go at this point the better off the turf underneath should be if weather continues to warm up. Over the next week or two we will be monitoring the condition and taking any action we need to in order for the snow, ice, and water to leave quickly. Let's hope for some continuing warm weather.

( 2011_03_17 - Snowmobile tracks on #3 green )

I know it should not surprise me, with everything we see on the news and in the paper these days, but it still does. We have the golf course snow fenced around most of the perimeter, bright orange and very visible all winter long. It should be obvious we are trying to keep people off the course during the winter months and do not want traffic (save for the occasional skier & snowshoer). So what happens when a short section of fence falls and we don't get it up right away? Disrespectful law breaking idiots is what happens. Thankfully there was plenty of snow this winter that this should not cause any major problems. And the ice layer under the snow should only further aid in preventing injury.

GCI: Trees on the golf course

2011-02-01T10:19:00.000-06:00

( 2010_08_29 - Hole #5 from behind #16 green )

Golf Course Industry : Trees on the golf course

Check out this link to a little 2 minute education on some of the issues the golf course faces with tree competition.

Course Close, First Snow

2010-11-15T11:33:00.001-06:00

( 2010_11_15 - First snow cover #4 green )

And the season has come to a screeching halt, 8-9 inches of snow will do that I suppose. I left on Friday afternoon thinking Monday morning would be a good day for some pictures and updates on the projects and course as we head into winter. Well, I can show you winter, and that is about all. There is not 8 inches of snow on the course, but there is at least a few still. The heavy wet snow did provide some great moisture for all the new sod we just put down. The total for the current project was over 5,000 yards, some regular height rough grass and some 1.25" premium blue.

We had everything pretty well done before this first snow volley hit. Tee markers and some odds-n-ends supplies are still being picked up today, but for the most part that is it. All the chemical applications were finished up on Friday, and that is usually the most important thing going into winter. We did not get any covers down on the greens. We have enough covers left for about a half dozen greens to be covered, the same number as last winter. As many of you know we have been phasing out green covers over the last 5 years, so to possibly not have anything covered this winter is just an acceleration of the plan in place. When I started there were 14 greens covered, over the years as the mats have deteriorated we have not replaced them and are down to about 6 greens worth of covers.

Some of the things we have done over the years to strengthen the plant and protect the turf going into winter that will not be covered has been: fall foliar fertilizers high in potassium which helps harden off the plant for the winter months and a thicker sand topdressing which helps in protecting the crown of the plant. This winter we had planned to use a turf paint which would help protect against desiccation if there is little snow cover and spring green due to heating of the plants with the dark green color. So far it is something that golf courses in the area have just started to experiment with, and we had planned to do our own experiment with it this winter.

I still think we will have an opportunity to get some covers down and even some turf paint, but if we don't I am not overly concerned. Thanks to everyone for a great 2010 season! Let's hope for a good winter and a better 2011 season.

Renovations Underway

2010-10-20T11:46:00.000-05:00

( 2010_10_15 - Approach work #7 )

The renovation work began last week on holes 4,7, & 8. A complete renovation of the teeing areas on 4 and 8, plus the bunker renovation and approach grading on 7. Because of the amount of soil we needed to properly rebuild the 4th tee and renovate the bunkers on #7, we chose to re-grade the approach area on #7. This allowed us to properly surface drain the area and open up the site-line along the left side of the hole.

(2010_10_20 - Approach work #7 after grading )

Though the pictures do not do it real justice, you can now stand back at the fairway bunker and see the rebuilt greenside bunker and left edge of the green. The majority of the water will surface drain off to the left, and we were able to make renovating the fairway bunker on 18 very cost effective due to the soil we could generate from the approach area. The bunker on 18 has no soil to work with and everything has to be hauled in, not too mention it requires a lot of soil to do properly.

(2010_10_20 - Renovations on hole #7 )

So all in all we have another week or so of renovation work. And then it is almost November and irrigation blow-out, snow-mold chemical applications, and greens covers will be on the agenda. Oh yeah, we also have a bunch of tree trimming planned as usual.

After The Championship

2010-08-31T11:36:00.002-05:00

( 2010_08_29 - Looking back on hole 5 )

Congratulations to all the winners this past weekend, we had a great turn out for the entire 2010 Club Championship. Last I heard there were around 195 total players from Wednesday through Sunday, pretty cool if you ask me. I want to thank my staff for a super job getting the course prepped for our biggest event of the year. We had great weather to get the place a little firm and keep the speed up. A lot of people asked me how fast the greens were, we stimped them both days around 6:30am and were able to keep them right around 11. To put that in perspective, we have been able to hold around a 10 most of the summer and rarely fell below the 9.5 mark. USGA Stimpmeter Information for those unfamiliar with what the numbers mean and how it is measured. The other thing we were able to do thanks to my staff was mow all the fine turf areas every morning from Wednesday through Sunday, this kept the golf course in top shape throughout the entire event. I really hope everyone enjoyed a great tournament...

So now that the tourney is over we will start some of the normal end-of-summer practices. Fairways and tees will be aerified soon, and this year we will just be aerifying collars around the greens because of the MGA Tournament being held at IVGC on September 27 & 28. This will most likely push us to do our normal core aerification on greens next spring and then I am considering a deep tine aerification in the fall. As usual though, we will do everything we can to keep the disruption to play at an absolute minimum.

Also this fall, early October, Hartman Companies will be out renovating the bunkers and approach on hole #7, the tee on #8, and the tee on #4. This plan is to tier the tee box on #8 so there are two distinct teeing surfaces, and make the tee on #4 much larger while re-aligning it with the hole. The space between the two holes will be decreased to about half the size and planted with perennial grasses as a buffer between. The left fairway bunker on 7 will be renovated in its current location while the right fairway bunkers will be filled in and a new bunker will be placed near the 100 yard stake. The green side bunker on 7 will be brought around the front corner a little and built up in the back for better visibility. There is a chance that 18 fairway bunker will also be renovated at that time, but that project is currently on a wait-and-see.

I know things start to slow down around the course once school starts, but I hope everyone can keep on coming out. There is a lot of great golf weather ahead of us.

Casual Water

2010-08-13T07:36:00.000-05:00

Here are some snapshots from the golf course this morning. Needless to say, 3.25" of rain is going to take a little while to drain. Adding the 2" from Tuesday it brings us up to a nice 5.25" in 3 days, not bad...

2010_08_11 - Flooding on #6

2010_08_13 - Flooding on #10

2010_08_13 - Flooding on #14

A Little Damage, A Little Disease

2010-08-02T10:24:00.000-05:00

( 2010_07_29 - #17 Green Showing Damage/Disease )

The heat and humidity have began to take its toll in a few places. Our main issues have been with the fairways, though they have been minor and have even started to show signs of healing. Our teeing surfaces are not so much disease ridden as they are divot ridden. We struggle with some of them because of the size, that being too small for many of them, the par 3 tees on #4 and #16 being the worst. We do topdress and seed throughout the season to try and keep as much turf on them as we can, and not just by filling divots but using the topdresser and broadcasting seed. For the most part the other tees are in good shape and are not much of a issue.

The greens on the course have been in super shape for most of the season. Until recently we have had little to no issues with the turf, and that includes the notorious spots on #8 and #16. But a couple weeks ago we started to see some disease pop up on a few of them. Anthracnose being the main problem, and this is nothing new since it has occurred almost every year that I have been at IVGC. We are on a preventative chemical program for our greens, which means we are spraying fungicides on about a 14 day interval for most of the summer. Even with that schedule we can still get disease, it just shows you how tenacious some of the turf pathogens can be. There are also other factors that make the turf more susceptible, other then temps and humidity: low mowing, lean fertilizer program, and irrigation/drainage problems are a few. And on top of the disease issues we also had some mechanical damage caused by our riding greens mower and turf groomers. The height of cut was too low for the tri-plex to provide a good quality cut and the turf groomers were down, this tufted up some of the softer/spongy areas on our greens and scalped them out a little.

So what are we doing about it? We continue to stay on a regular topdressing program, a light layer of sand every 14 days on our greens. I have bumped up the fertilizer rate a small amount to give the turf a little extra growing power. We have raised the height of cut back to our normal 0.125" and added a extra rolling or two during the week. And we are looking into a verticutting program along with the topdressings which should aid in firming up those softer spots more so then just the topdressing.

How Much Peat? Or Organic Matter for that matter...

2010-07-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

( 2010_07_19 - Soil Boring #14 Approach )

In an effort to better understand what kind of soil structure, or lack there of, we did some soil borings on #14 approach today. With the pond banks collapsing, the bunkers in need of renovation, and the approach a rolly-polly expanse, the greens committee is starting the planning process for what will take place over the next couple of years. The amount of organic matter, specifically peat, has always been in question in that area. And with renovation plans beginning we needed to get a handle on what exactly we are dealing with in the area.

( 2010_07_19 - Soil Boring on #14 Approach )

From the looks of things as the cores were coming out, we are not in a situation where we will need to excavate any substantial peat. The soil profile appeared to be made up of about 4 feet soil & peat, then about 2-3 feet very sloppy wet gray clay, and then down to the boring depth of 20 feet it was generic looking clay. Braun Intertec will be compiling a report on the profile and getting that back to us. With that general knowledge we should be able to come up with a pretty good game plan for renovation of the general area. It's nice to know we don't need to dig up 15 feet of junk and then fill it all back in with some proper soils for good growing conditions.

Watering da Turf

2010-07-16T14:30:00.000-05:00

( 2010_07_16 - Watering #10 Green )

Over the last month we have had some irrigation issues. Four weeks ago we had one of the main irrigation motors go down and it had to be replaced. We have been running at about half capacity until a week ago, when we installed the new motor and got everything back up and running at 100%. The last few days we have had more issues with low pressure shut downs and the pump house not being able to handle the load. We have tweaked the settings in the computer that controls the irrigation and hopefully have it under control now. Tomorrow morning will give us our answer, if everything runs and there are no more shutdowns then we should be in good shape to finish out the year. We will be updating the wet-well intake in the irrigation pond on #13/14 this winter after we shut the system down. Currently the screen and location of the intake is causing the majority of our problems with the motors and pumps. I would do it now but we would be a week or so without any irrigation water since we would have to drain the pond to do the work. Not to mention digging out firm muck is much easier then slopping out the wet stuff and hauling it away.

The irrigation issues have resulted in some unsightly turf in a few fairways. The annual bluegrass has not taken to being dried out very well. We usually try and walk the fine line of dry but not dry enough to damage the turf. With the night watering not working 100% and day watering only amounting to so much, we have had some poa annua decide enough is enough and die out. The nice thing is we can start cultivating those small patches and try to encourage some good bluegrass, but it is a bit unsightly. Overall it should not effect play too much and things should rebound quickly as we get more water on it and the weather cools a little. The poa annua doesn't really like 90 degree temps with high humidity for any length of time...

I hope everyone has a good weekend and has a chance to get out and play a little bit.

( 2010_07_16 - A View of #5 Green/Approach )

Where Does The Time Go?

2010-07-13T13:20:00.000-05:00

It's been a couple of months, yikes! We have been tackling so many little jobs around the golf course that it has been very easy to get sidetracked. To say the least, I have been sidetracked away from my blog.

During the last couple of months we have been tidying up a lot of loose ends around the golf course. There were a few drainage issues on #1, #14, and #17. There are a number of irrigation heads that have been re-leveled, and a fair number more to go. The staff has been spending time cleaning up bunker edges and adding sand to many of the older ones. We renovated the planting area next to the first tee, and removed the large steel bag rack. The driving range received some much needed attention, and though it is more of a band-aid for the time being, it looks much better then it did. The guys have continued tree trimming, and removed a damaged ash tree next to the second green which also allows for a much better view/shot for the first hole. The latest tree trimming was done on hole twelve. Here is the before and after pictures from that.

It might not appear to be much, the first picture does not really show up well, but the one tree in front of the fairway bunkers has been drastically trimmed to open the left side of the fairway. I was concerned with the amount of trimming required that the tree would not look good at all, but it actually is not too bad. We will evaluate it over the next couple of weeks and make a final determination on whether it stays or is removed completely.

No Joy Ride Here

2010-05-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

( 2010_05_24 Vehicle Damage #9 Green )

Apparently some idiot(s) thought it would be fun to drive on the golf course sometime early this morning. Thankfully there is only some minor repair work needed on the ninth green from the vehicle turning on it. They also drove across the second green but in pretty much a straight line so there is no damage, just tire tracks. They entered the course off of Island View Road onto #3, drive on #9 green then across #2 green, and then around #1 tee and ended up exiting the course the same place they came in along #3. It is obvious morons who do this kind of thing have no clue as to what it would cost to repair any major damage, not too mention any course downtime they could be held accountable for. A rough estimate to rebuild a green from the ground up is over $30,000, and that is just for the construction and materials. That estimate does not take into account the loss of revenue while construction is going on and growing in is taking place... The current damage is not much different then the snowmobile damage we had a couple of years ago on the green. We had to strip out about 30' of turf and will be topdressing and rolling the tracks to get the green back into shape quickly. On another note...

( 2010_05_24 Aerifying the collar on #2 green )

We are aerifying the collars today, using 5/8" coring tines. The disruption to play should be minimal, cleaning up right behind the aerifier, topdressing, and dragging. We have done this the last couple of years and the amount of dry spots and turf issues on our collars has decreased substantially. It has helped us greatly improve the turf quality on some of the poorer collars we have had.

The Ropes Are Down

2010-05-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

( 2010_05_12 - Hole #13 from the white tees )

Hole 13 has officially opened for play. For the most part the fairway turf is in great shape and has filled in very nicely this spring. There are still a few thin spots but once the temps really start to warm up they should fill in quickly. Until further notice, it is cart path only for the hole with no exceptions. At least for the next couple of weeks we will be following that policy, and then re-evaluate.

( 2010_05_12 - Hole 13 from the red tees)

Please obey the signage and keep the cart traffic off the grass. Also, don't forget to grab a seed bottle when you grab your club to go take your next shot. We will continue to do some seeding and topdressing in the thinner spots, but with some warm weather the turf will really start to fill in on its own.

Hole 13 Update

2010-04-19T16:15:00.001-05:00

( 2010_04_19 - Hole #13 from the White Tee )

Hole 13 is shaping up very nicely. The cut on it today really shows the definition and contrast between the rough cut and the fairway cut. The fertilizer has really got the grass going so it will be on a regular mowing routine from here on out it looks like. There are some thinner areas, we will be seeding them in some fashion over the next few days. We are also planning on getting some seed worked into the poor fairway spots that we have on #3, 14, & 17. The weather has done nothing but cooperate for getting 13 going strong out of winter, and I am very optimistic we will be playing on it sooner then projected. Just so you know, June 1st was the projected date. Obviously it is a day by day decision, but by May 1st we should have a pretty good handle on a projected opening...

A New View

2010-04-13T16:17:00.001-05:00

( 2010_04_13 - Hole #18 )

A new look from the eighteenth tee will greet you on your next visit to the club. In an effort to make the hole more playable the two trees on the right side of the fairway nearest the tee have been removed. This greatly improves the ability to reach the right side of the fairway and not get caught up to find yourself with a 200 yard shot up hill to the green. As part of the next phase of the bunker renovation project, the bunker on 18 will be getting a makeover. This means it will be brought up to style with the other bunkers and also be brought into the fairway a little more to take it out of the tree line on the left side. The removal of the trees not only makes the hole much more playable now, but with the changes it will continue to keep the hole more playable for us average golfers.

You will also notice that we have removed the bag rack near the putting green. It was seldom used and created a traffic issue that funneled players to and from the putting green to the first tee. This should help improve movement and also turf conditions in the area. We are also in the planning stages for the new flower bed that we created when we took out all the old Juniper shrubs next to the starter shack, new shrubs for a hedge to block the loading area to the lower part of the clubhouse, and shrubs to replace the overgrown Amur Maples to the right of the first tee.

Greening Up

2010-04-12T16:47:00.001-05:00

( 2010_04_04 - Hole #6 )

Things have definitely greened up over the last week to two weeks. Leaves are even starting to emerge on some trees. There is no question that things are a little ahead of schedule this year, and that is a great thing.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be making it around to the few damaged spots we had in some fairways and the 16th green. Roughing them up and getting some seed and soil mix worked into them. To continue the theme of natural stone work we will be removing the wooden steps on the second tee and replacing them with ones like 9 and 16. We will also be doing some work around 16 with the cart path near the green and some drainage at the bottom of the hill. We have started the bunker cleanup and edging, taking notes on ones that need some sand added, and cleaning up the grass faces that have accumulated sand over the last season. The old style bunkers did not have a lot of that problem associated with them. With the newer bunkers and the high grass slopes we are realizing we need to do a little more maintenance to keep the turf in good shape. We are putting together a game plan and will have it worked into our normal routine shortly so we can keep the grass slopes in those problem areas in tip top shape.

The thirteenth fairway is coming along nicely. It has been mowed once and fertilized all ready. You can now see what the tentative idea for fairway and rough cuts are. There will be an intermediate cut also, like most other holes on the course. With the fertilizer and mowing, once things warm up, it should really take off and start filling in. Stay tuned...

First Full Mowing 2010

2010-04-02T10:30:00.001-05:00

( 2010_04_01 - Mowing #8 fairway )

No April fools joke yesterday, we mowed fairways, approaches, collars, and tees for the first time this season. It really is something having weather like this April 1st, it is probably 3 weeks ahead of schedule. It is forcing us to rethink our timing on some of the fertilizer and chemical apps. Though I think we will have a cool down to more normal temps this time of year, we are definitely ahead of the curve so far.

( 2010_04_01 - #13 fairway from the forward tee )

Thirteen fairway is coming along very nicely with the warmer weather we are having. This picture was taken yesterday and the fairway is even greener today. If the trend continues we will be fertilizing it early then I had anticipated and should be mowing it for the first time pretty soon. I am very optimistic that we will be on it sooner then I had thought, which was ballparked at June 1st. Here is hoping the weather continues on its warm trend and things don't get too wet with spring showers.

March Madness 2010

2010-03-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

( 2010_03_27 - Opening Day 2010 )

How cool is this?!?! The weather has been above average, the course wintered great, and the golf clubs are getting dirty. With about 200 rounds in on opening weekend, IVGC is getting off to a great beginning in 2010. We have plenty of maintenance staff on hand that we are getting a lot done to get things in shape right off the bat. As you make your way around the course in the next few weeks you will see some vole damage around greens, tees, and a fairway or two. Those spots will quickly recover as we rake up the dead turf and the temperature warms a bit. Like I mentioned before, there is some gray snow mold spots around which will also get a good treatment of raking. Aside from the superficial issues, the turf appears to have come through winter in good shape.

What is amazing over the last couple of weeks is how dry it has become. We went from 2 feet of snow, a couple weeks of rain, flooding in certain parts of the state currently going on, and Island View is getting very dry. Hence, we pressurized the irrigation system today and plan on watering things over the next couple of days like it was a summer day in June. And if the temps climb into the 70's this week, despite the brown grass, we are going to think it is June. The irrigation start-up has gone very smooth, almost too smooth and we are waiting for something to blow out of the ground. So far, dare I say it, we have had no issues with leaks or broken parts. I think the fact that we did not have a lot of frost movement this spring, because it went out so quick, helped a lot by not moving the underground pipe and sprinklers around. And with the prolonged snow cover I think we had a lot less frost then winters of recent past, which was averaging a busted length of pipe every spring. So, so far so good it would appear. I wouldn't count out a change in the weather to more "normal" conditions any time soon however.

Get out and take advantage of this unusually early start to the golf season.

Removing The Blankets

2010-03-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

( 2010_03_22 - Removing covers from putting green )

We have started picking up the covers today, they are nice and dry and so far the turf underneath looks like it should. Not too long, which is good, and disease free from what we can tell. We should have the rest picked up tomorrow and then the major cleaning begins. Everything is proceeding ahead of schedule if you look at the average times we take covers off, get things cleaned up, and actually open the course for play. April 10th was day one last year and I am gonna guess we will be almost 2 weeks ahead of that date this year. If you were to ask me I would predict sometime next week we will be open for play, we'll continue to clean things up, get the course supplies out, and hope for good weather.

Stay tuned, the day is almost upon us...

Right Around the Corner

2010-03-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

( 2010_03_19 - Hole #13 )

It is safe to say about 99% of the snow is completely off the golf course. There are still some pockets on some north facing slopes and a few bunkers, and the ponds are still iced over. If the weather gurus are close to right then we will probably be pulling covers some time next week, getting things cleaned up a bit, and start getting supplies out on the course. I predict we will still see some more snow, but that hasn't stopped IVGC'ers in the past that's for sure. A couple issues with an early opening: there are many places too wet to be playable and the turf is not actively growing so any damage done is not recovering. The more damage done at this time of year really lengthens the recovery time of the golf course as the temps warm up and the roots start growing, which in turns gets the grass blades going. It becomes a balancing act for clubs as to when that golden day is and the gates open for the season. Obviously for some it is strictly revenue driven and getting the money flow going. For others it is about making sure the turf is starting to be active and can start recovering as soon as it is damaged. And for a semi-private to private club, there are always the members needs to consider. There is no right or wrong decision when it comes to opening the doors, but it is unique to each individual club. We at Island View fall somewhere in the middle but tend to lean towards the latter reasoning, turf and members. Since we do cover some greens there is a little delay in opening due to that, from removing them to some extra cleanup because of the debris they leave behind. We do have some low areas that poorly drain which have not yet been addressed with the on going course renovation, and unfortunately those areas are very much in play. And my philosophy definitely leans towards letting the turf get a little active before the traffic starts and the divot flying begins.

In years past Dan and I have communicated with each other and definitely worked together in making sure our opener is timed right for the members as well as the course, 2010 will be no exception. This time of year I am just as anxious to get outside and start working as most golfers are in getting out and playing. So stay tuned, the IVGC opener is right around the corner...

Signs of Spring

2010-03-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

( 2010_03_15 - #18 Green Surround - Snow Mold )

Ten days ago I was showing you 2 feet of snow on the greens and throughout the golf course, oh what ten days has done to things. Now we are about 80% open and the rain is falling. So far what I have seen has me very optimistic that the course came through the winter in great shape and we just need the temps up to get things growing. With the extensive snow cover for the entire winter season we have a lot of Gray Snow Mold in the rough areas where we do not chemically treat to prevent it. As you can see from the picture of the 18th green surround, it is abundant. And from what I have seen around town, home lawns are showing the same thing. When things warm up a bit a good hand raking in these areas will bust up the gray cotton looking mycelium and aid in a quick recovery. As for the treated areas, the turf looks healthy and free of disease.

( 2010_03_15 - #13 Fairway )

I have been a little apprehensive all winter wondering how #13 fairway was going to look coming out of winter. Last October was not kind to us at all with regards to trying to grow anything from seed, especially the extent of an entire fairway. We had great germination of both the ryegrass and more importantly the bluegrass, but once the rains and cooler weather moved in the new seedlings really slowed their growth. Much to my relief, it appears we are starting the season better then I expected. The turf is very thin, but even with as wet as it is I was able to walk on it without too much of a problem. There are a lot of areas with a good stand of turf. I have a couple of plans in place for fertilizer depending on the weather, but what we really need is a quick spring with warm temps to get the turf growing and filling in the open spots. Where it is struggling the most is the approach area, the shade from the trees lining the left side really hindered the germination by keeping things cool and wet. A couple of options for the really poor areas would be overseed or sod, as things progress during the next month or so we will make a decision and put the plan into action.

Are You Ready?

2010-03-05T12:13:00.003-06:00

(Snow cover middle of #18 green)

Greetings everyone! Long winter? Well, I would guess it will be around for a bit longer based on the amount of snow cover we currently have. This time last year I was out taking sample plugs from a couple greens because there was some worrisome ice cover in areas. This year we appear to be avoiding the ice issues to date, currently there is little to no ice build-up that we have seen. What we do have is about 2 feet of snow cover on greens and most areas. It is a bit deceiving when you look out and see turf around the bases of many trees, but if your not standing under a tree it can be up over your knees in spots. The freeze/thaw periods are still to come, and I am sure we will be out moving some water as the snow really gets to melting. There is very little frost in the ground from what we can tell, so that means as things really start melting the water may move into the soil profile rather then have to run-off via surface drainage. So to sum up the current situation, I would say promising and I am optimistic things should be in good shape as the snow continues to melt away.

On another note: Dave Thalberg, IVGC's Assistant GC Supt. has taken a Assistant job at Prestwick GC in Woodbury and he started the first of the month. I recently completed the search and hired a new Assistant GC Superintendent, his name is Brandon Young. He is a Iowa State grad with a degree in Turf Management, did internships at Shoreacres in Lake Bluff, IL & The Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, MT, and has been the Spray Technician at Spring Hill Golf Club for the past 4 years. I know Brandon is very excited, and looking forward to the new experience and challenges he will have here at Island View. As is Dave in his new postition at Prestwick.

So here we go! Everyone hurry up and wait, the season is almost upon us...

Tree Trimming

2009-12-07T14:53:00.000-06:00

Well things have opened up a little on #15, I am sure this bit of tree trimming will please many of you. The staff has been doing a lot of trimming over the last couple of weeks and capping it all off for the season is the work that was done on #15 today. We had Landberg's Tree Service trim up a few of the oak trees along the right side of the fairway, including removing the major branch that hung low over the approach area. They also cleaned up some of the oaks next to #6 tee and a couple of ash trees to the right of #5 approach. All in all a good days work for the guys.

With the approaching winter weather it looks as though we are about done with all the course work and will concentrate on equipment and other shop duties for the remainder of the snowy months. We again surrounded the course with snow fence to help deter any wayword snowmobilers, and we also have a handful of the greens covered like last year. Everything went into winter looking really good, considering the October weather we had even #13 fairway looks good. I can say right now that it will probably be a early June opening for that hole because of the weather we had, and we will do everything we can in the spring to make it playable as soon as possible. Is it possible to be on it earlier, yeah anything is possible, but I would guess it won't be the case... We'll see in the spring.

Overall, we had another excellent year at IVGC. The weather was dry until October, but that just meant more days to golf. The turf took the drought really well, and the irrigation system played a huge roll with that. Our projects went smooth, other then the delay on #4,7, & 8. The grounds crew did a super job from top to bottom in keeping the place in great shape, my thanks to them for a job well done. There are still a few turf issues lingering that we need to address going into 2010, along with some drainage problems in a couple of areas. We are currently planning some of the smaller projects for next season, and the greens committee is always looking for input on what members think should be addressed.

I hope everyone has a good winter, and a happy holiday season. I will continue to update the blog with what is going on around the shop and course. So stay tuned...

'Tis the end of the Season...

2009-11-20T10:06:00.001-06:00

I thought I would share the sites from my visit with the in-laws. My family and I are taking advantage of Maia's maternity leave to spend time with her parents for a few weeks at their home in Metepec, Mexico.

In the past month we have been buttoning things up for the end of the season. October gave us a lot of moisture, we were lucky to work outside a day or two each week all month. With the cool/wet conditions it slowed the grow-in of #13 substanitally but there is still a good stand of grass. It will push the opening back later in the spring next year, but the grass looks good and healthy. Our project on #4,7, & 8 also will be delayed until next season because of the weather in October. Hartman was put back at least 4 weeks due to the rains and it meant the project would be stretched into next spring, and that is not something the Greens Committee nor the BOD wants to have happen. So the work will be done in October of 2010, and as of now nothing major will be done during the season next year. The snow fence is going up, similar to what we did last year. Tree trimming is taking place throughout the course, our main areas will include holes 3,4,5,6, & 7. We started cleaning up all the dying juniper shrubs near the starter shack, next spring we will fill and grade the area, planting it to be much more attractive then it was. All in all the season is ending good, though October was a poor month for golf. Our turf looks good, and the green covers will be going down on Monday. Thanks to everyone for a terrific season!

Busy Couple of Weeks

2009-10-08T10:10:00.002-05:00

Maia and I had our baby on Sept. 25th. Clara Maria Knox was born around 4:30pm and she weighed 8lbs. 7ozs. So needless to say the last couple of weeks have been busy and full of joy. Everyone is healthy and doing great.

The cold snap we are going through is slowing things down a bit on the course. We are not mowing everything on a regular basis right now because of the slow growth and not to mention wet weather we have had. Since last Thursday we have had about 5 inches of rain total and the golf course is plenty saturated. To top it all off the leaves are starting to fall and we are now beginning leaf patrol, trying to keep things as clean as we can. A couple things about the wet weather is that leaves do not blow away very well nor mulch up worth a hoot.

Over the next week or so we will start removing trees around #4 tee box in preperation for the renovation project that should be starting soon. The steps and flagstone path are in on #9 tee, we just have some work to do regarding the path and firming up the mulch so it is not so rough to drive on. Thirteen fairway is coming along, even with the weather lately. So all in all things have been coming together this fall so far, and right around the corner is tree trimming.

Aerifying

2009-09-23T10:05:00.003-05:00

The greens have healed in great after aerifying. Today would be 2 weeks since we pulled cores and filled holes, and the weather has cooperated perfectly. We continue on our plug pulling rampage with tee boxes now. The front nine tees were completed on Tuesday and the back nine will be done tomorrow. Ones in worse shape recieve a little extra tlc with topdressing and seed, the others just get the plugs dragged around and cleaned off.

The fairways as many of you know are solid tine aerified, this creates a hole without pulling out a plug. By not disrupting the fairway surface we leave the poa annua seed in the ground and hopefully deter it from germinating more readily and compete against the desired bluegrass. Solid tines also allow us to get the job complete with less labor involved because there is no need for busting up cores, dragging them in, and cleaning the fairway off with a blower. All we have to do is aerify, perhaps roll some of the areas that pull up, and then mow. Our fairway soils are good and there is very little issue with excessive organic matter, so solid tines fit the bill nicely for our fairways. We will continue on them next week and should be finished up by the end of the week.

Seed Germination

2009-09-22T12:41:00.004-05:00

On Sunday I noticed a few shoots on thirteen fairway, on Monday a few more, and today there is definitely a green tint to large portions of the fairway. We seeded it Last Wednesday so everything we see right now is Ryegrass, but by the end of the week we should definitely see the bluegrass germinating. The mix was roughly 80% premium bluegrass and 20% perennial ryegrass, and so far it is coming along as planned. Here's hoping for a long fall that allows us to get a good stand of grass before winter sets in...

Heat, Water, & Seed

2009-09-18T13:06:00.004-05:00

The renovation on number thirteen was completed on Wednesday. Now with a some help from the weather things will be in good shape going into winter. We used erosion control blankets around the four catch basins and the approach area to prevent as much erosion as we can if we should get a heavy rain. The bunker surrounds were sodded also for this reason, especially concerning the steeper faces and mounding. We used a 80% premium bluegrass/20% ryegrass mix of seed, so we should see some seed germination in under a week. All in all the project went very smooth and the weather helped out a lot, save for the lack of rain at the end but once we got the irrigation up and running it didn't matter.

From what I have seen over the last couple of days, people are obeying the signs and staying out of the roped area if their ball should find its way onto the dirt. This is critical, one being the muddy mess that would be created and two the disruption in the seed bed would create "dirt" footprints as germination starts to take place. So thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

On another note. Greens aerification went great and after a week and a half the greens are looking very good. The greens should be back in tip-top shape shortly. We are about half way through aerifying the fairways and the tees will be done next Tuesday and Thursday.

Watering Dirt

2009-09-12T09:23:00.004-05:00

What a busy ten days since my last update. All the greens have been aerified, and about half the fairways are complete. Tees are on the agenda for this coming week, along with finishing up fairways. And number thirteen is shaping up very well. All the irrigation is in and everything is working. The soil was so dry and hard that we needed to get the water turned on before any bunker work or seeding could take place. I have been watering the dirt heavily for the past couple of days trying to get the subsurface moist and start to melt down some of the harder clumps that would not break up. Monday is the big for finishing up the bunkers and getting one last grade on the fairway. Seed and sod will be finished up Monday and Tuesday, and it looks as though the weather will cooperate...

Just a reminder about aerifying... We mow greens every other day for about a week or so following plugging. We want as little stress on the turf as possible so we can get a speedy recovery. Tees are similar, and because of the soil content we need them to be dry before we can mow them after aerifying so the mowers are out in the afternoon. We try and disrupt play as little as possible during these critical cultural practices and we appreciate everyones understanding. In a couple weeks the greens should be back to normal and weather permitting there will be a bunch of days left for some golf.

Renovation Continues...

2009-09-01T10:58:00.002-05:00

A lot of grading has been done, the bunkers are roughly shaped in, and today the main drainage basins and tile are being installed.

Renovation Is Underway

2009-08-29T08:23:00.002-05:00

Renovation on #13 began on Friday. It should take 7-10 days to get everything graded, seeded, and bunkers built. Here's hoping for a great stretch of weather to get the new fairway established...

2009-08-28T14:06:00.006-05:00

I stitched together a couple of snapshots I took of the clouds that rolled in this morning over the golf course, right before we got dumped on for about 5 minutes. Thankfully it was not enough rain to delay the project on #13 any longer. The bulldozer and tiller are now working on it as I type this. We've made the hole a par 3 for the time being, with the tee box located about 125 yards out on the left side of the cart path. We will be keeping the hole cut on the right side of the green to keep it as playable as possible. We may readdress the location once the fairway is seeded, because at that point there can absolutely not be any traffic on it while the seed is being established. Overall I think it works out well, and everyone can play to the green rather then a situation where a temp green is involved.

Early Morning Fog

2009-08-26T10:53:00.004-05:00

I snapped this photo of Ron mowing the 3rd fairway on Saturday morning of the club championship. The brightness of the picture actually doesn't really relay the reality of the moment. The staff showed up at 5:15am on Saturday and Sunday so we could mow fairways, approaches, greens, and intermediate ahead of the golfers. This was a little different practice then routines in the past. Normally we mowed everything Friday and then came back and mowed everything on Saturday evening. Of course the greens were mowed each day, actually twice every morning, but the rest was just once over the weekend. I am very happy with the results of the new mowing routine. The dew was removed on all major playing areas, although it did settle back in for some of the early tee times, and the course looked great. The only thing that made this all possible was my staff. Everyone showed up on time and got straight to work, it was a terrific effort on their part to get the course in shape for everyone to play. I have to give them a huge thanks on a job well done. And for that matter, a big thanks on a great summer with little to no issues.

As the summer winds down we start to lose staff to school. As a result we start changing some of our mowing routines and we tend to tri-plex greens more then we walk mow. For the most part it probably won't be noticed, but just a reminder to you all. The main mowing stays on top of the priority list, but things like weed-whipping and raking bunkers 6-7 days a week starts to move down that list. Other odd jobs also get less frequent, but we do everything we can to make sure the course still plays in great shape. There is still a lot of golf to played in 2009...

Rain Delayed

2009-08-25T13:58:00.002-05:00

I wonder what the people driving by the club think when they look out over 13 and 14 and see a dead fairway? After a good couple of days over the weekend the RoundUp has worked through the plant and the turf is checking out. I did spray it again with diquat on Sunday night after the club championship to burn it down quicker and Monday was a good weather day for that. Then Tuesday brought the rain and it looks as though the project will be delayed for a couple of days because it needs to be drier for the tiller and scraper.

We have also worked out a deal with Hartman that will get the project on 7, 4, & 8 completed this year also. We are currently working on scheduling and details for that. Stay tuned for a update of what's going on in regards to that and also the progress on #13.

Who Ordered The Rain?

2009-08-21T10:22:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday we received 2.5" of rain. On Thursday we received 0.75" of rain. The golf course is very saturated at the moment to say the least. For the last couple of days we have been paths only with golf carts, and I see that continuing today. Even the maintenance staff is limiting any traffic around the course while trying to tie up loose ends before the tournament begins tomorrow morning for the bulk of the field. The championship and presidential flights were able to get their first round in yesterday, it was what you typically call 'mudding'. And though the ladies could not get their first nine of eighteen holes in on Wednesday, they will be able to get their modified championship round in today along with the juniors. While it has been wet, the course is still holding its own and playing pretty good.

Just some reminders and notes because of the weather and wet conditions:

Please repair your ball marks and a few others. The greens are very soft and even short chips are leaving a mark. There is going to be a lot of play over the next couple of days and it is important to give everybody a good putting surface. Fix your ball marks.
Try to stay on the paths and cross fairways at 90 degrees. There will also be signs out there to steer carts clear of wet areas, please follow them. Again, we want the course to be in great shape for everybody.
Remember to put the bunker rakes back in the bunker when your done. Let's keep things consistent throughout the course for all the players.
Be sure to keep the carts on the paths when around greens and tees. The areas we have sodded will be soft and prone to damage, not to mention the bare and muddy areas.
Because of the rain there is some long rough in a couple of areas between holes that we may not be able to mow. The fairway is your best bet to keep your scores low.
The rough around the greens is wet, thick, and may be long in spots. Try and hit the greens, another best bet for keeping your scores low.
Have fun, be courteous, and take care of the course so everyone has a great weekend of golf.

IVGC Championship Week

2009-08-18T13:52:00.005-05:00

We are almost off and running so to speak. The club championship starts tomorrow with the 18 hole women's division playing their back 9 round. So far everything is going smooth and the course is in great shape, the IVGC maintenance staff is doing a terrific job getting the place ready for the busy week. I took a photo of the blue heron on #6 today, not much to see on #13 fairway yet. I expect it will be a few days before we notice a difference in color. The good weather we are having should really help the RoundUp make it through the plant quick.

Last night the greens committee met to discuss and approve a plan for the renovation project on #7, 4, & 8. The gist of that plan is as follows: The bunkers on #7 will be renovated to bring them up to date. The first fairway bunker on the right will be taken out, and the second one on the right will be moved up towards the 100 yard marker. The Silver Maple will be taken out in that area to allow for proper playability and mounding around the bunker itself. The left fairway bunker will be tweaked slightly but mainly just be renovated in its current location. The green side bunker will built up similar to the one on #10 green so it is more visible from further out in the fairway. It will be slightly smaller and brought towards the approach a little bit. The soil for the project will come from re-grading the approach at about 60 yards out up to the green. This will create the much needed drainage in the area for growing a better stand of grass. It will also improve the site line up the left side of the hole, there is no plan to remove any of the ridge or right side of the fairway to open up that site line. The main reason being that it would take a very significant cut to open that view up and it would create a very manufactured looking golf hole. It would be something that would look very different to the character of the rest of the golf course. To go along with #7 we will be completely renovating the 4th tee and the back tee on 8. Using some of the soil from 7 and by cutting down the front 1/3 of #8 tee we will create enough soil to increase the size of #4. Number eight will have two separate tees instead of the single tee currently there. There is some potential to also add a little length in that area, possibly 10 yards or so. The white tees would then rotate between the new lower tee and the raised back tee. #4 will enlarged to the right, over the existing cart path, also better aligned with the golf hole. To remove the need for a retaining wall, the tee will be lowered slightly so a walkable slope can be created from the new cart path which will run below the current site of the water cooler and seed box. The committee decided to also include steps similar to #16 in the project to tie it together with #9 and 16, plus make it a little easier to get to the top. The two tee complexes will be separated by a narrow buffer zone of some type of ornamental, whether it is grasses or shrubs that is yet to be decided. It will allow groups to be aware of other groups and perhaps be more courteous to each other while teeing off. So the project is planned, and the board is currently negotiating with Hartman to see if we can get the work done in this calender year... Stay tuned.

PGA Championship

2009-08-17T14:47:00.005-05:00

Last week I was getting up at 3:55am and making my way out to Hazeltine National GC by 4:30am so I could start mowing tees around 5:00am. And then of course making it back to Island View mid morning to get my day of work in. Gruelling is not really how I would describe it, it was more just getting up an hour earlier then normal and going to bed a couple hours earlier then normal. We were fed well for our efforts, and the daily pass to the course with a parking permit was pretty sweet. What really topped it off though was standing inside the bleachers (that row of white shirts behind Y.E. and Tiger) to see them play 18 and watch the PGA Champion be crowned. Now that was a cool experience, and one hell of a approach shot by Mr. Yang.

All in all it was very exciting being part of the crew that prepped the golf course for the tournament. My hats off to Jim Nicol and his staff for a tremendous job getting Hazeltine ready for the PGA. Even after 6" of rain fell and washed out every one of the 117 bunkers on the golf course, it looked amazing by Monday morning of tournament week. I was paired with one member of the Hazeltine staff and together we mowed tees on holes #1, 6, 9, 11, 15, & 16. When we finished cleaning our mowers it was time for breakfast, and that was it. It took a total of 2 hours for the entire golf course to be cleaned up and mowed each morning. I didn't get a count on the number of volunteers there were helping but to give you an idea: there were 6 walk mowers for tees, 8-10 walk mowers for greens, 8 fairway mowers, 3-4 tri-plex fairway mowers, 4 walk mowers for approaches, 4 rollers with a guy cleaning up behind them each, a handful of guys stimping greens, a handful of guys changing and painting cups, I think two bunker crews of 8-10 guys each hand raking bunkers, 4 large debris blowers cleaning off tees/fairways/rough, and a bunch of other guys making sure everything was going smooth. A small army is basically what it was, and that was just in the morning. The afternoon crew did the majority of the course cleanup, more mowing, and many other odds and ends jobs.

It truly is amazing seeing what goes on behind the scenes of a major tournament, and to think this happens 4 times a year and perhaps a little scaled back every normal tournament weekend of the year! It was a great week to say the least.

And on a side note, I sprayed RoundUp on the 13th hole today. No picture needed 'cause it's still green as can be. We kept all traffic off it until 1:00pm so there would not be any tracking off the target area. When the plans for #7, 4, and 8 are more set I will pass them on to everyone...

Getting Ready!

2009-08-12T12:11:00.001-05:00

We are getting ready for a couple of things over the next week. The Club Championship starts on Wednesday the 19th so we are giving everything that little extra shine. And the renovation project on #13 starts the following Tuesday, so we are prepping some things for that also. As noted in the picture, we have removed the willow tree next to the pond, and today we took down the two ash trees next to the fairway bunkers. The stumper should be in Friday to get everything chipped so we have plenty of time to get things clean before next week. On Monday of next week we will be spraying round-up on the 13th fairway in preparation for the renovation project. By championship weekend everything sprayed should be turning yellow and dying. This should not have any significant impact on play but mainly be a aesthetic issue. The goal is to have everything dead by Tuesday the 25th so Hartman can grade and till everything together without spreading live weeds and poa annua throughout the fairway.

To go along with the renovation on #13 this year, the 2010 renovation plans are taking shape quickly and could be tied into this year also. We plan to finish the front 9 bunkers by completing hole 7 and also completely renovating #4 and #8 tee complexes. The greens committee and board of directors are currently working together to come up with the final renovation plan and the proper financing method to get it done in this calender year. The BOD and GC feel that it is preferable to have everything done at the same time so next spring we are not digging into something and dragging out the renovation projects into the summer. The club is also hosting the MGA Senior 4-Ball championship next September so the other window for renovation would be October, which is still not being counted out... But if we can get 2010's renovation work done this year, it would mean no major construction work until 2011. And I think everyone would be on board for a nice long season (2010) without construction and renovation projects taking place. It also gives the GC plenty of time to come up with a solution for the renovation of #14 which includes soil sampling, pond, bunkers, and fairway work.

Stay tuned, I will update the blog on a daily basis starting next week to show off the championship and also the renovation progress.

Wee Bit of Storm Damage

2009-08-03T10:39:00.003-05:00

Well the storm rolled through last night and took down a tree or two on the golf course. As always there is/was a lot of little stuff here and there to pick up. A Oak tree between #15 & #17 broke off about 20 feet up, it was the one that grew up all twisted. There are a couple of other trees that took enough damage (one on #3 and one on #9) that the tree will most likely be taken down. There were also a few major branches that came down but do not warrant taking the tree out. All in all, not as bad as I thought it would be when I got in this morning. We will have it back in shape in no time... One good thing is we have had about an inch and a half of rain in the last three days, much needed for as dry as its been.

I met with the landscaper (same company that put the steps in on #16) last week to plan the steps for number nine tee. The work is planned for the week of Sept. 7th and should not take more then a week. It looks as though we are going to have a very busy construction period starting right after the club championship. With the work being done on #13, the steps on #9, and then fall aerification starts right around that time also... Busy, busy, busy.

Didn't Find Any Gold, Yet.

2009-07-27T08:16:00.002-05:00

Curbing is done on #11 and #7, and the sod/grading is also completed around those areas. The new teebox on #11 is now open for play. The blue MGA marker is now 207 yards to the middle of the green, we will be updating the tee sign soon. Two of the three buildings on the course are cleaned up and painted. #9 tee is next on the list for some work, the new steps and landscape area. We will be doing more sodding along some cart path edges and evaluating some of those areas for stone rather then grass. The geese are now flying and are much easier to keep away from the course. We will do everything we can to keep them away for the rest of this season and also deter them from staying around next spring. All in all we have been busy taking care of a lot of odd's and end's.

The finishing touches for number 13 in in the final planning stages right now. The next newsletter will have a overview of the project so everyone understands what is going on. I will also be updating the blog regularly as we get closer to renovation time. Right now I plan to spray the fairway with Round Up on Monday of club championship week. It will be yellowing by the weekend but should play just fine. This is necessary so when we till the entire area the week after the tournament, the grass is dead and 'crispy'. This will ensure a good final grading of the fairway prior to seeding. But, as I just said, I will keep everyone informed of the details as we get closer to the project...

Gotta Love The Weather

2009-07-13T16:21:00.003-05:00

Weather like this is probably a Superintendents dream. The heat is only in the upper 70's to low 80's, the humidity is very low, and though we do need rain it is much better then being too wet. So I hope everyone is getting a chance to get some rounds in and enjoy the summer we are having.

Short and sweet - the curb is in on #11 and will be graded/sodded on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday a curb will be installed around the turn-around on #7 green. That one should be buttoned up by the weekend...

Enjoy the course...

Projects, Projects, Projects

2009-07-07T12:57:00.003-05:00

Well we have a lot of this and that going on right now. Josh with Hartman is in for the day putting the finishing touches on the new 11th tee and also grading out the area for drainage. One of the directions we have started to go with tees and other construction type projects is getting the professionals in to do the job right. Not that we could not do the job in-house mind you, but there is added level of detail and finishing work that we can not do with our equipment. The laser level you see in the picture can make the tee perfectly flat, 1/4" slope one way or another, or put in any other slope you may want for surface drainage. The precision is a lot more exact then the simple level we use for our in-house projects.

All the sod we stripped from the area is being put to use on those eyesore spots around the cart paths and behind #16 green on the hill side. The areas we have left when we use up all the sod created will be handled with purchased sod or from the back of the driving range where we have been taking sod for various projects. The entire area around the 11th tee will be sodded along with the tee box itself, the sod coming from the beginning of the fairway.

Some of the bunkers needed a little attention so we are currently getting some weeding and edging done. Sand will also be added to a couple of bunkers where it is getting a little thin. We are also getting a much over due paint job on the #6 shack. We stripped all the loose stuff some time ago and have not had a chance to get the fresh paint on until now. When that building is done we will be moving on to the pump house and then perhaps the starter shack.

The area to the right of nine tee will also be getting a make-over soon. We need to regrade the area around the evergreens to get the standing water out of there, and also have plans for a set of steps to be installed. The current idea is to remove the planting and wall block and place the steps there where the path is already expanded. The flowers would be added to the area to the right of the path where we will be grading along with some hosta and perhaps other plant material.

There has been some talk about steps for the forward tee on #13. I would rather see golfers drive around the 12th green and past the water cooler to get to that tee. It keeps people on top of the hill rather then having to park below and climb up. We need to do a little tree trimming on the tree next to the teebox to open the area up a little, but I would guess the amount of traffic should not be a problem along the teebox. I hope this solves any problems associated with climbing the bank if it is wet and slippery.

The List...

2009-07-02T09:29:00.005-05:00

I mentioned the new rolling units we purchased this season, here is a picture of Micky rolling number five green this morning. So far things are working great with them, and the greens have been very smooth for the most part. It's nice to be able to keep them rolling between 10 & 11 without having to drop our height of cut below a 1/8".

There is always a list. Whether I keep it or Dave keeps it, we are always working off a list. The one thing about working on a golf course is there is always something to do. I swear every time we take one thing off the list we add 2 or 3 things to it. And this does not even include the normal routine maintenance we do on a daily basis. What is included is stuff like spraying weeds, watching/spraying for crabgrass, cart path edge renovation, irrigation analysis to make sure water is where we need it, tree trimming, drainage work, painting course buildings, weeding bunkers, edging sprinkler heads, edging yardage markers, cleaning the deck and clubhouse area, trimming around fences and other areas, adding sand to bunkers, edging bunkers, the hand mowing and watering lists are just that - more lists, spraying other pests such as ants, branch and brush clean-up, parking lot cleaning, better positioning tee signs, improving target greens on driving range, improving overall condition of driving range, tree inventory, checking "hot spots" for disease or other issues, keeping thistle out of the no-mows, various things that need to be done around the shop (another list), trimming back overgrowth on #15, making sure drains and tiles are cleaned out, light bulbs in the cart shed, exterior lights on the clubhouse, deterring muskrats from the ponds (they tend not to like a .22), deterring geese (they don't like being chased by a golf cart or mower), cart control options for various areas, this area or that area needs a little TLC, keeping an eye out for the beaver to see if he is going to take any more birch trees with him, & I could continue but I think you understand...

Keep the ideas coming and we will keep checking things off and adding things on.

Have a good 4th of July and I hope your all enjoying the golf course...

Clover!

2009-06-25T08:26:00.004-05:00

From a distance our fairways are looking green and lush, but once you start walking them you realize we have quite a bit of clover out there. Specifically we have White Clover (Trifolium repens L.), often associated with low fertility and moisture. I can tell you it is not from lack of fertility in our fairways, but I know some of our rough areas do not see as much food as they probably need. Last year, with fertilizer prices going through the roof, we did not fertilize a lot of the rough areas and concentrated on just the main playing turf (tees, greens, & fairways). This year we have switched that tactic a little and our now using some of the least expensive fertilizer to at least give our rough areas a little nitrogen and potassium. We have not changed much of anything in our other fertilizer programs, except for fairways where we are trying a different poly-coated fertilizer we have used on a limited basis in the past.

Clover is pretty easy to whack down, a little 2,4-D, dicamba, triclopyr, MCPP, & MCPA are just a few of the chemicals one can use to kill the little beast. In the rough areas we have been spraying most of the areas we can get to. In the fairways I tried a little different tactic and spot sprayed the first couple hundred yards of #10 and a little bit on #11. I'm glad I did not go all out yet because of what I am seeing on #10. Sure enough the clover is checking out but unfortunately where it is a thick patch there is nothing underneath it to take over. And the heat of the summer is not exactly the best time to be seed/soiling large patches in the fairways. So we will knock down the smaller/thinner patches with spot spraying and leave the rest for this fall when we can get out and treat all the fairways and take advantage of the right time of year for seeding.

The Beaches Are Open

2009-06-24T09:30:00.002-05:00

The bunker renovations on #12 and #13 are now open for play.

You have been warned.

Testing New Chemy

2009-06-18T11:40:00.003-05:00

So last week I sprayed fairways with the usual plant protectants. One of the chemicals has a side effect of deterring worms, so hopefully we will see a decrease in their activity especially since all the rain we have had recently. The rest of the mix had growth regulators, fertilizer, and another fungicide. It normally takes 8 full tanks to spray all 24 acres of fairways, so I typically spray them all over two days. This year I am trying a brand new chemical on a limited basis. All of number one fairway and half of number two fairway have this new chemical in the mix. The rest of the fairways and the other half of number 2 do not. I will be evaluating performance over the summer and see how it may differ from our normal chemical program.

So why mention all this? One of the effects of this new chemical should be a better looking turf overall, and so far you can see the difference in the two halves of number 2. So if you notice that half of two is a bit greener and darker in appearance, that is the reason. We will be continuing this test through our next fairway application in about 3 weeks, so it is possible it may become a very stark difference in shades.

Just an FYI.

2009-06-10T15:00:00.002-05:00

Image is from Google Earth...

Well the bunker work is done and all the loose ends resulting from it are completed also. Now we can get back to addressing the collars, approaches, and tees where the turf is a little lacking. The rain was a huge help and now it looks like warm weather is very near. A couple of eighty degree days and things will explode... Most of the landscaping around #16 tee is in, there is still a little more to do, and it looks great.

FYI on the imminent coming of the Emerald Ash Borer... We are starting our tree inventory, 4 of 18 holes are complete. To give you all an idea of how many ash trees we have, there were a total of 262 trees counted and just over 47% of those trees are ash. I would guess the rest of the course is going to follow suite and we are going to find out about 50% of all the trees on the golf course are ash trees. There is a new chemical option for tree injection that is giving 2-3 years of control for EAB, so there is a option for the ones we do not want to lose. At $30+ per tree to treat we would be looking at over $3,700 for just the ones we have counted so far ($1850/year). Some very rough numbers on the idea of treating - 18 holes ~ 1300 trees ~ 750 ash trees ~ $22,500 treatment every 2 years ~ $11,250/year. It is safe to assume we are not going to be able to treat every tree on the golf course. But it is reasonable to choose a fair amount to treat, since we have so many ash trees there are a lot that come into play and perhaps we do not want to lose them.

Bunker Work Continues

2009-06-01T14:51:00.005-05:00

The finishing touches are being put on #12 today and they have started renovating the greenside bunkers on #13. By shifting the front bunker to the left a little, it allows the right side bunker to be brought around the front right corner and a little closer to the green. Whenever you start digging around on a golf course you never know what kind of surprises might pop up. Thankfully, as of yet, there have been no unexpected's to speak of. We hope to have everything, #12 & #13, sodded by the end of the day Thursday. Everything should be back in play in a few weeks.

Bunker Work Commences

2009-05-27T15:58:00.004-05:00

The bunker work has begun. The old sand was removed from the fairway bunkers on #12 and they were re-edged. New sand was put in today and they are back in play, be forwarned though that the new sand is very soft and the ball has a tendancy to plug. The left greenside bunker was ripped apart and renovated today also, it is almost completed. By the end of the week the whole hole should be nearly finished, just waiting on sod would be my guess. If there is no rain in the forecast and it is feasible, I will bring in the sod for both #13 and #12 in one shipment to save on costs...

Since the approach is getting a little work, we have stolen some sod from there and are using it to repair some of the dead spots we have on a few approaches. There was also some extra soil generated from the greenside bunkers and that is being put where the new tee box on #11 is going. That was a project that got postponed last year because there was no extra soil to work with from the bunker project, so this year we will be completing that. It will put the yardage for that hole from 190'ish to 215 or so, making it a good challenge for the championship tees. It will not be completed until this fall, so for now it will be rough graded and seeded with ryegrass.

And I want to thank everyone involved for a tremendous 50th Anniversary Party at the club last Sunday. I am so glad I got to play and be part of the celebration...

Day 44 - Rain, EAB, & Bunkers

2009-05-23T09:07:00.001-05:00

And again I am extremely grateful for a super irrigation system! With very little rain this spring we have been pumping a lot of water onto the golf course. And though we have had the usual hiccups, the irrigation system has been working wonderfully. However, with all the wind we have had it has been a struggle to keep some of the seeded areas nice and damp. But things are progressing nicely. On that note, while most poor fairway areas are showing signs of good re-growth, there are some approach and collar areas that we plan to cut and sod next week. For the most part I have been pleased with the recovery of most of the golf course, excluding a few areas here and there.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been in the local news on a daily basis now that it has been found in St. Paul. How does that effect us is on a lot of members minds I gather, considering all the questions I have had in the past couple of weeks about it. There is no question it is devastating to any ash tree population, literally killing every tree, and we have a high population of ash trees. In fact the majority of trees on the golf course are ash trees, so when it gets here it will open the golf course up considerably. Our plan of attack right now is to inventory the golf course trees and start determining any "key" ash trees that we should consider chemical treatments for. This will start amongst the greens committee and go out to the board and membership from there. Preventative treatments have come down in cost, so it is reasonable to consider some for treatment but not a high number of trees. The best thing we can do is follow that course of action and start treating key trees to help prevent their demise. And along with that, let nature follow its course and deal with the tree removal when it comes to that. We could have it now, though I have seen no signs of it yet, or it could be many years before it makes it our way. The big thing is to not panic and start making any rash decisions about dealing with the high number of ash trees we have on the golf course. I will definitely keep everyone posted as to what we are doing in regards to the whole issue.

Bunkers, bunkers, bunkers. The project is starting early this year, next Tuesday as a matter of fact. Holes 12 & 13 are being renovated this summer, with some more work being put off until the fall. As usual there will be some minor tweaking to all the bunkers, the fairway bunkers on #12 will just have the old sand taken out and new sand put in. There will not be any moving, adding, or removal in that area. The greenside however will get some dramatic change with updated bunkers and a slight pinching of the approach. The work on #13 will really bring that hole into light. The fairway bunkers are being moved slightly more into the fairway and the second one will be brought in a little closer to the first. The willow tree along the pond will be removed and the fairway cut will be extended to within six feet or so of the pond edge. The greenside bunkers will be shifted slightly, with the right side bunker being brought in to the green closer and more towards the front right corner. The fall work which is tentatively planned right now would be a complete regrading and seeding of the 13th fairway. This would eliminate the drainage issues we have in the fairway, allow us to kill the predominantly poa annua fairway and seed in supreme blues, and make a much more playable surface. The winter kill that fairway suffered is a perfect example of how poorly the water moves through that area.

I apologize for the lapse in updates, I will do a much better job going forward. With EAB, minor projects, and everything else there is plenty too talk about.

Day 1

2009-04-10T09:50:00.004-05:00

Well the season has officially begun for IVGC. And the picture here of hole 6 is what you can expect from a lot of the course. There are quite a few brown spots in the fairways, all of which can be attributed to the ice cover and water pooling from the winter. A lot of the collar and green edges show signs of desiccated turf, and number 16 has a couple of large turf areas where water collected and froze, damaging the turf. The covered greens (1, 7, 8, 15, 16, & putting green) are very green and the turf looks good, other then the spots mentioned on 16. All the other greens look typical for this time of year, some spots worse then others.

The biggest thing now is the need for warm weather. It will probably be a few weeks before we truly know how some of the brown areas will recover. Odds are many of them will come back in some fashion, probably thin and sparse. At that time we will be doing everything we need to do to get things back in shape. Aerifying, seeding, topdressing, fertilizing, etc... So here's hoping for some warmer weather very soon.

Quick Update

2009-03-18T11:15:00.002-05:00

Well I think 99% of the snow and ice are gone (for now anyway). The warm weekend and the first couple of days this week have taken care of any ice cover we had on our greens. Dave and I have been out that last two days moving the softened ice and pooling water off the green surfaces. Even with 4 solid days in the 50+ range of temps we still had to chip through about 3 inches of ice on the front of number 18 yesterday. The whole exercise has given us a great understanding of the drainage issues some of our green complexes have. Thankfully we only have a couple of greens with spots where the water will pool if it can not drain through the soil profile. And we have also taken care of some drainage problems with the continuing bunker project.

Nice weather and little snow always creates excitement for the season to start and the course to open. During weather stretches like the one we are having now I always get asked by a few when the course will be opened. Well, if we can get a good couple weeks of this weather and dry things out good, it could be sooner then later. I think most agree there is still more snow to come, even if short lived, and that just means it will take longer to dry out. We are all hoping for an early spring this year and definitely a warm one, so we'll see...

March Melting

2009-03-09T13:54:00.003-05:00

Greetings everyone, I hope your winter has been good and our spring is soon to come...

We have been monitoring the ice that has been around since January on some spots. There are a couple of areas that concern me, #2 being the main one. The ice has built up in the front of the green and caused some water back-up during the 2-3 days we have had in the 40's. We have chipped channels through the ice so the melting water has room to escape and not continue to pool up. It is the only green where this major ice dam has occurred, for the most part the rest of the ice on greens is an inch or so and when it does melt it has places to run off to. We will continue to create openings and places for the water to go so it does not sit on the green surfaces.

We have taken in a couple of turf plugs, from #2 & #4. The one taken from #4 is in fine shape and green-up has been quick. The one from #2 (pictured above) is in ok shape, the poa annua is slower to start which is normal and the bentgrass appears to be similar to #4.

With ice build up we are concerned with two major things, one being suffocation if it covers the turf for extended periods of time (which I have discussed before) and the second is during the freeze/thaw cycles we are now experiencing. If the turf warms up enough the plant can take in water, known as crown hydration. Our concern then is a hard freeze and the water in the plant freezes and shatters the cells. What we do to prevent that is to make sure the water has a place to go as it melts and does not sit on the green. Shovel snow, chip ice, squeegee water, and anything else to help get the ice & water off is what we are doing.

Obviously if there is any damage from the winter we will take all steps in making sure we get turf back as soon as possible. Aerify, topdress, verticut, seed, and even cover in plastic to create mini-greenhouses are just a few of the things that can be done to encourage quick recovery.

Greens Committee Meeting Highlights

2009-01-20T13:28:00.002-06:00

We held our first Greens Committee meeting of the year last night. Everyone was present and most of the meeting evolved around the 2009 budget and ideas for planned projects. Nominees for the new committee member position where reviewed and a choice was made. He will be notified by the committee and upon acceptance his name will passed on to the board for approval. The 2009 meeting dates were decided and I have updated the list on the right.

The bulk of our discussion of the evening revolved around the bunker project for 2009 and also various other projects around the golf course. The golf course is going to start facing some interesting times with the economy in the position that it is in. The greens committee feels that even though we are going to be facing some tighter spending limits we can not stop progressing through updates and renovations to the golf course. It is important at a time like this that we continue to improve the golf club, the course being the committees focus obviously, and make sure we are a club that people want to be a part of. On that note we discussed holes #7, 12, and 13 for the bunker renovations this season. If we can fit it into our current budget, those are the holes that will be under renovation around July of this summer.

The other part of the project discussion had to do with tee boxes, from leveling to renovating complexes. We still have a few that are not very level and in need of some attention. We also have some aging timber walls that need to be replaced in the near future. So the committee has set a goal to discuss these areas and put together a plan of attack for them. The other lingering issues have to do with drainage, curbing, and landscaping. Overall it was a good mid-winter refresher about what the course is going to be facing this season and areas that we need to address.

The committee members are listed to the right of this page. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc. please make them known so they can be addressed and resolved if need be. And my ear is always open to any of the above, whether you call or email...

A New Year Begins...

2009-01-06T14:28:00.003-06:00

Well, we are back at it in the shop. Maintenance on equipment, supplies, etc. is going along smoothly. Dave & I have seminars and a trade show the rest of this week in Minneapolis at the Convention Center and will be back in the shop on Monday. Brian is working on equipment and Frank McGinn III has been helping out in the shop over his holiday break.

The warmer weekend and rain brought about some ice formation on the greens. We walked all 18 today to get an idea of what we are facing and so far things are not very alarming. A couple of greens have a fairly thick layer on them in spots but most areas are under 1/2" thick and cloudy. Cloudy and full of air bubbles is the ok kind of ice because there is enough air there usually that the plants will not suffocate before the melting occurs. Clear ice is the stuff you do not want to see for very long because there is little to no air trapped there and that is when the plants can suffer. On average poa annua (annual bluegrass) is ok for upwards of 90 days under ice before damage, while bentgrass can go longer under cover. We will monitor the situation from here on out and make the decisions we need to make to make sure we do not have a problem with it... It just showed up for the most part so we have some time to watch what happens to the weather patterns and the ice.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2008-12-22T12:04:00.003-06:00

As many of you know or guessed, during the holiday weeks we take some vacation and there is almost nothing going on in the shop. Except for snowplow duty we are not around during Christmas and New Year's.

So here is a MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR for everyone from us in the maintenance department. We hope your holidays are safe and bring you joy & happiness.

See you next year!

Nice to see snow...

2008-12-08T11:18:00.003-06:00

We just finished up some tree trimming, holes #1,2,9,13,14,15,16, and 17. The guys are done until next season. And there is a nice layer of snow on the course with more on the way. As many of you know the course is going with a new electric golf cart fleet next year and we have been ironing out the details lately. Besides signing the dotted line and waiting until delivery next year, there is still a little electrical work to be done in the cart shed to accommodate the new fleet. The plan is for all the member carts to be on the driving range side of the shed and the club carts to be on the other. Our current numbers show a few extra member carts that do not fit on the member side but, with some on the exit list and a few considering removing their carts, there should not be any problems with the storage situation.

Dave, Brian, and myself are now working on equipment and supplies to get them ready for next season. We have a lot of stuff that needs minor repairing and touch-up. Also, as of last winter, we handle the snow removal for the club. The three of us are on call for rotating weeks that go from Monday to Sunday throughout the winter months. With working in the shop, snow removal, seminars, and a little vacation we stay busy during the winter months. Before you know it the snow is melting and the clubs are swinging...

A Little Summary Since Closing

2008-11-24T13:33:00.002-06:00

Here's a little summary of what has been happening at IVGC since we closed the course a couple of weeks ago...

We have six greens covered with mats, #1, 7, 8, 15, 16, nursery green, and also #4 teebox. There has been some tree trimming going on, a little more leaf clean-up, and snow fence... We put up about 5,000 feet of snow fence this year to limit the snowmobile traffic onto the golf course. We have not had a serious problem in the last few years, although last year there was some minor damage to the ninth green. I felt though that 2 days of labor is worth it to prevent a potential nightmare in the spring. We continue to leave the driving range un-marked so snowmobilers can run around there as much as they want, just the teebox is fenced off. The steps on #16 tee have been completed, the work was done about the first week of November. We have had great comments on them from those who got to see them before the course closed. Natural stone steps with flagstone size pieces to fill in the open areas, they are definitely solid and will last over time... One last note, we also planted two new trees just a couple of days ago. There is a new oak tree where the two maples came out on the corner of #10 and there is a new honeylocust between #11 & #12 where we transplanted the evergreens from last fall.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone...

Worms?

2008-10-15T10:50:00.003-05:00

How did the aerifying go? What can we do about the worms? Were you happy with the conditions this year? What are you planning for next year? These are the typical things I am asked about this time of year, often the questions sound a little "loaded" to me but they are all legitimate none the less. And the cliche that there is no stupid question is very true, so ask away whenever there is something on your mind.

Worms are something we fight in the spring and fall, the fall always seems to be worse and the annoyance lasts much longer. Our fairways have a great black soil for growing grass on, which in turn is a great medium for worms. When we get these rains every few days and the soil surface stays moist the worms have no reason to move deeper and they stay around the surface. The black mud spots we have in the fairways is a result of their castings being flattened out by traffic. In the spring the soil dries out a little quicker leading into summer so the problem does not persist like it does now. Is there anything we can do? Yes there are a couple of things we can do...

One of the fungicides we currently use in the fairways for disease prevention also deters worm activity. We currently use the maximum amount (10.9 lbs./acre) per year we can according to the label to prevent Anthracnose, Dollar Spot, and Leaf Spot which can be a problem for us. So as a side effect we do get some deterrence of worms.

Sandy soils also deter worm activity. The main reason we do not have problems on our greens is because of the high sand content in the top 4-5 inches of the soil profile. We do not have that in the fairways, it is a nice loam with minimal sand content. We can topdress our fairways with sand, it is showing success at other courses that have chosen to do it. A couple of things to consider there however is building up layers in the soil profile and cost of application. Layers create water problems and root issues so it is a major issue to consider. Once on a sanding program it is very difficult to stop it, until a decent layer of sand is built up it could cause major problems in the future with turf health. And cost is another factor, while the sand is not so expensive the cost of delivery keeps rising. I am currently researching this option for IVGC and plan to present the green committee and BOD with what I find. It appears that it would work in taking care of much of our worm problem, now we just need to make sure it fits into our budget for the long term. It should be noted that turf quality will improve with incorporating sand into our soil profile, not only from less mud caused by worm castings but also with water movement and firmness. #3 & #14 approach would be the first to show some signs of improved quality since there is so much peat in those profiles...

Just something to chew on over the winter months and perhaps plan to start next year...

Colors Are A Changing

2008-09-29T11:28:00.004-05:00

Fall colors have started to show up here and there, and if the vibrant colors a few trees on the golf course have shown is any indication of what to expect this fall it could be a terrific year for colors. I knew a little of why leaves change colors, and why certain years are better then others for brilliant hues, but I did not have all the details. I came across this description: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/Spfo/pubs/misc/leaves/leaves.htm and it does a good job of keeping the science in layman's terms for all of us to understand.

I am hoping this fall lasts for a while and gives us plenty of time to play golf and get some projects completed. If it is anything like this spring though it won't be around long and we will go straight into winter. Yikes, let's hope not.

2008-09-22T13:18:00.006-05:00

It has been over a month since the last post! Well the golf course is still here and doing well. Club championship weekend was wonderful, good times had by all I think. We had some "creative" pin locations which has given us some food for thought for future locations. Unfortunately we just had too many hard locations and not enough easier ones. And on top of that there were a couple that were just plain dumb.

Aerifying is almost complete. We have two fairways left on the front nine and then it will be done. So this week we will start up again on the smaller projects of tidying things up. Pretty soon it will be nothing but leaf control and getting things ready for winter. But enough of that, there is still plenty of great fall golf ahead.

For those that do not know, my wife Maia and I, along with Lucas of course, bought a house in Waconia recently. It took us 2 1/2 years to sell our home in Fairmont, that happened in early July. We closed here in Waconia at the end of August, and are looking forward to settling down and opening some boxes which have been closed for over 3 years.

Odds 'n Ends

2008-08-12T18:30:00.004-05:00

Well the bunker work is finished and we are on to other projects around the course. I am sure some of you have noticed we are working on the cart path ends that are usually mud and dirt. We have mulched some areas and sodded others. The mulch is an interim to curbing and regrading the area, number 11 tee comes to mind for that. Some others are being sodded and we will strive to keep them grassed and not revert back to mud.

The out of bounds along 14 has caused a little confusion this year, so we have decided on this remedy (check the picture). We have removed all the little white stakes and painted an out-of-bounds line along the large steel posts the run the length of the hole. It is not the straightest line, nor is it right up against the field, but it is much clearer as to what line to follow and whether you are in or out. We will also let the grass just outside the line to the field grow long (no mow) to define the area better and also help with erosion coming off the field and on to the golf course. The buffer zone should prevent a lot of the soil from making into the rough and perhaps help with the big washes that move all kinds of debris across 14 and into the pond.

The steps on 16 and 9 are also on the docket for this fall. I am currently working with a couple of bids and deciding on materials to be used. It will end up being a nice rock/paver path from the cart path to the upper tee on 16, and a nice keystone step attached to the planter on number 9. I am looking forward to, as are many others, to retiring the green stairway on number 16.

Renovations Complete

2008-08-07T06:56:00.003-05:00

Well, I would love to show you a picture of the completed work but I am having trouble with getting the pictures into the blog. Hopefully I will have it figured out by next time...

Anyway, the work is complete on #8 and #10. There are a few loose ends we need to tie up on our side of things but that should all be wrapped up this week. We have received nothing but great comments on the work that was done. #10 should be playable by the end of next week and #8 will probably be brought into play the Tuesday before the club championship. It usually takes a good two weeks to get the sod rooted down enough for traffic and no slipping on the bunker slopes. All the sand will be raked up to the edges before we bring them into play.

This years project consisted of #6, 8, & 10. Providing the funds are there to continue next year, we would be moving on to #7 (which would finish the front 9), 12, 13, and 18. That would about equal the amount spent on this years renovations. That would only leave #14, 15,16, & 17 left to finish off the bunker renovations. The one hole which really needs a close look is #14. The pond needs to be rebuilt, the fairway from 100 yds and in needs some serious work, and there is potential there to scrape down the fairway out as far as 250 yds so it is possible to see your second shot and what lies ahead.

Bunker Project Update

2008-07-31T08:25:00.002-05:00

Well, with the rain coming down right now it looks as though the finishing sod will go down on Monday of next week. Number 10 was finished yesterday, and some of number 8 was finished up. The only thing remaining is a little drainage in one bunker and sand, then it's irrigation and sod. Hopefully this heavy rain does not ruin things too much so the cleanup/repairing is nothing major...

Sodding #10

2008-07-28T21:17:00.004-05:00

After 1+" of rain on Friday morning, which put a standstill on the project, the weekend was nice for drying things out. While there was a lot of prep work to do because of the rain we received, the sod arrived and most of the work on #10 has been covered in green. The mounding on the left, and the new fairway bunker are finished off. There has also been quite a bit covered up by the green side bunker and cut-back slope. Work will continue on #8 for the next couple of days, the sodding on both holes will hopefully be complete by the end of the day on Thursday. All in all, we should be playing on the new features in 2-3 weeks...

Day 3 On Hole Number 10

2008-07-23T20:08:00.002-05:00

The new cross bunker on the right side of the fairway has shaped up nicely. It is very nearly ready for sand and sod, the drainage is the only major thing that needs to be done. The left side is also coming around, the renovated green side bunker is a big change from the old one and the widening of the approach will make the whole hole much more playable.

To carry the new cross bunker here are the estimated yardages from each tee: Blue = 260-265, White = 250-255, Red = 233-238. Now obviously it is a downhill shot from the tee, so it should be a little easier then that ;)

Renovation Continues

2008-07-23T20:02:00.002-05:00

Hole number 8 is changing... Two bunkers have been filled in, both on the left side, and the other three are starting to take shape. The new left fairway bunker has been painted out and work should start on that tomorrow. It is amazing how fast the crew can change the face of the course. Hartman's staff has been great to work with and there is plenty of manpower to get the job done quickly. I know temporary pins are not very popular with any golfer, but by keeping play away from the crews they can work so much faster and efficient. And obviously the safety factor is the major point with keeping play out of their construction areas. I hope everyone understands and thanks for being patient...

Renovation Begins!

2008-07-22T19:55:00.002-05:00

On Monday the renovations began on holes #10 and #8. Here is a little two day snapshot of the work taking place on #10. The left fairway bunker has been filled in and there is a new cross bunker being placed on the ride side of the fairway about 100-120 yards out from the green. The left side of the approach from about 100 yards in is being cut back and widened, along with a dramatic re-build of the green side bunker. On #8 there are a couple bunkers all ready filled in and Wednesday the work will really get underway on the renovations of the remaining bunkers. I will keep you posted...

On another note, regarding the disease and poor turf on the putting green... I have stopped using plant growth regulator on the putting green in hopes to really encourage some growth out of the healthy bentgrass. We will continue to work seed in to the thinner areas and strive to encourage a fill-in of bentgrass over the poa annua. As a result of not using PGR on the putting green it will get a little more "grassy" then the rest of the greens and may roll a bit slower. We also continue to work seed into the thinner areas throughout the golf course...

Disease On The Putting Green

2008-07-20T07:46:00.002-05:00

About two weeks ago we had disease break out on the putting green, and we quickly sprayed it with fungicide. We have kept an eye on it since and it appears be under control and nothing is active, but it did pop up on #1 green in a small spot so we sprayed again last Friday morning. We will continue to monitor the turf and make sure we keep it under control. If there are any playability issues we will address them immediately.

So what is it? Anthracnose is the common name for the disease, Colletotrichum graminicola is the scientific name for it. Most commonly, the fungus develops during the heat and humidity of the summer months. It is possible to be active in the spring and fall also, though less common around our area. Turf under stress and in a weak condition is likely to be effected if the disease is present, this is the case for most diseases. The two infection sites are the crown of the plant (basal crown rot) and the leaf tissue (foliar). The basal crown rot is the most severe and kills the plants outright, the foliar form can be less damaging and easier to control.

The one thing with most turf diseases is that they are always there once you have them. They have overwintering forms and will become active once the right conditions come about. Fungicides allow us to prevent the infection of the plant, they do not actually kill the diseases. Anthracnose is one of many diseases that reside in our soil/thatch layer at IVGC. As we go forward from here we will make sure our chemical program for greens covers a wider range of diseases during the summer months. There are a few spring applications we can make to also set ourselves up for better control during the summer.

2008-07-15T20:57:00.002-05:00

The storm split the large Butternut tree on the left side of #11 fairway and created a hazardous situation. Today we took it down and realized it was a very good thing we did. The picture shows what the inside of the tree looked like about 2 feet off the ground. There is about 4" of actual wood with a completely hollowed out center. It is amazing how strong that little bit was to keep the tree standing as long as it did.

We also took down the large tree about half way down the left side of #12 fairway. This tree was very similar in condition to the one on #11. There is also one near the bathroom on #12 that will be coming down sometime in the future, you can see the hollow center. While it appears really drastic the tree is still strong and standing, but it is only a matter of time before it has to come down. All this has really caused us to evaluate the rest of the older trees on the golf course. I plan to set up a meeting with Dennis Landberg of Landberg's Tree Service (who has done the tree work for us over the past 2 years) and tour the course to take a critical look at all the questionable trees. This hollowing out is very common in the older trees such as maple, butternut, and even oak. I would say most of our mature trees are ok, but there are a few that show signs of serious decay and should probably be taken down. The one thing about serious storms, they tend to take care of those trees for us.

70+ mph Winds!!!

2008-07-11T08:07:00.003-05:00

For those of you who were not at the club on Thursday afternoon, wow did you miss a spectacle. The storm rolled in very fast and was gone just as quickly. What was left was a complete mess! We lost a couple of trees on the course, #10, 11, and 16 took it the worst for that. I am sure you can see all the debris in the picture above from the tenth fairway, this is what the entire course looked like after the storm. So today, Friday, we are not mowing anything and just concentrating on clean-up. The mowing will take place on Saturday so we do not get behind.

We are concentrating on tees, greens, and fairways and should have them in great shape by the end of the day. There are a couple of guys with chainsaws cutting up the trees and hauling the wood down to the burn pile, but that work will take a few days to get complete. For the most part it is all out of the way areas except for the tree down on #10 and the one on #16. Please bare with us while we get the place back in shape.

5am Sunrises

2008-07-09T12:51:00.002-05:00

At 5:00am there are some real neat scenes as the sun rises. The colors and light are spectacular playing off of clouds and the golf course. If I were a better photographer then perhaps I could capture what we really see at times like these but hopefully the picture here shows some of that. While we normally start our day at 6:00am and the sun is usually past those times when it creates some beautiful colors we do on occasion start earlier. Today, Ladies Guest Day, is one of those times when the 4:15am alarm comes awful early and the mowers are on the course at 5:00am so we can get done ahead of the morning shotgun. And while we might grumble a little bit 'bout the early start, there are some truly neat things to see out on the course at that time. It also means that at 1:30 in the afternoon we have had a full 8 hour day and then the staff can get home and play...

Algae Control

2008-07-09T06:27:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it has been a few weeks since I last posted! Things get busy, days seem too short, and then the holiday rolls in and staff is minimal...

I enlisted the professionals this year to manage the pond on #6. Midwest Aqua Care out of Chaska will be taking care of the pond and keeping it clear of algae and weeds. With the low pond level due to construction allowing the water to get very warm quickly and getting behind on copper sulfate treatments, the pond algae really took hold following the major rain event we had a couple of weeks ago. It will take about a week before we should see some results, browning of the algae and a reduction in mass. The weeds will also start to die and decay during that time. I will tell everyone now that there might be a little fish kill. When a large amount of algae and/or weeds are killed off there can be a severe depletion of oxygen in the water which in turn can harm fish populations. There is enough water entering the pond though that I am hoping this will not be a problem.

And Then There Was Sod, Again

2008-06-11T14:37:00.002-05:00

The forward tee on #2 has been completed. The teeing surface was sodded on Monday while the rest of the sodding was finished up today. Thankfully the rain held off enough for us to get all the surrounds covered and finished off. Since this project had been delayed to this extent we cut the fairway sod for the surface a lot thicker then we normally would. This creates some challenges for sodding, smoothing, etc. but it allows us to hopefully be using it by next Wednesday, maybe even Tuesday. While we were cutting sod for #2 we removed the worst half of #17 and re-sodded that also. The right half of the tee is in ok shape, though not great it is usable and we will keep the tee markers on that side until next week some time. We may re-sod the right side but it appears to be coming in more and more, and we are planning some aggressive seed/soil work to hopefully really get it to come back without having to sod it. All this tee surface work has created a open spot in the beginning of #3 fairway, that will be sodded as soon as sod is available again. With the rains and spring the local sod producer has been playing catch-up, and even this project was stretched over 2 days because we could not get all the sod the same day.

And Then There Was Sod

2008-06-04T17:44:00.003-05:00

The final grading, Muskrat control, and bunker, and sod were finished on #6 today! We will be bringing the water level up to about half normal so we can leave all the sod exposed and allow it to root in through the netting. I am hoping the higher level will allow us to get the fountain installed and running but I won't know until we get the water up.

Since Don Wagner and his crew installed the sod I had time to start the finish grade on the forward tee on #2... It is just about ready for sod and we are hoping to get it down before the bad weather that is predicted Thursday afternoon. I apologize to the ladies for the delay in finishing the tee up, when the weather has been good we have been working hard to get all the spring jobs done. I am usually the one that works projects like the tee renovations and because of all the stuff going on in the spring it means projects get delayed. The same thing happened with the tee complex on #3 last spring, that sod did not go down until the last week of May - first week of June. The work on #6 took a little more priority because of the scale and working with contractors, so the tee box got pushed back. But no longer, it is nearly complete and am hoping to have it done by the end of the week, early next week at the latest.

2008-05-28T20:07:00.002-05:00

Work continues, the final slope to the water is really starting to take shape. Below the shovel of the back-hoe is about where the new bunker will be located. This will really anchor the left side of the green complex and contrast with the grassed slopes and mounds.

Closing of the Clowns Mouth

2008-05-28T20:03:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday work continued on number 6. The culvert has been extended down below the water level so when the we can bring the water line back to normal you won't see any evidence of it. Some minor grading also took place, so things are starting to shape up.

Hole #6 Update

2008-05-23T09:18:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update on the current project on #6... Hartman plans to be here on Tuesday the 27th to continue work. I am hopeful the weather will hold out and the work can be completed by the end of the week. There will most likely be a small pot bunker placed in the front of the green on the bank to the water, however that would not be put in until July when they are here working on #8 & #10.

A quick update on those plans also: The right fairway bunkers on 8 will be renovated and slightly shift into the fairway, more so for the second fairway bunker then the first. The left fairway bunker will be removed and a new bunker built to the right of the ash tree that is along the fairway behind the existing bunker. This creates a larger landing area to the left of the existing right fairway bunker and also makes a landing area to the right of the new bunker for the longer hitters. The first greenside bunker will be removed and the second, or actual greenside bunker, will be renovated and wrapped around more of the front left corner of the green. On #10 the plan is to remove the left fairway bunker and replace it with some mounding, which would have a fairway cut extended partially up the sides. A new bunker will be placed on the right side of the fairway about 110-120 yards out, creating a carry of 245 yards from the white tees and 265 yards from the blues. Due to the new bunker the ash tree next to the 100 yard stake would be removed to open up shots to the green. The rough area to the left of the approach from about 100 yards in will be graded down to a more subtle slope and open up views to the green and greenside bunker. That bunker will be renovated in its existing spot and some of the dirt from grading the rough will be used to build up the backside of it. The rest of the dirt will be used on the new fairway bunker and also a new championship tee for #11. All this work will be taking place in July, the same time frame as the work done last year.

Seedlings

2008-05-20T16:48:00.004-05:00

The bentgrass seed is coming up in the aerifier holes very nicely, however it is not showing up throughout the dead areas like I was hoping. For some of the major areas I think we will be cutting sod from the gold tee on #6 since that is nearly 100% bentgrass and replacing the collar. The smaller areas where the seed has been growing we will let it take hold and fill in, between that and the inevitable poa annua seed germination they should fill in fairly quick.

Unfortunately I do not have an update on #6, but with the stretch of nice weather we have been having I would expect to see Hartman working on by the end of the week or early next week. Once they start I am hoping there is only a few days of work and it will be complete.

The range has been looking a little dry, especially around the target greens, and we have finally gotten all the wiring and pipe work done so the range irrigation is up to 100%. We will be aggressively seeding and working the target greens to create a nice stand of grass we can mow at a shorter height then the rough so they should stand out more. The challenge we have with the target green areas is we are trying to grow grass with about an inch or two of topsoil over solid clay. If we can not get something established I think in the future we will have to consider a more major renovation so we can have nice target areas to shoot at.

Uh oh!

2008-05-19T16:40:00.003-05:00

I am sure many of you have seen this already. On the thirteenth green we had a hydraulic leak on the greensmower. It was not so much a leak but a lift cylinder actually failed and the end of it blew out, hence the large amount of fluid on the green. For the most part all the turf that was drenched in hydraulic fluid will die shortly and we will have to strip the damaged turf out and replace it. This is a perfect example of why we have grown the bentgrass nursery down near fourteen green. Unfortunately the nursery green is not ready to be cut for sod, I am hoping by the end of the summer we can start using that for repairs. In the mean time we will continue to use grass from the chipping green/collar, this should be the last year of doing that. We will be aggressive with renovating the cut-out areas on the chipping green so you may see some ropes up and the grass may not be cut on a regular basis so we can get it smoothed out and seed to fill in. I will have an update on the dead collar areas tomorrow with a picture of the new bentgrass seedlings that are starting to emerge.

Spring is here, and with it...

2008-05-07T17:11:00.003-05:00

On Monday we aerified all the greens with knife style tines. The tines are about 3/4" wide and a good 1/4" thick, they go about 3-4" deep. This has been the normal practice for the last couple of years in the spring. It is a low impact type of aerifying and just creates air chambers without pulling out the soil/organic matter. Our greens have a pretty good rootzone mix of sand/soil from years of topdressing, and the organic matter is not too built up. This allows us to not take cores twice a year, but rather use something that is less obstructive to the playing surface. However, if I thought coring was waranted for the spring aerifying I would not hesitate to do it.

On the same note, we did core aerify the collars of all 18 greens on Tuesday. The timing could not have been better with the 1/2" of rain we received almost immediately after finishing the last green. We aerified, picked up the cores, topdressed with a sand/soil/peat mix, seeded with bentgrass, and dragged it all in. The rain was perfect for soaking the seed and "melting" the topdressing into the turf. We may also do this routine on some of the worst areas in the rough that just don't seem to want to fill in. For the few burned out fairway spots (#10 comes to mind) we will be slit seeding and topdressing those sometime this week.

A Few Nice Days, But More Snow?

2008-04-30T21:14:00.002-05:00

This Great Egret is one of a few that has been wandering around #6 pond in the morning. We also have a Great Blue Heron looking for food on occasion though I have not been able to get a picture of it yet. They don't tend to sit still when you come tooling along on your golf cart. You will also notice in the picture the normal level of the pond, the top of the grayish rock. Once the work is complete on the green complex we will be bringing it back up to normal level. Because of the low water we can not put the fountain/aerator back in until it is brought up. The water is less then 3 feet deep where we put the fountain and it needs at least 4 or 5 to operate. Let's hope the next few days are the last stretch of rain(snow?) for a while so we can finish up the dirt work quickly and really get some good turf growth in the weak areas.

We are taking advantage of the decent days and getting the course cleaned up and mowing everything to an even height. The areas that suffered over the winter are the only few spots that have yet to green up and get growing. Most of them have some new tissue under all the bleached/dead turf but the weather has not allowed them to really get going yet. Next Monday we will be aerifying greens with a low impact "knife" tine like we have done the past couple of years and the following week we will be aerifying the tees & collars a little more aggressively. We have not normally done a spring aerifying on tee surfaces but with the poor condition of some of them coming out of winter we have decided to be aggressive with some cultural practices to give them a good kick-start to recovery.

Snow Mold

2008-04-22T08:04:00.003-05:00

In late fall we cover the fine turf areas (tees, greens, & fairways) with chemicals to protect them from snow mold (Pink and Gray). This past winter was a great year for snow mold, I am sure many of you have seen signs of it in your yards at home; Areas that appear a little grayish in color and are all matted down with a wet appearance, or pink in color and probably dead. If it is active you can see signs of a cottony material called mycelium, for Gray snow mold it is gray and Pink it is pinkish. Gray snow mold rarely does enough damage to cause the death of the turf plants, however those spots will take longer to recover during spring. The best thing to do is get a rake and give those spots a good workout, busting up the matted turf and getting the dessicated plant material out of there. Pink snow mold is a disease that often kills the plant and results in areas that need to be cleaned up and seeded, it is more common to closely mowed turf areas such as tees, greens, and fairways.

When out playing you will notice the results of not protecting our fine turf on #16. I used the approach/fairway as a check plot and did not cover it last fall with any fungicide. What you see are the results of Gray and some Pink snow mold infestations. We use check plots on the course to make sure our chemical applications are sound. And while #16 approach will take a little extra TLC this spring to get it back quickly, it has showed us that spending the money on fall turf protection is money well spent. It would be pretty ugly if we had conditions like that all over the course come opener...

Yipee!

2008-04-15T22:16:00.003-05:00

This would be a pretty good synopsis of what the course looks like right now, and yes it is open for the season...

Overall the turf looks great and things came through the winter very good. We do have some minor snow mold damage in rough areas that do not get protected in the fall before the winter. We also have a handful of areas that the voles were active in over the winter. They chew on the grass plants at ground level and leave the blades behind. So when a rake gets pulled over it to clean it up you end with dirt. It will take a little time but the areas will fill back in and be fine.