Reel to Reel

My staff has spent much of the off-season maintaining our fleet of equipment. The golf season is long and tough on equipment. The winter months provide us some time to do routine and preventative maintenance. The scope of our work includes: Sharpening and adjusting cutting units. Replacing filters and adjusting fluid levels Inspection of hoses, electrical wires, switches and connections Engine repair and maintenance Repair and replacement of tires A substantial amount of time is dedicated to the repair and maintenance of our fleet. The guys do an amazing job during the winter of making sure every piece of equipment is functioning at its very best. Our productivity during the season counts on it.

Mother Nature has provided a little of everything so far this month: - 1 day with temperatures below 20 degrees - 6 days with temperatures in the 20s - 6 days with temperatures in the 30s - 8 days with temperatures in the 40s - 2 days with temperatures in the 50s - 3" of snow - 1.5" of rain Today we are pumping off excess water from the fairways that accumulated from the .5" of rain last night and snowmelt. The extended forecast is calling for temperatures above freezing for the next few days, this should provide enough time for all the surface water to drain off.

I walked the golf course this afternoon to inspect everything after the .75 inches of rain we received this morning. Ground conditions remain soft as the numerous puddles are just now starting to soak in. Greens, tees and fairways all look great. I will continue to monitor course conditions and keep you informed as we move through the winter months.

Tristan and I have returned from the Great Lakes Trade Expo, a turf conference held annually in Grand Rapids. It was good to see old classmates and colleagues and get up to speed on the latest turfgrass research. Seminar topics this year included: - Poa annua control - Getting the most out of your fungicide program - MSU turf pathology report - Winterkill prevention research - Golf course renovation projects - Irrigation impacts on disease - New golf course pests in Michigan - Turfgrass weed research update Much of my time in the off-season is spent reading through the latest research and developing ways to implement those ideas and principles on the golf course. I will be reevaluating my entire program this winter to look for areas of improvement for next season.

2012 is off to a great start as turf conditions remain healthy. The weather occurring throughout December was fairly mild; temperatures averaged 33 degrees with an accumulation of 2.5 inches of rain. Moderate weather conditions have allowed rain/snowmelt to drain before refreezing. This is ideal as the refreezing of precipitation can lead to winter damage.