Reel to Reel

I'd like to share with you my favorite shots in April.  Enjoy-

I'm excited to announce the opening of the short game practice area. Since we started the renovation last October, we have put much time, thought and effort into creating an area that encompasses a multitude of short game shots. new 6,000 square foot putting green one of two new target greens reconstructed green side bunkers new fairway bunkers When enjoying the short game area, please abide by these guidelines: Please replace divots when possible Please use divot mix when needed Please no pitching/ball marks on the putting green Please be courteous and careful with others practicing

This afternoon, we began aerifying and overseeding thin turf areas in the rough.  Most of the work was concentrated around cart path entry/exit points and high traffic areas around green and tee banks.  The aerification will help relieve some of the compaction that has developed from repeated traffic. Most of the weak turf is concentrated in heavily wooded areas, for example, between #5 green and #6 tee.  This is not surprising, when trees compete with turfgrass, the trees will always win (considering sunlight, nutrients and water).  This season, we will again be extremely proactive in traffic management.  We will be moving stakes regularly to divert traffic away from these weak areas.  We have also overseeded with more shade tolerant species of turfgrass and will be adding more nutrients throughout the season.

Today, we removed three hazardous maple trees that we have been monitoring. The three maples (1 silver maple east side of #5 fairway, 2 sugar maples on the west side of #17 tee) all had significant deadwood and structural defects which made them unsafe. Recent windy conditions have exacerbated the problems and hence the quick decision to remove the trees. The clean-up will be done tomorrow and the stumps will be ground next Monday. We will be rerouting and shortening the cart path to make the area more playable.

I wanted to give a quick update on the status of the projects we've been working on this spring. The aerification holes on the greens are almost completely healed over. I am extremely pleased with their progress, as it has only been eight days since the completion of aerification. The greens will be rolled a couple more times this week which will help smooth out any of the remaining bumps. The short game area is also growing in nicely. The new putting green and south chipping green are rolling smoothly and are scheduled to open on 4/27. The north chipping green and the new fairway are going to require a little more time for the turf to fill in. The redesigned area will now provide the opportunity to practice just about any short game shot there is. The forward tees on #10, #15, and #17 are scheduled to open on 5/3. The tees will be a great addition to the back nine providing a fun alternative to play from. See you on the course-

Along with our normal maintenance, much of this week's focus will be on bunker care. All 54 bunkers will be edged, cleaned out and checked for proper sand depth. Below is a picture of the fairway bunker on #5. The finished product looks nice and defined. See you on the course-

.75" of rain this morning; the golf course absorbed it well. No cart restrictions today, but please use caution especially in low areas. Aerification holes are filling in nicely after warm night time temperatures and timely rain. Thanks to all of the new email subscribers to the blog, please help spread the word to fellow members.

I created a short video which highlights this week's aerification process.

... but a lot of sweat and a few tears were shed during the topdressing and aerification of the greens. Multiple topdressers , aerifiers and brooms working together in unison was quite a sight. The logistical changes we made this year to the aerification plan worked to perfection. A big thanks to the the entire staff for their extra effort during these two long days. Greens Aerification Stats - Soil reliever aerifier depth = 9" - Pro-core aerifier depth = 4" - Average number of holes per green = 237,000 - Average pounds of sand per green = 7,800

We started construction of a forward tee on #10, which will play 311 yards. We will finish grading the tee over the next couple of days and sod it next week.

Greens aerification will begin Monday, 4/9/12 and proceed thru 4/11/12.