Reel to Reel

There have not been many picture perfect days this April, but Mother Nature managed to give us two great days, Sunday and Monday.  Perfect conditions allowed us to complete the aerification of the greens without a hitch.  Aerification Benefits Healthier plants with deeper roots Increased water infiltration Firmer and faster playing surface Aerification Fun Facts Created 48,000 holes per 1000 square feet 150,000 holes created on #15 green  Incorporated 50 tons of sand into the soil profile 3 tons of sand incorporated into #15 green Below are a few photos from yesterday: aerifiers working in tandem at different depths soil reliever on #7 green soil reliever aerifing at 9" depth close-up of aerification holes finished product on #2

The weather the last two days has proven to be tough on a couple of trees.  A 60' oak tree between #12 and #13 blew over from the heavy winds.  We will cut it up and remove the debris later this week when ground conditions improve.   A black locust tree on the right side of #3 was hit by lightning.  The tree is located across from the second fairway bunker, 190 yards from the green.  It's pretty incredible that we found debris from this tree over 60 yards away.        

My staff did an amazing job of moving a tremendous amount of water off of the fairways today.  We pumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of water from the fairways to the ponds. Weather conditions were not very pleasant, we battled wind gusts over 20 mph and a windchill in the teens. #3 fairway this morning #3 fairway after pumping #11 fairway this morning #11 fairway after pumping  

3.7" of rain over the last ten days has left the golf course extremely wet.  Today, we are pumping off surface water to speed up the drying process. Below are a couple photos from #5 this morning.

It's that time of year, we will be aerifiying the greens in preparation for the new golf season.  The timing will work out well, as the greens should be healed in by the start of men's league. Weather permitting, the schedule will go as follows: 4/17   Wednesday afternoon:  Greens 14, 15 4/19   Friday morning:  Greens 16, 17 4/21   Sunday late afternoon:  Greens 1, 2, 5, 6 4/22   Monday all day:  Greens 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18, PG 4/23   Tuesday morning:  Greens 11, 13

The course is open for walking today, unfortunately it is still too soft to let carts out.  The course is still drying out from 2.5" of rain this week.  Below are a few photos taken late Friday afternoon. #6 tee #5 fairway #11 fairway  

We have accumulated over 2" of rain in the last two days.  The rain and lightning have both been factors in the greening of the golf course.  Lightning can play a significant role in the nitrogen cycle. significant standing water on the right side of #2 During a storm, lightning converts nitrogen in the atmosphere (N2) to a plant usable form (NH4 or NO3). The rain mixes with the nitrogen and falls to the earth where it is absorbed by the soil.  The nitrogen is used by the plant immediately in several metabolic processes resulting in a much greener plant. photo of #17 taken 4/10/13   photo of #17 taken 4/3/13

...I've learned when Mother Nature gives you an opportunity, you should take advantage of it.  This morning, before the rain fell, I was able to apply the first poa seedhead suppression spray of the year.  I opted to spray a little earlier than I had originally anticipated, due to the looming forecast at the end of the week. Over the last four years, the seedhead suppression model I developed has been tremendously successful.  We have achieved well over 80% control each year.  This is outstanding control, as the traditional method typically only yields about 40% control.  Suppressing the poa seedheads is important for two reasons: 1.  Reduced seedhead emergence is directly correlated to green speeds and smoothness. 2.  Energy the poa plant would use to produce seedheads is redistributed to increase root production. I left several small untreated check plots on various greens so I am able to measure how successful t...

We accomplished a great deal this week. The majority of our time was spent on course clean-up.  After a long winter, there is always a tremendous amount of leaves, sticks, and debris to pick up.  Greens, tees, fairways, and bunkers were all blown off and cleaned up. cleaning up the right side of  #18 I love this time of year when I can start crossing things off the to-do list.  It was a week of "firsts" as greens and fairways were mowed for the first time this season.  #17 green You will notice the greens are displaying a nice green hue.  Today, I applied the first fungicide application of the year.  The fungicide contains a green pigment, which help the plants utilize UV light more efficiently.  As a result, photosynthesis is enhanced, producing healthier plants with stronger root systems. Next week, we will continue our clean-up efforts.  We will concentrate on green banks and landing areas.  It a...

The golf course is open today and carts are available. There are still a few soft spots out there, please use caution and avoid any low areas. Be sure to refer to the blog this week to keep informed on all of the golf course happenings.  In preparation for a busy golfing weekend, many tasks will need to be completed.