Reel to Reel

Our attention this week has shifted to cleaning the equipment in preparation for our winter maintenance. José power washing a trim mower As you can imagine, the long season takes its toll on the equipment.  The winter months allow us the opportunity to conduct our preventative and routine maintenance on the fleet. The scope of our work includes: Sharpening and adjusting cutting units Inspections of hoses, electrical wires and switches Filter replacements and fluid level adjustments Engine repair and maintenance Tire inspection and care Body repair and painting Mike repairing a utility vehicle

All is well on the course as we approach mid-December. Above average temperatures this month have melted the 8" of snow we had on the ground. Ground conditions remain soft as we have also had rain.  Night time temperatures are dipping well below the freezing point resulting in the turf going through several freeze-thaw cycles. As a reminder, the greens have been closed and roped off for the season. The turf is in a dormant state, and walking on them during the winter, as they are going through freeze-thaw cycles, can be detrimental to their health.  Traffic damage on frozen turf usually occurs during periods of freezing or thawing.  The most devastating damage can occur when the upper .5"-1" of soil has thawed and the ground beneath that layer remains frozen.  Traffic will create a shearing action causing significant damage to the crown tissue and roots of the turf, resulting in possible death. Temporary greens have been set up to play to, until the greens are re...

All good things must come to an end, including the beautiful weather we have had this fall.  Over 8" of snow fell this weekend blanketing the golf course.  The greens are now closed for the season. #2 fairway 

We finished winterizing the irrigation system today. A big thanks to our team who endured cold temperatures, heavy winds, and a couple of long days. Winterizing the irrigation system is no small task.  During this annual ritual, compressed air is blown through the irrigation system to remove any excess water in the lines, valves, and irrigation heads. We systematically move through 1,500 irrigation heads ensuring that all the water is out of the system so that it is protected throughout the winter months. compressor hooked up to the irrigation pump house irrigation heads #5 fairway close-up of irrigation head on #7 fairway

It has been a productive week, as we have been focusing on preparing the course for winter. This week's agenda has included: mulching and clean-up of the remaining leaves deep-tine aerification of the greens final fungicide application to greens, tees, fairways and driving range spraying #16 fairway with final fungicide application of the season Mike aerifing #1 green at a 10" depth We will bringing in ball washers, bunker rakes and other accessories this week.  We will also be winterizing the irrigation system tomorrow and Friday.

It has been a busy week of leaf clean up.  With over 1.4" of rain and winds in excess of 20 mph, the leaves have been dropping at a rapid pace. We sent out our full complement of blowers and mulchers this week to try and keep pace with the falling leaves. Although we put a great dent in the leaf clean up, there are still a ton of leaves left in the trees. I read an interesting fun fact about oak tress this week.  A mature oak tree is estimated to produce 250,000 leaves a year.  I believe it, considering the time we spend each fall blowing and mulching. blowing leaves on #2 fairway mulching in the rough on #7 blowing #7 fairway  mulching leaves in the rough on #6

With October upon us, much of our attention will be focused on plant health in preparation for winter.  Although we have no control over the winter weather, we can control what we do for the plants now to put them in the best position to succeed.  Our preparation this year has not dramatically changed from years past.  We will continue to be proactive in maintenance practices that promote plant health.  A healthy plant is the best defense against inclement weather. Our plan this fall has included: Aerification - this increases pore space, increases water infiltration, and provides an area for increased rooting. Raised Mowing Heights - a slight raise in the height of cut allows for increased leaf blade surface, which aids in increased photosynthetic activity. Fertility - sun angles in autumn are reduced, which decrease photosynthesis.  In our weekly sprays we supplement the plants...

Over an inch of rain and hot humid conditions this weekend has caused a surge in the growth of the rough.  As a result, we are postponing the construction of the forward tees scheduled this week to focus on mowing.  With the short week due to the holiday, all of our available personnel will be mowing to get the rough back in shape. José and Rich cutting the rough on #3

Fairway aerification is still running smoothly.  By the end of the week fairways 1-9, 17, 18 will be completed.  This is 58% of the fairways or 598,807 ft². another early start aerifying fairways Next week we will be taking a break from fairway aerification.  The tractor will be used to build two forward tees on #6 and #9. The new tees will provide another teeing option and provide improved course playability. The remainder of the fairways will be aerified the week of 9/14.

The micro-environment around #5 green has made it extremely difficult this year to maintain dense turf.  As a result, we have closed the back half of #5 green to help establish bentgrass in the thin areas.  Please treat this seeded area as ground under repair and avoid any traffic over the young seedlings. Thank you for your cooperation.

Greens Aerification The greens have almost completely healed in, just eight days after aerification.  After a cut and roll this morning, they are rolling nicely. #13 green this morning Tee Aerification It was a long day yesterday as we were able to complete tee aerification. We created over 1.2 million holes at a 3" depth.  After the cores dried, we chopped, dragged, and blew the excess soil into the holes. aerifying #14 tee chopping the cores on #12 tee blowing off the remaining debris on #12 tee Fairway Aerification We also started aerifying fairways yesterday.  Aerifying fairways with the soil reliever is a slow and tedious process because we have to drive at 1 mph.  To put this in perspective, it took José 14 minutes to travel the length of  #3 fairway (1185 ft).  That is just one pass; it took him over 20 passes to complete the fairway.  Although the soil reliever is slow, one of the big benefits of this machine is th...

Aerification of the greens was completed yesterday.  We created over 7.6 million holes and incorporated over 63 tons of sand into the aerification holes. Example: #16 green = 5,124 ft² Created 491,904 holes Applied 4 tons of sand Using three different aerifiers, we aerified with different tines at 11", 3.75" and 2.5" depths.  This methodology allowed us to create more pore space and work the sand into the profile at varying depths. The firmer conditions and improved water infiltration we have experienced over the years is directly correlated to how much sand we have been able to work into the soil profile. soil reliever aerifying at 11"depth blowing sand into aerification holes #9 green finished product is pretty smooth Weather permitting, we will be aerifying tees next Monday and Tuesday.

Weather permitting, greens aerification is scheduled for August 24-25.  As in years past, aerifying after the Club Championship fits in best with the fall golfing calendar.  Aerifying early significantly increases a quick recovery of the greens.

We received a visit today from one of the best and brightest in the turf industry.  Dr. Rob Golembiewski, a Turfgrass Specialist with Bayer, spent some time this morning touring the golf course.  He was extremely impressed with the course conditions and ranked our greens among the best he has seen this year.  This was certainly a very nice compliment, as Dr. Golembiewski travels the country looking at some of the finest golf courses. Most of our conversation this morning focused on turf health and sustainability.  It was a productive discussion and he shared valuable insight in fine tuning a few of our programs.  I'm grateful he took time out of his busy schedule to come and visit. Dr. Golembiewski looking at the shade problems on #5 green

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the month.

We pushed the greens pretty hard last week with consecutive days of double cuts and double rolls.  Today they received a little tender loving care.  We vented the greens with needle tines to allow air movement down to the roots.  We also sprayed them with a special foliar combination of nutrients and fungicides to help aid in their recovery. With temperatures in the 90's the next few days, we will be giving the greens a much needed break and will not be pushing them for speed.  aerifying greens with the needle tines close-up of the small needle tine holes Myles spraying #9 green

As a staff we talk a lot about accountability, responsibility, and giving a perfect effort.  I think we did an outstanding job on all three this week during Men's Invitational.  I'm proud of the golf course conditions we were able to deliver.  That does not happen without the help of truly dedicated individuals pulling together to achieve one goal. Please know that I've passed your compliments on to the staff.  They deserve much of the credit for a perfect effort and great execution. Myles mowing fairways Friday night in preparation for Men's Invitational a nice Friday night sunset

It has been a busy couple of weeks preparing the course for Men's Invitational.  We've certainly ramped up our efforts this week attending to the finer details.  I'm looking forward to a great event.  I think everyone will enjoy the course conditions and appreciate the Knollwood experience. #2 fairway

Our agronomic plan is constantly evolving as we try and adjust to what Mother Nature gives us.  This year has certainly been no different.  With the excess moisture, it has been imperative for us to find the balance between nutrition and air porosity.   We have been pretty proactive as far as venting greens on a 10-14 day schedule.  Moving air into the root zone and relieving a little compaction has helped the plants tremendously.  The fertility and fungicide programs have been tweaked on a weekly basis trying to stay ahead of any undue stress.  I'm pleased with the playability and the aesthetics of the golf course.  As we head into a busy July, the turf is healthy and dialed in. #3 fairway

It is often said that turfgrass management is a balance between science and art.  I would agree with that statement.  Today we leaned a little more towards the art and tried a new mowing pattern on a few approaches. #11 approach #13 approach #14 approach I hope everyone has an enjoyable holiday weekend!

Here are some of my favorite photos from the month.

... of our Monday.  After weeks of Monday outings, we took full advantage of an open golf course today.  Many projects we've been meaning to get to were crossed off the list. Along with our normal rough and banks mowing, we also: verticut greens cut greens topdressed greens finished a drainage project at the halfway house created a new landscape bed on #2 blue tee Brendan verticutting #16 green Myles topdressing #6 green team effort working on a new landscape bed on #2 tee

Ground conditions in the woods between #7 and #10 were finally dry enough this week for us to access and repair a failing drain line.  The existing drain line had failed due to age and tree root competition.  The line was repaired Wednesday and the area has already dried up significantly. We also improved the surface drainage of the area by creating a swale that runs through the middle of the woods.  The new swale will increase rainwater infiltration and keep the entire area more playable and cart friendly. drain line on west side of #7 Myles shaping the swale between #7 and #10

There are times during the season, despite a proactive preventative maintenance program when multiple pieces of equipment fail.  This was one of those times.  A sprayer, a roller, a rough mower, and a greens mower all spent time in the shop with various issues. Fortunately for us, we have one of the best equipment managers in the business.  Mike has handled this week like the true professional he is. Without missing a beat, the equipment problems were identified and rectified.   He is truly the unsung hero on this property. So when you see all those mowers out on the course doing their job, remember the guy who deserves the credit because he is doing an amazing job. Mike working on three different pieces of equipment

As we enter mid-June, the driving range is coming along nicely.  The landing area is filling in and firming up despite several storms this month. The tee seems to be holding up nicely to the wear and tear.  I'm pleased with the aggressive nature of the turf we chose. The recovery has been really good so far. As a reminder, when your hitting balls on the range, please help conserve tee space so we can maximize the tee throughout the season.

The week is off to a busy start. Heavy rain the last two days and an outing yesterday, left us with plenty of work to catch up on today.  A big thanks to the staff for a tremendous effort. Today's to do list: - mow the driving range tee and landing area - mow collars and approaches - verticut, cut, and topdress greens - spray greens - mow banks and rough - line trim ponds - pick up thousands of feet of rope and hundreds of stakes from yesterday's outing #11 approach mowed with a new pattern today   #12 green being verticut Brendan topdressing #14 green Myles spraying #1 green