#1 update

The project on #1 is moving along quite well. This week we added a thick (4-6") layer of topsoil and put in all the bunker drainage. Today we put down 13 pallets of sod today. We will continue sodding next week. 

Drainage

Drains topped with gravel. The darker layer of dirt is the topsoil we added to all the bunker banks. It will really help us growing grass on the banks. 

Lots of sod

Sodding party. 

A few different shots with sod. This is the first bunker. The white line will be the edge. The bare spot left of the sod will be filled in after we add sand, but we need to be able to get in and out of the bunkers without damaging our new sod. 

Second bunker

From the tee

We'll continue to keep you updated on the progress as we move along. Hope everyone has a happy Halloween! 

Ian 

#1 fairway bunker

Work is continuing on the new fairway bunkers on number 1. All the old sod is peeled off the faces, the sand is removed and the old drainage is gone. Today we will have all the new drainage (6") exits put in the ground and hopefully start on some of the smaller (4") in bunker drainage. The new bunkers are rough graded in and things are starting to take shape. There is still a lot of work left but we will get as much done as we can before the rain tomorrow. I'm including many pictures but if you want any more just let me know because I take a lot (film is cheap these days).

Peeling sod.

First bunker off the tee

Second bunker off the tee

Third bunker. 

Willow roots growing into the old drain lines. This helps explains why this bunker held so much water. 

Main drain line exiting bunker. Each bunker will have a 6" solid line draining to the creek or pond that all the 4" corrugated lines will tie into. 

Back filling with pea gravel. 

Trenching for the 4" lines. 

We'll continue to keep you updated as we progress. 

Ian 

Bunker renovation

Late last week we started pulling sand out of some bunkers that are going will be re-done this fall. So far we have sand out of the fairway bunker on #1 and the green side bunkers on #2 and #3. Once we have the sand out we will pull the old drainage, cut off the sod and then start over. We had to stop hauling sand away yesterday because of how wet the course got, but we have a very good start and once we are able to get back to it we will. The weather can slow us down quite a bit this time of year, but we are able to stay busy with leaf clean up and tree removal until things dry out enough.

We also added a large catch basin between the fairway and green on #1 this week. Doing this will keep the area from turning into a pond after heavy rains which, once the area is changed over to fairway, will be crucial to maintaining a healthy and consistent playing surface. While we were there we also put in a new drain valve for the irrigation system because the one that was there had seized up and was no longer opening. This is something you'll never notice, but it is very helpful when maintaining the irrigation system.  I've added a few pictures below. 

Digging up the old catch basin. 

New catch basin with everything tied in. 

Peeling sod and pulling sand out of #1 fairway bunker. 

We'll continue to keep you all up to speed on our projects as they progress. It should be a lot of fun to see how the course changes, and improves, this fall and next spring. 

Ian 

Autumn weather

Autumn has officially arrived, the leaves are changing colors, temperatures are falling and soon the leaves will too. This time of year we are very dependent on good weather, because when it rains the course stays wet for a long time and limits what we are able to do. This week we have been focusing on topdressing tees, approaches and spots in the rough that are habitually wet. Once the course drys out a bit more we will start topdressing fairways. Topdressing is a great way to firm playing surfaces and improve the plants' growing medium. 

Topdressing tees. 

Top dressed approach. 

Ian 

Seedlings on #7, fescue, nature's vandals & cart rules.

The last few weeks of weather have been really nice and it seems that you are all taking advantage of it and getting the last really nice rounds of golf in. We have been holding off on some of the fall projects we normally are doing in the cold, rainy weather so that everyone can really enjoy the last few days of great golfing weather. One thing that we are able to do is cut down the fescue areas. Mowing the fescue encourages it to grow thicker and also keeps trees and bushes from growing. Once the fescue is mowed down, we will add more fescue seed and spray herbicide to kill off the broad-leaf and non-fescue grassy weeds that have invaded in some areas. Overall, our fescue areas are pretty clean, but doing this will further reduce weeds and help to insure they stay nice.

Fescue at #3 tee mowed and sprayed.

The area at #7 that we seeded has started germinating and we got a great catch; the warm weather has been fortuitous. We fertilized and sprayed some organic microbes on the seed to help it along, so now that it has germinated it will have all the food and water that it can handle. Once the seed has grown up a bit more we will mow it to really help it fill in. You can see a lot of green in the picture below, but even the areas that are still brown have seedlings coming up.

If you've ever been curious where the large dead spots on some of the greens (usually 5,6 &12) come from, it's our friendly blue heron defecating on the greens. I think the reason why we have more spots in the spring and fall is because the course isn't as busy, so golfers aren't scaring them off the greens. It's not a big deal, just annoying. The only way to fix it is to plug the damaged area out. The picture below is about the average size spot you see, but sometimes they are a lot larger.

Another pest this time of year are squirrels. Sometimes they decide a putting green is the best place to bury, or look for, their nuts. This results in some minor damage, generally about the size of a ball mark. I think they like digging in greens because it's sand based and easy to get into. These are easy fixes; I simply push the sand back in the hole and use my ball mark tool to repair it as best as I can.

From #3 green.

Finally, I wanted to say something about the cart rules. I know it's frustrating to be on the path two days in a row when the weather has been beautiful and the fairways (for the most part) have been firm. The problem is that the rough is still very wet and sloppy. This time of year, the humidity is high, the days are short and the sun stays low in the sky, increasing shade. All this is terrible for drying out. So, if you were standing on a nice dry fairway and wondering why we had you on the path, it's because of the soggy, muddy rough. Staying on the path this time of year when it is wet really helps prevent damage to the course. Thank you very much for understanding!

Ian