Course and Terrace Update, 5/9/15

With the spectacular color provided by the Kousa dogwoods and Crabapple trees and the increased presence of Mallards, white tail deer and turkey, the golf course truly has sprung to life over the last couple of weeks.  The rain and warmer than normal weather has jump started the rough, where we will begin our growth regulator applications within the next couple of days in an attempt to keep playability as consistent as possible.

Poa seedheads

Brush attachment on our mowers

As great as Poa annua is as a putting surface, one drawback is its annual seedhead production.  Poa annua is a winter annual, meaning it germinates in the fall, overwinters, and produces seeds in the spring for its next generation.  Think of Poa as a backwards annual flower you would plant in your landscape.

This time of year, we apply three applications of a growth regulator to suppress and "reduce" (not eliminate) the production of seedheads.  Our check plots out on the golf course have shown this year some suppression, but obviously not total.  To maximize the smoothness of the putting surfaces during this production, we have lowered our height of cut down to .120" (except 18, where we are at .135"), are brushing daily with the attachment shown above, rolling regularly, and adding additional topdressing to further smooth out the greens.  These seedheads should pass by the end of the month. If you have any questions, please contact me.

18 green continues to mature.  I appreciate the feedback I have received on the new surface.  As a friendly reminder, the height of cut will be slightly higher for the remainder of the month, and each week we are lowering the height by .005" until we reach .120" (our regular height).  This is so that we minimize scalping injury and allow the turf to fully mature at regular greens height.  We will continue to roll the green more frequently to better match the other surfaces until then.

Elcona's Seed to Feed Garden

Church Community Services came by this week to prep another new Elcona feature that I mentioned in the May Prattler, the Seed to Feed Garden.  The staff and I will be running an irrigation line to this area north of the Short Game area, and planting should take place within the next couple of weeks.

Finally, Phase 2 of the Terrace project is moving along nicely.  The compaction stone grade has been established, and I am happy to report we are ready to lay pavers down!  These pavers will arrive Wednesday and will be placed on a compacted 3/4" layer of limestone chips.  The firepit insert should arrive Wednesday as well.  The firepit will be a 6 foot diameter circle, with a 30" wide flame and realistic looking logs.  I hope to share some pictures later this week to give you a better visual on the newest Elcona feature.

Have a great week and I will see you out on the golf course!

Ryan

Course and Project Update, 4/25/15

Gorgeous tulip bloom behind 18 green

Even through the freezing temperatures we experienced this week, the tulips and daffodils held their spectacular color, adding to an already beautiful backdrop along green and tee complexes.  With the drier start to spring that we have had, it has been nice to produce firm conditions without being aggressive in our daily maintenance.  With each week, I am gaining additional staff where we will begin to regularly walk mow greens and increase our frequencies maintaining areas as well.  I have been proud of my staff for their efforts and hard work in getting the golf course into season shape, while working hard on our numerous Spring projects.

Our preemergent applications for grassy weeds and early season broadleaf weeds will be completed this coming week.  The high winds that visited Elcona all of last week hampered any plans of applying those.  There is still some time to apply these preventative applications to your yard if you have not as well.

 

The terrace project continues to march along.  Last week, ConCreations was onsite to demo the existing concrete around the Club and Fireside Rooms, and pour a new slab of stamped concrete in those areas to match the existing colors and patterns of the walking path outside the Ballrooms and View.  It was quite the process, as the pictures abo show.  Seeing a boom over the building was quite the show!  The remaining sod in the new area was transplanted to some open stump holes on the course, and a gas line was run both to the location of the new firepit and a future grill hook up on the north side of the new terrace edge.  Irrigation was re-routed around the new paver area and any topsoil that was in the area was removed by hand to ensure wires and pipes were not disturbed.

 

The next steps in this project involve setting the final grade for the pave stones.  We will be adding or taking away subgrade to make a even base to add our aggregate base layer, which will be compaction gravel.  The gravel must be a compacted level of at least 4" in depth.  On top of that gravel will be a 1/2" layer of sand, which serves as the base for the actual pave stone.  Before all of these aggregates are added, we will be taking several readings with survey equipment to establish and marking these on wood stakes.

18 green also continues to be on schedule for its grand opening one week from today.  In the last two weeks, it have been aerified both with 1/2" cores and 3/4" solid deep tines to further smooth the playing surface and create new channels for air, water, and roots to go.  This aerification has also allowed the generous application of topdressing sand to further smooth the surface as well, as you may have noticed.  The height of cut currently is at .165", which is .04" above the other greens on the course.  I will have more information on the green later on in the week, so stay tuned!

Sod work continues to be completed as well.  Areas that are both newly laid sod and yet to be completed will be marked as "Ground Under Repair", so please continue to take relief if your ball lands in these areas.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I have enjoyed seeing many familiar faces return to Elcona, along with some new faces as well.  See you on the course!

Ryan

A busy week outside....

What a difference a week (and some timely Spring rains) make on the color of the golf course.  All of the fine playing surfaces have greened significantly and there are only a few small areas of winter injury that are slow to green.  Mowing schedules at this time are still on an "as needed" basis, but will pick up with more consistent warmer weather.  Aerification on green and fairway surfaces were completed successfully this past week as well.  

18 green complex

Close up of 18 green's surface

Our Spring project schedule has picked up in progress within the last week as well.  18 green continues to round into form as it returns from its winter dormancy.  Our mowing heights have dropped from a beginning point of .225" to currently .200".  Within the next three weeks the green will be aerified and topdressed further to help smooth out the surface.  We will continue to gradually lower the mowing height (.015" weekly) until the turf is comfortably mowed at the same hieght of cut as the other greens, .120".

Heavy roller on 13 tee

18 tee

13 and 18 tees begin to take shape as well.  18 tee was re-sodded using sod from the practice fairway due to the inconsistencies and health of the sod taken off of the tee last fall.  We had a heavy roller come in this week and roll 13 tee to further smooth that surface out.  Our bluegrass sod supplier will be opening next week, so expect to start seeing these surrounds, as well as the stump holes from the winter tree work, to be grass instead of soil.  Similar to 18 green, these tees will be aerified further over the course of the season to continually smooth any imperfections out.  

Greg Stump measuring the firepit

Removal of the large burning bush

Demo work begins on the old pathway

Phase 2 of the Terrace Project has begun as well.  Our staff this week removed all of the old pavers, scooped out the old aggregate material below, and even removed the large burning bush at the corner of the building.  The concrete walkway outside of the club room and Fireside room was torn out on Friday as well.  Next week, the gas line to the new fire pit will be run, as well as the pouring of a new stamped concrete walkway that will mirror the current look outside of the ball room balcony. As this is a construction site now, please watch your step around the terrace.  Stay tuned for more updates on this great addition to the clubhouse!

Wood duck box on 14

Wood duck box on 3

Finally, our wood duck nesting boxes have been placed on the golf course, one near the pond on 3, and the other on 14's pond.  An additional box will be placed on the property, although its location has not been determined yet.  It will be interesting to see if we get a pair to nest in them, which we will monitor as part of Elcona's Audubon Program.

There is a lot going on this Spring, and that's a great thing!  If you have any questions on these or other projects on the golf course, feel free to ask me!  Have a great week and I will see you on the golf course!

Ryan

Course Opening, Conditions and Happenings- 3-19-15

I appreciate your patience while the staff and I continue to get conditions where you expect them.  There is still some areas of frost in the soil profile, mainly in more wooded areas where there is less sun exposure this time of year (mainly holes 4, 6, 12, and 13). Other areas are too soft for traffic, and a couple greens have not firmed up to the point where they can successfully accept approach shots.  Rest assured the golf season is very close! 

 

Almost all of our playing surfaces have fared  well through the harsh, historic winter we experienced.  The pictures below depict some crown hydration injury that occurred during the melting period experienced last week.  There is a good amount of green leaf tissue deep in the crown area of the green profile, so while it may look brown for a while, I am anticipating these areas to fully recover with more consistent warmer weather.  As with some of the winter injury areas we experienced last year,  it will take some additional time for these areas to heal. 

Small Practice Green winter injury

Crown hydration damage on 4 green

 

18 green came out of winter in fantastic shape!  Root growth was dramatic and the sod matured well heading into the winter.  Since we removed and re-used the existing sod to keep the green surface consistent with the others on the course, we will soon begin the process of getting it ready for daily play, which involves multiple topdressings and aerifications to further smooth the surface out.  We will also begin mowing the green at a higher height of cut (.225") and gradually lower it to the same height of cut that all other putting surfaces are mown at (.120").  There will inevitably be some scalped areas that we will have to plug out with our nursery, and there will be lots of rolling as well. Stay tuned to the blog for further updates! 

 

The picture on the right depicts one of our busiest spring time projects each year.  Stump removal and clean up from our annual winter tree work involves cleaning all shavings left behind from the grinder, getting the area matched as close with the surrounding slope as possible, and then filling the hole with topsoil.  We will be either seeding or sodding the area depending on their proximity to normal play when warmer weather comes our way.  These areas are to be played as ground under repair.  I posted a more in-depth post on this process, viewed here. 

Thanks again for your patience and understanding while the staff and I get the course ready for the upcoming season.  In the meantime, come out and enjoy March Madness in the newly renovated bar room and the specials that Chef Casey and Anne have prepared for you.  See you out on the course very soon! 

Ryan

 

18 Green: What now?

Seams filled with topdressing, starting to heal in!

As I have mentioned in a previous post, there is much work to do on 18 green before the snow starts flying.  What we do this fall has a profound impact on how early the green can open next spring.  We have rolled and top-dressed regularly to smooth the putting surface and fill in the seams.  Depending on growth rates and how successful we are at smoothing the surface, we may mow the turf at a much higher height than normal to keep the plant growth from getting out of hand.  Fertilizer and other soil amendments were added before laying the sod to give it the nutrients it needs to root into the profile and heal in the seams.  An couple additional applications will be necessary to further help the plants maximize their carbohydrate reserves going into the winter.  Finally, I would like to have a deep tine aerifier poke holes 12" below the surface to further smooth the surface and create additional channels for new root growth this fall and next spring.  My goal is to have the sod rooted down by November 3rd, when all other greens are deep tined.  All in all, the green is healing and smoothing on schedule currently, and will only get better with time.  I will have more later on this winter on what we will need to do in the Spring to get the green open for business!

Ryan

The view outside of the green fence

18 Green Renovation, Day 6: Finish

Thanks in large part to a joint effort by our crew and Oliphant Golf, we were able to get all of the sod back onto 18 green and finish the project.  The rains overnight and at lunch time were a bit of a hindrance, but it was also nice to see that the green drains water the way we want it to (back to front). 

Soil amendments were applied first thing in the morning, before sod was laid.  These amendments serve two functions:  aid in the rooting of the replaced sod, and help enrich the soil below for the long term health of the green.  The green sod was then laid from the middle to the back, and then middle to front.  We did have to cut into our green nursery sod for the false front, which is another great reason to have that on hand!  By twilight, we were able to roll the green for the first time. 

This project turned out great in my opinion.  There are great little subtleties throughout the putting surface and plenty more pin locations.  Today we will be cleaning up the jobsite and placing a fence around the area.  The reasoning is simple for fencing:  excess foot traffic leads to excess wear and tear.   The sod, especially the greens cut, has been under extra stress with its removal and replacement, and needs time to heal in. Please stay outside of the fence.  By doing so, it will pay huge dividends come spring time.  I will have another post in the next couple of days on the next steps agronomically we will take to get the green ready for play in 2015. 

Ryan

A foggy start to sod work

Our crew loading the sod on the practice green

Ground view of the green

The new 18

Laying the last pieces



Cleaning the surface with blowers

Greg washing silt off of the sod

Rolling the new surface in the dark

18 Green Renovation, Day 5: Visualization

After moving earth for the past 4 days, today was a day where we could visualize the final layout of the new green on 18.  Soil was moved from the transition area in the middle to the crown of the bunker face to raise and contour the area so that water drains to either side of the bunker, not into it.  Oliphant's main shaper worked on fine tuning the middle of the green further to its final grade as well. 

The transition from puttable green, to false front, to approach was completed today also.  Sod was laid back down onto the new approach and rough surrounds from the front to the middle of the green, after fertilizer and other soil amendments were added. 

Words cannot express how happy Greg and I are with the crew that is completing this renovation.  They are highly experienced, efficient, and dedicated to their craft and we are lucky to have them here at Elcona.  Hats off to Cam and his crew. 

If the weather holds together, tomorrow will be full of sod replacement and fine tuning a couple of transition areas mainly where collar and rough surrounds meet.  Once all of the higher mowed turf is laid, greens sod will be replaced.  We will have as many guys as we can efficiently have complete the job, and the goal is to be complete.  Enjoy the pictures, and let's hope that the heavy rains stay away another day!

Ryan

Cam marking final transit measurements

Work on approach to green transition

Work on bunker face slope

Approach sod being placed while Greg scopes the final grade

Javier shaping the front of the green one more time

Completed approach. You can see where the false front will be.

Green after Day 5.  Starting to really come together!

18 Green Renovation, Day 4

On 18 green today, the rootzone on the upper level was tilled to break up any compaction layer that had been present, additional sod was removed to begin the final transition from puttable surface to approach, and some final shaping was started at the transition from upper to lower levels.  The shaping process started in the back of the green and worked its way forward.  Soil was also added around the top of the bunker face to better direct surface water away from the bunker. 

When you look at the pictures of the front of the green, it may seem like quite the severe slope coming off of the bottom shelf to the approach.  Plenty of shaping and final grading still needs to take place, so while we can start to visualize what the new green will look like, it is too soon to have a true idea of the finished product.  The goal tomorrow is to have the final grading and shaping done and have Shawn Smith give the final approval before sod is laid back down. 

Ryan

Greg rototilling the upper rootzone

Final grade work on the back approach/green transition

Crew beginning front transition and shaping

The beginning shaping of the transition from back to front shelves



Front of the new green.  More shaping to come.

Re-sloping the top of bunker