Course Notes, 11/18/2016

Our resident blue heron on 14

All those pretty leaves that beautified the Elcona landscape are now finally falling down at a blistering pace.  The close to a quite successful golf season here at Elcona is quickly approaching in looking at the long range forecast.  Rounds played in 2016 have exceeded the 14,200 mark, surpassing 2015 by about 500.


The staff and I have been hard at work executing our winterization plans that I discussed in my article in October.  The irrigation system has been winterized, our annual Vertidrain on greens was successfully completed, and the golf course turf has been mowed for what I hope to be the last time until Spring 2017.  Plant protectants have been applied to all fine cuts of turf.  All that is left for fall is a final topdressing on greens to insulate the crowns, a drainage project on 17 fairway, and of course, mulching the rest of those pesky leaves!

Two projects that were completed since I last wrote were the extended collar on 9 and the squaring and combining of the black/blue/white tees on #10.  As I mentioned last article, the collar was installed to provide better playability to the hole and give the golfer additional shot options around the green.  10's tees were combined, re-aligned, and squared to achieve a better aesthetic view to the hole.  We were also able to flatten the front part of the tee, and recapture a bit of teeing ground both at the back of the lower tee and the front of the black tee.  

Kyle working on swapping sod

10 tee before

10 tee after

The finished collar on 9

Both of these projects were suggested from a Master Improvement Plan that Hills/Forrest has provided Elcona within the last 12 months.  At the end of the 2015 season, the Golf/Greens Committee charged me to work with Hills/Forrest to formulate a new golf course improvement plan to provide solid solutions for any current opportunities the membership felt there were on the golf course.  The resulting document created by Hills/Forrest architect Shawn Smith contains a road map for Elcona's golf course future, and a schedule for any updates the membership feels need addressing.  This master plan addresses proposed improvements for each hole, including:  tee shape and orientation, fairway and green bunker design, green design improvements, fairway mowing patterns, tree management, cart path alignments, and items to provide strategic and aesthetic qualities.

Both the Golf/Greens Committee and the Board of Directors have adopted this Master Improvement Plan as a roadmap for any future improvements to the golf course.  Any potential improvements that would be completed here would be based on the ideals and principles set forth in this plan.  I have received many positive comments on the completed projects in the last 2 weeks, in which the staff and I thank you.  I look forward to completing more of these projects in the future years to create an even stronger Elcona golf course that all of you will enjoy for many years to come.

Happy to be helping irrigation blowout

Finally, those of you that have ventured out in the last few weeks have noticed a new crew member hanging around with me.  His name is Bowser, and he is a 11 month old pure brindle Boxer.  Bowser is slowly learning how to properly conduct himself on the golf course and has already earned his keep by chasing a few migrating geese off property.  14 Pond seems to be his favorite area, because that is the only pond he will hop in for a swim! When the time is right during the workweek, he will be accompanying me around the property collecting sticks and keeping me company during the long hours of the season.  He has already enjoyed meeting a few of you, even if he seems shy.

Thank you for reading my long-winded blog article.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ryan@elconacc.com.  Thank you, and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Ryan

18 Green Renovation: Day 3, a visit from Arthur Hills

What another great day of weather and progress for the 18 green project.  Day 3 brought about finalizing the new front subgrade with native soil, wetting it down a bit, and compacting it down.  After measuring and marking where the top of the native rootzone will be, it was added back after incorporating additional sand into the mix.  The transition from rough to green was also worked on in the back of the green and the false front. 

Arthur Hills visited the site today, along with his associate, Shawn Smith.  He was quite pleased with the work that Cam, Tracy, and the entire crew from Oliphant Golf has done to carry out his plans to improve our green.  It was great to hear his vision of both the newly designed green and other places out on the golf course. 

Tomorrow brings another action packed day.  We will be rototilling the upper rootzone for final grading and Oliphant will have their shaping equipment out to complete the tie ins and other subtle contours within the rough grade.  Final grading may begin as well, if all plans go accordingly. 
Enjoy the pictures, and I will have another update tomorrow!

Ryan

Marking rootzone depths for the new front

Cam wetting down subgrade for final compaction

Mr. Hills and Greg discussing the project

Incorporating additional sand into the existing rootzone

Rootzone compacted and finished in front

Beginning the tie in on the back of the green

Renovation Plans for #18 Green

By now it should not come as a surprise to any of you that the timetable for the renovation of #18 green has been altered from the original plan of having it completed by the end of October.  Due to the relatively short time frame we had to work with, Mr. Hills was unable to secure a contractor that could complete the work within the window of opportunity that we had available to us.  Because of this, we are now shifting the renovation plans to this coming spring.

Mr. Hills has chosen a contractor with a significant amount of experience (currently completing a renovation at Oakland Hills) that is available this spring.  The goal is to hopefully begin in mid-March and have the work done in 10-14 days, depending on the weather.  As soon as the winter snow begins to melt, we will utilize a solar blanket to help increase the soil temperature of #18 green and get it growing earlier than the other 17 greens on the golf course. This will allow us to cut sod and renovate the green even if the temperatures remain cool.  After the renovation is done, the blanket will be placed back over the green in order to speed-up the healing process.

With the proper weather, it is my hope that we can come close to our original plan of opening the green in early to mid-May. Obviously this schedule depends on Mother Nature, but I am optimistic that we have a good plan in place that will lead to a successful project.  The picture below shows the proposed plans for the renovation. please click on the photo for a larger view.

Fall Project Update

It took a while, but we finally received some much needed rainfall.  Until September 19^th, we had gone since August 3^rd with only .17” of rain.  This stretch of dry weather was eerily similar to last year but thankfully the dry spell came later in the year when the days are shorter and temperatures are cooler. All in all, we managed the dry spell without any major issues and are set up well for some spectacular fall golf.

Incredible color change after a much needed rain!

Traditionally, fall is a very busy time for us in the Grounds Department. This year is no exception. Not only do we have our typical maintenance of the golf course to complete, but we have several major course improvements that are scheduled to be completed.  Beginning in October, my staff and I will be making some changes to #4 and #14 fairways, renovating some tees that need leveled and aligned, resurfacing cartpaths, treating and removing trees that have been damaged by Imprelis, performing our normal tree work to improve the golf course, and, of course, the renovation of #18 green.

#18 green is, without a doubt, the hot topic of the fall.  Most of you will agree that changes need to be made in order to make the green more playable than it currently is. Beginning in October, Arthur Hills and one of his contractors will begin working on the renovation of the green. As of the writing of this article, we do not have a final plan of what will take place, nor do we have a set schedule, but one will be on the way shortly.  Stay tuned to the blog as this will serve as the primary source of information for the project.

I will provide detailed information regarding each of these projects and why they are taking place as we get closer to the actual work taking place. Until then, please stop me if you have any questions or concerns and I will do my best to get you the information you need.  

Lastly, greens are scheduled to be aerified on October 3rd and 4th weather permitting. we will be aerifying 9 holes at a time, so please check with the Pro Shop staff to see which 9 will be open on these two days. Have a great month!

Course Changes

As a follow-up to the mass email that I sent to the entire membership earlier this week, here is the blog post, as promised, with some more detailed information about some of the changes we are making to the golf course this spring.

The first photo below shows what the ridge on the 18th green will look like for a while.  As stated in the email,  Arthur Hills, architect of the green, made a return visit to check on the green and to evaluate some minor scalping issues we were having at the crown of the ridge that runs between the two tiers.  Under his recommendation, we will be aerifying the ridge 3-4 times with the hope that the ridge will soften over time and that the scalping will be eliminated. The holes will not be filled in order to encourage the soil to settle more rapidly. It's a little difficult to visualize based on this photo, but hopefully you get the idea.

Aerifying the ridge on #18 green

Another change that was implemented during last season, was the narrowing of the collars around the greens from two mower widths to a single mower width.  This has been a long process of multiple aerifications and mowing at gradually lower levels in order to achieve the final result, but I believe we are finally there.  This next photo shows the appearance after what should be the last aerification of the collars.  During the visit from Mr. Hills, he specifically commented on how much he liked this change and felt it helped establish better definition around the greens.

Finally made it! Successful transition to a narrow collar.

An additional change that Mr. Hills strongly recommended was to eliminate the Intermediate or "step" cut around the greens.  He felt this would help accentuate the change to the collar, create even more definition and be a better architectural fit for the type of club that we have. He also felt the intermediate was far too forgiving since many people could actually putt from this area. This change was discussed at the last meeting of the Green Committee and was approved unanimously.  Below is an edited picture to help summarize the changes that have been made. I encourage you to click on the photo for a larger view.

Summarized Photo

If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask.  If you haven't subscribed to the blog, simply enter your email address on the right side of this page where it says "Follow by Email" and you will be automatically notified whenever I publish a new post. Like I wrote in the email, your information will not be shared.

Renovation Complete: #18 Green Est. 2011

After two very long days of working to get our renovation project done before the rains came, I am happy to report that the renovation of #18 green is now complete.  The comments from the membership regardingthe size, shape and contouring of the new green have been nothing but positive. It will undoubtedly provide a significant challenge at the completion of every round played here at Elcona Country Club.

Ramon and his staff from O&J Construction as well as Mr. Arthur Hills and his associate Brian Yoder have been true professionals to work with and every day of the project has been completed without any major setbacks or surprises.

The final day of the project was spent finishing the sod on the green, the collar mow-out and around the new bunker.  After the sod on the green was finished, it was cleaned, rolled and topdressed. The haul road leading from the cartpath was cleaned-up and sodded as well.  The last step of the day was to add the new bunker sand and to clean-up any remaining debris around the worksite.

Please watch for future updates that will describe our agronomic practices to the green for the remainder of the year and into next spring.  Click on pictures for a larger view.

The back of the green.

Completed green looking toward the fairway.

Beginning of the last day

Finishing the base of the bunker

New green after topdressing

The green after dragging the topdressing and the haul road after sodding

Adding sand to the bunker

Finishing the bunker

Renovation of #18 Green: Day 8

Major progress today.  After an unannounced, but welcomed visit by Mr. Arthur Hills on Sunday, we had a few more minor adjustments to make to the green.  After the adjustments were made, it was finally time for some sod to go down.  By the end of the day we had about 75% of the green sod down and nearly all of the new mow out areas around the green.  It was an extremely long day, but well worth the effort by Ramon and his staff. Brian Yoder also made another visit to help with the project and to oversee the adjustments.

Bunker sand being delivered

Beginning to lay sod on the new bunker face



The first few rows of sod being put down



Making progress

Back half of the green done and the mow-out almost done

Renovation of #18 Green: Day 4

Today was one of those days where it may not look like a lot of productivity occurred, but we probably took our biggest step yet toward reaching the next phase of the renovation.  Coming into the day, the general shape of the green and bunker had been completed but had not been approved.  Mr. Arthur Hills and his associate, Brian Yoder visited the site to review the work and to make some minor adjustments.  After the visit, there was a definitive plan for the remainder of the project. 

The green took shape right before our eyes as Mr. Hills and Brian Yoder seemingly waved their hands and added subtle contours to the green.  The shape of the bunker from Day 3 to Day 4 took a more dramatic change.  The new bunker will be classified as a "coffin" bunker.  It will have a flat bottom and only a slight amout of sand flashed up on the sides.  I am thrilled with this decision, because the threat of washouts has almost been eliminated.  The grassed face of the bunker will be steep, but maintainable.  Make no mistake about it, this will be a very challenging bunker to go with an equally challenging green.

Ramon from O&J Construction, Mr. Hills and Brian Yoder making adjustments

Adjusting the flow of the transition between levels of the green

Combining the flow of the transition with the outer shape of the bunker

The new shape of the upper tier. Notice the spine running through the
middle of the tier (just like the old green).

The new shape of the transition between levels

The new shape of the bunker coming together.  You're not going
to want to be in this one!

Renovation of #18 Green: Day 3

Lots of progress was made on Day 3.  As I reviewed the pictures that I took it was amazing how much detail work took place and how close we are to a finished sub-grade.  Ramon and his staff from O&J Construction are very good at what they do, and have proved it everyday.  As of now, the sub-grade of the green is ready for Arthur Hills to review and the new bunker has begun to take shape.  Mr. Hills and his associate, Brian Yoder will be here tomorrow (Thursday) to recommend the final contours of the green and make the necessary changes to the shape of the bunker.  Once the final contours of the sub-grade are created, it will be time to bring in the native rootzone material that was removed earlier in the week.

All-in-all, the project is moving along quite quickly and I remain very pleased with the work that is being done.  Enjoy the photos!

Adding grade stakes to check slope measurements

Starting to see the tier betweeen upper and lower levels

Grade work on lower tier

Old bunker size/shape

Rough size/shape of new bunker.  I will be recommending that there be a
sod face to the bunker instead of flashing sand up the entire face. This will
minimize the risk of washouts.

Staking transition points and marking final height of green surface with
ribbon between the stakes.

The Renovation of #18 Green: What to Expect

Now that we are getting closer to the commencement date of the renovation of our 18^th green, I would like to give everyone an idea of what to expect. This is a very exciting project that has been discussed for a number of years, but it has not been without its share of criticism.  The reason for the renovation is because the green can no longer be managed like the other 17 greens on the golf course and the slope from the back of the green to the front is so severe that we are only able to utilize about 1/3 of the green for pin locations and the entire left side of the green has become unusable.

Mr. Arthur Hills explaining the new green to members of the Green Committee

The scheduled start date is Monday, October 10th and we have been told that work should be completed within two weeks.  In layman’s terms, here is how the project will take place:

·         Strip and save all sod.

·         Remove all native rootzone material and save.

·         Remove existing irrigation and save as much as possible.

·         Shape new green, green complex and bunker

·         Add saved rootzone material that was saved mimicking rough grade of green

·         Install irrigation and gps new head/coupler locations

·         Add soil amendments to improve turf health

·         Add saved sod that was removed from the original green

·         Finish bunker

·         Add rough sod

Arthur Hills has been hired to design the new green and O&J Construction will be the contractor completing the project with oversight from myself as well as Arthur Hills and his associate, Brian Yoder.

New rough sketch of #18 green on top of current version of green

Both Arthur Hills and O&J Construction have requested that there be NO interference from the membership or other individuals during the project.  This includes being on the construction site while work is being performed, giving personal opinions of how the green should look when completed, interfering with the crew while working etc.  They are all professionals and have a plan to provide us with a fantastic product when it is finished.

Again, this is a very exciting time for the club, and we are expecting the best possible outcome, but will need your cooperation to help complete this as quickly as possible.  I will be providing updates almost daily on this blog for those that are interested.