June Happenings

 While the weather in the last week has been more conducive for ducks, the staff has been busy with their latest project for the summer:  refurbishing bunker sand.  This year, 8 green side bunkers have been approved to have a make over:  removing all of the contaminated sand and replaced with fresh sand.

Our staff excited to refurbish

Sand all removed to base layer

Sand from 11 added to 7 fairway bunker

These bunkers are:  The right green side bunker on #1, the left green side bunker on 2, the top 2 bunkers next to 5 green, the right green side bunker on 7, the right green side bunker on 11, and both the left green side and the bottom right green side bunkers on 14.  The staff finished the bunker on 11 today and will be working on the bunkers on 1 and 2 this week.

The sand that is removed has been contaminated over the years by severe washouts that mix the sand with silt, causing the color to become darker and playability compromised.  Sand that is not overly contaminated is taken to a fairway bunker that is low in sand and spread out there.  For example, the sand from 11 bunker was placed in two fairway bunkers on 7.

Faces being compacted

The finished product on 11

When sand is added, we are using both our bunker rake and a hand tamper to compact the sand to a proper level.  The bottoms of the bunkers are compacted to a 4" layer (recommended by the USGA) and the faces are at a 2" layer when compacted.  We will be picking these bunkers off as our schedule and course needs allow us to do.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

New tree tags for Imprelis catalog

Also, we have been updating the tree tags on trees impacted by Imprelis.  Over the years, the tags and the markings on them have weathered, and for ease of cataloging and observing any potential changes in symptoms, we are updating them accordingly.  We went with a metallic tag to more permanently identify these trees and a larger color coding tag to more easily identify the stage they have been rated in.  Again, if you have any questions, please contact me.

Have a great week and lets hope for some drier weather!

Ryan

Course Update

Slow progress is still progress. At least that is what I am trying to convince myself right now.  This has been an unbelievably slow start to the season, especially when making comparisons to last year.  After looking back at our log book from last year, we continue to be every bit of 4-5 weeks behind.  Although last year was certainly an anomaly when it comes to early springs, it’s still frustrating knowing that the weather is not cooperating at a time when everyone is ready to get out and enjoy the golf course.

The weather is equally as frustrating for me as well. This is the time of year when we want to accomplish so many important agronomic tasks and we just can’t get to them right now. Spring fertilizer applications where they are needed, pre and post-emergent weed control and regular mowing schedules are all items we would like to get done, but we must show patience and wait for Mother Nature to tell us when the right time is.  If you maintain your own lawn, this applies to you as well. See me if you have any questions.

On the positive side, aerification of the greens, tees and fairways is complete and we have made our first of three applications to reduce seedheads on the greens. Notice I said “reduce”, not eliminate.  This application will not keep all seedheads from forming, but help to minimize the amount of them. Historically, we have had very good results and my hope is that this year is no different. As in year’s past, I have placed several 4’x4’ check plots (untreated areas) on some of the greens to help me better judge the results we obtain from this application.  If you would like more information on why we use check plots, look along the right side of this screen under “Popular Posts”.  The third one is titled “What Can You Learn from 16 sq. ft.” and will give you a greater insight.

Check Plot from a previous year

Several of you have asked me about the new, white labels on some of the trees on the golf course.  These labels serve the same purpose as the colored ribbons that were put out last fall. They are simply there to help me identify trees that have been diagnosed with varying degrees of damage from the herbicide Imprelis. These labels DO NOT necessarily mean that the tree is going to die or need to be removed; they just make it easier for me to obtain information without having to constantly look them up in spreadsheets.  To date, we have not finalized anything with DuPont as far as a settlement is concerned. As soon as we have the appropriate information, I will be sure to pass it along.

New Imprelis Tree Labels

With that being said, it’s spring so get out here and enjoy your club.  Even if it’s a little cold and rainy outside, there are plenty of activities going on inside the club for you to take advantage of. I look forward to seeing all of you and have a great month.