The Cutting Edge

Last week we started the process of edging bunkers.

Each Spring we give all the bunkers a thorough edging and continue all season long by cleaning up the edges every other week. This season, we purchased a vital tool to help create that perfect edge everyone looks for.

The Red Max reciprocating edger has two scalloped blades that work in a scissor-like motion that is perfect for slicing through all surfaces, beit soil, clay or sand.

Below are some pictures of the edging process.

As of this past monday, all bunkers have been edged !

Spring Spike & Topdress

For the last few seasons, we have performed a procedure on our greens each Spring called "Deep-tining".

First, we equip our Soil Reliever with 10" solid tines. The Soil Reliever would then traverse each green in the manner of any other aeration unit. We would calibrate the soil reliever to punch a solid channels with 2"x2" spacing.

We choose to perform a solid-tine aeration in the Spring due to the unique characteristics of our greens profile. Our profile consisted of a significant layer of organic matter that resided above the layer of coarse sand. A layer of sand that percolates at over 50 inches per hour.

Our goal over the past few seasons has been to break up the OM layer and push it down further into the profile to help the profile better retain moisture, particularly below the 2-4" depth.
We have since been sucessful with pushing down the OM layer and we have lowered the perc rate at the 6-10" depth from 55" per hour to 41" per hour.

This Spring, however, we chose to forego the deep-tine process and simply spike all the greens. Spiking is still beneficial in the fact that it opens the turf canopy to allow for gas and air exchange. Following the spiker, we dimple-seeded each green with L-93 bentgrass seed. We do this every Spring and Fall to maintain a significant seed bank of bentgrass on the greens.

We finished the process with applying a moderate amount of topdressing sand, to fill thin areas and help smooth the putting surface. After the sand was dragged in, we rolled each green to again smooth the surface for immediate play.

In the days following, we fertilized the greens with Ammonium Sulfate (16-4-8) to stimulate growth and aggressively push the bentgrass.

Spiking is an integral part of our course conditioning and we will continue to spike monthly throughout the season.

The Season is Officially Here

We charged the irrigation system yesterday and, as far as I am concerned, thus marks the true beginning of the 2009 season.

For the past four seasons, we have brought the irrigation system online during the first week of March. It is at this point, everything else seems to start as well.

The bentgrass is coming out of dormancy and we are now beginning to mow greens more frequently. The transitional ryegrass is also beginning to grow and soon we will be mowing tees on a more regular basis.

There is just something about seeing a sprinker running for the first time since November that lets you know the days of working on indoor projects are on the way out. In only 2 weeks, we will be performing our Spring Aeration. This year, we have chosen to spike the greens rather than perform the usual Spring Deep-Tine, more to come on this later.

Now having the system up and running, we will be spending the next few days inspecting all the sprinklers throughout the course, marking any that need repairs.

For it won't be long before we are irrigating daily. Ah, summer. *sigh*

A Splash of Color

Last week we applied a fresh coat of paint to our target greens on the practice range. This was our second application, just a touch-up to maintain good color until the bermudagrass breaks dormancy in late Spring.

We started the tradition of painting target greens last winter. The idea was born during a brain-storming discussion on how to enhance the details of the practice range, even during the winter. Since participation on the range doesn't come to a halt in the off-season, we wanted to maintain the same quality "in-season" experience for the winter golfer.

In addition to enhancing the off-season aesthetics, this dormant application of paint is also a field experiment to see if painted bermudagrass will "green-up" quicker in the Spring in comparison to dormant, un-painted bermudagrass. Last Spring we noticed the bermudagrass that had been painted "appeared" to have broken dormancy noticeably sooner than the surrounding bermudagrass.

I will update this post in late Spring with results of the experiment.

Clearing The Way

Yesterday we continued an on-going project at the Practice Range. Our Practice Range is encompassed by thick woods on either side and since we do not have a net installed, off-target balls often find their way into the woods. Due to how thick the underbrush is, these balls are often never seen again.

Thus, it has become a priority to extensively clear the underbrush throughout the range in hopes of not only recovering plenty of practice balls to put back into stock, but also to save costs for the upcoming season.

More so than highlighting a project that is underway, this post is directed to show how great the staff is here at The Gauntlet. It is February, play is minimal, costs are being kept low and pennies are being pinched everywhere. Having said that, this staff continues to show they understand the management philosophy we must have to push through and excell through this winter and the tough economic times ahead.

Where else could you find not only the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, but the General Manager, Assistant Professional, Food & Beverage Director, Equipment Manager and even the President of the Golf Association spending an entire day cutting and hauling brush ?

This stuff just doesn't happen, it is a great example of a great team doing what they need to do.

So, to those of you who dedicated an entire day on the range, Thanks !

Is That Snow ?

We received our first accumulation of snow this morning. Flurries were already making their way to the ground as I drove into the course.

When it comes to snow and accumulation, I stay skeptical of the local meterologists. They always seem to predict 2-6 inches, yet we get a dusting. This time, however, they were almost on the spot. Currently the course has received close to an inch of snow.

Pictured below are some shots taken around hole # 5.

This snow will be a blessing for our greens, providing some insulation and shelter from the dry and damaging winds they battle most of winter.

The forecast calls for freezing rain tonight and rain tomorrow, with sun and warmer temperatures back for the weekend. So, for those of us planning to play in Sunday's Superbowl Extravaganza Tournament, the course will be ready.

Preparing for Spring

Today we fertilized our Greens with a product called Earthworks 5-4-5. This is an organic fertilizer containing 5 % Nitrogen as well as Calcium and several micronutrients.

We apply this product once a month, all year long, at varying rates based on % of desired Nitrogen. Regular applications of Earthworks also help us build our CEC's (Cation Exchange Capacity).

These winter or dormant applications are necessary to both build our CEC's and promote microbial activity in the Spring when soil temps rise again.

Pictured above is Tyler Day, fertilizing # 16. Tyler was recently accepted into Virginia Tech's Turfgrass Management Program. So in addition to preparing the greens for Spring, we are also preparing Tyler for the Spring, improving his training and education in fertilization and calibration.

Hugo !

This is Hugo ! On just about any given day he can be found traveling the course, either with a fellow employee or alone, in search of squirrels and geese to chase away.

As we make our way towards Spring Hugo will also be adding regular posts, accounts of his work and dedication to the golf course.

Hugo has a special story that I think needs to be shared. Last summer Hugo was injured while working on the golf course. My staff and I were gathered on the practice range installing fresh sod to our chipping green and to the face of the adjacent practice bunker. It was a hot, sunny day and Hugo climbed under a utility vehicle to find shelter from the blazing sun.

Quite some time had passed and one of my employees went to move the utility vehicle and Hugo was still under the frame. He attempted to climb out from under the vehicle, but became pinned and suffered a dislocation in the area around his pelvis. The dislocation and separation of his L7 vertebrate and Sacrum also damaged part of the nervous system that controls anal tone.

Hugo's injury required immediate surgery. I knew the surgery would be costly, but Hugo is perhaps the most well-known figures here at The Gauntlet and I knew the cost of surgery could be figured out later.

The weekend of his surgery, I had to make a trip back to my home state of Ohio and while I was gone, some fellow coworkers had planned a benefit tournament to help raise money for the surgery. The thought alone was heart-warming but less than one month later on June 7th, a Benefit Tournament was held. The support was breathtaking. Golf course patrons I had barely talked to before were there offering their support and wishing me a healthy and full recovery for Hugo. At moments, the feelings were overwhelming.

When all the emotions of support and joy of golf settled later that day, nearly all of Hugo's surgery cost would be raised through donations and support from employees, patrons and friends.

And while I know I couldn't say thank you enough on that day. I would like to take the time to say thank you once again for your support. And to those who might not know, Hugo has made a near full recovery and is back to running the course daily.

No Mas Agua !

That time has finally come, time to drain the irrigation system for the winter. To some it may seem late to be doing so, but December is usually a mild month here and the nature of our greens mix requires irrigation even in December if conditions are dry.

We begin the process in the pumphouse. We close the clay valve (which is the valve that controls the pressure of water flow from the pumps to the course), turn all 3 pumps off and release some water and built-up pressure behind the clay valve back into the wet well.

Next we travel onto the course and start opening the drain valves, which allow the water contained in our system to escape back into Curtis Lake. Pictured below is the drain valve located on #10. It is conveniently located on the edge of the creek bank, making its return to the lake simple.

We also "winterize" the pumps during this time. Winterizing our pumps consists of greasing all fittings, checking all internal and external components for wear or anything else of concern and ensuring the pumphouse's heat supply is functioning properly.

Since our winters do not usually last very long, we will most likely be bringing the system back online in early March. Doing so will allow sufficient time to be sure the system is functioning properly before our Spring Deep-Tine.

Winter is not "Down-Time"

Over the past four years here at The Gauntlet Golf Club, one of the most frequent questions I have been asked is "So, what do you do during the winter ?" And while there are plenty of other questions and golf course issues that raise the blood pressure, this questions still ranks high on the list.

I look at this question as an opportunity to educate our golfing membership, employees, neighbors, friends and families. Not everyone feels this way, however, and can easily become angered or aggravated when attempting to respond to this frequent and irritating question.

Much like sports, some of the best progress and biggest gains in golf course improvement are acheived in the off-season. Most of our improvement projects demand significant time, labor and sometimes course disruption. During the season, our course maintenance is pretty much devoted to daily play and special events which rarely leaves time to do more than minor adjustments and improvements.

The following list of activities and projects are not only ones that our staff performs during these winter months, but are outlined to help the membership and other employees better understand what winter maintenance entails. This list of winter duties may surprise some.


GENERAL TASKS:

* Snow removal from paths, roads and parking lots

- Our maintenance employees, like most staffs, are responsible for snow removal (when we get snow). Snow removal includes plowing the entrance road, cart paths, parking lot and applying de-icing agents to walkways and stairs.



*Winter Play Set-up:

- Since we don't usually get significant snowfall here, there remains a demand to play when the weather is decent and thus golfers still have expectations for course conditioning. As a result, our staff continues to change pin and tee marker locations as frequently as necessary to accomodate play.


* Landscape Clean-up:

- Loose debris on the golf course can be a result of many things including snow, ice, wind and rain. This debris requires clean-up to both accomodate play and prepare the course for the Spring rush. This clean-up includes downed tree branches and accumulations of leaves, soil or anything that moving surface water leaves behind on the grounds. Remulching landscape and flower beds is another winter project that can be done.



* Monitoring Ice on Greens:

- If our greens have a substantial ice cover in mid-late February, it may need to be romoved or broken to allow gas exchange to avoid any loss of turf due to lack of oxygen. The threshold for Poa annua is assumed to be close to 50 days, whereas creeping bentgrass can tolerate continuous ice cover much longer.



* Snow Removal from Greens:

- While snow is sometimes welcome on the golf course, isulating the turf from dessicating winter winds and temperature extremes, we must sometimes remove it from our greens to hatsen ice melt and speed surface thawing during the Spring. When snow removal is required, we perform it manually so as to avoid mechanical damage to the greens.



* Winter Fungicide Applications:

- It may be necessary to make periodic, timley applications to control Snow Mold.



* Winter Weed Control:

- With our bermudagrass tees and zoysiagrass fairways, it is often necessary to control actively growing winter weeds, such as poa annua with pre- and post-emergent herbicides. This aids in enhancing definition between turf areas.



* Continuing Education:

- The off-season provides a great opportunity to continue our educations efforts, whether it be by attending the annual Golf Industry Show, local chapter meetings, USGA Regional Conferences, Pesticide Recertification Workshops, etc. Continuous Education is necessary to stay abreast of the newest chemistries, technologies, products and techniques in the industry. Not only may continuing education be required in certain circumstances, like pesticide recertification, it is an integral part to the success of a facility.



TYPICAL WINTER PROJECTS:



* Annual Equipment Maintenance and Repairs:

- Most of our equipment operated seven days per week during the growing season and in doing so, parts become worn, fittings loosen, bearings and seals wear out, engines and motors require tune-ups and wirings need to be inspected. Extensive preventative maintenance and repair in the winter is crucial for reliability during the season. Winter equipment maintenance will also help reduce costly breakdowns.



* Tree Maintenance:

- Each off-season, we perform some selective tree removal and pruning to improve both growing and playing conditions.



* Drainage:

- Having limited play in the winter results in a great time to address drainage issues on the course. These issues can include repairing existing drainage tile that is not functioning properly or the addition of new drainage in areas that drain poorly.



* Irrigation System:

- Annual attention is required for all facets of our irrigation system. Some of the services we perform annually on our system are; routine service of the pump station, leveling sprinklers, repairing broken sprinklers, etc.



* Bunker Maintenance:

- Winter is a great time to replace bunker sand, if needed, or to replenish sand if more is needed. With the silt and clay beneath our bunkers, it only takes a season or two before bunker drainage is impeded and needs to be "flushed out" or replaced.



* Maintenance Facility Improvements:

- An organized, clean and operational maintenance facility does not happen by itself and directing some attention to our facility goes a long way to improving employee moral, increasing productivity, and efficiency.



* Golf Course Accessories:

- Accessories include tee markers, ballwashers, waste baskets, bunker rakes, etc. All of these accessories endure the weather all season long and require restoration annually. For each accessory we will, clean, repair (if necessary), refurbish and repaint.





In addition to countless other projects that can be achieved this time of year, winter also serves as a great time to develop our maintenance standards and review our safety and training procedures.



So although some may think course maintenance completely shuts down during the winter, now you know it doesn't.