New Tees #7

The tee complex on #7 was rebuilt, creating separate tees for the red, green, white, blue and black markers. The old tee was a single runway tee that was at ground level and always very wet.  Now, all the tees are elevated, squared off and have drainage.

New Green Expansion 3rd Hole

The new green expansion has been completed on #3.  The sod was taken from our 20,000 sq ft turf nursery we constructed last year and will match the green pretty closely.  The expansion will be covered after we topdress greens and should be ready for play in May or June.

3rd Hole Underway

Work is underway on the 3rd hole, which will include new tees, new situated fairway bunkers, a newly contoured fairway and new greenside bunkers with chipping areas.  This is a neat little short par 4 that will look and play differently when completed.  We are now challenging both the long and short hitter off the tee and challenging everyone on their approach shots to the green with a new green expansion.

Installing the New Pumps

What a process!  First, the 12,000 lb pump station came in on a tractor trailer, which could not get any further than the area by the 18th tee.  From there, a crane had to off load the pump station and pumps on to 2 separate smaller flat bed trucks.  From there, the 2 flatbeds and the crane had to go in reverse from the 12th tee all the way to the pump house, since there were no areas along the way for them to turn around.  Once they were situated, the crane had to place everything inside the pump house, which we removed the roof a few days before.  The bottom picture is the last picture we took since it got dark right after and much of the work was done in the dark.  The pump station arrived 6 hours late which threw off our entire schedule.

Pump House Renovation

Now that we are replacing our aging pump station, a lot of work had to go in just to get trucks in.  PSE&G had to get in to replace 2 poles and wires that were toppled during Hurricane Sandy and they could not get their trucks in to get to the poles without getting stuck.  We also had to have our tree service come in and get all the trees off the downed poles and wires.  First, we had to construct a 12 foot wide stone road about 300 feet long in order to get all the prep work done.

Further Progress on #6

The bunkering on #6 is completed and we have removed old damaged and failed drainage pipes and replaced them with an open ditch that will be used for future fairway drainage.  The ditch used to only be from the tee to the fairway bunker, but now it continues down the left side of the hole past the green.

6th Hole Renovation

A face lift of the 6th hole began in early November and it includes new bunkers, new tees, a new ditch up the left side of the fairway, cart bridges and fairway drainage in 2013 once all other work is completed.  This will not only improve the hole from an aesthetic standpoint, it is also going to add a lot of strategy both off the tee and into the green.  Also, many days when carts are not allowed out it is because we cannot find a way to get carts through the 6th hole.

Hurricane Sandy Damage

We all know the severity of Hurricane Sandy and the golf course lost over 70 trees, most notably the willow on the 6th hole and the large oak by the 3rd tee.  Electricity was lost at the clubhouse for 2 full days and at the maintenance building one phase was out for almost a month.  The cleanup for Sandy will take many months by the time stumps are removed and damaged turf repaired in the spring of 2013.

Drainage 15 Fairway

On Wednesday we started our first laterals across the 15th fairway.  We are hoping to get 2-3 done today and then next week finish the remaining ones.  By Wednesday or Thursday we should be finished.

Drainage on 15 Fairway

The main trunk line has been installed on the 15th hole and we have it draining to the ditch on the 16th fairway.  Now, we will be running laterals across the 15th fairway to address the poor drainage for the next 5-7 days.  This is a time consuming process as we have to cross pipes, wires and remove all soil and back fill with sand and stone.

Ditch Maintenance This Week

The main ditches on 12 and 16 are being cleaned out this week and a stone base is being installed  at the same time.  Over time, the ditches get overgrown which leads to water traveling slower through them, which in turns slows up drainage on the course.  Also, our well water travels through 12 and 16 to get to our irrigation pond and the vegetation was significantly slowing its flow.  This will be much easier to maintain in the future, plus the water is much more visible now.

Earthworms Are Out in Force

It is that time of the year again, late September when soil temperatures and air temperatures cool down and earthworms begin coming to the surface.  While earthworm activity is very beneficial to the soil as it is like free aerification, the castings they leave become a playability and maintenance issue.  First, the castings are mounded up organic matter (probably one of the best soils for growing any plants), which when driven over or mowed over, create a flat dirt spot, the size of a quarter or bigger.  Also, once these mounds are flattened, they suffocate the turf underneath, which can lead to poa infestation.  Another problem is the mowers are dulled when they cut up the mounds and this reduces the life of the reel and the bedknife, which can become costly to replace.  We are proactive in keeping them in the soil, but it is expensive to continue to do so all fall.  Also, the more the soil stays moist, the more they will stay near the surface.  In the summer, when the soil temps are high, the worms go down deep where it is cool, which is why we rarely see them all summer.

Rough Improvements

The top picture shows our typical rough grasses, ryegrass, bentgrass and poa .  We know, bentgrass and poa are mostly found in fairways, greens and tees and when mowed at 3" do not offer a consistent rough to play out of.  Often times, the balls nestle down into the grass creating a difficult shot.  Another problem we face with this type of grass mix, is that during hot weather, we need to spray the roughs to keep these grasses healthy and this is a costly undertaking.   While we do make several spray applications to our roughs per year, we would need several more to prevent turf loss from occurring.  The bottom photo shows our trial of converting our rough over to more heat and drought tolerant grasses (tall fescue and gray leaf spot resistant ryegrass).  In front of the 12th and 16th tees, we scalped the roughs down to 1", sprayed a growth regulator and over seeded with the better variety grasses.  This will take several weeks to start to fill in, but in the long run we will see a much improved rough.  Once we measure the success of this trial, we will hopefully address the rest of the golf course next year.

Irrigation Addition to the 8th Hole

We are adding new irrigation to the rough between the 8th and 15th green and fairway.  This area has been unirrigated and we would have to put a portable sprinkler out during the summer months.  This will definitely improve this area.

Tree Removals on Barn Hole

The Norway Spruces on the driving range are in decline and we are attempting to remove the dying ones now so they do not spread to the remaining ones.  We will be leaving one that has some die back on the top to see if it can recover or not.  If not, it will be removed this fall and or winter.

Drain Repair Behind 9 Green

The top picture shows the catch basin by the path behind 9 green overflowing with water that comes down from the parking lot.  2 years ago we repaired the pipe from the parking lot to the catch basin but we learned the pipe was broken and clogged just past the basin, causing it to overflow during heavy rains and flooding out around the 9th green (middle picture).  We added 2 new sections of 12" pipe and this should alleviate much of the flooding issues we have seen in the past.

Pine Trees in Decline Along Entrance Road

The 2 Scotch Pines along the entrance road are in decline and will need to be removed.  The road used to be lined with Scotch Pines and over the years they have all declined and have had to be removed.  These 2 will be removed as well in the near future as the Scotch Pine needs a lot of care due to its susceptibility to disease and the cost to keep them alive is quite high and not worth the investment.

10th Green Improvement

The 10th green has always been a weak green due to the pocketed location and lack of air movement and sunlight.  A fan was installed last year to help with air movement and the green still was somewhat weak.  Last fall, after we renovated the green complex and removed the berm and spruce trees along with a few more trees along the fence, the green has been the healthiest it has ever been and we did not even have to use the fan this summer.

Quick Improvement

This rock actually came out of the 18th greenside bunker when it was constructed back in the late 1980s and this was as far as they could move it and it has sat here ever since.  We quickly added some soil, a few plants and mulch and it looks much better after about 2 hours of work.

Mother Nature Pushing Us Around

This is a very informative blog posting but it is also me venting a bit.  Okay...no rain for almost a month and the temps were so high with little humidity that we were throwing water like mad, almost in a losing battle to keep the golf course alive.  Fast forward to July 20th, the Arcola Cup, and it has not stopped raining since.  While the constant rain will avert water restrictions for a while.....it is not good for the grass at all!  When the humidity is high like it has been for almost 7 straight days and you add in constant rain, the turf becomes puffy and lush....two things I despise.  Also, when the grass stays damp, disease pressure is extremely high and that is when raising mowing heights and skipping a few mowings is the logical thing to do.  We can push the greens as hard as we want, but if it is humid you will lose that battle.  You can get greens rolling decent for a day or so, but long term it will catch us.  This is the 5th green on Sunday afternoon after our second storm in 24 hours.  We got 1.2" on Saturday and then another .6" on Sunday.  When water sits on fine turf like this, eventually it will kill the grass directly or indirectly.  While the temps look to level off in the mid 80s for the next week or so, humidity levels will continue to stay on the high side and this is when we have to be careful.  When the weather is conducive for increasing green speeds, you know we will, but right now we have to keep our guard up.

First Hole in One on #11

Tony Ludwig is the first official person to ace the new 11th hole and it almost went unrecognized.  He mentioned to me in passing that he aced it the week before and I wanted to mention it on my blog since he is the first person to accomplish this feat.  He aced the hole on July 13th and used a 9 iron from 142 yards.  Congratulations!

Big Improvement in 2 Years

This is a picture of the 15th fairway.  When I arrived in 2010, this fairway was 70% poa, 20% rye and 10% bentgrass.  The white/light green patches are bentgrass and it shows how far we have come in a little more than 2 years.  This fairway receives little sunlight and air movement and the carts are all funneled onto the fairway which is ideal for poa.  My first 2 summers, this fairway has struggled and we have had to spray it more than all the other fairways.  Now that our bentgrass populations on this hole are near 60%, we have been able to keep it healthier than in the past with less sprays.  It will take a few more years for this fairway to reach our goal due to the lack of sunlight but we will get it there, but it shows that our programs are paying off.

Arcola Cup 2012

What a summer.  We have encountered numerous heat waves already this summer, no rain for almost a month and then the day of the Arcola Cup, Mother Nature finally cooperates and gives us much needed rainfall.  2 days before the event, temperatures were 103 degrees and the day of the Arcola Cup, the temps never made it past 72 degrees.  The crew has worked extremely hard keeping grass alive with no rain, a limited water allocation and extreme heat and when we could showcase the course it rained the entire day.  Here, the crew is getting water off the 18th green so the last group on the course can finish their 18th hole to make the tournament offical and the rain shortened event finished with one person breaking par.

Bentgrass Conversion Process on Fairways

The yellow poa you see on the fairways is a thing of beauty in my eyes, even though right now the fairways look a little mottled.  There is a method to our madness and it has been paying dividends for almost 2 years now as we are trying to slowly let the bentgrass out compete the poa and become the dominant grass.  Poa is an annual grass plant that requires a lot of TLC during the summer months.  Bentgrass is much more drought and heat tolerant and provides a nice playing surface to hit from.  With our growth regulator sprays on fairways, it actually stops the poa from growing (it does not kill it) and with the proper use of fertilizers and verticutting, the bentgrass can then outcompete the poa over time.  As you see in this picture from our 9th fairway, the bent is already in the middle of the poa patch and creeping in from the outside.  In little time, the bent will take over this area.  Since 2010, we have raised our bentgrass populations almost 25% on fairways with growth regulators, water management, topdressing, drainage, solid rollers on mowers and tree removals.  (You can click on the picture to enlarge it)

Invitational

With an extended field this year, the Invitational went off without a hitch.  The ProShop staff did a great job planning out tee times and keeping play moving and it allowed the maintenance staff to get work done in the morning and evening around the tournament.  Luckily, Mother Nature cooperated and allowed the course to finally dry out after the soaking rains earlier in the week.

Please Fix Ball Marks

One thing we can pride ourselves on is the greens are getting better each year.  I have noticed them firming up more and more and that means less ball marks which keeps them smoother and faster.  Over the last 2 weeks, I have noticed a huge increase of unrepaired ball marks.  This is due to the constant rain and higher humidity we have had so the greens do not get a chance to dry out much.  After busy days (weekends), when I change cups, I notice anywhere from 5-15 unrepaired ball marks per green.  The 10th green is by far the worst of all on a regular basis.  The picture above (you can click on it to make it bigger) shows how many ball marks are on the 9th green this morning.  Yesterday morning I changed cups following the outing and I fixed anywhere from 10-30 ball marks per green due to the wet conditions.  This morning, while mowing the 9th green, I noticed another 15-20 ball marks from Tuesday play.  We put irrigation flags in each ball mark that was not repaired and was significant.  We only had 68 rounds of golf yesterday and a decent amount of ball marks on every green.  It is important to note, a properly fixed ball mark will heal within 48 hours, but an unrepaired ball mark will take 4 weeks to heal once it is scalped by a mower or left alone.  We try to fix ball marks on a daily basis, but there are certain days where when we do not change cups we do not have enough manpower to address ball marks, so the marks from the day before are there again for members playing the following day.  We will do our best to stay on top of them but if possible please try to repair your marks so they do not effect your fellow member.

Wildflowers Starting to Bloom

The experimental wildflower area we created last year behind the 2nd green is starting to bloom with perennials and will continue to do so the rest of the summer.  While wildflowers are very attractive and beneficial to the environment, they do require reseeding every 2 years to keep colors throughout the season.  The first year of seeding you usually get all the annuals to bloom and every year after the perennials bloom.  Next season we will try to incorporate more annuals back in.

Before & After 11th Hole

The camera angle is different from the before and the after, but both were taken from behind the white tees.  Before, the old green only encompassed a small part of the wall and pond, but the new green spans across much of the pond.  Also, the growing environment and safety issues with the green are now much improved.   Also, we have the flexibility to move pins distinctly throughout the green and the hole can play anywhere from 125 to 195 depending on what tee we use and where we put the pin.

Fescue Being Mowed Down by Practice Green

The fescue was mowed down yesterday by the practice green to give the club a more formal look coming up the entrance road.  The architect at the time wanted a more natural look around the practice green but this may be a better look considering the style of our clubhouse.  It will take a few weeks for this grass to get acclimated to the new mowing heights and fescue does not like to be irrigated or fertilized so we will need to manage this very closely so it does not look unsightly coming up the driveway.

Head Changeout

The contractor, Middletown Sprinkler is moving along quickly with the head replacements.  This is the most vital part of this project right now as we will now have dependable quality heads on our golf course.  Once the controllers are completed, we will be much more efficient.

The Controller Changeout Process

Here is a quick view of the controller changeout process.  The old controllers are removed, each box contains over 100 wires that have to be labeled and when the new boxes are installed like below, each wire goes back as we design it.  While the process is tedious, the contractor can get them done quickly.

A Busy Monday at Arcola CC

It was controlled chaos at Arcola yesterday as we paved the 11th hole and bagroom road, dryjected the greens and began our irrigation system upgrade.  Luckily the weather cooperated and the dryject and paving were completed without any problems and the irrigation upgrade will continue for another few weeks.