XGD Nearing Completion

XGD drainage is being completed today on #6.  The process took about 11 days to do 4 greens.  This will mark the end of this project where greens 6,10,14 and 18 were addressed.  We now have 11 greens that have this system installed and will help firm up the greens quicker following significant rain events.  The key now is to continue to aerify, deep tine and drill and fill to help water get to the drain lines quicker.  This is a great tool to rejuvenate greens without rebuilding them.

XGD Underway

XGD Drainage has begun on the 18th green today.  A 2" pipe is installed on 6 foot spacing throughout the green to aid in drainage.  It takes 2-3 days from start to finish to complete 1 green.  This is a good tool to help with drainage without having to rebuild the green.  This fall we will be doing greens 6,10,14 and 18.  This will make 11 greens in total we will have this system installed.  It has really made a difference on the ones we did 4 years ago.

Verticutting Tees

We are using the Graden Sand Injector on the tees to remove thatch and get sand into the slits at the same time to help firm up the surfaces.  It is a time consuming project but beneficial in the long run.

Let it Rip!

Now that the club championships are over and the weather has cooled a bit, we are going in and verticutting the fairways.  We could not do this in August as the weather was too hot and our tractors were tied up on greens and aerifying fairways.  The fairways will be playable and will heal before the Carey Cup matches on October 21,22,23.

The Little Things That Make Me Happy

You may see a weed sitting there, but I see a Milkweed plant that has a monarch butterfly laying eggs on its leaves.  For the past few years we have been allowing milkweed to stay to encourage more monarchs and this is the second isolated plant today I have seen with a butterfly on it.  Also, I see about 5 broomsedge plants starting to mature which will add some nice contrast to this area in a few weeks.  75 degree days and 50 degree nights make me excited but things like this are what make it all worth it!

Improved View From the Clubhouse

While it was a busy aeration week for my staff, we found some time to remove the 20+ hemlocks to the left of 11 tees this past week to open up the view of the hole from the clubhouse.  The old 11th tees used to be located behind them and the old range used to hit towards the old 11th tees, so the trees now serve no purpose with our new range configuration.  We planted numerous spruces along the woods by 11 tees the past few years so they will act as the screening of the buildings nearby in the future when the hardwoods lose their foliage in the winter.

Morgan Hoffmann Foundation Pro Am

When the dust finally settled for the 2nd annual MH Pro Am, a great time was had by all.  Many thanks to all that came out and supported this great cause.  While the weather was perfect the day of the event, the weather leading up to it was not so great.  Heavy rains on Saturday evening created a massive cleanup on Sunday for my staff who once again rose to the occasion to get the course in great shape for Monday.  The lawn area where the tent was housed for 7 days will need some tlc and we decided to go in and aggressively seed it to get it ready for the next event Labor Day weekend.  The 14th tee, which was the happening place had furniture a DJ and the Casamigos girls and took a beating but after 3 or 4 days the tee was back to normal with some topdressing and fertilizing.  All and all a great day and we are proud of Morgan for undertaking this great cause.  I am also proud of my staff and the 10 volunteers who came in to make this all possible after terrible weather.