All is Quiet

The rush of the golf season is over and now is the time for reflection and cleaning. The reflection is my time to go over what happened this past season and learn from what went right and what needs to improve. Without getting into a lot of details, this season went by pretty good. I can tell that was true by the compliments of the golfers directed to me or to the entire golf course staff. There was a learning curve for me coming into a new job that includes all the parameters that I do as my job. If there was one area that I will be working on next season is that of the irrigation system. Some updates and some streamlining are already in the planning stages. As for the cleaning, this is an exercise in good housekeeping. A clean shop is a happy shop! By cleaning and organizing the shop area, I am preparing to begin the equipment repairs that will start after the first of the year.

Speaking of next season, since today is the winter solstice, the days will begin to get longer. It won't be long and we will be able to play golf again and try out the new green surfaces! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.

Finished

And now they are done, well almost. The weather allowed for Hartman Companies to finish laying the sod on Friday. There will be a little sod and irrigation work to do in the spring but for the most part, the project is complete. The 7th green will now be a 2 tiered green withthe right portion a bit bigger and about 2 feet higher than the left side. There are now many possible pin locations that will be accessible from anywhere on the green. I can't say enough about the great workmanship that was done to enhance our beautiful golf course. These changes will greatly add value and enjoyment to all the golfers. There will be some interim playing conditions in the spring that I will discuss at a later time. When will be they be ready to play? It's all on weather permitting....................

Weather is Permitting

The long range forecast is favorable for continuing on with the project so a decision was made to finish this season.  Green 15 was completed today and the crew moved the equipment to green 7.

Temperatures are to be very mild and will not hinder the construction. Plan is to remove sod on Monday and Tuesday, move mix on Wednesday, Thursday off, sub grade and drainage on Friday, Saturday to put the mix back in place, and sod the green on Monday and Tuesday. That is the plan as of today. It looks like it will work. By pushing on, the project is complete and the new greens will get a chance to settle and be ready for the grow in next spring. I actually saw roots knitting the sod down on #12 so that is a good sign. That way, we do not have to go through another season of construction and be able to enjoy the gift Mr Frandsen has donated. I am very excited to see the expressions next season of our returning golfers. You will truly be amazed!

And 15

The work continued this week despite the cold as the were able to work the subgrade as it was not frozen. The subgrade was set and it will include a upper tier in the back right corner big enough for several pin placements. The rest of the green will follow the 1 - 2% slope back to front. The drainage will be installed today as well as the mix. Plan to sod the green and surrounds on Thursday and Friday. Weather is cooperating so far to finish this green. Will we start on #7? Stay tuned. Weather permitting..............

Work on

Work continues on despite the weather. Construction was completed with bluegrass sod on the surrounds of greens 4 and 12 and the bunker on 8. A decision was made to continue on by starting the sod removal of 15 green. The sod was covered over the weekend and should be relaid by next friday. The mix and subgrades will be able to be worked despite the cold temperatures for a few days. By weeks' end, this green should be moved to the completed catagory.

Continuing On

Work on #4 green is moving on. They are down to the subgrades of the green and bunker. I will verify today. The drainage will be installed and then the greens mix be re installed. Plan is to sod the green either Tuesday and/or Wednesday. If this works out then we will order sod for the green surrounds of #12 and 4 as well as the bunker on 8. That will completely wrap up all construction areas. A decision will then be made to continue on to # 15 or wait...........weather permitting.

Next

Green #12 is all done but a bit of sod work on the surrounds. That will take place when a few of the other areas are complete so we will order a full load and do them all at one time. They actually had to use the bentgrass sod from the target green in the driving range and a bit from #4 to complete the additional area due to the increase in size of the putting surface. I will post pictures of this to this post later today.

The green complex on #4 is stripped of sod and the excavation has started. We have to make some modification that we hadn't planned on and that involves the bunker. Due to drainage and playability concerns, the bunker will shift to the right and raise up a bit to fit into the final grades. Sand will be saved and then repositioned in the cavity. Drainage in the bunker will be installed. These improvements will allow the bunker to not wash out after a rain event. The plan is to have all the shaping done and mix installed by the weekend with sodding to happen on Monday.............weather permitting.

Subgrades

I will post pictures tomorrow on the"bottom" of the green. What you see as the putting surface starts from the sub grade. The contours of the sub grade will mirror exactly of how the playing surface will putt. After the bottom contours are set, draintile will be installed on a herringbone pattern to take away the excessive moisture from the greens mix. A uniform mixture of sand and peat will be installed over the drain tile to a depth of 12". By not placing the mix to a uniform depth will lead to wet and/or dry spots.

I inspected the sub grades of #12 on Saturday and approved the contours. We were only able to enlarge the green by about 800 sq. ft. The left bunker was eliminated due to the expansion but I am pleased to report that nearly all of the green will be able to place a pin there. Also, the spoils from the green cavity were used to fill in the back bunker. The schedule is to finish the tile yesterday, place the mix in the cavity on Monday, and the replace the sod on Tuesday. Bluegrass sod will be installed to all disturbed areas when available.

With weather permitting, a second crew will show up also on Tuesday to help with the sod laying as well as begin the sod removal of #4 green. On Wednesday, the bunker on #8 should be completed with the sand installed. If things/weather cooperate, sod removal of # 7 will start, and by Friday, sod will be laid on #4. After #7, green 15 will be worked in the same fashion. Plans indicate that all work and cleanup will be complete by Friday 11/9.

It's Happening

It has been a while since I was able to update the followers on what has been happening on the course. I am happy to report that much is happening that will effect play as we enter our Silver Anniversary Season. With a large donation from Mr. Frandsen, we are beginning to reconstruct 4 greens so that the putting surface will have less slope on the so the green will be more user friendly. The greens that will be renovated are 4,7,12,and 15. We have started on #12 for the fact is that we need to bring in new greens mix and it will take longer to do. The process of the rebuild is that the sod will be removed and saved for reuse, the mix will be pushed out to the side, the sub grade will be re contoured to have a max slope of no more than 2%. Once the grade is set and agreed upon, then drainage will be dug into the bottom grade and tile will be placed in the trench lines. Greens mix will then be spread back into the cavity at a uniform depth. The sod will then be laid out and rolled into play. We are hopping to finish at least # 12 but the construction company is very eager to finish all of them.

The other project is that we are finally going to fulfill Mr Glassman's wish to build a bunker on hole 8. They have begun ground breaking in this area. The bunker will be placed in front of the green to protect shots coming in short and bouncing up onto the green. This bunker will greatly enhance the strategy of playing this short par 5.

Keep stopping by this blog to view pictures of the construction project. Playing conditions in the spring will be discussed later on after the construction has finished.

Trees

Trees add many things to a golf course. They are used in the strategic design of a golf hole, for aiming spots from the tee, to frame a hole for beauty, and for shade during the hot summer months. But trees also come with issues. The concerns are when the leaves fall and your golf ball becomes lost, the expenses to remove the debris so the turf will remain healthy, and determining the value to the course as well as the liability.

Over the next few months, the staff will begin to trim and prune all the trees. Branches that interfere with playing and maintenance will be removed. There are several trees that have been identified to be removed because they are dead. Others will be removed due to poor health, thus creating a liability issue. There will also be others that are healthy that will be removed due to shade issues effecting turf quality, mostly on greens and tees.

The plan is to leave all branches on the ground through the winter and then clean up all debris next spring and grind the wood up with a chipper. This will give us a nice pile of chips to use in existing and new landscape plans out on the course. So this fall, be patient with the tree branches. The improvements will be noted next spring with a fresh look on the course. Everybody needs a haircut now and again, right?

Recovery Time

With Labor Day Weekend upon us, it is time to take back what is yours. This past summer was typical in that the heat of July did damage some of the turf. Couple that with very little help from Mother Nature in the form of rain, we have all experienced some turf loss. Visiting courses the past few weeks and they too, in spite of larger budgets, have loss grass. But, the time has come to repair and recover the lost turf. We have fertilized all the tees, fairways, and approaches recently and have been able to adequately water these areas. With night time temps beginning to cool, this signals the time to begin seeding. You may have noticed several areas that have been damaged previously and we brought in soil, seed, and fertilizer. Some timely rains would be beneficial in speeding the recovery. Of course, now is the time for aerification too. Our plan is too get the tees soon, but wait for greens until the end of September and fairways in October. I will explain more on aerification at a later time.

So how does your lawn look? If you are not happy, now is the time to get after it. Why do you think they call it "Labor Day"? If you have any questions, I would love to help out.

Ring arounrd the Tree

Three weeks since my last post and a lot has happened. Most importantly is that Greg McGee is recovering from surgery to his knee and has started rehab. Not sure if he will be back this season but hoping recovery is complete. Last weekend, my oldest daughter got married to a wonderful musician and the wedding was excellent. Had a lot of prep time to go into the planning and the execution of the plan was outstanding. My greatest accomplishment was that I ordered great weather for the outdoor ceremony and it came through! The real accomplishment was walking my daughter down the aisle with tears in our eyes.

But, I have been busy on the course too. You may have noticed some rings showing up around the bases of many trees. I have started a maintenance practice of spraying round up around each tree to kill the grass and thus not have to come back and line trim. This will save in manpower and give a more consistent look to the rough. I add a product with the round up to extend the length of application will last the entire season. This product is very similar to the pre emergent you put on your lawn to prevent crabgrass. We have a lot of trees! I planned on doing this earlier in the season but priorities took over when I was able to get started. Most of the original course is done including the driving range. My plan is to finish the other side next week.

Oh, Wow

Time flies when you are having fun, or working hard and the days just go by. August already! Coming to work at the same time it is darker now with stars still shinning. The seasons keep moving on. Pretty much the dog days of summer. We keep up with the regular mowing and course maintenance. Same old, same old. But when the same work activities become boring, accidents happen. Last week, Greg McGee, stepped off the fairway mower on the wash area and slipped and blew his knee out. A 911 call took place and within minutes, an ambulance was here to take Greg to the hospital. Surgery has followed and he will be out of action for a while. That quick. A misstep and out of action. It could have been worse but it wasn't. Just a gentle reminder that the same routine can be disastrous. Take your time and do it right.

What's Buggin Me, Part 2

Crabgrass. That's what buggin me. Just when you get all the broadleaf weeds under control, the annual ones show up. Not as easy to control as broadleaf weeds, but thanks to new chemistry's, we have products available to use. Prior to just a few years ago, the only way to contol annual grasses was to apply a pre emergent compound, usually with fertilizer, to prevent germination. Today, there is a product that you apply post emergently that takes out the crabgrass just as you would with broadleafs. The active ingredient in this product is called Quincloroc. It is available to consumers now and that is a good thing if you want to clean up any breakthrough from your pre emergent application in the spring. Get them now before the seeds appear other wise the cycle will continue for next year.

I applied this product to the tees and approaches last week and happy to report that the crabgrass is yellowing and going back to wherever it came from. The pictures show the beginning of the end of these pesky invaders. There is some crabgrass on the perimeters of a few fairways but I will document the locations and plan a course of action for next year.

Storm Damage

A couple of trees came down monday night. The first one is the birch behind 15 green. The other is an oak to the right of the 13th fairway. This one is well out of play. Another tree got severely damaged and that is a willow down by the pond adjacent to the 12th tee. That one will also be removed. Just more job security for the maintenance staff.

What's Buggin' Me

As I stated earlier in a blog, we are into the next battle. We pretty much beat up the weeds and now we are off to defend our turf from bugs. Yes, it's those pesky little critters that come out of nowhere to raise havoc with our finely manicured turf. There are several bugs that are not good to turf and in this post I am after ants. With the early and warm spring this year, ants became very active. Maybe they entered your house and seem to be a nusance. They are at my house. These guys are not really destructive as much as they are affecting the playability on the greens. This picture is from the 2nd green. They are mostly located nere the perimeters of the greens. The best way to suppress them is by using an insecticide. The products I choose are the same ones available to the public, but in a higher concentrated form. I will be applying both a contact and a systemic product to not only knockdown the ones we see but have a residual effect on the population for the rest of the summer.

The batlle plan is drawn. Now is the time to go to battle.

Winter is Over

Finally, winter is over. Although the seasons have changed from winter to spring to now the first week of summer, my winter work just ended. What I am talking about is the service work that is done during the winter to each and every piece of equipment to ensure that it has relatively good chance to last during the season and avoid downtime. I attached the reels to the JD fairway mower yesterday and now the shop area empty. We do encounter repairs and scheduled maintenance to all equipment during the season but that is all routine.

The next challenge we are gearing up for is the ability to schedule course maintenance activities around the great amount of play we are having. Throw in the many groups that are playing with different start times, we manage to get the practices done and staying on our schedule. Stay tuned for my next blog as I talk about "what's bugging you?"

Gold Tees

You have probably noticed that we have installed a set of gold tee markers. They are located on the front of the main tees or on some of the foreword tees. They are intended to be used by seniors or junior players or anyone else for that matters that want to play a shorter course. On Friday, June 22, a representative from the WSGA will be here to rate the course as to its comparable difficulty to other course.

Lightning

During all the rain that occurred a few weeks ago, lightning caused some damage to the irrigation system. To the left of the 9th green, you saw a huge hole. In the hole was the 8" mainline that feeds the golf course. Somehow the lightning caused the pipe to break. The repair to some time to accomplish the task as parts are not readily available. After the completion of pipe repair, it was soon discovered there was more damage to the electronics involved in controlling the system. We are currently investigating our options. In the meantime, you probably noticed that the expansion on the practice putting green is not looking very good. You are right. Even after all the rains, new turf is not able to withstand drought stress for very long. What is green is alive and what is brown is dead. I plan to aerify and overseed as soon as we get some reliable water. I have some pictures to post as soon as as they are available. So for future reference, the next time there is lightning on the course, time to seek shelter.

Catching Up

Now that the rains have stopped, we have a lot of mowing to do. Oh, I did fertilize the course recently so that has added to the growth of the turf. We will keep up as much as possible but will want the rain again later in the summer when it is dry again.

Make it Stop

The rains have come! And they keep coming! We had a total of 3.25 " of rain over the past 24 hours. Needless to say, we are wet. There are 3 thing they teach you in Turf School, and they are drainage, drainage, and drainage. If you get that right, everything else falls into place. The golf course has many areas of drainage issues. Some areas there are pumps installed( as along #2) but in most cases it is the normal 4" subsurface tile. As with the irrigation, there are necessary maintenance activities they need to be done in an ongoing fashion. Unfortunately, the drainage system has been neglected over time and there are many ponds that are suppose to be fairways. When things dry out a bit, we will begin servicing the system so when the next monsoon hits, we will be better prepared.

Making it Rain

When Mother Nature doesn't come through for us in the form of rain, we must do it ourselves. Every golf course has an irrigation system to supplement that doesn't fall from the sky. If you have noticed it being a bit dry here, it has been. I am in the stage of "fine tuning" the system, but as I attend to some watering issues, others appear. The control system is completely different than I am accustom to and the learning curve is a bit longer( trial and error method). I am understanding the system a bit more but now the pumps are acting up. One issue is the flow sensor keeps shutting the system down at night, the other, one of the main pumps is not pumping water. In the mean time, the wind is blowing and temps are rising. I like challenges and I have called on reinforcements for help. Should be running smooth in a week. So if you see some water on during the day, I am not quite done " fine tuning" . There will be a time later in the summer that small amount of watering will take place but I will go into the details of "syringing" at a later time.

The Battle is On

Every year at this time the battle begins. The war on weeds seems like it never goes away. I have begun a systematic approach to eliminating the problem. Using up inventory from last year, I headed to the worst area on the course and that was the range. I think there were more weeds than grass. This will help in the ball picking. From there it was on to the clubhouse area. First impressions are lasting and I spent an afternoon on the end of a hose to ensure complete coverage. I have now begun applications on tees and fairways and will continue when supplies arrive. There are even weeds on a few greens that I will take extra precaution in removing. After that I will continue on with the roughs and then finish up with the hose applicator to get to the areas where the booms can't.

For you homeowners, I often get asked about weeds. Most like to apply the "Weed and Feed" products. While the up side is an application of fertilizer, the down side is the inefficient application of herbicide. The best method is the liquid application, usually done with a hose end applicator. The cost is very economical and success rate will be near 100%. Any misses and another application is very convienent. Also, for those of you that did not apply or were late with their pre emergent application for crabgrass control, there is now a product available for the homeowner to eliminate crabgrass post emergently. This product I have used successfully for several years will really help keep your yard clean from from those pesky weeds.

After you win this battle, be ready for the next battle......insects! Stay tuned.

Turn the Page

A new month has arrived. With each new month, new and more duties present themselves. We will begin more regular mowings of greens, tees, & fairways. The roughs and surrounds are mowed more on an as needed basis. The maintenance activities will begin their regimented routine. Fertilizing the playing surfaces will begin today and the herbicide application will be happening soon on as weather permits schedule. Now is the time to take care of your lawn. Preemergent application for crabgrass should be down. People ask me if I apply for crabgrass? My answer is that I will take care of the problem as it shows itself. I am able to use a post emergent product to eliminate crabgrass only where there is a problem. Enjoy spring!

Back to Bed

Once in a while more sleep is good. Don't tell your boss that while at work, may get into trouble. What I'm talking about is the addition to the practice green that was started last year that needs a bit of encouragement. I've taken a before a before picture of the green but my computer had some issues last week. I will get it posted soon along with a picture of the green now covered with a synthetic cover. Many courses use covers for winter protection. The purpose for this application is to warm up the soil to encourage root development that will then aid the turf to grow and thicken up a bit quicker. The cover will not stay down with out monitoring soil temps. On warm days we will pull the cover back to promote photosynthesis but the cover it back up in the evening. We will perform regular mowings and continue to fertilize and water at an accelerated rate to get the green ready for play as soon as possible. No time table yet on when it will be ready to go.

Time

Where does time go? This time of year it goes very fast. With getting the course set up for the season, finishing up winter maintenance, and starting regular course maintenance, the days go by quickly. Prioritizing activities is a must to stay ahead of the game. Then a day like yesterday( insert picture) and a little catch up is great. So just as I am able to get some items checked off my list, I get a virus infected the computer in the shop( thus no picture). Spent much of yesterday trying to remove it and thought I had succeeded, but this morning I could not even get the computer turned on. I am sure the fix it shop will get it healthy again but an additional cost will surely occur and oh that extra time I was looking for, is now gone. I will add computer repair to my growing list. Look at the bright side, It's sunny today!

Spring

All sights and sounds finally point to spring. Leaves are beginning to emerge, perennial flowers are showing through ground covers, and the golfers have returned. From now until mid summer, I will be focusing on sights that are unseen. What I will be concentrating on is roots. Roots grow actively when soil temperatures are between 45 and 65 degrees. Right now they are taking up nutrients from last fall and storing them in forms to use this summer. Careful management of nutrients and proper cultural practices will enhance the possibility of the turf to survive the heat of summer. What turf managers due is to grow roots in the spring so we can keep the turf alive throughout the summer. Some years it is easier than others. We have no way of determining how the weather effects our ability to manage turf, so we try to favor development as much as possible. Sometimes that interferes with playability issues that golfers see. All the cultural practices that take place on a golf course ie., mowing, fertilizing, watering, spraying, topdressing, aerifying, rolling, etc, will make it possible to have the best chance to keep the course in great shape throughout the season. So when you are out there and observe some of these operations, there may be some short term inconveniences but they far out weigh the long term effect of playability throughout the season.

Course Presentation

During the next few weeks, you should notice some subtle changes. As the saying goes, "You only get one chance to make a first impression", that is what I will be doing. The look of the golf course has as much to as the playability. What I am talking about is the course accessories. The reason for the "soft start" is that all the course furnishings need attention too. The basic cleaning and painting of markers, stakes, benches, etc., will take place but more of what needs to happen is the placement of landscape structures. I have noticed that several of the Tee Signs and ballwasher post are leaning and in areas that make use and maintenance difficult. I intend to move several the ballwasher posts to be grouped with the Tee Signs so we have not only an effective display per each tee, but also a consistent theme to each area. Just as your outdoor living area should be landscaped and not decorated, the golf course will begin too take on a cleaner and more detailed look.

Reel Sharpening

There are many activities associated with off season maintenance. The list includes cleaning, organizing, painting, education, and equipment maintenance. Along with the usual repairs on equipment such as oil changes, lubing, inspection and replacing worn parts, is the duty of reel grinding. The single most important cultural practice superintendents do is to mow the grass. By keeping a sharp blade not only helps in the overall health of the plant, but the appearance and playability are enhanced as well. The greens, tees, and fairways are mowed on a regular basis with a scissoring action of a spinning reel and a stationary bedknife. In order to keep a .004" clearance between the cutting edges, annual inspections and replacement of reel and roller bearings is necessary. The picture shows of a greens mower in the grinder doing its thing. It is all automatic but the setup for each unit is time consuming. The result of this operation is that the reel will be able to cut a strip of newspaper cleanly. Mowers are checked on a daily basis as to keep the quality of cut at its best. When reels no longer cut well, grinding is needed again and will happen at some point in the summer.

So the next time you go to line up your putt in your favorite "Spiderman" position, don't think about what I just explained to you. Concentrate on on determining your intended line of putting. We'll both be happy!

Soft Start

Finally! It is time! The recent record warmth has allowed all the snow to melt and the ground to firm a bit. The rains last night helped green things up and Butternut is also ice free. A little bit of superficial snow mold is out on the fairways and a small area on #9 green was also dinged. All in all, things look to be in good shape.

Due to the early opening, not all winter tasks are done. As we start the season, not all accessories will be in place nor signage. They will be installed as we move on the next few weeks. So enjoy the early start. Get a round or two in before you do your yard work. Remember, it can still snow and freeze yet. Don't let Mother Nature fool you. Happy golfing!

Still Waiting

Many of the golf courses in the Twin Cities are open or are opening soon. We still have snow covering much of the holes on the south side of the road. Here's what I'm looking at today. This is hole #6. The other picture is of hole #4.

Spring Cleaning

This time of year, we all get the urge to do some spring cleaning. For the past 3 weeks, we have been doing the cleaning thing down at the maintenance building. It took me almost 2 weeks to clean and organize the office, break area, and bathroom. It was also a time of investigating what has been transpiring out here and start making plans for the upcoming season. Pretty much filled up a dumpster worth of junk. It sure feels good to start clean and fresh. In the shop area, it took a full week with 2 extra employees to clean and organize. We found treasures and discovered some interesting items that had not been seen before! The bottom line now is that I know what we have and don't have. We are not done organizing the entire building but will be working at it over the next few weeks. Today we began servicing/repairing the equipment. I am cautiously optimistic about the condition of the equipment that it may not to be in as much disrepair as I thought it might be.

Let's Get This Over With

Introductions are tough. No one likes to talk about themselves. Parents love to talk about their kids. So do I. My wife of 31 years and I have 4 kids. The older 2, Ari and Kit, are well employed and putting money into our social security account. Ari will be getting married this summer. Kit and his girlfriend live in Wyoming and enjoy the wide open spaces. My 2 younger daughters are still in college, Elle will graduate from the U of M in Nursing this spring and join her husband in Japan. He is an officer in the navy. Kira is a sophomore at St. Olaf College and appears to be majoring in math. She is a member of the Women's Hockey Team and also participates in Lacrosse. My wife Nancy works in the cities as a marketing director for a commercial painting company.

Now for me. Where do I start? I have been in the golf business for over 33 years. Started out edging bunkers back in 1977 at the Stillwater CC. Received a B.S. degree in Education from St. Cloud State and then found my passion for golf was overwhelming so went back to school a received a A.S. degree in Turf Management from Anoka Technical College. From there, I went to Prestwick GC in Woodbury and was involved in the construction and grow in of the course. Got a call from Stillwater CC in 1985 to become the superintendent. Stayed their until 1995 and got back to construction and built St. Croix National GC in Somerset, WI. In 1999, got another opportunity to build a course, this time at Tanners Brook GC in Forest Lake, Mn. When I am not working, I do enjoy playing golf. I have been involved in hockey all of my life as a player, then a coach, and now as referee. I do get to spend time in the BWCA each fall.

That's me in a nutshell. When you get a chance, stop on by and introduce yourself.

In the Begining..........

Welcome to the new communication tool that will help the followers of Luck GC stay informed of "what's going on" with the course. There will be a variety of topics to discuss on current issues and future procedures. The plan is to update this blog a couple of times a week in the off season and at least once a week during the season. I will introduce myself in the next installment. But now, I am off to plow the 6" of snow that fell overnight. Trust me, the golf season is coming!