Cookie Christmas Party

This past week we hosted our annual Cookie Christmas Party.  As usual we had a great night eating pizza, decorating Christmas cookies, and enjoying each others company.  With all of our employees, wives and children (and grandchildren) we ended up with almost 50 in attendance.

The Cookie Christmas Party is a tradition we started a few years ago for the staff in our department.  Looking to do something extra for our crew, we came up with the idea of inviting families to our shop for a night of decorating cookies.  The kids enjoy seeing where dad works; throw in the cookies and pizza and it makes for a good night for all.

Below are a few of the pictures of the Cookie Christmas Party.

 

 

  

 

Project Update

Heading into the month of August we are quickly approaching our deadline for getting turf established.  As I explained in the last post we now have a better understanding of the factors that led to inconsistencies, now it is time to begin solving these problems.  

On Monday of this week, we began reseeding all of the areas that are lagging behind.  Most of the areas have enough germination to fill in, unfortunately, we do not believe it will satisfy our desired schedule without adding additional seed.  Areas of greatest concern are the green banks.  It is becoming more clear that we had more washing away of the seed than we originally anticipated.  With the steeper slopes around the greens, the seed was much more vulnerable during the heavy rain we experienced on the evening of day three of the project.

By the end of this week we expect to have all of the thin areas reseeded and will start the process over to ensure a solid stand of turf.  Due to the timing of the seeding and the cooler temps we experienced early in the project, holes 13-17 are at a different stage compared to the rest of the course.  We still have new seedlings emerging, however, this is more apparent on the back nine.  Although we are three weeks into the project, with the week of cool temps, several of the areas are more at the week two development stage. 

At this point, getting additional seed in the ground and maintaining consistent moisture is our top priority.  Our second application of fertilizer was applied over the last two days which will continue to help push the new seedlings.  As good as our irrigation system is, we are managing the weak areas with supplemental hand watering.  This has been especially important on the green banks.

Thank you for your patience as we work to establish the Riviera Bermuda.  There is no question we are heading down the right path, it has unfortunately been difficult seeing all of the inconsistencies.  The good news is that each day we are gaining ground on it.  With the whole month of August ahead of us, I am confident that we will be successful. 

Project Update

As we approach week three of the project I wanted to give you a quick update of our progress.  We have officially moved from the seeding and sodding phase of the project to the grow in.  As you tour the course you will see a wide range of establishment, some areas are looking great and others are obviously well behind. 

Due to the time that it took to complete the work on the tees, all of the tee complexes are at least a week to a week and a half behind the seeded rough.  The good news with the tees is the Latitude 36 sod is in great shape.  Although our normal grow in practices have been limited due constant irrigation, tees are still ready for play.

First Mowing on Tees.

 Our biggest concern are the inconsistencies with establishment.  Meeting with the agronomist from the seed supplier last week helped to ease our nerves.  His impression was that we had a great stand and are quickly on our way to filling in.  All of the factors such as shade, irrigation efficiency, soil type, amount of dead vegetation/organic matter as well as timing, play a role in the rate of germination.  As much as I would like to see a solid stand wall to wall, we are right where we should be.

The only real setback we had was the 1" of rain on Day 3 of the project and the week long record setting cool down we faced during the second week.  Other than slowing progress on the tees, the rain may have been a good thing.  I do think we are beginning to see some areas that were washed out, but at this point the washouts appear to be isolated.  The cool down during week two has been the biggest hindrance.  The five days of 50-60 degree low temps put the project at a standstill.  Not that we went backwards, but we did not gain any ground on establishment during this time frame. 

Reseeding a potential washout area on #1.

As we discussed during the planning stages of the project, weeds are going to be an issue.  This has definitely become a reality.  As we get further along in the process we will be able to address the weeds with a herbicide combination.  Right now we don't want to do anything that will slow the growth of the Bermuda.  We are currently hand pulling weeds until we get to the point that we can spray.  Many of these will be cleaned up with the first mowing.  Unfortunately, we are going to see more weeds this first year.  Moving forward our preventative programs will get us back to normal. 

Pigweed brought in from topsoil used for leveling.

The good news is we are seeing obvious improvement each day.  The heat over the past few days is exactly what we need to push the Riviera Bermuda.  This along with an aggressive fertilizer plan will improve the rate of establishment.

Good stand coming in on #3.

Thank you for your interest in the project.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like to take a tour of the course.

Riviera Rough Conversion

What a crazy busy week!  All the planning and preparation went into action last Monday as we began the Riviera Rough Conversion.  The seeders hit the ground on #1 on Monday morning, averaging about 10 acres per day.  Other than time lost due to a severe thunderstorm Wednesday night, we have had a great week! 

For a quick summary, we have essentially finished all of the seeding.  We have a few small areas to seed as we close out tees, but for the most part, seeding was finished on Friday.  The laser leveling of the tees was a late change to the project, but as you will see, the larger, level tees are long overdue.  The tees are looking great.

Moving ahead, assuming there are no weather delays, we should finish the remaining tees by Wednesday of this week.  At this point, we will shift gears from seeding and sodding to growing in a golf course.  Signs of germination are already showing up around the course.  This upcoming week should see drastic changes as the seed emerges.

I can't say enough about our team this week.  Other than Martin Lane with Midwest Laser Leveling, all of the work has been completed in house with an assist from several of the guys in the bag room helping with tee sodding.    

The pictures below tell the story of what our week has been like.

Prepping for seed with the Tine Harrow.

Starting the seeding process on #1.

#10 tee following the laser leveling.

Leveling and straightening #4 tee.

First load of Latitude 36 Bermuda Sod.

#3 Tee: leveled, sodded, and surrounds seeded.

Challenges with keeping greens mowed during the project.

 

Familiar site over the past week.

Minor Setback

We had a minor setback Monday night with the weather.  The golf course received 2.5" of rain along with heavy wind and lightning.  Not only was the course in rough shape due to flooding and bunker washouts, the pump station was knocked offline as well as multiple irrigation controllers from the lightning.  Not what we wanted to be working on this close to the project.

By the end of the day Tuesday, everything has been repaired and we are set to move forward.  Golf course is still too wet to prep for seed, however, we are planning to begin stripping the dead sod off of the back tees starting tomorrow.


The good news is that weather looks favorable over the next several days.  Once the course dries out, we will make quick work of the remaining punch list. 

One Week to Go

I wanted to give you a quick update on where we are with the project.  Today the course finally started drying out after the rains over the weekend.  Unfortunately, it looks like more rain is heading our way tonight.

With a drier golf course, we were able to use the tine harrow in the rough.  The tine harrow is a heavy metal drag that helps to lift dead plant material and thatch off the soil surface.  Once the harrow loosens the material, we are able to blow the debris out into the deeper rough.  This is a great tool for preparing the soil for seed. 

Tine Harrow on #1.

We are also in the process of leveling areas throughout the course.  Most of the time we are dealing with sunken trenches on our irrigation main line.  With the soil exposed, it is easy to locate all of the problem areas that need to be raised.

Irrigation trench leveled on #1.

The remainder of this week we will continue to work on the above mentioned items.  We are working to get all of our irrigation issues taken care of before Monday.  Today we replaced another valve that was leaking on #2.  By Monday, irrigation should be ready to go for the grow in.  We also brought in a contractor to clean out several of the drains in fairways (#4, #2, #9) that have been slow to empty.  

After aerification and dragging, most of the rough will not require any type of scalping.  There are a few areas, primarily around bunkers and tees, that still have more vegetation than we would like to see.  Most of these will be push mowed and bagged to remove the dead material.

Assuming weather doesn't slow us down, tomorrow we will begin stripping the dead sod off of the back tees.  Eventually all of the tees will be stripped, however, with six more days until the shutdown we are trying to keep the course as playable as possible.  Tees will be the most labor intensive portion of the project.  Stripping, leveling, and sodding 75,000 sq. ft. of tees in a short amount of time will be our biggest challenge.

And finally we will continue to touch up any remaining grass in the rough that was not killed by the three applications of Roundup.

Bottom line, all is well.  We are on schedule and working through the items we need to be dealing with prior to seeding and sodding.  We can't control the weather so we will deal with whatever we get.  Looking forward to Monday!

Project Update

It's hard to believe that we are only 10 days away from putting seed in the ground!  Overall, we are right on schedule for where we need to be.  Luckily we were slightly ahead of schedule before the June rains hit. 

Up to this point we have been focused on killing the existing turf.  This past week our third application of Roundup was applied to the areas that we are renovating.  By early next week we should see a complete kill.  Any remaining green will be spot treated right up to a few days before we begin seeding.

On Thursday we began adding topsoil to low areas that needed to be leveled.  We have waited as long as possible, due to the potential for these areas to wash out following rain.  Most of the areas we are leveling are old trench lines that have settled over the years as well as low areas that tend to hold water.  With the turf out of the way, the grade imperfections become much more visible.

We have had a slight change of plans in regard to the tees.  Initially we were planning on seeding the tee surfaces with Riviera Bermuda.  As we continued to evaluate the tees, we made the decision to hire a contractor to laser level the tee tops.  Following the leveling we will now be sodding the tees with an improved variety of Bermuda called Latitude 36.  Not only are we improving the grade of the tees, by sodding we will also rule out any concerns of not having tees ready in time for opening.  

Moving forward, we are crossing our fingers for dry weather.  We will continue with the dirt work through next week.  We will also begin stripping the existing turf off of the back tees in order to get a jump on the tee leveling prior to July 7th.

And finally, we will be closing the golf course for approximately four weeks on July 7th.  On the 7th, we will have two seeders working on the rough, with the bulk of the crew focused on the tee process.  Not to be forgotten, greens will receive the normal attention required during the heat of the summer.

We will be posting updates to the project through this blog as well as on Twitter (@wccbrian).

Project Update

 "What happened to the Rough?", this is a question I have answered on more than one occasion over the last couple of weeks!  After years of working hard to make the course look its best, we are now working equally hard to kill it. 

We are now three weeks into the project and so far things are right on schedule.  Actually, we are one week ahead based on the original schedule we mapped out months ago.  As you may have guessed, our primary focus is killing the existing turf.  We have applied two applications of Roundup, with the next application scheduled for late next week.

Overall, we are getting a good kill, although, I'm amazed by some of the random grasses that are showing very little injury.  We might need to do a Roundup resistant study on a few areas.  With the third application we should finish off any signs of living plant material. 

Over the next couple of weeks we will begin to scalp the rough to remove excess plant material.  We will also verticut  to reduce thatch for better seed to soil contact. Seeding is still scheduled to begin on July 7th. 

Looking across #8 Green.

#9 Fairway.

Riviera Bermuda Rough Conversion

After months of planning, the Riviera Bermuda Project has officially begun.  On Tuesday we began spraying out the existing rough in the areas that we will be seeding to Riviera Bermuda. Over the next few days we will continue working our way through the course until all areas have been treated with Roundup. 

Treating Rough on #3.

 As the turf begins to die, you may be surprised by the amount of Fescue we will continue to maintain in the rough.  The areas in the rough that are not being treated are defined by the shade from bordering trees as well as lack of irrigation.  Without adequate sunlight and water, we cannot successfully grow in the Bermuda.The orange lines you may have seen on the outer edges mark the point that we will be killing to. 

During the times that we are spraying the course we are being extra cautious to avoid spraying too close to golfers.  We are maintaining enough space between groups to allow for complete drying of the herbicide.  The products we are spraying are common herbicides, however, it is important for you to be aware of what we are doing.  

Over the next month and a half we will continue to treat the course on 2-3 week intervals until all of the existing turf is killed. The course will have a patchwork appearance of dying turf over the next few weeks based on the timing of when the turf was treated. Following the kill we will begin prepping for seeding on July 7th.
 
Killing half the course during the prime golfing season is not a decision we take lightly.  The project is driven by an improved long term playability, but more importantly we are working diligently to reduce our water usage throughout the property.  The 7.5" current precipitation deficit is a strong reminder of the need to conserve our water.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work through the improvements.

Tees

As we get closer to the start of the project, I would like to continue to answer questions that may still exist.  One area of the project that I would like to more clearly explain relates to the tees.

During the initial planning stages of the project, our intent was to only renovate the tee surrounds, leaving the Zoysia tee surfaces in place.  Upon further review, it became apparent that the amount of Common Bermuda contamination in our tees was significant enough that it would have to be dealt with.  This change highlights another beneficial characteristic of the Riviera Bermuda, which is its ability to handle a height of cut from 3/8" through our higher rough cuts.

Related to the tees, I have also had questions about increasing the scope of work on the tees in order to implement the changes related to the Master Plan.  Future plans for tees are fairly significant due to changes in size and location as well rerouting some cart paths.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints as well as the budget allocated for the project, we will only be regrassing the existing tees.  

Reviewing all aspects of the project, the most critical step is growing in the tees to an acceptable level prior to opening.  Four weeks is a tight window for accomplishing this goal.  For most of our tees, we have adequate sunlight, along with ideal irrigation coverage, which will aid in this process.  

For a quick recap of the schedule, we will begin killing the existing rough on May 20th.  The golf course will close on July 7th to begin seeding.  Course reopens four weeks later.

Golf & Greens Informational Meeting

Last night we hosted an Informational Meeting to discuss the upcoming Rough Conversion.  I wanted to share a few items from the meeting for those of you who were not able to attend.

By now you have heard all of the reasons why we are making this change.  Improved playability, lower water requirement, better "In Season" conditions, cost to maintain (fewer inputs), as well as a wide range of mowing height options.

The opportunity to maintain the Riviera Bermuda from 3/8" to 2.0" is one of the key factors affecting playability.  With the current Fescue Rough, we are limited with mowing heights.  2.5" is about as low as we can go.  With the Riviera withstanding heights as low as 3/8", we will now be able to cut walking paths from tee to fairway, as well as Chipping Areas around greens for more variety of shots.  The buried lie six feet off the green is hopefully a thing of the past!

We also reviewed the schedule for the project.  Below is the approximate outline.

• May 15:      Begin painting borders of the area to be killed.
• May 20:     First application of Roundup
• June 9:       Second application of Roundup.
• June 23:    Third application of Roundup, if necessary.
• June 30:    Begin seedbed preparation.  Scalping, verticutting, leveling, etc.
• July 7:        Seed Rough.  Golf Course Closed for Four Weeks.
• Aug. 5:       Golf Course Open.

The four week schedule is a tight window from seeding to opening.  I expect the course to be playable, but expectations should be lower during the first couple of weeks after opening.  With carts limited to the path and the normal reduced rounds we see in August, I don't foresee any setbacks due to opening.  Worst case scenario is we move tees to the start of the fairway for a short period of time while we continue to push the grow-in.

One of the topics we discussed last night was the Native Areas.  As part of the project we will be killing off areas of Native that have been taken over with Bermuda.  These areas will either be seeded during the project or later in the fall, depending on the area.  One of the primary concerns is adjusting the locations to eliminate balls reaching the Native more often than we would like to see.  The top of the list for changes are right of #10 green, left of #4 fairway, and right of #7 fairway.

Please pass along ideas or concerns you have regarding the Native.  This has been a frequent topic of discussion that I want to make sure is addressed properly during the project.

Thank you for your interest in the project and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Spring Greens Aerification

Next week we will be aerifying greens beginning on Monday March 31st and finishing on Wednesday April 2nd.  The front nine greens will be aerified on Monday; back nine greens on Tuesday.  And lastly, the Practice Greens will be aerified on Wednesday.  Throughout the process we will have nine holes open for play each day.

Aerification is one of the most important practices we utilize for promoting healthy turf.  Our primary purpose is to promote gas exchange within the soil profile, however, the benefits are plenty.  Thatch reduction, reduced compaction, improved drainage, and smoother/firmer putting surfaces are just a few of the benefits.

As has become typical for the spring, our process will be more aggressive compared to our fall aerification.  During the fall we primarily use the deep tine aerifier.  This machine is capable of reaching depths of 8-10", however, with the smaller diameter tine and a wider spacing of the tines, the surface is usually quick to heal.

During the spring, we prefer to utilize both the deep tine aerifier along with our standard walk behind aerifier fit with 5/8" hollow tines for core removal.  This allows us to impact the full range of the soil profile, avoiding the potential for creating a hard pan layer below the standard aerification depth.

Aerification is also a great time to amend our soils.  Organic based fertilizer, gypsum, along with other fertilizer amendments are a few of the items we incorporate into the profile while the green is opened up.

Unfortunately, all these great things that happen to our greens during the week of aerification are at the expense of putting quality.  Although the putting quality we sacrifice today leads to better greens the remainder of the season.

Thank you for your understanding during this process.  We look to get the greens back to normal in about a week.

Standard Aerification with 5/8" hollow tine.

Deep Tine Aerifier: 10" depth with 1/2" solid tine.

2013 Weather Summary

After dealing with three years of drought, 2013 was a much needed break from the brutal weather pattern we had been experiencing. From record snow and rainfall totals to below average temperatures, 2013 weather had something for everyone.

Late February of 2013 was our first break in the weather that had gripped our area.  The first storm hit Wichita on February 20th producing over 14" of snow.  A few days later we received another 7" of snow.  The two day total of 21" of snow broke the record for the most snow during the month of February.  Not only did we break the record for February, the snowfall total of 24.5" for 2012-2013 ended up being the 5th snowiest on record.

 

February 21, 2013 14.2" of snow.

The month of March was not only cool and wet, we also had another 4" of snow on March 24th.  The cooler temps, along with the late snow led to a delayed green up that we had not seen in several years.

Cooler temperatures continued through the month of April with record low temp set on April 19th.  Five days later Wichita set the record for latest measurable snowfall with .2" of snow, along with another record low temp of 25 degrees.

The story for July and August were the heavy rains.  During this time frame, Wichita received 18.32" of rain.  For the month of August we had 10.63" of rain, leading to the 2nd wettest August on record.  Not only was this the 2nd wettest August, this also was the 10th wettest month ever.  From July 20th through August 16th we had measurable rainfall on 22 out of 28 days.  The month of July had more days with precipitation (17) in Wichita than any other July on record.  The 7.69" of rain in July led to the 4th wettest July on record.

Late August, however, offered a sharp contrast to the previous months.  Beginning August 17th, we went 27 days without any precipitation.  The remaining four months of the year combined received less rain (7.25") compared to the month of July.  November and December were the two driest months of the year, with .76" and .63" of precipitation.

For the year, 2013 ended as Wichita's 9th wettest year on record.

Tree Removals

When it comes to managing a golf course, nothing stirs up interest quicker than the discussion of removing trees.  If you've been on the course lately you may have noticed some of the areas that have a few less trees.

The golf course at Wichita Country Club was originally built in 1950 at our current location.  At the time, outside of hedgerows and a few cedars, the property was a barren pasture. Within the first few years, hundreds of trees were planted adding to the parkland style of design you see today.

Early 1950's aerial view of the course.

The issues we are facing today deal with these trees that were planted roughly 60 years ago.  The fact is, trees in Wichita, Kansas typically do not have the same lifespan as they would in other areas of the country.  The Elms and Cedars, which make up a large portion of the trees planted in the early days, are becoming unsightly and, in some instances, hazardous. 

A few years ago, we made the decision to begin removing the cedars from the property.  The two main drivers behind this decision were the poor condition of the trees as well as the water required to support them.  Most of these removals have gone unnoticed.  This past week we removed the row of Cedars bordering #17 tee for the same reasons listed above.  We will continue to evaluate this area to determine if we need to replant with a group of more desirable trees.

So far this winter we have removed approximately 35 trees.  Outside of an Oak on #5 that died from disease, all of the removals consisted of Hedge, Elm, and Cedar.  Not exactly specimen trees, but nonetheless part of our urban forest.  A few years ago, it was the Pine Trees that were rapidly declining due to Pine Wilt.  More recently, the removals are focused on aging trees that are near the end of their life span.

Oak on #5. Not one we wanted to lose.

#17 Tee following removals.

Moving forward, we will continue to support a tree plan that addresses the decline of the existing trees, while also looking to the future with more desirable trees planted in strategic locations.  Like most long term projects, we have to take a step backwards before we can move forward.

Preparing for the Unexpected

As with any project of this scope, there is always potential for the unexpected.  

Our primary concern throughout the project is weather.  From beginning to end, we would like to see plenty of heat.  A cool spring could lead to a delay in the green up of the existing Bermuda.  For a good kill we want to see the Bermuda growing aggressively when the herbicide is applied.  With our initial application of Roundup scheduled for late May, even with a cool spring, at that point the turf should be actively growing.

During the process of killing the existing 55 acres of Rough, we expect it to take close to a week for each spray application.  Heavy winds and rain could set back this application.  With June being our wettest month, there is a strong likelihood that we will be working around rain at some point during the project.  Although the schedule is tight, there should be enough extra days factored in the schedule to hit our July seeding date.

As you can see, the first challenges all deal with killing the existing turf as well as prepping for the seed.  Funny how we put in so much effort to keep it alive and yet it requires just as much effort to kill it!

After the rough has been seeded, again, the more heat the better for pushing the germination and grow in of the Riviera Bermuda.  Some rain would be fine, but we but we would prefer to control the water with timed irrigation cycles.  Too much rain could lead to wash outs or seed moving out of its intended location. 

Once the seed is down, the main concern is getting tees grown in to an acceptable level as quickly as possible.  With only a four week shutdown, this is a tight window for achieving this.  If the rough is a little thin, it shouldn't be too much of a concern.  It would still be playable and getting better everyday.

Thin tees would not delay the opening, but we could be forced to move tee markers to the start of the fairways for a brief period when the course initially opens in August.  With smaller tees, the isolated wear patterns could inhibit the maturation of the new turf if opened too soon.

Certainly, we expect for everything to fall right into place for a successful project, however, its always best to prepare for the unexpected.

Native Areas

#11 Native Area

 Over the last several years, we have converted approximately 10 acres of rough to low maintenance Native Areas.  We have experimented with several types of grasses, but for the most part we have allowed the existing turf to grow naturally.  The single biggest concern with this has been the amount of Common Bermuda that has taken over the Native Areas.

As part of the rough conversion project, we have decided to address locations throughout the Native Areas that need attention.  Not only will we be killing the Common Bermuda, we will also address the existing locations.  Two areas that are coming into play more than we would like are the Native to the right of #10 green and left of #4 fairway (off the tee).  At the same time, we will be looking to expand Native to other areas that fit into the Master Plan.

When we began experimenting with Native Areas we used different types of Fine Fescues.  Under the trees this has been successful.  In areas of full sun, they have not held up to the heat and drought.  We will be working with our seed provider to create a warm season blend that will hold up better to our heavy clay soils and weather extremes. Some of the grasses we are looking at include Little Bluestem, Side Oats Grama, and Buffalo Grass.

While adding an interesting contrast, the Native Areas will continue to be an integral part of the course. As always, any feedback, questions, or concerns would be much appreciated.

Rough Project Part 3

If you've been keeping up with the most recent blog posts, by now you should have a better understanding of the upcoming rough project.  Now its time for the fun part, the benefits that are obvious and maybe a few you haven't thought of.

As we discussed earlier, one of the main drivers in the project was limiting the amount of water we will use to maintain healthy rough.  Our estimate is that we should cut our water usage in half.  Great for the ability to maintain a firm and fast course, even better for our bottom line. Along those same lines, we will see a reduction in fungicide usage, annual seeding expense, as well as savings associated with the shorter growing season (e.g., fuel).

All of the financial reasons are valuable for selling a project, but in my mind, the greatest benefit will be the playability of the Riviera Bermuda.  In years past, we were becoming a course know for our brutal rough (not necessarily in a good way).  Maintaining Fescue/Blue rough with significant Common Bermuda contamination at 2.5-3" is about as tough as it gets for the average player.  When the rough is thriving, lost balls and difficult lies not only take the enjoyment out of the game, it also slows rounds.

The beauty of the Bermuda will be the ability to maintain the turf at a wide range of heights.  Our intent is to maintain the primary rough as close to 1.5" as we can.  Around greens we will have the ability to create low mow chipping areas, as is detailed in the Master Plan.  From tee to fairway, we will now be able to maintain walking paths.  All these changes are designed to make the game more enjoyable for our members and guests.

However, there are times occasionally when we are looking to make the course a little tougher for a specific event.  With the aggressive growth habit of Bermuda, simply skipping a mowing or two will have the rough as tough as we would want it.  I anticipate with the new height of cut, we will now have the ability to maintain the perfect mix of penalty with the ability to locate your ball and recover.  Not somewhere you necessarily want to be, but a more consistent lie compared to what we currently have. 

Essentially we are building on the success of the Zoysia fairways and expanding this concept into the rough.  Cool season grasses have their place, but when the bulk of our rounds are played in the heat of summer, we need a turf that is thriving at this same time.  With the Cool Season rough, the necessary inputs were putting too much emphasis on an area that should be a lower priority.

Thank you for following along as we detail the upcoming project.  If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Tomorrow I will be discussing changes we will be making to the Native Areas.

Rough Project Part 2

By now you are most likely aware that we have made the decision to convert our primary rough to Riviera Bermuda.  The general scope of the project involves killing our existing rough in areas that are both irrigated and receive mostly full sun throughout the day.  This amounts to about 55 acres that will be renovated.  Being a park style course, with the amount of trees bordering holes, we will continue to have a significant amount of Fescue in the shaded areas under tree canopies.

As we discussed the different ways to implement a project of this scope, the consensus was to take the hit over one season, rather than dragging the project out over multiple years.  The only downside to this approach is the need to close the entire course for a period of time.  Below is a timeline of key points in the project.

Beginning in mid May, we will make our first application of Roundup (along with a couple of other products) to start killing the existing turf.  If it weren't for the common Bermuda we would not be overly concerned with the kill.  With the amount of Bermuda we have, it is crucial we get this killed prior to seeding.  During the time frame of killing the turf the golf course will be open for normal play. 

As we approach the month of July, we will begin scalping the dead turf down in preparation for seeding.  Immediately following July 4th weekend, we will close the course on Monday July 7th to begin seeding the Riviera Bermuda.  We expect the seeding to take about 3-4 days.  Once the seed is down, we will keep these areas wet, almost to the point of runoff, until we reach germination.  We should see the new seedlings in about one week.

Following approximately three weeks of growing in the seedlings, we will reopen the course for play.  At this point, we intend to restrict carts to the path until the new turf is able to withstand traffic without causing any damage.  

Moving forward, we will continue to define our edges between the Fescue under the trees bordering the Bermuda in full sun.  I expect to get these boundaries close, but ultimately they will naturally define themselves based on the amount of sunlight the turf receives.

Hopefully, between these blog posts, along with the more detailed document , you will gain a better understanding of the upcoming project.  Tomorrow I will discuss the benefits of the project.

Rough Project

Over the last several years, in an effort to create a more sustainable golf course, we have been researching different turfgrass options for the rough at Wichita Country Club.  In the process of developing the Master Plan, it was determined that a conversion from our current blend of cool season turf to a warm season variety would be the best long term option for the golf course.

As you may recall, during the summer of 2003 this same issue was addressed with our fairways.  At the time, fairways consisted of a hodgepodge of mostly cool season turf (similar to our current rough).  Back then the decision was made to convert to Zoysia.  As proven over the years, not only did we reduce water consumption, the turf quality has been far superior following the change.

The uniqueness to our location is the opportunity to grow a variety of warm and cool season grasses. Depending on the weather in any given year, both grasses have their pro's and con's.  Regardless of the weather, the one consistent characteristic is the amount of water required to maintain cool season turf in our extreme summers.

As water rates continue to rise, along with concern for future availability, a proactive decision was made to limit the water required to maintain a quality golf course at our location.  After extensive research, we have made the decision to convert our rough to Riviera Seeded Bermuda during the summer of 2014.  

Riviera Bermuda Plot at Oklahoma State University

Over the next several days I will utilize the blog to fill in the details on the upcoming project.  For those of you that would like to read ahead, attached is a link to a document detailing the project.