Greens Aerification

Yes, its that time of year....things are greening up, the weather is getting better, the golf course is beginning to look like a golf course again, which can only mean one thing....time for aerification!  The video posted above is a great explanation of the reasons and benefits of aerification. 

We will begin aerifying the greens next week.  On Monday April 4th, we will aerify the front nine greens.  The back nine greens will be aerified on Tuesday April 5th, with the front nine open for play.  On Wednesday April 6th, the Practice Greens will be closed for aerification, however, the golf course will be open for play.

The good news is that with some favorable weather the last couple of weeks we were able to finish aerifying the rough, as well as the driving range.   With aerification and seeding finished in the rough, we are waiting for spring rains and warmer days to push these areas along. 

Following greens aerification we will aerify and topdress our approaches into the greens.  In an effort to firm up the approaches and increase roll into the green we are stepping up our management in this area.  Look for more topdressing, verticutting, possibly a shorter height of cut, along with less water on our approaches.

If everything goes as planned, we should be back to normal after a week of recovery following this practice.  Thank you for your patience during this time. 

Rough Aerification

This past week we began aerifying the primary rough throughout the golf course.  The pictures above show the Deep Tine Aerifier we use for this process.  This machine is capable of punching holes 8-12" deep with minimal surface disruption.  As the tine enters the soil profile it is designed to fracture the soil at the maximum depth allowing for compaction relief while also promoting gas exchange in the root zone.

With the weather we've had this past week we were able to get an earlier start than originally planned.  This is typically a two week process that we are completing at a prime time for turf health as we head into the busy months ahead.

Sand Caddy

Attached is an item we found at the PGA Show this past winter.  The Sand Caddy is a small bottle that will be made available to all walkers who choose to carry a sand bottle with them for filling divots.  The bottles are made to fit easily in your bag and can be refilled during your round at different locations where sand will be made available.

Check with the Golf Shop for more details.

Warming Up!

I'm always amazed at how quick things begin to change on the golf course with a little bit of warm weather!

As the weather slowly moves into more spring like conditions, we are begining to see some growth on the greens along with the cool season rough working its way out of dormancy.  We're still a few weeks away from seeing the Zoysia green up, although if you look closely at the divots, you can begin to see some green showing up.  All good signs following a brutally cold winter!

One of our main projects this past winter was selectively removing trees throughout the property.  Our primary objective was focusing on our key specimen Oaks and removing unwanted trees (typically Siberian Elms and Cedars) that were crowding the Oaks.  The benefits are numerous.  Poorly positioned trees compete with our desired species for nutrients and water, prevent airflow through the course, and limit turf and key trees from ever reaching their full potential.  In most cases if it weren't for the stumps temporarily left behind the removed trees would go unnoticed.

Along with the removals we will continue to plant proven trees throughout the property.  All new tree placements have been carefully considered for both strategy as well as turf health in the immediate area of the tree.  The key when planting trees is to avoid over planting and ensuring that we are looking at the long term impact of each selection.

If I can answer any questions regarding our tree work, please don't hesitate to ask.

Winter Projects

With the much needed snow finally arriving, we have now switched gears from golf course work to inside shop work.  Aside from the snow shoveling and ice melt applications, our efforts are now focused on refurbishing golf course accessories and servicing equipment.

Each year we bring in all of the ball washers, cooler stands, teak furniture, and hole liners.  Ball washers, cooler stands, and hole liners are sanded primed and painted with repairs being made as necessary.  With the Teak furniture, which includes golf course benches and bag stands from the driving range along with all of the outdoor furniture around the clubhouse, we clean and oil each piece.  Small details that make a great impact each season.

As for our management team, winters are the time for looking back on the past summer, discussing what worked and what could be improved on, attending continuing education seminars, and in general; getting ourselves organized for the upcoming season.  Chemical applications, aerification, along with other practices are all mapped out around tournaments and events.

Our off season is similar to any sports team.  The team that puts in the effort and works the hardest in the off season is usually the team that is most successful during the season. 

What is Normal?

We knew the summer of 2010 was hot, the question is, "How hot was it?".  After two relatively mild summers, this past summer proved to be one of the more difficult for growing grass in Wichita, Kansas.

Recently I came across a few articles from the National Weather Service that helped sum up the summer of 2010.  For starters, this was the warmest summer in the last 30 years.  Since 1888 (yes 1888!), 2010 was the fifth warmest summer on record.

From a turfgrass perspective, the average overnight temps are what stands out for creating a difficult growing environment.  Compared to 1980, this past year did not have near the number of days over 100 degrees.  What it lacked for in hot days it made up for in warm nights.  During the summer of 2010, we recorded 64 days with overnight lows greater than 70 degrees, compared to the normal 37 days with overnight lows above 70 degrees.

Typically fall offers relief from the heat of summer, unfortunately, the fall of 2010 is now in the record books as the 14th warmest since 1888.  I haven't see any data on rainfall, but I have to think we are approaching record lows for rainfall, as well.

Looking back over the last several years, it's hard to understand what exactly is "normal weather" for Wichita, KS.   Let's just hope we have another 30 years before we have to deal with another summer like the summer of 2010!

#1 Tee Drainage

Starting the week off on a rather cold note, we are in the process of wrapping up a drainage project that we started last week. 

Although the new parking lot project was a huge success, for the last two seasons we have been battling a wet area where surface drainage flows onto the course from the parking lot.  This week we will be installing catch basins, as well as french drains, in order to dry out the area east of the #1 forward tee.

Unfortunately, the nearest exit point for the water is a catch basin 300' away on the left side of #18.  Connecting in at this point gets us back to a main drainage line.

This project is the first of several drainage projects scheduled for the winter months.