Trees to be removed this winter

There are a few trees on the golf course that are in a severe state of decline. As the above photos show, the trees are extremely weak and are a safety concern for anyone near these trees as they continue to drop limbs.  The first two photos are from the maple tree at the right and beginning of the 9th fairway.  This tree has been in a state of decline for over 6 years. The tree is a safety issue as well as a maintenance problem as it continuously drops dead limbs to the ground.  The second photo shows what happens as the dead debris falls from the tree and creates a mess below the tree.  The final photo is from another dying maple at the beginning, right of 10 fairway.  This tree does not impact playability and is more of an eye sore than anything.  It is easy to see all the dead limbs still in theses trees which represent the safety concerns with these trees.

#18 Project Update

As the above photos show, the new bunker on 18 is shaped out and and ready for the winter.  We are at a point now where we are ready to fine grade and sod as soon as we can in the spring.  If we were to sod now, the sod would not make it through the winter.  In the spring we will compact the bottom of the bunker and prepare to add the sand.  I believe this bunker along with the new hole orientation and changes to the landing area, will greatly improve the playability of this hole for all skill levels.

18 Master Plan Project

The excavator we used to shape the new bunker.

Removing soil from the new bunker.

We ran into numerous large rocks, glad we had an excavator to remove and continue to shape the new bunker.

The master plan project on the 18th hole is moving along nicely, thanks in large part to the nice weather we have experienced here recently.  We rented an excavator to perform the majority of the shaping process in laying out the new bunker.  We ran into a substantial amount of rock or bedrock during the shaping process so it was certainly nice to have the right equipment on the property to accomplish what we did.  The bunker is essentially shaped out now, all we have left to do is lay out the drainage and sod and shape the edges.  The fairway will be "Sprigged" in the same manner we did with the new chipping area, so this will take some time.  We will have to watch weather and determine if we are too late this year for sod to establish itself, otherwise the sod will not make it through the winter.  The fill from the new bunker was taken across the fairway and used to fill in the left fairway bunker which is now a flat area that blends in with the rest of the left rough on the hole.  More updates to come as we proceed with the project.

Mike O'Neill
Superintendent

# 18 Master Plan Project Underway

We have begun work on the master plan project for the 18th hole.  Essentially what will happen is the first fairway bunker on the left will be removed filled in and regraded to the natural contour of the surrounding topography.  We will also reposition the first bunker on the right of the fairway to become a longer bunker running parallel to the fairway.  Last, the fairway will be widened on both sides of the fairway and will provide a bit more forgiving landing area off the tee.  The pictures above show some of the work in process.  We have removed whatever good sand that remained in the bunker and will be re-using it in the new bunker.  Also, the picture with the red flags in it designate where the "new" bunker will be. The picture with the white line in it marks where the new fairway edge will be.  The project will take a few weeks to complete and the finished product will not be realized until next season but I believe the change will definitely be positive and allow the hole to play how it should play.  As a result of the construction going on, the entire area will remain "Ground Under Repair" until further notice.

Mike O'Neill
Superintendent

Thatch from Verticutting the lower half of #2 Fairway

The above picture shows exactly how much thatch material we are removing from the fairways.  The fairway is first verticut 2 different directions.  We then allow the thatch material to dry and then we blow it all to the middle of the fairway where it is then raked into piles and removed.  If there is any question why we are doing this process this picture shows just how much excess grass we have on the fairways.  Performing this process every year will inevitably yield some nice tight, upright growing fairways that provide an excellent playing surface to play on.  It is certainly a labor intensive process but will pay off in the long run.

Mike O'Neill
Superintendent

#8 Fairway

As many are aware, the 8^th fairway was verticut a few weeks ago.  The process is intended to remove a substantial amount of organic matter from the upper inch of the playing surface (see previous blog for pictures of the process), which without removal, causes a puffy, leggy disease prone fairway.  Since this process has never been done to these fairways and there is an overwhelming amount of grass on them, it is going to take some time for the recovery process to complete as it is a fairly aggressive procedure.  This coupled with the fact that the beginning half of 8 fairway is situated on about an inch of soil, (below which is solid bedrock) gives the fairway the appearance of looking worse than it is.  We have taken the steps to allow the fairway to fill in as soon as possible.  The fairway has been core aerated and overseeded as well as fertilized to facilitate a quicker recovery.  Since the weather has been relatively warm, the fairway has not come along as we have expected but once the cooler nights set in, it will fill in very quickly.

Mike O’Neill

Superintendent

The New Chipping Area.

Many have noticed the new chipping area the grounds staff has created for the membership to expand their practice possibilities.  The project took minimal time to complete and the end result I believe is very positive in that it provides the membership with additional options for practicing their short game. The grass used has the same type of grass you would see out on the golf course so we really simulate the golf course playing surface to perfection, which I feel was the whole key to doing this project right.  The new green surround has slopes and undulations just like we would see in real life shot situatios on the golf course.  Please feel free to use this area at your leisure but please remember to take a cart or a divot bottle when you go to practice and fill in the divots you create to allow the area to stay in nice shape for the long term.

Mike O'Neill
Superintendent

Proper Way to fill a Divot.

As the above photo shows, the top pic is a picture of a divot filled with a dusting of seed mix, which is not the proper way to fill a divot.  The bottom picture shows the correct way to fill a divot.  Clearly the divot is filled right up to turf level, which will promote quick healing of the area as well as prevent an uneven teeing area in the future.  The big problem with partially filled divots is that the seed starts to grown a couple inches down in the divot and never has a chance to grow at the correct level with the rest of the surrounding turf, in turn creating a depression that will exist on the playing surface.  After the divot is filled up with seed mix, it is a good practice to step on the filled divot with your foot to smooth out the area.  So please take the time to fill the divot the correct way and provide an even playing surface for everyone in the future.  As a side note, the pictures look like the grass is a foot long because the picture is taken a few inches away from the divot. 

Mike O'Neill
Superintendent

Replace Divot or Use Seed Mix?

This question has been asked more than once in my tenure here at Bellevue.  It all comes down to what size divot is taken.  A small thin divot will most likely dry out before it has a chance to grow in; whereas a thicker divot will have a much better chance of growing in.  So when deciding, unless you take big heavy divots, we are better off just using the divot seed mix to fill in the void.  The nice thing about the seed mix is even if the seed does not grow, the sand acts as a medium for the turf around the divot to grow laterally into and fill in the divot relatively quickly.  Also, the small pieces of soil in the green sand mix is a result of the grounds staff adding during the seed mixing process.  We use a concrete mixer to mix the sand and seed into a uniform mixture.  The sand by itself is very dusty and dry so the workers making the mixture just add a shovel of soil  to keep the mixture from being too dusty and keep the mixture from going airborne in the mixer.

Mike O'Neill
Superintendent

Aerification and Playability for the Stag Day Event.

The aeration process, as many know, has been re-scheduled for Monday the 12th.  Many members have expressed concern regarding the Stag Day and playability following aeration 3 days before the event.  As we have seen in the past, when we are finished with the aeration process and all the holes are filled with sand on Monday, the greens will actually be a lot firmer than before aeration and will actually play fine.  The date is important as we will have an outside contractor come in to "Deep Tine" the greens.  The contractor is only available this date which is a necessary process in the overall health and drainage of the greens.  The aeration process will actually start on Sunday night and be finished up by noon on Monday. We will then be working to fill all of the holes with sand; this is a critical step in ensuring the greens play well right after we are finished.  We will then mow and roll the greens for the days leading up to the event and on the day of the event to ensure a smooth surface.  As many members have witnessed, after we topdress the greens, they are much firmer and really roll well.  This is basically how the greens will be after aeration with the sand acting as barrier between the thatch, increasing ball roll.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Fairway Verticutting. Let's thin them out!

We recently purchased a verticutting attachment that mounts on the tractor to thin out our excessively thick fairways.  In the past, we would have an outside contractor aerate the fairway in late September.  The plan now is to attack the playing surface with verticutting to thin out the turf and provide a smoother, consistent playing surface.  As the pictures above indicate, the process is aggressive in removing the thatch in the fairways, the process is also known as de-thatching.  The process is quite messy so there will be some clean-up involved to get the fairways playable again.  The goal is to just do one fairway a day when weather allows, this will keep any disruption to play to a minimum.  The end result will be tighter fairways and a grass plant that will grow more upright for the time being.  This process will also help keep divots nice and neat and much less shaggy.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superiintendent

Greens Aeration and Weather.

When the greens are aerated, there is an extensive process that takes place to get the end result of having all of the holes created on the greens filled to the top with sand.  The weather and moisture conditions in the greens needs to be perfect along with a nice sunny day to dry the aeration plugs out for removal.  Also, the topdressing sand applied to the greens after aeration needs to dry completely by the sun before we can begin the labor intensive process of moving and working the sand into the holes.  As a result of the current weather and a shaky forecast for the rest of the week,  Tuesday's original aeration date will be moved to Monday the 12th and hopefully the weather cooperates.  Our goal is to minimize any disruption to the golf course and create the best possible playing conditions in the near future.  The decision to move the aeration is based solely on weather and how quickly we can perform the aeration process to have the golf course back playable in a timely manner.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Wear and Tear on the Practice Green.

The above photo was taken recently of the flag pole practice green next to #1 tee.  The picture shows the extensive wear this green receives because of excessive foot traffic in and out of the clubhouse.  We struggle throughout the summer just to keep this green alive because the wear and tear on the left side looking at the clubhouse becomes relentless.  It is a convenient area for golfers to walk across to get to the first tee instead of taking the meandering blacktop path.  What happens is the left side of the green near the patio gets worn out and then the diseases move in when the plant gets weak.  We are then forced to spray the green much more than the other greens just to keep the different diseases at bay.  The two pics above clearly show the worn out area, while the bottom picture shows how healthy and beautiful the other half of the green is that receives just normal golfing practice.  I try to avoid using the unsightly ropes near the clubhouse as this substantially detracts the visual appearance of the golf course from the clubhouse.  My suggestion for our membership and guests would be to be conscious of this issue and try to access the 1st tee going around the practice green to alleviate additional wear on the green.  I understand our outings sometimes add to the wear load as well on this practice green. 

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Aeration...A Necessary Evil

We all know no one looks forward to the date on the calendar that states when greens aeration will take place.  The truth is, greens aeration is critical in maintaining healthy greens.  The above pics show darker green spots where the aeration took place on the thin collars on holes #12 and #14 a few weeks ago.  The increased air for the roots is the key in addition to better water movement as a result of the holes.  The area on 12 and 14 was sodded and the rest will fill in after we aerate in a week or so.  We will also introduce seed into the thin areas to further promote the grass to fill in.  I once had a mentor at a very prestigious club tell me, "If your not losing any grass on your greens every year, you aren't pushing them hard enough"  This statement is very true in that we could easily provide lush, green, 100% healthy greens every year, but the consistency, firmness and speed would not be up to snuff for the demands of  today's golfers.  We would probably read 8 on the stimp meter daily, instead of an average of 9.5 to 10 daily where we are here at Bellevue.  So in essence, aeration allows us to be very aggressive through the year to provide the conditions every golfer craves...fast, firm and consistent greens.  If we didn't aerate in the spring and fall, we would not have much grass left on the greens by the end of the summer the way we manage them.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Maintenance and Major Golf Events, Not a Real World Situation.

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Most golfers don't realize the work to prepare for a major tournament takes a tremendous effort. This level of conditioning cannot be sustained week-in and week-out without tremendous support. Also, such is the case for our recent member/guest, the greens are cut lower and rolled to the point that the greens would not live if we kept up the schedule for a week straight.  Hosting a U.S. Open involves many extra volunteers (many of those who are superintendents from nearby clubs) who help the maintenance staff accomplish countless tasks to put the course in shape. And thanks to the support of equipment companies who donate the extra needed mowers and machines to get the job done.

The following information was taken from the Congressional Country Club who hosted this year's U.S. Open:

GREENS FACTS:
• All greens were rebuilt in 2009 to USGA spec in preparation for the Open.
• Greens mowing height 0.10 inch
• Target Green Speed: 14-14.5 feet
• Only hand-watering on greens. The goal is to achieve firmness without compromising the health of the grass.

BUNKERS:
• New sand was added to all bunkers this year and rebuild 2 years ago.
• All bunkers are hand raked.

MAINTENANCE CREW:
• The Congressional CC crew size is 55 (we have 11 here at BCC)
• 3 mechanics were on staff during the Open
• Number of volunteers: 120. Most are experienced golf course superintendents and assistant superintendents who volunteer their time for the week.
• Volunteers are housed at nearby American University.
• Maintenance crew and volunteers are fed breakfast, lunch and dinner by chef at Congressional.
• Typical hours worked during championship: Morning shift 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Afternoon shift 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Staff is on property throughout the day in case of rain.

EXTRA EQUIPMENT ON HAND:
• 6 walking greens mowers
• 8 turf rollers
• 4 walking collar mowers
• 19 fairway mowers
• 6 rotary rough units
• 2 mechanical bunker rakes
• 22 maintenance carts
• 36 squeegees

MOWING SCHEDULE
• All principal in-play areas will be mowed every day.
• Greens, tees and fairways are mowed twice a day.

Recipe for Fast Greens Speed

Since the member / guest is underway here at beautiful BCC, I thought I would give the ingredients necessary to have fast greens.  First of all, the greens need to be dry, a well hydrated grass plant will not yield fast greens because it is thick and puffy.  Also, a dry green is a firm green which also reduces friction on the golf ball as it rolls across the green.  Last, to groom, verticut or brush the greens to get every grass plant to stand up and not lay over,  this also reduces friction and increases ball roll.  Putting the roller on the greens smooths out any inconsistencies and again reduces friction between the ball and the green.  So really to have fast greens, it is not even that necessary to mow if the plant is under a growth regulator, which we apply weekly.  In today's golf course management world, we do not even associate mowing or double cutting with fast greens speed, as it is not that necessary with the advances in rolling equipment and growth regulators.  Less mowing is also beneficial in reducing stress on the greens which can facilitate diseases and cause more chemicals to be applied to combat the disease.  The bottom line is dry, groomed and rolled greens is the way to produce stimp meter readings over the 11 feet mark.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Old Bunkers and Excessive Rain!

The recent rains cause major problems with the golf course, especially bunkers, as seen from the pictures above.  The heavy rain washes the sand down the faces and to the bottom of the bunker.  Not only does the sand get misplaced and moved, but the silt and soil under the sand also washes down the banks and sits on top of the sand at the bottom.  This is the A#1 reason why we do not have consistent bunkers.  Some bunkers wash and others don't.  This contamination of soil cause the bunkers to get filled with rocks and debris, making it impossible to remove from the bunker sand.  The process pumping the water out, sorting out the silt and pushing the bunker sand back up where it belongs is obviously extremely labor intensive.  The pics above were taken 24 hours after 1.5" of rain fell, so we can seen they do not drain well.  New bunkers today are installed with a geo-textile liner in the bottom under the sand so siltation and contamination does not occur.  Also, bunkers are installed with drainage to move the water out of the bunker to keep the sand consistent the whole way around the golf course.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Irrigation fun!

The current irrigation system on the golf course was installed in the late 60's and early 70's.  Irrigation professionals in this industry state that a typical lifespan of a properly installed irrigation system is somewhere in the 20-30 year range.  We are into the 40 year range for our system that was not installed properly, as the above 3rd photo down depicts.  We are constantly fixing and repairing leaks and breaks throughout the season.  The repairs add up to a significant labor expense every year just to maintain the system.  The above pictures represent the struggles we encounter with our aging irrigation system.  The first pic is that of iron deposits and calcification on the inside of a pipe we had to pull out to repair for a leak.  The buildup represents a big loss in pressure as friction would be increased over the bumps and ridges inside the pipe. Sometimes the leaks we find are subtle and other times the leaks more than obvious as the bottom picture shows. The leaks we don't see are the ones we worry about.  If we take a pin sized leak, it doesn't seem like it would be much water, but when the pin sized leak is under 120psi and runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week, that adds up to a lot of lost water and money.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Profile of a Healthy Green

The above Picture is a profile of our 8th green.  This picture shows a history of what has been done to the greens.  It is obvious to see the 2" layer of sand we have accumulated in the upper thatch area since my tenure started here.  We have been on a bi-weekly topdressing program for going on 6 years now and this makes the green almost act like a sand based green with the accumulation of this much sand in the profile.  Also note, the sand channels, these channels were created by our core aeration program and remain there as an avenue for air and water to move through the root system.  Air, primarily in the root zone is the main ingredient in having consistent, healthy greens.  So, if anyone sees me out there with this tool in my hand, I would be glad to show you what we have accomplished with our greens program first hand.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Trees and Turf

Last winter 2 Norway Spruce trees were removed next to the pump house near 8 green.   I knew these trees were limiting the morning sunlight to the 8th green.  Morning sun is the most important sunlight the grass plant, or any plant for that matter, receives.  This green has been a major problem since I have arrived here with the stress disease known as Anthracnose.  This disease shows up when the grass is at its weakest and will kill the grass very quickly.  We have struggled with this green thinning out year after year in August and we would apply numerous chemicals to combat the disease. This year I was anxious to see how the improved light to the green would help after we removed the trees. The green now is literally our healthiest green on the golf course.  This is a true testament to the fact that sunlight is crucial to a greens health.  The above pic was taken Tuesday August 2nd, looks pretty good to me!

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Stressed Turf

The recent weather has been very tough on our golf course turf, especially our greens and collars.  Many will notice the brown look of the collars on some greens, especially 12 and 14.  Much of this is due to us not performing an aerification this past spring.  The greens and collars seal up and do not allow water to penetrate through the surface and into the root zone where the plant needs it.  The results of the spring core aerification are always noticed during these hot stressful periods, and since we did not aerate this spring because we were too wet, we are left struggling to move water into the root zone this time of year. These areas are also limited by morning sunlight, which is a crucial time of day when the plant is gathering its energy for the day.  The stress is further compounded by the normal stresses of mowing and rolling.  We have actually recently core aerated the bad areas and filled the holes with sand and seed.  This will facilitate the movement of water into the root zone and should allow the area to fill back in.  We also use wetting agents which are really surfactants like soap to re-wet the area.  

Mike ONeill

Golf Course Superintendent

Cicada Killers in Bunkers.

Many golfers have expressed a concern over the "bees" in the bunkers.  In fact the "bees" are actually called cicada killers.  They burrow into the bunkers to make a nest.  The mating season is mostly July which is why we see them so active now.  They are only visible for a short period of time from July thru August.  Please be advised, the grounds staff has tried everything from wasp spray to tennis rackets and bunker rakes (see above pics of my Assistant Superintendent Mike Kelly on the 15th hole) to eradicate the cicada's.  We have cut the population down some but it is a long term process as they are always on the move.  The cicada's will not sting unless you grab them so please do not treat them like a bee.  The following link will explain everything one would need to know about the cicada killer.  In the meantime we will remain vigilant in our efforts to remove the pest.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_cicada_killer

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Will it ever rain!

The weather certainly has been tough the last week. We have been totally reliant on our irrigation system to keep the turf alive. Many superintendents water based on a calculation of ET or evapotranspiration which is the rate at which the grass loses water. Because of our older irrigation system and lack of proper spacing we would have a lot of wet areas on the course. Watering requires years of understanding the hydraulics of the system as well as soil types and conditions. When turf stays saturated this time of year with temps in the 90's, the roots decline and this causes many more problems. This is why many will see the grounds crew with hoses, so we can apply just the right amount of water to the dry areas and not water any areas that don't need it.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent

Hot and Humid!

Hello everyone! This is the first post of many to educate and inform Bellevue Country Club members of course conditions and happenings. 

The recent hot humid weather causes major problems on the golf course turf if we are not prepared.  Certain chemicals need to be applied well ahead of time to ward off any disease associated with the hot humid weather.  The diseases we experience this time of year and in this weather can be devastating if we are not prepared.  Currently, our turf is performing very nicely given the weather.  The brown spots in the fairways are in fact just dry spots, we would rather keep the turf on the dry side to not only improve playability but to aid in the health of the grass as well. 

Please check back in regularly as we will keep this blog as current as we can.

Mike O'Neill
Golf Course Superintendent