Winter Work In Full Gear!

As I often get asked "What do you guys do all winter?"  Well, we actually tear down every mower in our fleet of many mowers to replace bearings, change seals and grind and sharpen reels and blades to head off any possible problems that would arise during the season.  The old saying goes..."An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" rings true with our operation daily.  We also address all course accessories from tee markers to benches to ball washers to spike cleaners.  This time certainly allows us the opportunity to address the issues we don't have time to address during the season.  When weather allows, we are on the course trimming trees chipping the limbs and when we get 2 feet of snow we are responsible for the snow removal at the clubhouse.  Our job is multi-faceted to say the least!

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Aggressive Tree Work Before The Snow Flies!

The grounds staff has had the pedal to the metal removing trees on this winters "Hit-list."  We have successfully removed the main trees we wanted to with the pictures above representing the removal of a mature white oak left of the 10th green.  This tree, like all others we remove, was on the master plan for removal as it impedes a fair 3rd shot from the approach area.  Golfers will enjoy having this tree removed come spring time as it totally opens up the back pin area on the green.

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Divot Mix Does have Seed in It!

We have finally discovered a good growing mix this year for our divot mix.  The plain green sand will not grow anything so we mix the green with a nice mix we found and viola! The seed actually germinates!  Please remember to fill all divots and the one next to yours.  Also, the divot mix is intended for all tee and fairway surfaces, not the intermediate rough or the rough itself.

Mike O'Neill,GCS

New Memorial Plaque Installed For Mrs. Joyce Donohoe

The plaque for Joyce came out great and the stone we found on the property really complement the plaque nicely.  The flowers in this memorial garden looked awesome this season as well!

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Member / Guest 2016 In The Books!

Well the weather and course for this years member / guest turned out beautifully!  We faced many challenges leading up to the event through one of the driest summers on record.  We then received very hot and humid weather leading up to the week of the tournament.  The combination of hot, humid and wet leads to major problems with the greens and survival.  We made some good decisions on mowing and were able to get the greens up to speed by the second day of the event.  Having the event at the end of the summer unlike other clubs is tough as we need to peak for the event after a very tough summer.  The roots are shallow and the turf is beat up but we need to make it happen late in the summer.  I'd like to thank my staff who tirelessly and consistently work their butts off to provide the exceptional conditions the Bellevue members have come to expect.  

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Don't Think We Don't Try To Make Bunkers The Best They Can Be!

Part of our daily process in the bunkers is to pull any grass runners and weeds that may grow in the bunkers.  Also an important part of our routine is to pull any rocks that tend to migrate into the bunkers, especially after a heavy rainfall.   The pictures above shows the methods we use to screen the sand on a daily basis and we collect all the rocks we screened from one day and the result is the bucket of rocks pictured above!

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Extremely Dry Conditions Currently.

The very dry conditions lately makes for a lot of work for my staff.  We have been running roller base sprinklers (as pictured above) lately to try to water the many "In-play" areas we have on the course that do not get sufficient irrigation coverage.  We continue to do our very best in a most efficient manner possible.  In the meantime, please enjoy the thin rough and the extra run from tee shots!

Mike O'Neill, GCS