Moving Ahead With Getting The Course In Top Shape!

As mentioned in previous blog posts, the course has come through the winter in relatively excellent shape.  Many of our annual problem areas have already been graded and seeded in hopes to get them to fill in as soon as possible.  The area in the top picture is the drainage project we started late last fall on the 12 approach area.  This area is essentially the "Low spot" in the area so water tends to sit here. The soil underneath is heavy clay which does not drain at all.  We cut in very deep sand sump channels in the hopes to remove the standing water from the surface.  The area should drain much better and we are hoping the aesthetics and firmer and dryer conditions will promote a much better approach shot.  The middle picture is the 17th green which always looks great coming out of winter.  The 6th fairway as seen in the bottom picture is always a drainage problem.  The fairway has literally only 3" of soil on top of bedrock, so drainage here is not much of an option.  We re-seed the area each year and it fills in only to thin out in the fall.  Options here are very few here but we do our best with the cards we are dealt! 

Mike O'Neill, GCS

The Golf Season Is Approaching, Course Update.

Finally, we are starting to see that there is still actually grass under all that snow cover!  I was starting to wonder!  As mentioned in previous blogs, the course has survived the winter without the damage we had last winter.   We did however experience more than usual snow mold breakthrough on the fairways this year.  The fairways are treated with snow mold prevention fungicides but the prolonged snow cover was too much pressure for the product.  The snow mold damage is on most fairways but is not a big problem going forward as the damage is all cosmetic.  The grass in these areas will eventually grow through the blemishes and fill right in and look normal with some warmer soil temperatures.

Also note the picture of the "Footprints" on the 4th green above.  These footprints were caused by someone and their dog walking on the green while frost was on the green.  We police the course the best we can but for some reason, people seem to think they can walk across the course whenever they want.  This damage will grow out but will take some time and in the meantime will look quite unsightly.  As pictured above, there is still snow in pockets on the course and we will keep everyone informed as to when we will be able to open the course.  Lets think warm weather!

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Tree Trimming, Forward Tee Utilization.

In an attempt to get out and accomplish some work on the golf course, we have recently moved forward with the trimming and removal of various trees and limbs along the beginning left side of the ninth fairway.  The intention here is to open up the left side of the fairway as well as expose the forward tee here and open up the tee shot to utilize this tee in the future.  The Trees were growing over the fairway here 20-25'.  Anytime the trees and branches start creeping over the fairway, the situation becomes unfair to the average golfer and eliminates the way the hole was intended to be played.

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Winter Is STILL Here!

I know, I know it actually has been a ridiculously cold and snowy winter thus far.  A record "Coldest ever February" has been recorded and as I add this blog entry here on March 6th it is 6 degrees outside.  The one positive note for us though is we have been able to attend to some longtime issues with some of the equipment.  We are still working diligently on our golf cart fleet here in the maintenance department.  We have some older golf carts we use to move and transport our workers around the golf course.  They are all up and running at this point which will eliminate some headaches when the snow finally does melt!  We have also made some new hazard stakes, which are all cut and painted at this point.

I did recently get a look at the 6th green under hip-high snow as can be seen in the bottom picture. Everything appears great at this point.  The picture with the shovel was taken where we had all the issues last winter and the turf here appears very healthy.  The blanket of snow without any temperature fluctuations keeps the turf from freezing and thawing.  When the snow finally does melt we should be looking at some healthy turf in these areas.  In the meantime, lets hope for a warm up, SOON!

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Winter Tree Work, Making The Course More User Friendly!

The middle of winter is upon us and as is the case with most winters, we are able to shift our focus to tree trimming and removal on the golf course. The frozen ground allows us to haul our heavier equipment out on the course where we otherwise couldn't when the ground is unfrozen.  The pictures above show the work currently being done to the beginning left side of the 9th fairway.  Here we are selectively pruning and removing any of these unsightly trees that unfairly encroach onto the fairway playing surface.  As is visible from the top picture, the trees actually impede a fair shot from the forward women's tee here.

The removal will also help the turf in this area and will also reduce the pesky maintenance of pine cone removal through the season in this area.  The pine cones cause big problems with our fairway mowers in this area as they get stuck in the mowers and gouge the fairway turf.  The end result here will be healthier turf to play from as well as a much more fair shot from this area of the fairway.

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Organizing And Streamlining The Shop For Efficiency.

The winter months allow us to get everything we do in order.  During the golf season, we literally focus all our attention on the golf course and often times the winter allows us to see where we can improve.  Organization is a key ingredient in keeping 14 staff members as efficient as possible  while they are on the clock here.  The organization starts in the shop with the ease at which employees can access equipment like blowers and other handheld equipment.  The above photo shows a work bench being built to store blowers more effectively as well as to act as a work bench for staining and painting course accessories like ball washers, bag stands and foot cleaners.

Mike O'Neill, GCS

Winter Work Begins...

It's almost Christmas and there is snow on the ground which means it's time to reflect back on the year and evaluate our programs.  The constant evolution of our operation to continue to become more and more efficient is at the forefront of my thoughts at this moment.  How can we better get the maintenance jobs done on the course?  How or what projects need to be done to provide an even better golfing experience for our membership?  I believe any competent manager should be evaluating constantly to be better in all areas.

We have removed a few dead small pine trees along Glenwood avenue during a brief break in our weather, but now our attention shifts to our equipment and course accessories as far as the staff goes. We are currently going through all of our equipment to perform any maintenance practices while the  weather is bad outside.  This includes oil and air filter changes, grinding and sharpening all cutting units as well as addressing any issues that each individual piece of equipment may have.  When Spring comes, we do not have time for any problems to arise with the equipment so now is the time to ensure it's functioning properly.

We have also been cleaning, pressure washing and sanding and painting any foot cleaners, divot buckets and any and all course accessories such as tee markers that go onto the golf course.  The picture above shows our Equipment Manager grinding and sharpening bedknifes for our step-cut mower.  The other picture shows the prep work that goes into preparing the natural wood tee markers we have.

I hope everyone has a very merry and happy holiday season!

Mike O'Neill, GCS