Now On Twitter

Not only can we use the blog to keep you up to date the Green Department now has a Twitter account. Daily updates will be that much easier to get out to the membership.  Check it out at @CCSGreensDept

Morning Chill

As I pulled into the club this morning the thermometer in the truck read 24 degrees.  The greens are slightly frozen and the bunkers are frozen to the point we can't even rake them.  We are trying to get the golf course prepared to the best of our ability without delaying tee times too long.

Wet Conditions Today

Due to the heavy thunderstorms that came through the areas last night the golf course is extremely saturated.  For this reason we will remain on Cart Paths for today.  We hope to relax this policy tomorrow on most holes due to the expected winds today that will help dry out the golf course.  Please remember when we do relax the cart restrictions to keep carts on paths around greens and tees.

Warmer Temperatures Needed

I've had a few inquiries about what is wrong with all the sod that was installed for the bunker project.  The simple answer is: It is still asleep.  The Kentucky Bluegrass variety that was installed has many great characteristics.  The one negative characteristic of it and most Bluegrasses is that it takes a while for them to emerge from dormancy.  The extreme cold winter has kept soil temperatures well below where they should be for this time a year.  These areas are starting to green up but it will take some time.  There is no reason to be concerned.  All the sod is perfectly healthy.  We are just waiting for Mother Nature to give us some warmer temperatures and you will see a quick turnaround.  

First Mowing of the Year

The Greens were mowed on the Pines yesterday for the first time this season.  We will be out mowing the Willows and Falls later this afternoon.  Greens are being mowed much higher than normal at this point in the season but will will begin lowering the heights over the next few weeks.  We anticipate opening the Pines on Thursday.  We have concentrated the full complement of our staff on getting all three nines cleanup up and prepared for the season.  Preparing all 27 holes on a daily basis would only inhibit our ability to concentrate on the clean-up process.  We thank you for your patience during the clean-up process.  

Why Do We Aerify

The illustration above shows a great example of the benefits of the aerification process.  We do not perform a conventional Spring Aerification.  The greens were aerated in early November and should recover quickly once warmer temperatures arrive.  The 2013 Aerification Schedule will consist of the Following:

June 3rd:  1/4" hollow tines (Minimal Disruption/Quick Recovery time)
August 12th: 1/2" hollow tines (Significant Disruption/Longer Recovery Time)
October 23rd 24th: Drill & Fill followed by Aerification (Significant Disruption)

Drainage Project

A new drainage project between #10 and #18 was started today.  This project is intended to keep water off of #18 that is coming across #9 and #10.  This is a notorious wet area on the golf course and should be finished up by Thursday.  We are currently working on the bunkers on the Willows and should have them completed by Wednesday.  We will then begin the clean up process of the Pines.  We anticipate the Pines opening by the middle of next week.

Possible Saturday Frost Delay

Tonights night time low is expected to reach 25 degrees.  The soil temperatures are still rather cold and the expected cold night may freeze the greens once again.  The greens will thaw throughout the morning but it is possible that we may have an extended frost/freeze delay tomorrow morning.

Covers Removed

We were finally able to remove the covers on the Old Course today and I am happy to report the we sustained no winter injury.  Heading into winter we applied a heavy application of topdressing that we will be working into the canopy and blowing off the greens.  The purpose of this sand was to protect the crown of our Poa Annua putting surfaces.  Once these greens are blown off they will look more playable.

Course Opening Update

The Falls will open this afternoon approximately between 12:00-1:00.  We are just waiting on the Greens to thaw.  The Falls should open tomorrow at 10:00.  The Driving Range will also be available tomorrow for Mats Only Use.  We are pulling covers this morning and as long as we don't run into any damage on the greens we anticipate opening the South Course for the weekend.  We are currently working with limited staff so we will be lacking the conveniences  of Water Coolers, rakes in bunkers, and etc.  But as we continue with preparation we will begin the process of adding these accessories to the course.  The course is fairly dry so we will only have a select holes that we will have to keep you on the paths.  We are looking forward to seeing you out here this weekend.

Progress on Driving Range Tee

We were able to get a mower on the Driving Range Tee yesterday.  The drier conditions has allowed us to aerify and topdress the tee this afternoon.  This is a key part in root development for the tee.  We will open the Driving Range for "Mat Use Only" when we are able to pick the range balls.  The grass part of the tee is expected to open in early May.  We will continue to work on the parking areas through the month of April as conditions continue to dry up.

Opening Update

Looking at the forecast this week the tentative schedule is to open the Falls or Friday with a possibility of a Thursday opening.  Wednesday's night time temperatures are calling for low 20's or upper teens.  These cold temperatures may keep us from opening on Thursday.  We do plan on removing the covers from the Old Course on Thursday afternoon.  The schedule for opening a nine on the Old Course will depend on how the greens look once the covers are removed.  There is a chance of having the South Course open for the weekend.  We will keep you updated throughout the week with the status of the golf course.