COURSE UPDATE

          The warm temperatures today is allowing us to get some much needed work done to prepare the course for Winter. We sprayed greens this morning and completed our Winter Topdressing Application this afternoon.  We are cutting some sod around the greens to try and divert water from running onto the putting surfaces during the Winter months.  We are installing 8" Sumps over the XGD Drainage pipe on the greens where water collects with hopes of being able to pump the water off the greens during a thaw.  This should keep water from sitting on the greens for any length of time.

        Our final mowing of the season took place over a month ago at 50% higher than our normal height of cut.  We increased the frequency and rate of a wetting agent that encourages water infiltration to aide in moving water through the green.  Please be assured we are doing everything that can possibly be done to promote good health of our putting surfaces for the Winter months.

       The forecast for later in the week is calling for a chance of significant snow.  Because of the potential storm we will be applying the covers on the Old Course greens tomorrow.  This will close the Old Course for the season but the Falls will be available, weather permitting.  I know there was a lot of discussion last Spring about the covers causing the damage to the greens.  Rest assured the covers played no role in the damage that we sustained on our greens.

Sumps were installed in the greens to help remove
water during the winter once the greens freeze.  We
will use electric pumps to remove water from greens.

Sod was stripped to help divert water from running onto the greens on #6, #10, and #18.

       The heavy sand topdressing helps to protect the crown of the plant and insulates the delicate Poa-Annua plants during the Winter Months.  Even with all these efforts we are putting into place we are still in the mercy of Mother Nature.  The best case scenario would for us to not to have to hear the words Polar Vortex the entire Winter.  We will be keeping a very close eye on the greens this Winter.  During periods of snow cover we will be monitoring the greens for any ice accumulation.  If the greens are snow covered and a thaw is expected we will begin removing snow off the greens.  This will keep the snow from melting on the greens and refreezing.

We will keep you posted of our precautionary maintenance practices throughout the Winter months.

Thank you and have a nice holiday,

Gregory Boring,
Golf Course Superintendent

Tee Project

The tees will be sodded over the next two days. The contractor who is leveling the tees will be finished this morning. 20 pallets of sod arrived this morning and we expect another 20 tomorrow.

TEE WORK

          Today the Green Department began a Tee Leveling Project that we hope to complete by the end of next week.  We have identified several tee boxes throughout the property in need of leveling and we began the process of stripping the sod today.  A contractor will be in here next Tuesday for a few days to perform the actually leveling process but the Green Department will be performing most of the prep and sod work. These tees will be sodded with new sod and will be closed for a few weeks next Spring.

       We will also begin replacing the cart paths on holes 2 and 15 next week.  These paths have deteriorated in recent years and are in dire need of replacement.  We expect this work to begin on Monday.


Thank you,

Gregory Boring,
Golf Course Superintendent