We've Come A Long Way

I'm now on the flight home from this year's GCSAA Educational Conference and Trade Show (GIS '13) flying at an altitude of 36,998 feet according to Southwest Air's Flight Tracker feature on my iPad.

What does that have to do with GIS '13? It is a reminder of how far the golf industry, and technology in general has come. 20 years ago at this time I had just attended my first GCSAA Conference in Anaheim as first year assistant superintendent at Transit Valley CC in Western New York. It was quite a bit to take in for a young 23 year old who had never flown in a plane or been farther west than Cincinnati. The trade show floor was huge, the information in the seminars was great, the equipment and technology seemed groundbreaking, and it was at the time.

Now, 20 years later, here I am sending out a blog post from 37,000 feet over New Mexico, reviewing GIS '13 in my mind. Everything is the same, yet different. There was the usual new equipment, irrigation supplies, course amenities (some of which hasn't changed in over 20 years), and turfgrass seed and sod suppliers. What is different is the amount of technology applied to everything. Everything from remote operation of irrigation systems on iPads and smartphones to remote control mowers for steep banks. I even discussed the viability of bermudagrass surviving a northern winter, a distinct possibility given reports that the Redskins are considering a hardy new variety for RFK Stadium. It is now conceivably an option for our lawn bowling green that only gets used for 9 weeks in the summer.

All these advancements are helping superintendents across the country perform at the highest level, despite budgets being cut and dollars being stretched. But, possibly, the biggest innovation is social media. The use of Twitter, Google+, blogs, and the like are connecting superintendents across the world as if we are standing right beside each other. We are teaching each other new maintenance techniques, how to use the latest apps on our iPads and smartphones, and reassuring each other that we are not alone in our challenges as we wear so many hats in the course of a year. This week I have had the pleasure and privilege of meeting not only some of the best superintendents in the world, but some of the finest individuals as well. Superintendents from my own state of New York to those in Indiana, Ontario, Australia, and Siberia to name a few, and who I likely would never have met without Twitter. It is amazing how much information can be shared in 140 characters or less and it has become a tool in this new world of golf course maintenance that has become as important to me as my soil probe and my equipment.

Thank you to all my new friends from around the world. I look forward to our time together with social media and seeing you at GIS '14.

I'm now flying at 36,999 feet over Dodge City, KS. We've come a long way, indeed.

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Reflection and Projection

Reflecting back on 2012 I would call it A Season of Change. Change in the appearance of #5-9 on the Lake Course, the addition of low maintenance areas and changes in agronomic practices.  Projecting forward, I would call 2013 A Season of Detail with our focus being on cleaning up tee areas, cart paths, more attention to detail in all aspects of our maintenance program and, again, more tweaking of agronomic practices.

The different appearance of the holes affected by the tree removal on the Lake Course has been received with largely positive feelings from the membership, and no one can argue the results.  We now have three strong greens where we once had our three weakest, a model for future greens improvement where trees are impacting turf health and putting green quality.  Last fall we were able to get the newly created open areas around #7 and #8 greens seeded with a fine fescue blend that is coming in quite nicely.  The area to the right of #8 will be mowed as rough along the cart path and left to mature closer to the wood line, creating another visually attractive low maintenance area.  2013 will see the completion of this project as we re-seed any remaining bare spots on the edges.  #7 will see its tees leveled as well as a new gold tee closer to the fairway.

The new low maintenance areas started off slowly with several of these areas taking a while to mature, but the end result is what we expected, producing a different look, separating the holes in some areas and providing a nice contrast in others.  An added benefit was the reduction in rough mowing time, not only saving a small amount of fuel, but saving labor that was able to be focused on other areas of the course. In 2013, we will be adjusting these areas, adding or reshaping some and reducing others as necessary due to playability and/or aesthetics.

Fall of 2012 started off very productively but, unfortunately, ended quite soggy.  This has delayed what we thought could be a very productive time for tee leveling.  We had started holes #7 and #15 on the Hill Course when it became too muddy to proceed and we will have to start on these tees as the ground dries and firms in April.  I have been using the tee leveling projects to kill two birds with one stone and upgrade our tee irrigation to allow us to better control our water output.  Of course, this adds a day or two of work per tee.  Tees on #7 Lake, #7 Hill and #15 Hill should be completed by mid May.  Further tees will be leveled as time and weather allow.

Continuing with the tees, we are in the process of finalizing the graphics of our new tee signs and expect to take delivery around the end of March.  We will begin installation on the Lake Course as soon as possible to have this completed by the time of the NJCAA National Championship in early June.  In conjunction with the sign installation, we are also purchasing new ball washers and garbage cans, and installing a planting around each tee amenity complex to protect them from damage from mowers and golf carts.  Given that we are doing the installation and plantings in-house, I would expect this to take us about 4 weeks per course, maybe quicker once we establish a routine.  But, again, weather will dictate final completion dates.

Keeping with our Season of Detail theme, we will be cleaning up our cart paths to make them more enjoyable to ride and less distracting from the aesthetics of the hole.  Improvements may be as simple as redefining the edge, restructuring the end of a path or as extensive as an all out replacement.  For the most part, this will not be a quick fix and will be taking place throughout this summer and into the next few years.  Factors influencing cart path conditions are weeds, drainage, runoff, previously poor construction methods and poor placement of original paths.

2012 also saw some changes in our agronomic practices as they relate to turf health and playability.  We began regular “venting” of the greens to go along with our regular topdressing and verticutting schedule.  This “venting” is merely a monthly aeration of the turf with small solid tines to allow the greens to accept water and air easier, providing healthier greens that are better able to withstand the stresses of summer as well as deep winter.  The small tines allow us to perform this task with little to no disruption to the putting surface.  The results were immediately seen as we survived a brutal July much better than the previous season.  Tees and certain fairways will be vented this season in hopes to achieve the same results.

Periodically brushing the greens before mowing also became a regular practice, eliminating a considerable amount of grain, improving turf density and providing a truer putting surface while keeping our height of cut up a little.  A win-win for both the player and the turf.

2013 will see another tweak in our agronomic program as we shift from the conventional granular applications of fertilizer to a nearly 100% use of soluble fertilizers applied through our sprayer.  This will certainly be more labor intensive, but will also save us thousands of dollars in our budget that will be able to be used in other areas.  These savings were so great that we were able to add a micronutrient package to our fertilization program and still be thousands less than our previous granular applications.  What does this mean to you as a golfer?  It simply means healthier turf, fewer ugly grass clippings in the fairways after mowing and improved playing conditions. 

Adam Moeller, USGA Green Section Agronomist, was back for a Turf Advisory Service visit in September to tour the Hill Course and review our changes to the Lake Course per his recommendations following his tour in 2011. It was another positive day with many great tips and recommendations provided.   Adam was very pleased with the results of our tree project, particularly the vastly improved health of Lake Course greens on #6, #7 and #8.

One final note, to make it easier to follow my blog, www.cgcmaintenance.blogspot,  I have added a feature that will allow you to enter your email address and you will be notified via email every time it is updated, eliminating the hassle of periodically checking in.

I am also creating a new Twitter account, @CHQTurfCare, for more immediate updates on projects, maintenance procedures, frost delays, etc.

I hope everyone is having a safe and enjoyable off season, and I look forward to seeing you all in the spring.   

Irrigate for Playability and Turf Health, Not Color

Great article on which direction golf course maintenance SHOULD head. Will we? For the sustainability of our game, I certainly hope so.

http://gsr.lib.msu.edu/article/moeller-irrigate-1-25-13.pdf


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January Update

Our spring-like weather last weekend has chased the snow off greens, tees, fairways and all but the shadiest areas of the rough. I always enjoy a nice January thaw as it allows me to get out and check turf conditions during a time when we usually have a couple feet of snow cover.

I'm happy to report that the fine turf areas are doing well. I have seen a few spots of superficial gray snow mold on a few tees and fairways and nothing on greens. I always get a little nervous when we have a warm late fall/early winter after our snow mold applications have been applied but, like last season, this doesn't appear to be a problem at this point and hope that our control holds up until spring.

Bill and Dan are just finishing up carts this week and will be back down to the shop to start on our maintenance equipment early next week. They were happy to only have 115 carts to service this season, not needing to service the 30 that we are trading for newer models. They give each cart a very thorough physical, changing filters, oil and belts on each one, and brakes and seat covers on carts that may need it. They do a nice job making sure you have a reliable and comfortable cart for you each season.

Hope everyone had a safe, healthy and happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in the 2013 season.


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#8 Lake Rough

Despite the wet weather we were able to get the bare soil to the right of #8 Lake Course around to #9 Lake Course tee and between #7 Lake Course and #9 Lake course seeded with fescue late this fall. We have had great germination for such a late seeding and it is looking good and healthy heading into winter, if it ever comes.

We will give it a small shot of fertilizer in the spring and then let it grow up into a low maintenance area for the rest of the season with a mower width of mowed turf adjoining the right side of the cart path. I think it will be a very nice new look for the hole when it matures.



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It's been a while.

It has been over a month since my last blog update, and for that I apologize. Maintenance, projects, and Mother Nature have kept us hopping since mid August. The following is a brief update of what has been happening since then.

Aerification - Our fall aerification went better than it has in 10 years. We were able to core aerify all greens, tees and fairways, something that hasn't been accomplished since 2002. All have healed and will provide healthier turf for 2013. The one bit of aerification not accomplished this fall was a deep tine on the greens, but we will be able to get that in around the first part of April. I would also like to start deep tining fairways and tees when we find time, but this will likely be intermittent with our 36 holes.

Leaf Cleanup - The end of aerification coincides with early October and the beginning of leaf drop. As we finished up the last of our fairways, we swapped our aerifiers for debris blowers and the battle was on. Early cleanup went well and we were able to keep the course clean. Then the rains started and we have been a swamp since mid October. We have been able to take care of them, but not in the same efficient manner we usually do. The course will be its same clean self come snow melt in April.

Projects - I ambitiously thought we would be able to level three tees this fall, and if Mother Nature had provided a normal weather pattern, we would have been in business and ready for play in the spring. Unfortunately, it is difficult to level native soil tees in constant rain and we will have to complete them next spring before we move on to the next tees on our list.

We have finished grading and cleaning the areas left from the tree removal project and were able to get them seeded before the rains started. They have come in nicely and I'm excited about how the area will look next season.

Next up - Late November starts our yearly maintenance of our fleet of carts and maintenance equipment, something that will take us until the end of March. Did you know that we have roughly 165 carts combined in our rental, learning center, and maintenance fleets? That's a lot of oil, filters, brakes and time to get them ready for your round in April.

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Trevor


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An appropriate quote.

As we begin to implement the second wave of tree removals near certain greens and tees and fairways, I thought this quote from renowned golf course architect seemed appropriate. I found it on Twitter posted by @jdrgolfdesign, golf architect Drew Rogers.

"I sometimes take my very life in my hands when I suggest that a certain tree happens to be spoiling a pretty good golf hole" AW Tillinghast


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