Fountain for #9

As you can see when you are out playing golf, there is no fountain in #9 lake.  Normally we will put the fountain in the lake around the end of April.  This season, we delayed the date for a few more weeks.  We had some electrical issues that we were facing and needed to make the repairs.  Other things took priority and it was pushed to the back burner.

We finally made the repairs and attempted to get it started and upon installation, the fountain would pop a breaker and there was no power.  Found out that the pump was bad and it is on order.  Also, during the install, a plastic sleeve was broken and needed to be repaired as well.  The fountain has been on order for at least 10-12 days and has not arrived.  Our vendor is checking to see if it is back ordered.  At this rate, we might have the fountain ready by the 4th of July.  Thanks for your patience.

#13 Tee Details

Each season, we have taken one of our worst tees and renovated the tee to improve playability and maintenance.  The blue tee on #13 was very narrow which did not allow for any yardage change in the hole, was built high off the ground and was not level.  The forward white tee was built directly in front of the blue tee and was built at ground level which caused issues during rain events.  The master plan recommended the tee to move over slightly and be enlarged and the white tee would then be moved in a more forward position..

We began renovation on the blue tee as of yesterday.  As you can see in the plan below, the tee will be a more vertical tee with a depth of approximately 15 yards changing length on a regular basis.  It will add 5 more yards in length to the scorecard and give us multiple teeing positions to the left, middle or right side of the tee.  It will be moved to the left by 5 yards which takes it out of direct alignment of a large oak tree that continues to grow outward and narrows the driving lane of the tee.  We expect to have the tee sodded by the middle of next week and it will open in time for the Invitational.  The tee will be about 1'-1.5' off of the ground and will fit more naturally in the teeing area.  The new white tee will be slightly forward and left of its existing location and will be constructed in late July/early August once the blue tee has been opened for a few weeks.

I am still evaluating the walk path and planting bed at the tee area.  Most everything except the steps will be kept in place at this time until we get the complex completed.  During the off season, we might make some changes to the ornamental planting but we will wait on a slower time of the year to make this decision. 

In the meantime, we will utilize the tee that is on the left side of the complex that is used infrequently.

#13 tee renovation

I'm slow in announcing the renovation taking place at #13 tee. We are rebuilding the blue tee which will allow the teeing distance to change by 15 yards. Full details on the changes with a new rendering will be pn the blog tomorrow with some details also being discussed in my presentation during the membership meeting tomorrow evening. The white tee will be renovated at the end of July. The new blue tee will open in time for the Invitational.
Joe Wachter
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Momma mallard and her babies

Momma mallard that laid eggs under the ornamental grasses along the back lot has brought her newly hatched babies to the lake between 10-15. I hope some survive but usually the snappimg turtles do a lot of harm.
Joe Wachter
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Sunrise @ The Echo

Well, we are in store for some mid summer heat for the next few days. First week where we feel like we accomplished everything we set out to do and the facility is showing it. Zoysia is really starting to move and so is the dreaded bermuda.

What a great weekend of activity this past Memorial Day weekend. I don't remember a 3 day weekend like that since I have been here!

Enjoy your weekend at the club.
Joe Wachter
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Zoysia/Fairway Fertilization

Yesterday evening was a perfect time to begin our fairway fertilization.  The course was closed and the wind settled.  We are a couple of weeks late with this application due to the cooler than normal weather conditions and rain that we experienced.  As a part of this application, we must water in the product to keep some of the quick release ammoniacal nitrogen from burning the turf.  Usually a couple of turns of the heads is enough to get it activated and off of the leaf.  The heat of the last few days has increased the soil temperatures which is important for zoysia grass to begin its normal growth cycle. 

We will use about 5,000 pounds of fertilizer material on about 25 acres for our initial fertilization.  The rest of the summers application will be applied when we spray our Plant Growth Regulator(PGR) to keep the zoysia compact in its growth habit.  Less growth means less clippings which provide for a better overall appearance after mowing.  Without regulation, we would have to blow the clippings off of the fairways after each mowing that is completed in the early morning dew.  We will throw some soluble fertilizer in with our regulator to give the additional fertilization that the zoysia will need to be healthy and strong.

Water flying on #11 fairway to water in fertilizer. 

Venting Greens/Light verticutting

Yesterday was a busy day at the course.  No outings and the club was closed gave us plenty of opportunity to get some work accomplished on the greens.  We did a light verticutting, topdressing, dragging and finally finished the process with mowing.  We also began the process of venting our greens with our verti-drain aerator and needle tines.  Fourteen greens were completed yesterday and the other five were finished by 9:30 this morning.  This process will be completed every month and causes very little disruption to the green surface.   The benefits of this program include:

• Allows oxygen to exchange with carbon dioxide that can build up in the soil.
• Moisture can penetrate more quickly into the green and can allow it to wet more evenly.
• Oxygen entering the soil also dries the surfaces which provide for firmer and fast conditions.
• Assists in root development.

   

1/4" needle tines staggered 4 to a row and 2 rows per arm.