Speaking at Local Supt Association Shop Tour

Presentation about social media that I use in my job for our local super/asst vendor peeps. So if your darn smart phone isn't acting too smart(might be operator error) and does not work during your presentation, you can send the pic to your email and make the post on your desktop. There is also an app for Blogger which I had stopped using a few months ago due to shortage of memory. The works a little better than the version I tried. I have to get it back loaded on my phone!

Education all day today at Bellerive CC shop tour for Mississippi Valley Golf Course Superintendent's Association

Irrigation Shutdown 2016

The staff and myself, (yep big dog helped the boys) spent the afternoon shutting down the irrigation system Monday for the winter. The process starts with of course turning off the power to the pumps. There are 4 2" pipes that lead into our 4 lakes that are used to help self-drain some of the areas of the irrigation system. The less water the machine has to blow out, the less time it takes to do the job. We open our wash station valve since from up above the lakes flows toward the creek along 1-2 and we will remove a head or two in a couple more of the lowest areas on the course.

As you see from the video I'll post below, we use a large compressor that is regulated to 50psi so we do not place excesssive pressure into our system. Its places a large volume of water in the pipes quickly pushing the water through the pipes. Air with high pressure can be very destructive to the system if the pressure is set too high creating cracks in the system that will show up with our opening next season and or over the next few years. We turn on stations in each box, a couple at a time. We will usually do about 4 boxes at a time. Sometimes, the head blows out air right away and other times it might takes minutes depending upon the area and how water feeds to that section. Its about a 3-4 hour job.

https://youtu.be/4cF79DUypyQ

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you are where you want to be on Thanksgiving. Appreciate our members and guests who support our efforts. Friends and family we cannot do this without you. Last but not least our staff who while I type have been there since 4 AM preparing today's meal along with the wait staff who are beginning to arrive. Special thanks to Rob Stewart and the housekeeping staff getting the house in order for our day's festivities!

Veteran's Day 2016

Stopped in at Hendel's Market on the way home to meet Beth for an evening nightcap. A trio of singers were playing some excellent music, 2 men and a woman. One of the men served all of us in Iraq on two occassions. We were speaking to him after they were wrapping up and he was talking about how he loves the USO and what they have done for him. He spoke of coming home after a tour of duty in Iraq and arriving in Bangor Maine at the far end of the terminal at 3 a.m. He said it was lonely and quite until they arrived near the main USO area and over 100 people were waiting there in line to shake his and the other soldiers hands. He said it made a profound impact on him. Arrived later the next day in California where people were polite and applauded them as they walked through the terminal. He said all he could think about was our Vietnam Vets and what they went through when they arrived back home, many told to arrive in civilian clothes so they would not be disrespected. This chance meeting plus seeing the Calvalryman in our club tonight walking in with his full dress uniform and hat on gave me chills.

Thanks again to all of our members who served and your family members and thanks to my relations and friends who served for us. We are forever indebted to you!

Weather, Aeration and Frost Delays

Multi-message post.

After a slow start on Monday with aeration, the staff slammed the rest out on Tuesday. Greens were not under regulation since we were a week late and the heavy rains Wednesday night have led to great recovery. Should be back to regular mowing in the next couple of days.

We've had very light frost on a few occasions in tall grass(out of the way areas) but our first real frost of the season is predicted for Friday night and Saturday night. Tee times are set back for the rest of the winter until 9AM just for this purpose. Please keep in mind the practice green is off limits until the staff gives the okay to proceed. It does have a tendency to clear a few minutes before #1

https://youtu.be/zkoWWrHzuAg



WEATHER STATS

Temperature

                    Observed      Normal            Depart from Norm      Last Year
High                 75.3           68.5                          6.8                       70.9
Low                  55.8           49                             6.8                       51.3
Avg                   65.5           58.7                          6.8                       61.1

Rainfall            3.15"         3.33"                       -.18"                       .98"

TIED FOR 22 ALL TIME OF TEMPERATURES OVER 90 DEGREES

9TH WARMEST SUMMER (JUNE/JULY/AUG) EVER 81.2
IRONICALLY, WARMEST EVER SUMMER ON RECORD WAS 82.7 IN 1901, THE YEAR GLEN ECHO CC OPENED.

Monthly Records

TIED 4TH WARMEST OCTOBER ON RECORD (65.5 DEGREES)

TIED 5TH MOST NUMBER OF DAYS WITH MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE 70 DEGREES OR
GREATER (24)

TIED 2ND MOST NUMBER OF DAYS WITH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE 70 DEGREES OR
GREATER (3)

TIED 4TH FEWEST DAYS WITH AT LEAST 0.01 INCHES OF RAINFALL (4)

...DAILY...

RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 91 DEGREES ON 10/17. THIS IS THE LATEST
OBSERVATION OF AT LEAST 91 DEGREES WITHIN A CALENDAR YEAR ON RECORD.

2 RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES (10/17 AND 10/29)

3 RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES (10/16, 10/17 AND 10/18)

Grass Range Tees Close Sunday, October 30

It's that time of the season to close the grass range tees until next spring. They will close on Sunday October 30th and will reopen sometime in April would be our hope or early May at the latest.
The Zoysia grass can no longer repair itself from damage so time to protect it from  potential serious injury which could delay opening next spring. The mats will be available for your use during this time.

Final Bermuda Eradication Work For the Season

Bermuda Eradication video!

https://youtu.be/qfiDeHnoXN4