December 2023 Update

 We have reached the end of the 2023 turf season. The golf course closed on November 12^th, which is right on schedule for us. We are thankful for what was a pleasant fall season of golf, after what was a record setting, much discussed rain filled summer. Every time a system moved in, it would seem to stall out and precipitation amounts would exceed predictions. If 10 was called for, we got 20. 15 we got 30. 20 we got 200 (not a typo!!). The timing around championship events was also very poor as we had a 72mm event the day of the Men’s Club Championship, 25mm before and during the Ladies’ Club Championship, and 45mm for the Men’s Invitational. The result were many days where carts were restricted to the paths, where fairways and rough could not be cut for days (weeks in some cases).

As the business of the golf season has wound down, it is a good time to reflect on the year that was. 2023 saw the most expansive renovation work the property has seen since the greens were re-done 20+ years ago. Greenside bunkers on 1 and 2 were renovated and redesigned. New bunkers were built on 4, 12, and 18. Fairway bunkers were removed on 7 and 8. A great start to a multi-phased project. Expanding the left side of number 4 fairway, a new natural turf range tee was also completed as we took advantage of having contractors on site.

Anomalous weather patterns were littered throughout the year. Record cold temperatures in early February, the driest spring in many years, sparking the largest forest fires the province has seen in years. We all were praying for rain, that came in spades throughout the summer. Fall leveled off somewhat as more reasonable precipitation events took place, and we all breathed a sigh of relief when Hurricane Lee hit with much less force than was feared. We head into winter with the usual anticipation of what kind of weather we will experience. Back to the unusual has been the extreme wind we have experienced in December with multiple events with wind gusts tempting triple digits that have wreaked havoc on our tarping efforts as the wind has lifted many of them on at least one occasion. Even as I type this I can see white caps on Grand Lake!

The end of the season focuses largely on preparing the greens for the winter.  While impossible to attribute all of, or quantify how much last year’s deep tine aeration helped in coming out of winter with minimal damage, our first experience of this endeavor was deemed a success. It only makes too much sense to encourage more gas exchange and more efficiently move surface water through the soil profile and away from the growth point of the turf at the base in an attempt to prevent crown hydration (the process of dormant turf awakening, taking in water in an attempt to begin growing, only for a quick freeze event occurring, rupturing vital cells and killing the plant). We completed a deep tine again this fall hoping for similar benefits.

We have been treating the greens with a wetting agent every fall for years now. Often is the case (particularly in our neck of the woods) are that the soil becomes fully saturated throughout the winter. Overly wet soils are obviously more prone to issues at any time of the year, with winter being no exception. Poor air exchange and the increased subjugation to freeze/thaw events as the winter progresses. The wetting agent applied helps keep the harmonic balance of volumetric water content.

We treat all short cut turf with a winter protection fungicide. Contrary to what may be believed, there are turf damaging fungi that thrive in winter conditions. Extended periods of snow coverage, as well as cool and wet weather alone can become a breeding ground for disease that can make spring a headache to deal with. Potential for ice damage is enough to think about. By preventatively treating our high value playing surfaces we are crossing off one of a several threats that a golf course faces in the winter.

Finally, we tarped 14 of our greens, as has been customary. These breathable tarps provide a barrier between the elements that winter dishes out. During bare and dry winter winds can desiccate the turf. A tarp can provide some separation from snow and ice that can give the turf an edge in managing these stressors. In spring they provide a dark color that can absorb heat and expedite the melting process. They also help warm the soil up faster than the elements naturally provide, increasing growth and/or recovery potential as the plants wake up for another season.

In any case, Geoff and I will be monitoring the process throughout the winter. We will be taking samples and taking care of anything that can help us start the 2024 season strong.

Happy Holidays!

Kevin Moores

Course Update- July 2023

 

In what seems to be a more regular occurrence, irregular weather has been hitting our area. Whether it is hurricanes last fall, record cold temperatures in February, exceptionally dry springs, and now unprecedented precipitation this summer, culminating in a rain event that has not been witnessed in decades. Some areas saw over 200mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period, causing damage to homes, businesses, and public areas. Oakfield managed to avoid any catastrophic damage to the property. While drains, creeks, and ponds overflowed well beyond capacity to this point we have only some damage to the bridges on 6. Stone was replenished and is being monitored for any future damage. The waters have receded in all areas, except for 13. The culverted bridge that separates the pond on 12 and Fish Lake remains submerged under water. We await water levels recede to the point of being able to drive across and more importantly, determining that it is safe to drive across. While the turf is thoroughly soaked, we saw no additional damage to our fine cut surfaces. We are still recovering from the last episode of wet weather that left our mowers in the shop for two weeks. We were finally over the hump and caught up with mowing, eagerly awaiting recovery to the stressed turf in the fairways before 200mm fell. Thankfully, with dry conditions forecasted this week, we anticipate getting all areas mowed at least once before the weekend.

                                                

As is usually the case with heavy rainfall events, the bunkers require the most remediating. This storm was certainly no exception! Many of our traps became new water features and any bunker that has high flashing faces had all of the sand (and a good amount of silt) wash down to the bottoms. Step one was getting the water out of the bunkers. Gravity and drainage systems do some of the work, but the amount of water was beyond what would be reasonable to let sit, and with all waterways backed up, the water wasn’t going to be going anywhere quickly. We have several pumps in our arsenal that were used over the weekend. Once again, the team stepped up as several staff came in on their weekend off to allow us to begin the week with a head start. Next step is to skim the top layer of material from the base. Silt that has washed down will contaminate the bunker sand, causing poor drainage and inconsistencies in play. Our crew then redistributed the washed out sand back to normal. Finally, we will be using this opportunity to exhaust our inventory of bunker sand. When all said and done we will have put out about 75 tons of sand, not including what was installed for the new bunkers on 1,2,4,12 and 18.

Example of silt washing to the bottom of a bunker

                                                

Speaking of the new bunkers! They performed at a level several factors about the existing traps. Washouts were minimal to none, and the sod liners prevented any silt contamination and rock migration to the surface. The time saved allowed the crew to be more diligent with the rest of the cleanup. The new bunkers needed little to no additional labour, despite the rainfall. As a part of the master plan, removing the fairway bunkers on 7 and 8, and replacing the fairway bunkers on 12 and 18 expedited the cleanup immensely. All of these traps were large and had compromised drainage, both in actual drainage tile and sand composition and would have taken the team many additional hours to repair. We are looking forward to a return to normal maintenance practices as much as you are looking to get back out and playing!

Comparison of old bunkers vs. renovated

The summer has certainly been one for the books. After looking like it may never rain again by the time we reached the end of May, it seems like the faucet cannot be turned off. Drought stress has not been a factor. With that has come some of the highest disease pressure I have seen. If the turf is growing as well as it has been, you can be certain that diseases and weeds are enjoying the weather just as much. Fungal pathogens like Dollar Spot are an annual occurrence and are treated preventatively. The moisture this year has seen much more anthracnose than usual and also patch diseases that I haven’t seen in the province, let alone at Oakfield. We are being very diligent when it comes to our IPM scouting and are ensuring that our management practices (e.g. moisture levels, nutrient programs, pesticide applications) are conducive to healthy turf and top notch playing standards. Let’s see what August throws at us!

Waitea Patch

Dollar Spot next to 16 Green

Close up of the fungal mycelium

Silvery Thread Moss

Anthracnose

Everything at Oakfield would not be possible without the collaboration of everyone involved with the club. From members of the maintenance team that came in on their days off, to the pro shop team stepping up, as always, and lending a hand in the cleanup, to the clubhouse staff providing breakfast for the crew. A team effort is how we  do what we do. We look forward to welcoming everyone back!

Mr. LeLievre dusting off his SandPro skills

Shaun Clearing debris from the culvert on 1 pond

                                                             

                                          

May 17th Renovation Update

Things are moving along very nicely with phase one of the renovation. All shaping and sodding on course was completed last week. Areas have been roped off and the crew has been diligently watering the sod to ensure it is rooting down and staying healthy.

New Greenside Bunkers

The sod in the new greenside bunkers on 1,2, and 4 have been rooting down for 2-3 weeks now and are looking good. We will give them another couple of weeks before we prepare the area for bunker sand installation. We will be installing drainage in these bunkers before the sand goes down. The last step of the process will be cutting a lip into the face of the trap to give it that finished look. We will wait some time as we want as much rooting of the sod to take place as possible as to avoid erosion and subsequent caving in of the sod on the bunker face. This portion of the work will have a similar timeline to what the bunkers on 5 and 10 had.

Removed bunkers on 7/8

These areas have been completed and the sod has rooted to the point of being able to remove the stakes and rope and allow for foot traffic and shots to be played. There are still some sod seams visible. They will shrink and eventually disappear as the sod matures

Hole 4

We are very happy with the progress of the largest change during this renovation. Around an acre of area has been stripped, reshaped, had a bunker removed, and a targeted tree removal process to give the area the look that we see now. The dormant sod that was installed a month ago has rooted well and new and healthy shoots are filling in quite quickly. The irrigation expansion work has made a big difference in keeping the sod hydrated and will pay dividends during hot and dry portions of the summer. We keep the area fenced off and out of play and patiently wait for the turf to fully root in and mature. We will begin mowing the area soon. As we slowly prepare for the fairway expansion and have the area maintained at a lower height of cut. We will be doing some overseeding, aerating, and topdressing, among other cultural practices that will be needed when bringing the height of cut below an inch.

Hole 12

The construction of the new fairway bunkers and the filling in of all the old bunkers has been completed and the sod is being watered regularly. The steepness of the sloping around the new bunker complex may keep the area roped off longer than some others, but will follow the same timeline in terms of when sand is able to be installed, therefore completing the project fully. With 12 being sodded at the beginning of May, we would expect the area to be roped off for at least another week and start looking at putting sand down in early June. As is always the case, weather will play a role in how quickly the job gets done.

Hole 18

The last portion of phase one (on course) that was shaped and sodded. All four bunkers were removed and the area was re-shaped with a single fairway bunker bordering the fairway. Similar to 4, an expansion to the irrigation system

Driving Range

After completing 18, Turf Masters turned their attention back to where they started, the Driving Range. The stock piles of top soil and rootzone mix were distributed. A new irrigation setup was installed and then the crew began laying down the sod. 

 

The new artificial mats arrived this week and our crew installed them on Tuesday. Still a little finish work around the pavers and where the pavers meet the turf between the new tee being built but we are looking forward to having a premium product to be used for practice and warming up. With the time it takes for the sod to knit in and be ready for the beating that a natural grass practice tee takes this new mat system will be the sole surface played from for the time being.

We are extremely happy with the progress that has been made. With all the work that was done to have only the 18^th hole turned into a par 3 for less than a week is a testament to the good fortune the weather gave with dry conditions that provided minimal delays. The work that the contractor has done has been very good and the extra work put in by the maintenance staff has allowed for the inevitable logistical hurdles that come with this type of work to be relatively minimal and painless.

Conditions have been exceptionally dry for this time of year. We have had to put out more water this May than I can remember in my time in the business. Temperatures have not been too high so have been able to push things a bit and provide firm and fast conditions without too much (though there is always some!) concern about turf decline. We will be commencing with our fertility programs in the tees, fairways, and rough in the next couple of weeks. My next post will focus on how we are preparing the golf course for the summer.