Today is the 26th of May I have to admit to being woefully poor at keeping up with blog posts. It's been an extremely busy spring with lots of projects requiring completion and lots of new staff requiring training. While the weather is not awful, it does seem monstrously slow in getting up to the full running speed normally present this time of year. Lately I have been studying GDD (Growing Degree Days) and how they relate to the golf course. For those of you not familiar with GDD, its a means by which to compare temperatures from year to year and month to month. Having this information also helps us to determine how current conditions will affect the near future.
GDDs are measured by adding any mean (average) temperature for the day above zero to a running total. For example if the month of March had a three days where the average temperature was 12, 10 and 10, then the running total for the month of march would be 32. If the mean temperature is below zero, it is not subtracted but rather treated as a zero. In general terms, temperatures above zero have a positive effect on plant life, so the more GDDs per month the faster the plants will begin to show signs of life. This year has been one of the slowest in the last five. Most time when comparing years in weather, I use 2009, which was our worst and 2012, which was one of our best. In 2012 we opened in the 15 of April and by May 21 the GDD count was at 67.2 . In 2009, we opened on the 7th of May (our latest opening ever) and by May 21st GDD count was 38.3. This year, on May the 21st the GDD count was 25.3.
What does all this mean?
Its a lousy spring. Conditions will be slower in recovering from the winter.
Lousy weather not with standing, we troop on with projects, prepping the course for play and hopefully, better playing conditions. Here's some of the stuff we have been working on.
Here is number thirteen when we had just removed the tarp in April. The winter wind had desiccated the Poa in some areas, but considering some the devastation other courses across Canada suffered this year, we are pleased.
Number thirteen today, considerably improved by some fertilizer and warmer conditions. Given warmer nights, most blemishes will be gone soon.
We are currently mowing our greens at .140 of an inch, well above our summer height. As the summer progresses and the plant more capable of producing nutrients, we will begin to reduce and the height and increase speed. The recommended speed from the Greens Committee will remain as it did last year at 9.5 to 10.5.
Lots of branches to clean up on the course this year. In the background are Tyler and John resetting the bridge on number six.
This year we are asking members to take a more active role in replacing divots on the driving range. In the picture above John and Brad are preparing the pad for the new divot bottles rack we had built during the winter. Please grab a divot bottle as you make your way to the hitting stations and fill any divots you make. When finished please return the bottle to the rack, where the staff can fill and have it prepared for other members.
Also, in regard to the range, we would ask member to please use a specific divot pattern, rather than randomly hitting hitting the ball from different areas in the tee station. Click Here to see video from a golf course in the States that has the program down pat.
Below is a picture of how not to remove divots. Obviously this pattern would be hard to fill.
Our forward tee program is in full swing, and we invite all members to play them at least once this year for a new perspective.
Typical to each spring we make efforts to improve the edges of the bunkers. Here are Nathan and Devon working on restoring this bunker to its original shape on number thirteen. If you have played recently you will note that we have edged 7 through 18 green side bunkers, and will have the remaining green side bunkers finished by end of week. Following that we will begin checking sand depths and making sure that the correct amount of sand is in place. Our standard in 3 to four inches in the bottoms and 2 inches on the sides. Then we move to the fairway bunkers, edging and adding sand as we go.
Here is the edged bunker.
Also, in the picture above you can see a coyote decoy, which are placed around the golf course to dissuade geese from landing and feeding on the property. This year we have increased our pack to six and when used with the Goose-b-gone distress caller, we seem to be achieving the desired effect. Fingers crossed, I have yet to see a single goose.
Yes, there is a giant dead tree in the middle of Fish Lake. No, we will not be moving it. During a vicious storm in January of this year there were several trees blown into the lake and driven towards our shore by the wind. We lack the means to move the tree and cutting the branches would only create a hazard for boaters.
Eight tee is now complete and open for play. To finish the project this year we sodded the area around the cart path, cleaned up behind the gold and beside the white tee, and reset the tee pad.
The area where old path was located has been top soiled and seeded, it is marked as ground under repair.
Behind eight gold and beside eight white is an open spot where the drainage had to be improved and the area consequently reshaped. We have now seeded it to tall fescue and given warmer weather, these little seedling with fill the area in.
In addition to finishing up the sod and seed areas we have also continued with out tree planting program. A number of white pines have been added to the eight tee, as well as a number of trees around the course. We have and will continue to plant a total 23 trees this year. The varieties of trees planted include, White Pine, Silver Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak and Weeping Willows. We would like to thank the tree committee for assisting in choosing the varieties and location of the trees.
As recommended by Graham Cooke during his visit in the fall of 2013, we are expanding some of the collars to include bail outs. Here are some pictures of Nine and Eleven greens where we have mowed the turf lower in these collection areas for easier return to the green. We are looking for feed back on these areas and any opinions will be valued.
And here it is now.
Our first step was to add drainage to the area so that any water coming from the fairway would get to the canal dug on the far left. You can see the drain boxes from the cart path on the left as you go by. The next step was to rake the area out, add a skim of top soil, and then seed it. All of this work was completed on Friday of last week and, and given warmer temperatures, we should see germination soon. As per our action plan developed in the early fall of last year, the next step will take place in the fall, leaving the hole as it always has been for remainder of the summer. This was for three reasons. The first being that we wanted to make sure that our members did not have to go through the summer with a project in the works on the first hole. The second was that any construction on the left side of the fairway would certainly make players aim more to the right, defeating the very reason for the project. And finally, the area needs time to solidify before we can begin work on it.
Stay tuned for more info.
GDDs are measured by adding any mean (average) temperature for the day above zero to a running total. For example if the month of March had a three days where the average temperature was 12, 10 and 10, then the running total for the month of march would be 32. If the mean temperature is below zero, it is not subtracted but rather treated as a zero. In general terms, temperatures above zero have a positive effect on plant life, so the more GDDs per month the faster the plants will begin to show signs of life. This year has been one of the slowest in the last five. Most time when comparing years in weather, I use 2009, which was our worst and 2012, which was one of our best. In 2012 we opened in the 15 of April and by May 21 the GDD count was at 67.2 . In 2009, we opened on the 7th of May (our latest opening ever) and by May 21st GDD count was 38.3. This year, on May the 21st the GDD count was 25.3.
What does all this mean?
Its a lousy spring. Conditions will be slower in recovering from the winter.
Lousy weather not with standing, we troop on with projects, prepping the course for play and hopefully, better playing conditions. Here's some of the stuff we have been working on.
Here is number thirteen when we had just removed the tarp in April. The winter wind had desiccated the Poa in some areas, but considering some the devastation other courses across Canada suffered this year, we are pleased.
Number thirteen today, considerably improved by some fertilizer and warmer conditions. Given warmer nights, most blemishes will be gone soon.
We are currently mowing our greens at .140 of an inch, well above our summer height. As the summer progresses and the plant more capable of producing nutrients, we will begin to reduce and the height and increase speed. The recommended speed from the Greens Committee will remain as it did last year at 9.5 to 10.5.
Lots of branches to clean up on the course this year. In the background are Tyler and John resetting the bridge on number six.
This year we are asking members to take a more active role in replacing divots on the driving range. In the picture above John and Brad are preparing the pad for the new divot bottles rack we had built during the winter. Please grab a divot bottle as you make your way to the hitting stations and fill any divots you make. When finished please return the bottle to the rack, where the staff can fill and have it prepared for other members.
Also, in regard to the range, we would ask member to please use a specific divot pattern, rather than randomly hitting hitting the ball from different areas in the tee station. Click Here to see video from a golf course in the States that has the program down pat.
Below is a picture of how not to remove divots. Obviously this pattern would be hard to fill.
Our forward tee program is in full swing, and we invite all members to play them at least once this year for a new perspective.
Typical to each spring we make efforts to improve the edges of the bunkers. Here are Nathan and Devon working on restoring this bunker to its original shape on number thirteen. If you have played recently you will note that we have edged 7 through 18 green side bunkers, and will have the remaining green side bunkers finished by end of week. Following that we will begin checking sand depths and making sure that the correct amount of sand is in place. Our standard in 3 to four inches in the bottoms and 2 inches on the sides. Then we move to the fairway bunkers, edging and adding sand as we go.
Here is the edged bunker.
Also, in the picture above you can see a coyote decoy, which are placed around the golf course to dissuade geese from landing and feeding on the property. This year we have increased our pack to six and when used with the Goose-b-gone distress caller, we seem to be achieving the desired effect. Fingers crossed, I have yet to see a single goose.
Yes, there is a giant dead tree in the middle of Fish Lake. No, we will not be moving it. During a vicious storm in January of this year there were several trees blown into the lake and driven towards our shore by the wind. We lack the means to move the tree and cutting the branches would only create a hazard for boaters.
Eight tee is now complete and open for play. To finish the project this year we sodded the area around the cart path, cleaned up behind the gold and beside the white tee, and reset the tee pad.
The area where old path was located has been top soiled and seeded, it is marked as ground under repair.
Behind eight gold and beside eight white is an open spot where the drainage had to be improved and the area consequently reshaped. We have now seeded it to tall fescue and given warmer weather, these little seedling with fill the area in.
In addition to finishing up the sod and seed areas we have also continued with out tree planting program. A number of white pines have been added to the eight tee, as well as a number of trees around the course. We have and will continue to plant a total 23 trees this year. The varieties of trees planted include, White Pine, Silver Maple, Red Maple, Red Oak and Weeping Willows. We would like to thank the tree committee for assisting in choosing the varieties and location of the trees.
As recommended by Graham Cooke during his visit in the fall of 2013, we are expanding some of the collars to include bail outs. Here are some pictures of Nine and Eleven greens where we have mowed the turf lower in these collection areas for easier return to the green. We are looking for feed back on these areas and any opinions will be valued.
Project Nine and One has been moving along well, despite the cold weather this spring. Fortunately the cold weather has not be accompanied by rain and we were able to prep for seeding. Our first step was to add drainage to the area so that any water coming from the fairway would get to the canal dug on the far left. Here is what the area looked like before we began the project.
And here it is now.
Our first step was to add drainage to the area so that any water coming from the fairway would get to the canal dug on the far left. You can see the drain boxes from the cart path on the left as you go by. The next step was to rake the area out, add a skim of top soil, and then seed it. All of this work was completed on Friday of last week and, and given warmer temperatures, we should see germination soon. As per our action plan developed in the early fall of last year, the next step will take place in the fall, leaving the hole as it always has been for remainder of the summer. This was for three reasons. The first being that we wanted to make sure that our members did not have to go through the summer with a project in the works on the first hole. The second was that any construction on the left side of the fairway would certainly make players aim more to the right, defeating the very reason for the project. And finally, the area needs time to solidify before we can begin work on it.
Stay tuned for more info.
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