Hello folks,
Today is the Wednesday prior to the Men's Club Championship and we are well into what is turning out to be a great summer. Having put most of our winter woes behind us we are now concentrating on the details that make Oakfield what it is. And while the course steadily improving, we are not resting on our laurels, but rather addressing some areas of concern raised through the Greens Committee. This entry will detail our efforts to continue our progress.
Our last Greens Committee meeting the question was raised about the number of rakes on the course. We have a template in which we follow as to where rakes are placed and how many at each trap. We periodically check the number of rakes on the course and it appears after our last check that we have less then when we started. For whatever reason, breakage, theft, there are less. This being addressed and the amount of rakes will be returned to normal. As a reminder please leave the rakes out of the traps and return them to their original position.
On the subject of the traps, we have also received some complaints about the stones in the traps. Here's a quote from our Greens Chairman Brent Moxon in an email to the Greens Committee, July 18, 2015.
During the meeting Kevin covered the process by which we rake the traps, how to deal with exposed liner and stone picking.
In addition we took the time to discuss the procedure for replacing the tee blocks. By getting the all of the staff together who are involved with tees and bunkers we were able focus on a standardized method and field any questions.
As the summer progresses we have reached our mandated greens speed from the Greens Department and will endeavour to remain so for the rest of the summer.
Some of you might have notice the drinking fountain on number 11 past the green.
We have installed this as a supplement to the water coolers on the golf course. We had domestic water close by and are trying this a pilot project for the rest of the course. The water is taken from the same line that we fill the coolers and is chlorinated and potable. The cost was kept low as Bill and I fabricated both the top and base in the shop during the winter months. On the side is a bottle filler for your water bottles, feel free to fill up with as much water as you wish.
Stay tuned.
Today is the Wednesday prior to the Men's Club Championship and we are well into what is turning out to be a great summer. Having put most of our winter woes behind us we are now concentrating on the details that make Oakfield what it is. And while the course steadily improving, we are not resting on our laurels, but rather addressing some areas of concern raised through the Greens Committee. This entry will detail our efforts to continue our progress.
Our last Greens Committee meeting the question was raised about the number of rakes on the course. We have a template in which we follow as to where rakes are placed and how many at each trap. We periodically check the number of rakes on the course and it appears after our last check that we have less then when we started. For whatever reason, breakage, theft, there are less. This being addressed and the amount of rakes will be returned to normal. As a reminder please leave the rakes out of the traps and return them to their original position.
On the subject of the traps, we have also received some complaints about the stones in the traps. Here's a quote from our Greens Chairman Brent Moxon in an email to the Greens Committee, July 18, 2015.
"I know this item was not discussed at the last meeting, but I have heard
numerous complaints . There are now a large amount of stones and rocks in our bunkers and I am not
sure from where they came. Until we solve the problem of so many large stones in
the bunkers, I wonder if a local rule to permit the removal of the stones in
bunkers should be drafted? This is a safety concern to all our members.Since we
are aware know of the problem we are obliged to deal with it."
To answer Brent's query the rocks are from the sub-surface of the bunkers. During the winter the frost pushes the rock up from beneath and each year we need to hand pick the stones from the bunkers. This was the reason that the liners were installed in the bunkers, as a system to prevent contamination from the base of the trap. In addition the liners are only on the high sides of the bunkers, doing little for the contamination from large washout and frost heaving. Unfortunately the liners are also pushed up with the rocks which results in tearing, general contamination and poor playing conditions.
Admittedly our attention to the traps has been less than past spring efforts, mainly due to prioritizing the recovery of the greens over the hazards, but this week we have fully turned our attention to this issue. Over the last two weeks we have been picking away at edging the bunkers around the greens and checking the sand depths to correct any areas where the liners may have surfaced. We also have instructed the staff to pick rocks from the bunkers on a daily basis. To expedite the process we have sent three crew members ahead of the rake picking the stones from the traps for Tuesday and Wednesday.
During our last Greens Committee meeting the subject of tee blocks being crooked was brought up. On Tuesday of this week, Kevin took the crew up to 11 tee and 10 green for a tutorial.
In addition we took the time to discuss the procedure for replacing the tee blocks. By getting the all of the staff together who are involved with tees and bunkers we were able focus on a standardized method and field any questions.
As the summer progresses we have reached our mandated greens speed from the Greens Department and will endeavour to remain so for the rest of the summer.
Some of you might have notice the drinking fountain on number 11 past the green.
We have installed this as a supplement to the water coolers on the golf course. We had domestic water close by and are trying this a pilot project for the rest of the course. The water is taken from the same line that we fill the coolers and is chlorinated and potable. The cost was kept low as Bill and I fabricated both the top and base in the shop during the winter months. On the side is a bottle filler for your water bottles, feel free to fill up with as much water as you wish.
Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment