July 7th Update

My goal to publish blog posts on a monthly basis has not come into fruition, as tends to occur this time of year getting caught up in the day to day upkeep of the golf course. Currently, the Nova Scotia Men's Amateur Championship is taking place and the time off of the golf course has allowed time to organize some of the notes I have collected over the first half of the golf season.

The 2017 season has been much friendlier to us as opposed to last year. By this time last year we had already gone about a month without significant rainfall and were beginning to show signs of drought as the rough (which does not have irrigation) was browning out and even the irrigated short cut turf was showing signs of stress. We have received timely rain events thus far and us on the maintenance team have taken advantage of mother nature's gift. Proper fertility, IPM practices and wetting agent applications have being paying dividends. In preparation of the Amateur we were able to speed the greens up without too much pushing. At their highest, we were able to get speeds of 11'6" without lowering the height of cut too dramatically or drying them out to the point of wilting. Following the Amateur we will take our foot off the gas slightly to give the greens a break before we ramp back up in preparation for the Club Championship season starting the final week of July. 

Stairs on 9

Stairs immediately following installation

By now all have seen the new stairs to the white and blue tees on number nine. Each year was a struggle to keep the stones glued down and was creating a greater hazard to our members as each year passed. The new stairs are made up of stones that are a couple hundred pounds each and will certainly be a welcome addition to the golf course both in practicality and aesthetics. Thank you to Duracast for supplying the material and to Elmsdale Landscaping for completing the installation in under a day of work. Since taking this picture we have added mulch and some annual plants to add a nice touch to the area. 

Path to washroom

We took a big step forward in continuing to make the new washroom on 6 a very nice addition to the Oakfield experience. Basin Contracting was able to take advantage of a quiet day on the course (due to one of the many rainy and cold spring days we have had) and completed paving the path that the maintenance crew installed last year. As the year progresses we will continue to touch the area up by adding soil and seed to the areas surrounding the path and the washroom and will look to freshen up the mulch bed surrounding the outside of the washroom and add some plants to put the finishing touches on it. We will also stain the wood on the outside to sharpen the look of the lumber as well as protecting it going into the winter.

Front Entrance

The awning that was a staple of the clubhouse for many years was removed prior to the beginning of the season. This was a project that was a couple of years in the making. Rather than waiting for one of the supports to fail (as signs of rot were becoming evident) or the concrete floor giving way (which was beginning to crack in spots) the decision to remove the awning was made. Instead of constructing a replica of the previous awning, we decided to leave the front of the clubhouse free of an awning, both from a cost saving perspective and how the entrance looked when the awning was removed. The addition of the planters and annuals have given the entrance a fresh look and what was initially thought of as a huge change has flown relatively under the radar thus far spare for some positive feedback from the members.   

Moss Control

Some of you may have noticed the moss on some of the greens. Over the past couple of years the club has invested in an herbicidal moss control. While effective, the cost of the product is high and the resiliency of Silvery Thread Moss is such that multiple applications of the product are necessary. This season, an alteration in our application methods has been made. Instead of one or two applications over the course of the season that treat the entire square footage of the greens with our Toro Sprayer, I will be making spot applications on a monthly, if not weekly basis with a 550ml spray bottle. This will allow for more frequent treatment of each patch of moss without incurring any additional cost of purchasing more product than we have previously made. Alternative remedies include using a baking soda solution and another is using dish soap. These products have varying levels of success that may be explored should we feel it is necessary. As is the case of nature, resistance of products are always a risk. Inevitably, the genetic diversity is such that there may be strains of moss that are resistant to carfentrazone-ethyl (the active ingredient in our herbicide). This strain will multiply and eventually get to the point where that strain dominates the moss population and further applications of the same product will yield less and less control. Rotation of fungicides used on the golf course is common practice and is something that I will keep in mind now that more frequent applications of the same herbicide will be used. 

Hard to believe we are closing in on the halfway point to the 2017 season. I want to point out the fantastic work the maintenance staff have been doing day in and day out to make the golf course look as terrific as it has been. Specifically I would like to point out Bill Townsend, Oakfield's Mechanic and Mike O'Shea, my assistant for their dedication to the golf course. The property would not be what it is without them and I do not take for granted what they mean to myself and Oakfield Golf and Country Club.

Kevin Moores

Superintendent