GB Rainbow

William Graber caught this image after the storm that blew through on Friday. 

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 4/11/16

Aerification Healing

This week marks the third week since we aerified Greens, Fairways & Green Surrounds. Weather during the subsequent three weeks was about as perfect as it could have been for the healing process. We experienced some warm weather which helps get the turf growing along with some soaking rain last weekend which is always beneficial. Aerification holes in the greens have healed and we have lowered the height of cut (HOC) on them which we typically raise a bit directly after the aerification process. Surfaces are typically slow as the culmination of higher rates of fertilizer to promote rapid recovery take effect. Look for the greens to get quicker by week four as soil fertility wanes, and the the application of growth regulators take effect.

6 days after aerification directly after verticle mowing, seeding & light topdressing.

13 days after aerification

23 days after aerification

Fairway holes are still evident but will likely disappear next week as we applied fertility along with pre-emergent for crabgrass this week. We still have a little bit of topdressing sand to apply to the fairways which we will concentrate on landing areas next week. After this sand is brushed in it will hardly be noticeable.

Topdressing fairways. We have a little bit left to do next week.

Tee Re-Surfacing

We expanded and flattened the club tees on #13 and #14 this week. Additionally we removed some tree limbs that shaded these levels so the new sod and subsequent established turf will have a much better chance or thriving. We will try to open these tees in a couple of weeks, especially on #14 so we don't wear the cobble level out.

Prepping #13 Club Tee for new sod.

#13 Club Tee with new sod.

#14 Club Tee with new sod.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 3/28/16

Aerification Progress

We started the 2016 spring aerification process on Monday 3/21/16 by aerifying Tilleys practice green and the chipping green. After 10 days we have completed core aerification of all of the putting surfaces except the main PG which we left untouched so members can practice putting. We will get this one in a couple of weeks. Additionally we have completed all of the fairways and the putting green surrounds on hole #'s 1-9 & 10-13 & 15 as well as applying 20 tons per acre of topdressing sand to the fairways. On Monday 4/4/16 we will finish putting green surrounds on hole #'s 14 & 16-18. We could not have completed all of these areas in just 14 days without the alternating F9 & B9 closures that were instituted a few years ago. We appreciate your patience with this as we complete these crucial cultural practices to the turfgrass playing surfaces here at GBGC.

The aerification process went extremely well with hardly any damage to the turfgrass surfaces. Cleanup of the cores, which sometimes can be a little messy was almost flawless as well. We will be core aerifying rough areas over the next couple of weeks which doesn't require any closures. You will just get a lift in those areas when the process is underway and after we are done the areas should be very playable. Below are some more pictures of the fairway and putting surface surround aerification process for all who are interested.

The actual core aerification process is the same for putting surface surrounds or fairways.
Above is a tractor mounted aerifyer extracting cores on #4

Here is another walk behind core aerifyer working in the tighter areas around greens.

Here we are dragging the cores to break them up. This is done after a period of drying.
If we started dragging the cores immediately after extraction we would make a horrible
mess as the cores would be too wet. Allowing the cores time to dry so we can properly
clean them up is the primary reason we need the alternating closures.

Here we are chopping up the cores  with a vertical mower further aiding in removal.

Next step is to vacuum up the remnants.

Following vacuuming we blow, then mow, and then the FW surface is ready for sand.
After the sand drys we can then drag it into the aerification holes.

That's basically it. Thanks again for your support