Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 2/17/17

What To Do When It Doesn't Stop Raining?

You might have wondered what does the golf course maintenance staff do when all it seems to do is rain like it has been doing since the beginning of the year. Its too wet to mow or even get maintenance equipment out onto the golf course to dig drains or spread sand or do anything you might be thinking. Its true there is allot of normal maintenance activities that we cannot do when it is raining or sloppy wet as the course has become this winter, but we have stayed busy and productive setting ourselves up for success this spring when it finally stops raining. Below are some pictures of our recent progress on a couple of fronts.

The best time to do tree pruning for us in in the winter months and as long as it is not raining too hard we can make progress in the rain. Above is GCM working on trees along left hand side of #18  recently.  Below is the area between #14 green and #15 tee that needed some pruning making the fairway from the upper tournament tees more visible.

Irrigation Controller Install

Another project we have been working on is  Phase II of our Irrigation Controller Replacement. Rainy weather has hindered our progress but we have been diligent to work between storms to get this important project complete. Replacing our irrigation controllers (those grey boxes spread out around the course) not only proactively replaces 20 year old electronics, but also gives us more pin point irrigation control because we can add stations and split up sprinkler heads. This "single head coverage" allows for a better distribution of irrigation water leading to better turf conditions.

                                           Preparing for new concrete pedestal

                                                                                    Sometimes improvisation is necessary when the rain just                                                                             wont stop

Pouring concrete between storms

                                         Finished Product

Between the Storms

When it stops raining and we look forward to our Members returning to the course we have to recover the sand traps from the previous rainstorm. Of course not all rainstorms are equal. Heavier rain that falls quickly usually causes the most wash outs and damage. Lighter, sustained rain gets and keeps everything wet, but is less likely to wash out the traps.

This is the results of a heavy storm

                                                         Bring out the pumps

Enrique pushing up the wet displaced sand before raking.

The Rising Creeks

When it rains of course, the creek rise. Below are some pictures of Linda Creek running through the course directly after a heavy downpour.

Linda Creek entering our property near the bridge on #4

Linda Creek running into our irrigation pond just behind #4 green.

Linda Creek exiting our irrigation pond under the bridge on #1

Subsurface drainage sheeting across the turf and dumping into Linda Creek near the bridge on #16 & #15

Linda Creek running right in front of #16 green.

The other side of the bridge on #16. Notice the accumulation of azolla  (red floating mat that was in the main irrigation pond between #1 & #9). Good riddance.

Golf Course Maintenance Weekly 2/7/17

Leaning Digger Pine

In the southwest corner Granite Bay Golf Club there are, or at least there used to be, a couple of 60 foot high Digger Pines (pinus sabiniana). One of these pines in particular is leaning towards Roseville Parkway and if it did fall with all of the wet weather we have been having it, would fall across Roseville Parkway and I don't need to tell you what kind of problems that could cause.

The two questionable Digger Pines in relation to the
 saturated slope & Roseville Parkway

The west side slope

Another angle depicting the lean towards Roseville Parkway

Digger Pines do put down a tap root to draw water from deep in the soil which is why they survive in our dry climate. This tap root, along with conducting water for the trees survival, stabilizes the pine tree and is likely what has kept these trees from falling over years ago. However the soil on the west side of these trees was cut years ago during the construction of Roseville Parkway I suspect and with the recent rains softening the soil around the trees base a consulting arborist recommended their removal.

Tree crew on the job this morning Monday 1/6/17

A little fun fact in closing.  Some strict egalitarian's take offense at the common name for Pinus Sabiniana, Digger Pine.  That was because the name Digger came from the "Digger Indians," which was a contemptuous name given by white settlers to the Maidu and other Native Americans who occupied this land first, and who spent a lot of time digging for roots. So there you go.