2018 Fall Aerification & Surround Sod Update

Core aerating #18 Green in 2015.

One of the better moves we have made in awhile was moving our traditional fall aeration date's from early October to early September. Its a little risky because September can still be hot, but moving dates takes a whole month out of the end of summer and combines it with aeration.  Recovery will happen quick and we should be in great shape in October rather then in a recovery mode. And it is almost like it was meant to be because the weather has been unseasonably cool for the end of August and it is forecasted for more of the same. Below is our 2018 Fall Aeration Schedule.

The internet link on Why do golf courses aerate so much is explained in the USGA article or you can search  GBGC's aeration history in these updates by looking at our Aeration link in lables if you want to know more about why we do this pesky process.

2018 Fall Aeration Schedule

• Tuesday 9/4/18 - Course Closed                           1-18 Greens & Tilleys
• Wednesday 9/5/18 - Closed Till 2:00 PM             Tees
• Thursday 9/6/18 - B9 Closed  Till 2:00 PM         Fairways
• Friday 9/7/18 - F9 Closed Till 2:00 PM               Fairways

• Tuesday 9/11/18 - B9 Closed  Till 2:00 PM          Surrounds
• Wednesday 9/12/18 - F9 Closed Till 2:00 PM      Surrounds
• Thursday 9/13/18 - Closed                                   Surrounds  
• Friday 9/14/18 - TBD                                           Finish Surrounds

We will be cart path starting Thursday 9/6/17 as all traffic at that point will be driving on freshly aerated, seeded & topdressed fairways. Because of all of the seed on these fairways, we will have to keep them wet for seed germination and  know this short term sacrifice will benefit the golf course as a whole. We are targeting around the weekend of 9/22/18 to allow the carts off the path once again. Upper practice green and chipping green will be aerated a couple of weeks after 9/4/18 so members have a practice green to use.

#7 stripped out and ready for sod

#7 Surround Re-Sodding Completed

One of attributes of Hybrid Bermuda is that it thrives in warm to hot temperatures. And Hybrid Bermuda does much better then it's great great grandfather, common bermuda  as the weather starts to cool down however when  getting it established we a higher level of success when the temperatures are at least in the 80's and preferably 90's. That being said, we are running out of the best weather to get more Overseeded Hybrid Bermuda sod installed around the surrounds.

So we jumped on #7 last week and got it prepped for sod which was installed this past Monday 8/27/18. We want to try to get #3 stripped and installed in the next few weeks either after we conclude aerification or possibly while we are aerifying. Either way we want to get it done while we still have some good establishment weather. We'll keep you informed. Below are some more pictures of our Overseeded Hybrid Bermuda progress for those who are interested.

Adding some irrigation and tree root barrier to the rear of #7

Finished product after re-sodding

Another view of the finished product

New sod around the rear bunker

Overseeded Hybrid Bermuda Sodding #6 & #5

As we explained in our last Granite Bay Course Update, sod farm's and their install crews are a bit of a moving target. That being said we received a call middle of the week with an opportunity to get a sod install on Friday 8/3/18 and we jumped on it. We prepped the rest of #6 and stripped out the approach on #5 and witnessed and helped with our first big roll install of sod here at Granite Bay. Very exciting. 

GBGC GCM Staff leveling sprinkler heads and removing old sod
ahead of overseeded hybrid bermuda install

Currently we have the area roped off with some drop area circle's painted in front of the ropes. The sod will be soft until it roots down so please use the drop areas or the collars of the greens when your ball lands near the putting surface rather then hitting off of the new sod. Hybrid Bermuda will start to root almost immediately but it will need to be kept wet during the next couple of weeks to get firmly established. 

#6 ready for sod

We are going to start prepping the rest of #5 on Monday 8/6/18 for another install this coming Friday 8/10/18. In the subsequent weeks we plan to complete #7. So by the end of August ahead of aeration after Labor Day, we will have completed 3 green surrounds. Very exciting.

Overseeded Hybrid Bermuda big rolls being staged. Each roll covers 400 sq. ft.

Contractor installing big roll on #6

Contractor pulling the edges close together of the big roll sod.
In the background GBGC GCM is  watering in the new sod