2023 Spring Fairway Aeration & Topdressing & Drainage Update #9

Starting next week we will be aerifying and topdressing the new Santa Anna Hybrid Bermuda fairways here at GBGC. Last spring, when we conducted this process we did not do alternating back nine &  front nine closures as the membership had just recently started using the course after the 2021 renovation. During our planning processes for 2023 we changed that strategy, providing GCM some alternating closures during the season to conduct these necessary cultural practices. This allows GCM the time to properly and productively get this work done and not inconvenience the golfing membership while doing so.

We have two planned fairway topdressing's and associated cultural activities planned in 2023. The first of which is scheduled for the week of April 10th and the week of April 17th.  The second will be the week of  July 10th and the week of July 17th. Splitting front 9 and back nine operations gives us adequate time to properly complete the work and allows us to get 18 holes open by the end of both weeks so as not to inconvenience membership further. Below is a detailed schedule for the upcoming fairway aeration next week. Pictures and process details will be in the next course update for those who are interested.

This pile of FW topdressing sand represents 160 tons that will be spread on hole #'s 1, 2, 3 & 4. That will amount to 30 tons per acre which is about the maximum we can apply in one application. More details and pictures of actual progress coming next week. 

2023 Drainage Update #9

On Monday April 3rd, GCM started to address the chronic drainage issue on the right hand side of #2 fairway. Any of us who have been around for any length of time know that this area has always had a drainage problem, long before the renovation or turf conversion. The issue is the fairway slopes into a low drainage inlet that is in the afternoon shade of the oak trees. We dident address the shade issue at this time but did provide some additional drainage to get the water off of the fairway surface more rapidly. Pictures below of progress.

Above the crew took advantage of a closed Monday and dug out and installed almost 300' of surface drainage.

Much of the sod in the area needed to be replaced especially around the drainage inlet. Above Enrique and Liborio starting to lay new Santa Anna sod.

The drainage inlet  (DI) in the area, where all of the surface drains were tied into, needed to be raised slightly and soil around it removed and replaced with gravel which is a common practice when we tie in surface drainage to the DI. 

Not the final product, but the completed product after we dug and installed the drains and re-placed the sod  and sand topdressed. The final product awaits the Santa Annas continued awakening, filling in all the sod seams. 

On Thursday 4/6/23 we started addressing another bad drainage issue on the left hand side of #17 where the old sand trap resided, about 115 yards out. The area boasts another bad combo of a depressed water shedding drainage area that is associated with winter shade. This might be the last bit of drainage work we tackle for awhile as the season transitions into spring, and our labor resources are allocated to spring time duties. This is not the last area that needs drainage work, far from it, but we now must move on to more seasonal duties like the above mentioned fairway aeration and topdressing.

Enrique Huerta (right) & Liborio Quintana (left)  had allot of help, but spearheaded this winters seasons drainage work where we installed over 2000  feet of much needed surface drainage on this new golf course. They were much deserved Granite Bay Golf Club's  co-employees of the month in March.

Sunrise at GBGC on 4/6/23. Photo taken by GCM staff member Amanda Bergstrum.