Fall is falling; Part two.

This is a photo essay of what we do each and every fall in keeping your golf course playable.  Leaf removal is the second most machine and labor intensive activity we perform each season, second only to fairway aerification clean-up.  Typically our leaf removal tasks begins on or near the 10th of October.  This year is was a week earlier.  Once the leaves start falling it takes approximately 5-6 weeks before it doesn't pay to continue.  We'll get those leaves next spring when we get back out onto your course.

Your course  is easily the "messiest" course I've ever worked on!

Bunkers require extensive hand work when removing leaves.

Tractor blowers are used to move leaves unto rough or back into the woods.

Smaller blowers are used to clean both green and tee surfaces.

Some blowers allow greater flexibility than others.

We've been raking and sweeping leaves with this sweeper for 25 years and it is still the best sweeper we own.

This sweeper offers large capacity but isn't easily maneuvered in the woods.



Off with another load.  What do we do with all the leaves?



They are hauled to an area where they are composted.

 

Sometime the dust is my first clue where to find the guys!



Since the ban on open air burning, leaves are mulched and left in place.

Larger areas are mulched with this bad boy.

An operators view of just one row of leaves to be mulched.

This is done for you the golfer in order that you can enjoy the beautiful fall colors and play the game you love without losing too many golf balls in the process.

Mk

Snow Mold Application Alert

October 12, 2010


The golf course will be closed until 12 noon on Monday October 18th, 2010 for the first of two scheduled snow mold applications for greens tees and fairway turfs WEATHER PERMITTING.

The first application is considered a vaccine that is active within the cell walls and is applied when the plant is growing. The second application is a protective coating that is applied after the plant stops growing for the year.

Mk

"Spooky!"

Some funky mushroom like looking “gourds” popped up on the clubhouse lawn after the recent floodwaters receded.

 

Actually the pumpkins came from the Giant Pumpkin Festival in Nekoosa courtesy of Bull’s Eyes Equipment Manager Tim Johnson. Tim with the help of his wife and others were founding members of the festival that draws contestants from all over the state.

Tim planted and grew four individual plants here at the country club. He moved “the great pumpkin patch” here after a soil born disease pathogen decimated his plantings last year. From those four plants he selected eight pumpkins to display at this years event with the largest weighing in at 631 pounds with a circumference of 135 inches. He estimates that the vines produced nearly 5000 pounds of pumpkins or 2.5 tons. That’s a lot of pie.

Artists carve ghoulish faces into the pumpkins that are entered into contests and judged. Never did hear if one of those displayed won any ribbons or not.

Hope you enjoyed our little display while they last.

Mk

Fall is falling!

With the passing of September we noted what I feel an earlier leaf fall than normal. The moderately strong northwest winds yesterday, things began to let loose in full force.

Generally we anticipate our foliage to peak color around the first of October and leaf fall in full force around the 10th of the month. Was it the earlier than normal start to the year that advanced the growth cycle or was it the near record levels of rainfall we received since the 2nd of June?

The pine trees are much more yellow than in years past, heavy with second and third year Needles ready to fall.

I’ve also noted the heaviest Oak acorn nut litter that I can ever remember on the course. Tee boxes cart paths just covered. At times you have to watch your step because they seam like marbles under foot.

Editorial; “Trees are weeds!” There will be portions of the course that will not see sunlight until next spring. Soils in the shade will stay excessively moist promoting diseases like snow mold to take hold.

Is this a signal of an early winter? The Farmers Almanac predicts a warm wet winter. As I remember they were way wrong last winter. Time will tell.  (Is that a mean reminder or what? ;o)

Mk