In a good news announcement from the green section, Assistant Golf Course Superintendent Steven Crubel's wife Bri' gave birth to a healthy baby boy early morning Friday May 20th. Mason Crubel will be joining his big sister Lily at home in the days to come. Steve was given both Friday and Saturday off so I don't have statistics to share. Both mom and baby are doing well. It's funny but Steve told me that Bri' informed her boss that Friday would be her last day at work as she intended to start her maternity leave. Talk about mothers intuition!
Please congratulate Steve when you see him about the golf course. _Mk
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Get your Crabgrass Controls down NOW!
Forsythia flowers haven't faded yet from the plant and our soil temperatures finally reached the 50 degree mark. Take advantage of this weeks thunderstorms and rains to activate the product to form the weed barrier you need to prevent crabgrass germination. Read the label and only apply the product to the areas that you noted crabgrass in the past. _Mk
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Coyote Ugly?
Due to cold temperatures and a lack of play (Human intervention) we discovered two fresh dens under construction on the golf course. At first glance we felt we had a Red Fox on our hands, but to see the size of the paw prints this varmint could very well be a Coyote.
We placed a large pallet over the den's entrance in an attempt to frustrate and aggravate the animal into seeking new shelter.
It's a good thing the irrigation system wasn't up an running! Now go bay at the moon.....where you have more privacy than our golf course.
 |
| We first back filled the entrance and placed a pallet to see if anyone was still living inside. |
We placed a large pallet over the den's entrance in an attempt to frustrate and aggravate the animal into seeking new shelter.
 |
| This is one of two bunkers burrowed into on the course. |
It's a good thing the irrigation system wasn't up an running! Now go bay at the moon.....where you have more privacy than our golf course.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Fairway Aerification Notification:
The fairway aerifier is scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday May 3rd. Delivery time and weather is uncertain as of today so I cannot predict when we’ll start the process. As this machine is not ours and is shared with other courses in Wisconsin and Illinois our time using it is very limited. The upside is we get to use on of the best aerifiers on the market. With that said the downside is we have to “use it” when it is here in our hands.
It typically takes about thirty six hours to complete both aerification and clean up. We will limit the amount of work completed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of each week, but anticipate a massive assault starting Monday May 9th.
Aerification is highly weather dependant and will not be initiated if there is rain on the horizon. (Clean up turns the cores to mud.) I once had a member why we only aerify on “nice” days? Flabbergasted my only reply was a question, “would you paint a house in the rain?”
We’ll make it as quick and complete as possible weather permitting. Please plan your play accordingly and take advantage of reciprocal courses if need be. Holes will be taken out of play where the aerification machines are working but I would ask that you keep power carts off aerification cores. Please keep carts in the rough only on the holes budding aerification cores. Please employ the 90 degree rule if needed.
Why do we aerify? Primarily for two reasons both compaction relief and thatch removal. The list of primary benefits is well over a dozen long and much more technical in nature than what you care to read in this blog.
With that said, we will be taking advantage of the open pores to interseed winter damage area's were ponded snow melt water stood.
_Mk
The fairway aerifier is scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday May 3rd. Delivery time and weather is uncertain as of today so I cannot predict when we’ll start the process. As this machine is not ours and is shared with other courses in Wisconsin and Illinois our time using it is very limited. The upside is we get to use on of the best aerifiers on the market. With that said the downside is we have to “use it” when it is here in our hands.
It typically takes about thirty six hours to complete both aerification and clean up. We will limit the amount of work completed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of each week, but anticipate a massive assault starting Monday May 9th.
Aerification is highly weather dependant and will not be initiated if there is rain on the horizon. (Clean up turns the cores to mud.) I once had a member why we only aerify on “nice” days? Flabbergasted my only reply was a question, “would you paint a house in the rain?”
We’ll make it as quick and complete as possible weather permitting. Please plan your play accordingly and take advantage of reciprocal courses if need be. Holes will be taken out of play where the aerification machines are working but I would ask that you keep power carts off aerification cores. Please keep carts in the rough only on the holes budding aerification cores. Please employ the 90 degree rule if needed.
Why do we aerify? Primarily for two reasons both compaction relief and thatch removal. The list of primary benefits is well over a dozen long and much more technical in nature than what you care to read in this blog.
With that said, we will be taking advantage of the open pores to interseed winter damage area's were ponded snow melt water stood.
_Mk
Winter injury Update-Putting Surfaces
Putting surfaces of greens injured this past winter were "interseeded" on Monday May 2nd; a date that seems particularly late by my calendar. This was created by the persistent winter weather pattern we have been locked into. (La Nina.)
Small tined aerifiers set a close spacings and a shallow depth were used to create a warm moist chamber for the seedlings to grow.
Recovery has been slowed greatly by the cold soil temperatures consistently in the low to mid 40's. Some area looked poised for full recovery soon faded as energy reserves found above the severed crown were used up. Once these area's were identified our interseeding plans were put into action.
Hopefully things will "pop" with warmer temperatures and warm rains. Not the cold icy stuff we received most of April. Greens heights of cut will remain slightly higher to give the new growth a chance to establish.
Also, the closer we get to summer, the less invasive we will be in our interseeding as we move to spikers to create our seed bed slits.
A former greens chairman reminded me that most Bentgrass doesn't really grow until June, I'd like to see a lot of recovery long before then.
_Mk
Small tined aerifiers set a close spacings and a shallow depth were used to create a warm moist chamber for the seedlings to grow.
Recovery has been slowed greatly by the cold soil temperatures consistently in the low to mid 40's. Some area looked poised for full recovery soon faded as energy reserves found above the severed crown were used up. Once these area's were identified our interseeding plans were put into action.
Hopefully things will "pop" with warmer temperatures and warm rains. Not the cold icy stuff we received most of April. Greens heights of cut will remain slightly higher to give the new growth a chance to establish.
Also, the closer we get to summer, the less invasive we will be in our interseeding as we move to spikers to create our seed bed slits.
A former greens chairman reminded me that most Bentgrass doesn't really grow until June, I'd like to see a lot of recovery long before then.
_Mk
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Bull's Eye Branding.
Last spring I replaced your badly soiled practice putting green marking flags with a style that has been around since the sixties? Decals that I had in inventory and trust me I forget what they were purchased for originally (Cart fleet?) found a new home decorating the new markers. Waste not want not.
Director of Golf, Mike Terch asked me where the logo came from and its origins. I cannot pin point the exact date its creation, but know that it was before Dave Andrews time. (Gib Kizer, Bob Ness?) I do know the logo without the crown was refined and marketed to you on sweaters, jackets etc., by Tim Marks sometime after his arrival in 1989.
This retro logo appeared on the clubs letter head and greeted members arriving at the club by way of the entrance sign.
I know I used it in 1986 on "modern" custom made tee blocks made in a special trial to see if there was interest in having all eighteen holes out fitted with them. (One was stolen and I felt too costly to replace constantly if they were going to be the target of thieves that decided to forgo the project all together.
Here is a picture of the logo decal being used to "tag" your cart fleet.
I personally like the fresh look of the "throwback" logo. With that said, I have my eyes on some new shirts and windbreakers with the "old" new look. My advice, get them before they are gone!
_Mk
 |
| Practice Green Marker. |
Director of Golf, Mike Terch asked me where the logo came from and its origins. I cannot pin point the exact date its creation, but know that it was before Dave Andrews time. (Gib Kizer, Bob Ness?) I do know the logo without the crown was refined and marketed to you on sweaters, jackets etc., by Tim Marks sometime after his arrival in 1989.
This retro logo appeared on the clubs letter head and greeted members arriving at the club by way of the entrance sign.
 |
| The Old Entrance Way Sign. |
I know I used it in 1986 on "modern" custom made tee blocks made in a special trial to see if there was interest in having all eighteen holes out fitted with them. (One was stolen and I felt too costly to replace constantly if they were going to be the target of thieves that decided to forgo the project all together.
 |
| The white tee block on #4 was stolen days after its debut! |
 |
| The Superintendents cart wears the brand too! |
I personally like the fresh look of the "throwback" logo. With that said, I have my eyes on some new shirts and windbreakers with the "old" new look. My advice, get them before they are gone!
_Mk
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Course Closed due to Winter!
The Winter of April 2011 has left the course unplayable and closed for the short term.
 |
| Hole #1 looking back towards the clubhouse. |
 |
| Hole #2. |
We will keep everyone posted when the course reopens for play. With the weathermen forecasting 6" to 12" of snow that would be anyone's guess. It's not so much the snow, but the moisture. The course will need some time to dry out before cart traffic is allowed.
Shucks, I forgot to make my Spring Snow Mold plant protectant application! That would be a budget buster! _Mk
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)