HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Desiderata Max Ehrmann - 1927   Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.   Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.   Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.   Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.   Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.   With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.   Strive to be happy.     Whatever you believe... however you celebrate... I wish you and your family a quiet, peaceful and joyous holiday and a healthy, prosperous New Year.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Proclamation of Thanksgiving

 Washington, D.C.                                                                                                                   
October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America. 
A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth. 

By the President: Abraham Lincoln 
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

THE WEEK IN REVIEW (Pictorial)

This week we refurbished the front green side bunker at the practice area.  The process consists of stripping the sod, re-establishing the edge contour and removing the excess sand.  As you can see from the photo to below, eight inches of sand had accumulated.  Over the course the season, sand is "flashed" onto the face from the numerous players utilizing this bunker.  The location is convenient and is often the only bunker used.  This renovation process will become part of our program at the end of every season.

Green Collar - Note the 2" sand accumulation

 

FALL REVIEW

FROST FACTS

How can a footprint be a killer? 

When it's a footprint made on a putting surface that's covered with frost. It's hard to believe that simply walking across a golf green covered with frost can cause so much damage, but the proof will be there in a few days as the turfgrass dies and leaves a trail of brown footprints. That's why most courses will delay starting times until the frost has melted. And it's also why golfers who appreciate a quality putting surface will be patient during frost delays.

Why does frost cause problems?

 Greens are fragile. The putting surface, or green, is an extremely fragile environment that must be managed carefully and professionally. Remember that every green is a collection of millions of individual grass plants, each of which is a delicate living thing. Obviously, Mother Nature never meant for these plants to be maintained at 3/16 or even 1/8 of an inch for prolonged periods. This stress makes greens constantly vulnerable to attacks from insects, disease, heat, drought, cold  and frost.

Frost is essentially frozen dew. It can form when the temperature (or wind chill) is near or below the freezing point. The ice crystals that form on the outside of the plant can also harden or even freeze the cell structure of the plant. When frosted, the normally resilient plant cells become brittle and are easily crushed. When the cell membranes are damaged, the plant loses its ability to function normally. It's not much different than cracking an egg. Once the shell is broken, you can't put it back together.

The proof is in the prints

Although you won't see any immediate damage if you walk on frosted turf, the proof will emerge within 48 to 72 hours as the leaves die and turn brown. And, since just one foursome can leave several hundred footprints on each green, the damage can be very extensive.

Thanks for understanding

The damage isn't just unsightly -- putting quality will also be reduced until repairs are made. Those repairs are expensive and, in some cases, the green may have to be kept out of play for days or weeks until the new turfgrass is established. A short delay while the frost melts can preserve the quality of the greens, prevent needless repairs and may even save you a few strokes the next time you play.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW (Pictorial)

BYE BYE BERMUDAGRASSS

 

As you can see from the above photo the rough to right of #4 White Fairway has been taken over with common bermudagrass and undesirable weeds.  These weeds have become too difficult to control with traditional chemical methods and a complete overhaul was necessary.  This week's project was to renovate the rough on #4.  The ground current cover really compromised not only the aesthetics but the playability of the hole.  It should be playable by Thanksgiving.  I know those reading this blog don't hit the ball in the rough, but tell your friends it's going to be great!  

The sod is roped off and should be played as "ground under repair" , please keep off the grass until it's ready.

 

The sod was stripped and completely removed

Creating a clean edge to keep our transition with the fairway

The area will be roped off to keep traffic of the wet sod while it tacks down

The BEST sod laying crew in the world.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

THE WEEK IN REVIEW (Pictorial)

Well the rain has stopped after a total 5.35" fell on the golf course last week.  This week, we were able to work on the collar enhancement project that was delayed.  This consists of sod repair and beginning a step down cut.  The step down area will eventually be maintained at green height thus reducing the collars to 40".  This will be gradual and take a few weeks because we don't want to scalp the turf.

So why are we doing this? 

The goal is to have consistent collars all year.  Collars are susceptible to mechanical and environmental damage because of their growth habit.  They create a transition between rough and the green surface.  The increased height of cut exposes more leaf tissue to damage from traffic and equipment.  This is evident by the fact that the bentgrass cut at greens height handles these pressures much better. My plan is to reduce the problem area and lower the height of cut on the new collar area.  We will then maintain the collars with the same light weight walking mowers we use on greens.

#8 White

#3 White

THE WEEK IN REVIEW (Pictorial)

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?

 

3.4" of rain so far this week has forced us to postpone our sod work on the collars until

next Tuesday.  We were able to began shaping the collar edges with new mowing

contours to prep for the enhancement.  This weekend we will work on bunker repair/water

removal and leaf clean up.

NEW ADDITION TO THE COURSE 

We recently added this sign to direct cart parking on #1 Blue near the green.  This area is a "pinch" point on the course.  The path was widened during the CRI project to help with traffic.  The next step is to park the golf carts in a single row on the left starting at the sign.  This will allow through traffic from both sides.  - Thank you for your cooperation.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

 

 

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

 

THIS WEEK'S SOD PROJECT'S

 

#3 Blue

 

#3 White

 

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

FALL AERIFICATION SCHEDULE

 

AERIFICATION /SEEDING SCHEDULE

August 27 - September 20th

Week of  8/27 — Roughs & Surrounds (BLUE)

Week of  9/2 — Roughs & Surrounds (RED)

Week of  9/9 — Roughs & Surrounds (WHITE)

9/16 — Aerify/Topdress  Blue Greens/Tees

9/17 — Aerify/Topdress  White Greens/Tees

9/18 — Aerify/Topdress  Red Greens/Tees

              Aerify/Seed  Red & White Fairways

9/19 — Aerify/Seed  White & Blue Fairways

9/20 — Mow/Roll all greens/Finish debris clean-up

Each day of Greens, our goal is to complete 9 holes and re-open the following day.  This schedule is weather dependent and we will do our best to follow as posted.  We appreciate your understanding and regret any inconvenience. 

 

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Please disregard the July 9th date in my WIR.  I still have July on the brain.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

HUMBLE PIE

 

Superintendents across the land have all eaten their fair share of humble pie.  Sometimes it's force fed to us by mother nature and sometimes we eat it on our own.  Following our preventative chemical application to greens and tees on Friday we experienced some phytotoxicity.  What is Phytotoxicity?
It's the burning or toxic response from a chemical application.  Last Friday we applied our standard preventative disease control heading into the weekend. As always, we applied these products in the morning to avoid the heat of the day.  Doing so reduces the chance of a phytotoxic response.  Later in the day the temps reached 97 degrees.  This was not a surprise as these temps were anticipated.  What was a surprise was the plant response and subsequent burning.  The affected areas were already weak and the phytotoxic response caused further set back.  The good news is disease is in check, the bad news is we suffered some collateral damage in the process. Most areas will grow out of this effect in a few weeks.  Some will require additional inputs.  Today we dimple tined and seeded these areas to promote and speed recovery.  I apologize for the aesthetics while we recover.

New GCSAA TV Spot

 

 

Back in early June GCSAA TV interviewed me about managing Bentgrass in the Mid-Atlantic for a company called Tee-2-Green.  They are the breeders of A1/A4 Bentgrass, the variety we have on our greens.  At the end they asked if  I could film another spot for a segment they call What's in your Cart?.  The main interview will be released soon. 

 

Stay Tuned! 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Breath of Fresh Air

Why Aerate?
Turf requires four essential growth factors for optimal growth: sunlight, air, water and nutrients. A well-designed aeration program will help maintain proper water and air movement within the soil encouraging deep, dense rooting for a firm, consistent turf. Here’s what solid tine aeration can do for the turf:

Benefits of Solid Tine Aeration

1. Improves gas exchange. Solid tine aeration opens the turf, alleviating compaction and allowing efficient gas exchange between the soil and the atmosphere.
2. Minimizes turf damage and downtime. Because no cores are removed, the disturbance to the turf surface is minimal. Best of all, the turf can be used immediately after aeration.
3. Can be done all-season. Solid tine aeration minimizes turf stress, so it’s well suited for summer temperatures.
4. Increases surface drainage (infiltration and percolation). Aeration allows water to move freely between plant roots and the environment for vigorous growth.
5. Requires less manpower. Solid tine aeration typically requires less labor, because there’s no need for core removal/processing or top dressing.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

 

 

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!



 

The battle is on and summer has begun.  Humidity and high temperatures present a challenge to turfgrass health by creating mother nature's petri dish.  Fungal pathogens need moisture and warmth to grow and thrive.  The disease triangle below illustrates the (3) factors needed for diseases to attack turfgrass.

As you can see, we are working with an 0-2 count.  Mother Nature controls the weather and its ability to create a pathogen.  What we control is the susceptible host.  By providing the plant with the proper amount of sunlight, water, nutrients and oxygen, we give the plant the tools to mount a resistance.  Similar to the disease triangle, all four components are needed for plant health as well.  In addition, we supplement the plant's natural defenses with a preventive plant protectant program.