Good week for golf

The forecast looks like it will be a good week for golf.  We have decided that we needed one more project to start the year off right.  Marco is preparing the drain by the clubhouse for re-grading, as Ralph inspects.  The course is greening up and hopefully we can open the range tee next week.  
Come on out, we miss you!
Turf

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Is Winter Back??

Barney and Ralph look out on the course and wonder, "what is going on?" We are back into the thirties today, windy, and cold. Saturday looks like it will be a decent day for golf with a high of fifty-five, partly cloudy with light South winds.




We are busy, busy, busy.......



Work in the bunkers has resumed and we are hoping for some dry weather to help us continue. Ornamental grasses have been cut down; irrigation projects on 2 blue and the clubhouse keep us busy when we are not fertilizing or applying weed control. The disappearance of the snow has resulted in an appearance of sticks and branches. Sooooooo.......the list keeps getting longer. Even though it is on the cool side, it is nice to be outside and not freezing, so we are thankful.



Check back soon, I have a photo of a new member of the Briar Ridge skies to present.



Tee it high,



Turf.

First Mowing

Today we are mowing the Blue and Red greens for the first time.  Things are beginning to turn green before our eyes.  Please replace your divots and repair all ball marks.  Greens remain a little soft and the forecast is for rain this weekend.  Cold temperatures will slow growth and the greens should lose some color after sunday, but for now things are looking good.

Greens, greens, greens!!

Opening greens tomorrow afternoon, first mowing will be thursday.  Dust off your clubs and lets play!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Opening day??

The golf course is still open on temporary greens, and is very wet.  If you are brave enough to come out, you may want to wear waterproof shoes, and pants that don't make the Sunday grade.
If the weather forecast holds, we will look to open greens the end of next week, possibly Friday.  
Attached photo shows what mouse damage looks like.
Check back for continuing updates.
-e

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Mice, Mold, and Moles

It looks like spring may have sprung. There is still a good layer of frost in the ground, a good rain would help to remove it. the frost layer in the greens is about an inch and a half deep as of yesterday afternoon.  Once we can get the frost out of the ground, the course will begin to drain, and the opening of the course on regular greens will be a reality.  While the frost remains, you are welcome to come out and play the temporary greens, but please remain on the cart paths at all times.

My first non-snow covered tour revealed some damage from the winter, but overall the course faired better than most of our 401k plans. The typical winter damage was observed Pink Snow Mold (Microdocium Nivale). This fungus is found mostly in the shaded areas of the course, fungicide applications are made in the fall to prevent this disease, so most of the fungus is isolated to the roughs. We found minimal damage in a few areas of fairways and tees.


 

Pink Snow Mold

Star-nosed moles, native to Northern Indiana, create many burrowing tunnels and mounds of soil.  When these animals go deeper into the soil, they leave mounds of soil at the surface.  We found several ares where damage had occured on the tee surface, I don't care for these critters.

We also found some mouse damage.  These little guys like to eat the leaves of the grass plant under the cover of the snow, from the amount of damage on 3 white tee, the hawks should be feasting soon.  The damage looks like a small zig zag depressed area in the turf, but will heal once the turf starts to grow.

We have much work to complete, look back here for more updates soon.

See you on the tee,

Erwin