Saturday, April 27, 2013

Mr. Singleton

Today we remember Palmer, a great advocate of the game, well respected figure in the community, and a great gentleman.  Palmer Singleton was on the search committee that eventually offered me my current position here at Briar.  He was one of the first members of Briar Ridge that I would come to know and one that I will surely never forget.   Behind my desk sits a photo of Palmer and Susie, his high school sweetheart and partner in life's journey.  Palmer C. Singleton, Jr., was born and raised in Hammond IN, served our country in WW II, and returned to Northwest Indiana where he opened his practice of law, raised two children, and served as a volunteer for many charitable organizations. Palmer was an integral part of what led to the building of Community Hospital in Munster. Palmer certainly left his mark on our community. He was known as a good friend to many, a man to rely upon, a man with character.  Palmer also had a lengthy history with pro bono legal services as a frequent volunteer and advocate for legal services for the less fortunate.  Palmer was a prisoner of war in World War II.  

Palmer was instrumental in the creation of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program at Briar Ridge.  Pictured is a bluebird house with what was the Singleton residence in the background.  Many of the bluebird houses at Briar were built by Palmer and with the help of a local boy scout troop.  Palmer understood the need to be good stewards of the land and that golf courses can play a great role in protecting water quality, creating lost habitats, and conserving natural resources.  Mr. Singleton recognized the abundance of land that surrounds golf courses that are not integral parts of the game, and how those parcels could serve the community in greater ways.  The birdhouse and natural area on 2 red was placed there because of Palmer and serves as a reminder of his contributions.  I hope you have a great day. 
I miss you Palmer,

Go Blue!,
Mr. Good Boss

 








Sent from Erwin's phone, please excuse grammar and punctuation.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Tie a green ribbon round......

That old ash tree.
Sorry, amazing how something that seemed so good, seems so bad after a couple of decades.
There are trees on the course that are being marked with green ribbon.  These trees are Ash trees or genus Fraxinus. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is currently a problem in our area.  We have a plan for dealing with this pest, and the first part of the plan is identification of the Ash trees on the property.
The EAB plan is a comprehensive plan and I will share more details as we go forward.  Essentially, we have three components, treatment, removal, and replanting.
Briar Ridge Country Club is committed to the beauty and integrity of the golf course and surrounding property.  The EAB plan is an extension of this commitment.
The photo below demonstrates the damage that the larvae of this insect does to the vascular system of the tree.  The Larvae of the insect work from the top of the tree down, literally choking the tree.  The third photo shows bark that has been flicked off by foraging woodpeckers.  If you have an Ash tree, you can inspect the tops of the canopy for the signs of the woodpeckers feeding.  This is a quick way to determine how great the infestation is.  Treatments are effective and you should consult a professional arborist for more information.  The Indiana DNR  has more information posted at
Please do not remove any ribbon from any trees.
Please help us spread the correct information that the ribbon only indicates the type of tree and is not an indicator of any action to be taken regarding that tree.
I am certain that there will be much discussion about the green tape (as the chef just entered and asked) so please be sure to correct any misinformation.
We will present more detail as we progress into steps 2 & 3.
But for now we are only in step 1, which is identification.
I know you are wondering......
It was Tony Orlando and Dawn,
Turf










Sent from Erwin's phone, please excuse grammar and punctuation.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Irrigation 9 white

We are getting closer, final preparations taking place and we hope to have this leak fixed tomorrow.
Rains in the forecast.
Palmer Singleton scramble this Saturday, 9:00am shotgun.
Sign up today!
Turf

Friday, April 19, 2013

Course update

Course is closed.
The overnight forecast is for a low of 28. Expect a long delay tomorrow as we expect the ground to freeze and we will not play until it thaws.
It is currently snowing.
Turf

Thursday, April 18, 2013

It's gonna rain

The only thing out today on the course, was three deer and a guy in a pseudo water craft. The forecast is calling for a great amount of rain. The course is supersaturated and we predict that we will be closed Thursday and Friday. We will keep you posted on conditions.
Turf

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Course closed this am / new look / Ralph turns 4

Rains saturated the course, we will check it again at one to possibly open at two. We are using the weather to our advantage by working in an area that stayed relatively firm, the clubhouse! We are laying sod in the parking lot islands and it is going to look great!! We will be adding flower beds to these areas in a few weeks.
Ralph turns four today, I am hoping this is the turning point for his puppy years.
The forecast is calling for an Ark.
Two by two,
Turf

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

First mowings

The rain helped to wake everything up! We mowed the greens for the first time yesterday. The remain soft and we hope to roll them a few times over the next week. We began to mow fairways today and the turf looks good. You can start to see some green peeking through. The forecast looks less than stellar for the next week. We will be moving slowly towards in-season conditions. Bunker work, mowing, setting the amenities, will take us a few weeks.
We hope to see you soon,
Turf

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Opening greens

We will open greens this Thursday afternoon. Freezing overnight temperatures will mean long delays.
There are two small frozen layers in the greens this am. Once the greens thaw out today, we will roll them in preparation for play. The greens are just beginning to show signs of growth and are creeping out of dormancy. With a low forecasted near freezing on Friday, we will wait until next week to mow. We don't like to shock the plants too much after the first mowing. We like to see the plant respond to the first mowing with a continued gradual awakening out of dormancy. Freezing temps after the first mowing sets the plants back a bit, which we want to avoid.
We will open eighteen holes to begin the season. We will be playing the white and blue.
The first men's league will be this Thursday!
Draw at 4:30
Tee it high,
Turf