Happy New Year! Hoodies and ice skating

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. The weather is becoming a little more like winter. The golf shop has brought in a few hoodie style sweatshirts to keep you toasty into the next year. These have been popular, so be sure to check them out soon as I don't think they will last long.
I have brought my artistry indoors for the winter. Be sure to check out my "signature hole" on display inside the club. Chef Harry and I teamed up to create a centerpiece for the candy buffet.
Lastly, we are working on the ice rink. Please pay attention to the rink closed signs. The ice takes several very cold days to form. Breaking through the ice with skates on can puncture the liner underneath. Please have anyone who insists the ice is ready, "try" the ice with their boots on and not skates. That said, skates add an enormous amount of pressure as the weight of the person is concentrated in a much smaller area. This weather is not conducive to making ice quickly. Water has a very high specific heat and that means is is slow to cool. I will keep you posted as this week progresses.
Weekend forecast has temps above freezing again.
Have a safe and happy new year!
Turf

Winterizing small equipment

In a previous blog, we discussed winterization of equipment and specifically carts, now we need to make sure the small engines are cared for. You have a couple of options. 1. You can run all of the fuel out of your equipment, or 2. You can add a stabilizer to the fuel. I like sea foam treatment. You can add it directly to the fuel tank, follow the directions and run the engine for a couple of minutes to ensure the stabilize has reached all the small components of the carburetor. Most equipment that fails to start for homeowners in the spring is due to the gasoline "tarnishing" the carburetor from months of cold storage. Gasoline ages and loses it's "fizz," so be sure to stabilize any fuel that will sit in a container for extended periods. I like to use sea foam in all the two-cycle equipment, it really helps to keep the engine internal components clean. If you haven't done this yet, your behind! It needs to be done before the onset of cold weather.
Enjoy,
Turf

Winter bunker prep

One of the things you may notice if you were to venture out on the course this winter, is a trench that goes around the inside of the bunker. We do this to protect the boundary of the bunker. When the leaves fall, the winter winds whip across the course and blow the sand out of the bunkers. By building a trench, we provide a depression that catches the sand before it can leave the confines of the bunker lip. The sand that blows out piles up outside the bunker and causes a number of problems from edging the bunkers to turf quality issues. I came across the bottom two photos which show exactly the type of winter situation we are trying to avoid with our preparation work.
Now you know the rest of the story,
Turf

Changing seasons

It looks as if the struggle between fall and winter continues. We are all prepped for the ice rink and now await temperatures more conducive to ice making.
We had a bit of ice cover for the cross-country tournament. My partner can be seen below playing a fine shot from the hazard. Luckily we were able to stand on shore, the ice was not that thick.
The turf is mostly dormant now, brown turf has replaced green. We like to see the turf turn brown before the snow flies, as it assures us that the plant is ready to experience winter extremes.
Looks like a sight break from the cold this weekend,
Turf