Raindrops are falling......................

..............on my head.  Rain is forecasted for 12 out of the next 13 days.  We have begun to work on the opening of the course.  We plan to roll the greens for the first time tomorrow, but we will see.  Mother Nature always seems to have different plans than us this time of year.  Looking forward, if we can get lucky and the rain stays away, we may be able to open the greens up for play.  We are trying to stay optimistic, but past experience says that the first week of April is our typical date for that type of activity.  Regardless, we still have 9 holes of temporaries out there, and if you have never experienced them, they can be fun.  We are planning on having another 9 hole cross country this spring, the one we had over Thanksgiving was fun, even though my team lost.  The course is still very soft, so if you do venture out, please keep carts on the paths.  Remember to stretch and warm up slowly, (link at left has some common stretches).  It has been a long winter and golf muscles wake up slowly, so avoid injury.  I like the Titleist Performance Institute, it has some useful information for the serious and casual golfer.
See you soon,
Turf

Here comes spring

We are starting to look ahead at the possibility of opening the greens.  The end of March is looking good, time will tell, the weather seems to change quickly this time of year.  I will keep this updated as we continue to monitor weather patterns.  The photo above is of canna lilly bulbs, every year we pull these out and keep them over winter.  We have gotten pretty good at this and now have more than we know what to do with. Time to think about starting things from seed.  Come on sunshine!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Where did all the snow go?

Well, we look like we are inching our way towards spring.  Problem is, that we take two steps forward and one back.  All in all, the days are getting longer and I can hear more birds singing everyday.

Most of the snow is now just a memory.  Photo looking toward 8 red
from 7 red green.

The course still has some areas of snow, most of it is gone, but the remnants of the great snowstorm of 2011 is still lingering.  The course appears to have done pretty good through the winter, early scouting for cold weather fungus has turned up a few spots, but nothing epidemic.  The winter did some tree trimming for us, and the tops of several trees have been broken off, you will see us out soon taking care of these issues.  We are putting the finishing touches on equipment maintenance.  We will begin preparing for summer, potting our canna lilies, moving our tropical plants outside (in our make-shift greenhouse), and starting other plants from seed.  There is still quite a bit of frost in the ground, and we will continue to provide updates as we move closer to better weather.

2011 Fast Forward

I am often asked, "what do you do in the winter?" Most people believe that once the golf season is done, we close the doors to the place and wait until the spring comes and all the snow melts. Sometimes, I wish that were the case. With exactly 12 weeks left until the first of April, suddenly winter does not feel so long. In addition to an extension preventative maintenance program for our equipment, we are busy with projects, planning, and review. For example, in 2011 our department plans to experiment with Bio diesel from the kitchen fryer oil, expand an area for organic gardening, and install 2 honeybee hives. These endeavors, are just a few of the ways that our department is addressing the issue of sustainability as this industry moves forward. We also have a list of building improvements that we make to protect our workers and the environment. This winter, a small project is ongoing in our chemical building to make the mixing and loading of chemicals more efficient and safer. Protection of the environment and the staff are very serious priorities of the Briar Ridge Maintenance Staff, especially when it come to the use of pesticides. We also take time to review all aspects of course care. Mowing patterns, fertility, cultural practices, course setup, irrigation, bunker work, drainage, and general shop organization are all examples of our management routines. Revisions to our management routines are done by reviewing and assessing our current practices. Through critical evaluation of our current operations, we are hopefully constantly improving, which results in a more efficient and smooth operation.

November Golf

Looks like the weather is going to give us one last hurrah.  The forecast is warm, Sunday am almost 50!  The high tomorrow is 60, wow one more chance to make some birdies.  I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving Holiday.  We have much to be Thankful for in our house, especially group hugs. Remember, the leaf rule!
Go Blue,

Turf

The greatest game ever played

Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots - but you have to play the ball where it lies.


- Bobby Jones
 
The golf course is almost ready for a wintery nap. Irrigation lines are all blown out, as well as the out buildings. Playing surfaces are protected against snow mold, a cold weather fungus which can injure fine turf. Tee markers, signs, stakes, and ball washers have been brought in out the winter elements. Although it seems a little sad, these comfortable autumn days are still enjoyable, you may have to walk a little more to keep the body warm, but the golf is still good.


The golf course, without all the amenities I mentioned, takes on a simple look. As a golf minimalist, I can’t stop myself from looking at all the things we don’t really need, to play golf. We love to clog up the landscape, addicted to nifty gadgets and placards with symbols that provide information. We sure go through some great effort to make a simple game complicated and expensive. Yes, I realize that my colleagues and I play a big role in this, but so does golfer demands. It all comes down to that overused and vague term…….value.

If golf is going to survive the next generation, we need to figure out its value, and that may mean, getting back to the basics; the true essence of the game which has held the attention and fascination of men and women for over a hundred years. This great game which is now viewed as boring and time consuming to the younger crowds, depends on them to survive and flourish. Golf not only affords us exercise and escape, but teaches valuable life lessons like perseverance, patience, forgiveness, and more importantly, redemption.

Those are my golf thoughts for today.

Go Blue,

Turf

Fall cleanup, winterization

The last week I have received many questions about the aerification of the fairways.  Without too much science and detail, I will try to explain the process.  We do a traditional aerification on the red nine (1-8) where we pull cores of soil out of the ground and mulch them up.  We like this approach because of the sandy soil on most of the red.  Pulling the soil up and placing on top helps us control thatch.  The rest of the course is treated with a modified slicing approach with a piece of equipment called an "aerway".  The aerway makes a slice about 4 inches long and shatters the soil below the ground.  The reason for the different approaches is the soil subsurface, because of the different soils, we change the management of these soils.  The heavy clay soils of the white and blue courses have been topdressed for several years now and we don't want to incorporate the clay into the sand, so a solid tine approach to aerification is appropriate.  
In addition to cleaning up broken branches, fallen trees, and a billion leaves,  we are closing down the irrigation system this week and have closed the course bathrooms.  We are getting ready for winter---yuck.
I have been banned from cheering for college football teams,
Turf

-- Sent from my Palm Pre