First vandalism of 2013

We had some joyriders last night.
Broken flag sticks and burnouts.
Please be aware and report any suspicious nighttime activity to security.
Help us to protect the golf course by educating young drivers of appropriate cart operation.
Golf cart operation is fun and young drivers like to "experiment" with their abilities.
Please keep this in mind when allowing nighttime cart access.
Should be a great U.S. Open finish!
Happy Fathers Day!
Turf

Last nights storm

Lots of debris down!
The good news is that the cottonwoods are probably done showering us with cotton mess, but they also dropped many branches. Vile weed!!
We are busy with cleanup, this will take a few days.
Turf

What mom said

Growing up as the youngest of six, we might sometimes hear "can't we have anything nice around here?" We could be a rowdy bunch!
Those sentiments were echoed as I drove up to find my new traffic stakes laying about the fairway. Upon closer examination I found the coyote pups were chewing on the green vinyl caps.
In my morning drive this am, I came across a pup in the tall grass by 8 red, I told him to leave my stakes alone.
I don't think he understood,
Turf

Cart path edges

One of the toughest areas to keep looking good are the cart path edges. This spring has been wet, so the damage to these areas increased. There are several ways which you can help.
1) keep all four tires on the path around greens and tees.
2) avoid bare areas when entering the fairway from the path.
3) when going around other carts, go wide.
The second and third photo show the incorrect and correct way respectively to pass other carts. The natural inclination is to stay close to the path when going around. Going wide, and passing where there is healthy turf is best.
These photos were taken during a staff roundup for training purposes. I thought I would pass the information on to you as well.
The sun is shining...two in a row!!
Turf

Tick tock

Golfers be aware!

Today's staff meeting included a discussion on deer ticks and Lyme disease.  It is important to be aware and be able to identify deer ticks and associated symptoms.

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium that can be transmitted by the deer tick.  So not all deer ticks are capable of infecting humans.

Studies have shown that an infected tick normally cannot begin transmitting the spirochete until it has been attached to its host about 36-48 hours; the best line of defense against LD, therefore, is to examine yourself at least once daily and remove any ticks before they become engorged (swollen) with blood.

Always check ankles and calf areas during and after a round especially when venturing in areas of brush or longer grass.

Check out http://www.aldf.com/lyme.shtml

For more information.

-turf

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

Cool temps

The cooler temps allow us to do some things the heat won't. One of those things is a good brush mowing. This photo is from the spring, but we have been busy adjusting the brushes on this unit to perform exactly how we would like. Getting the brushes uniform and at the right pressure is a chore, but we like the result. The photo shows how the first pass had one side of the brush collapsing. Since this photo, we have changed the style and composition of the broom as well. Ever see someone in the janitorial aisle examining brooms in detail? Other customers were probably like " ok buddy, I think that broom will sweep up dust just fine." Ha! Little did they know I wasn't even going to sweep dust!
I think this will be a video soon!
Turf

They were at it again!!

More golf camps building skills while having fun!
Jill says, "My passion is teaching juniors and women the game of golf. I incorporate many games , which are a great way to learn basic golf skills while having FUN.
She walked on to Purdue golf team in 1999. Member of 2000 big ten championship team. PGA member since 2004. Junior golf director at Sand Creek. From. 2006-2012.
We are so happy to have her as an addition to our staff.
We all know someone who wants to take up this great sport, make sure they know that Briar Ridge provides the most comfortable atmosphere for what can be intimidating to beginners.
Call the proshop soon, these camps will be full.
Turf