Moon, seeds, and turf

Your country club has all three!
The full moon was awesome last night at dusk. If you are looking for a relaxing evening, our patio is calling!
We have seeded the area outside the men's locker room! This project has taken a long time and we appreciate your patience! Now we have seed down and some turf will follow.
Speaking of turf, in order to keep the practice tee covered in some turf, several years ago, we instituted a policy in which we would utilize the mat on some of the weekdays. This year, however, it has been so wet that we have been on the mat on other days as well. As a result, the practice tee is in the best shape I have ever seen for this time of year. The good news about this is that we will open the range tee to grass on all weekdays going forward!!
We will continue to monitor how much damage is being done to the turf, and if we have to go back to the mats on or two weekdays we will. So come on out and enjoy the moon and turf, bring some friends,
Turf

Why you need a good golf course mechanic

Reason #28
When an irrigation head that is supposed to do one turn does one hundred and sixty and your biggest event is in three hours.
There is no time to "hunt" for equipment. Pumps, hoses, and wrenches are right where they should be. Pump was full of gas, one pull, and we are pumping water. I didn't even have to try and start it before I left the shop, I was that confident in our team.
We had a small disaster, but our team remained flexible. We are cutting and rolling this green last to allow all the water to drain as much as possible. We cut the hole location in the highest playable spot.
I am proud of my team, being organized and communicating well is essential to avoid "crisis" mode in any non-ordinary situation.
Well done team,
Turf

Skies and soils

As a golf course manager, I spend a significant amount of time looking up and down. The view above has been interesting this year. Dark clouds have dominated the view above.
Evapotranspiration (ET) is the amount of water that leaves the soil through the plant. ET rates for individual crops are different as one may expect.
The below screen shots are interesting, if you compare the ET with rainfall for this month, ( based on a radar estimate, which I think is under estimated) rainfall outpaces ET by an inch. This means that we have a surplus of water in the soil. The situation is the absolute reverse of what we typically see thus far in June.
That's good right?
Not exactly, we actually want some dry down in the soil. The view down below is of waterlogged soils. Wet soils are not good for roots, they are oxygen deprived environments, and healthy roots need some air. We are not real crazy about the current condition of the soil, and we are using a few tools in our arsenal to combat the situation.
We will be spiking the greens this week to try and get some air exchange. We are also making chemical application to try and move some water down through the soil profile. We will be spending the next few days look down for sure.
Looks like a great week!
Please continue to support our great club.
Presidents cup this weekend, the Don Powers Cup awaits,
Turf

Everywhere I look when I am at the country club

I can find beauty.
The club is a wonderful place. The club is where I have met some of the best people. I have memories that can never be taken away, thank to this club. My club, your club, our club. Please come see us today and I guarantee you can find some beauty.
Turf

Nothing "bugs" us at Briar Ridge

The insects may be out in full force, but the scenic nature of golf is second to none. There is no better place to slow the pace of life down and enjoy beauty for a moment, than the golf course. In the thirteen seasons I have been on Briar, there continues to be a scene I have never seen before. The shot of the sun below doesn't do the reality justice. The sun was a giant ball of red, fantastic, and glowing. The course was still and silent, the crack of the ball being struck filled my ears, the sound of the ball soaring through the wind faded and again it was silent. Take time to play nine in the evening, or even five, you won't regret it.
If you do venture out in the evening, don't forget the bug spray! But please apply repellents on the cart path or at the clubhouse prior to going out. The aerosol kills turf, the photo below shows someone who applied insect repellant to their legs while standing in a fairway.
Other things that "bug" us lately is not an insect, but a familiar fungus. Dollar spot continues to be our biggest turf pest. Luckily, we were able to make a fungicide application to the fairways again yesterday. This weather is McDonalds to the dollar spot fungus, it is "lovin it!"
Wow, it's only July and I'm punchy already,
Turf

Twitter, mystery layers, and homemade gnocchi

Who says country clubs are boring??
The golf shop has begun to get new ladies to golf!!! Our get golf ready program is every Wednesday at 5:30, last night we had almost 30 ladies. This program is geared for ladies who are new to the game and want to learn in a relaxing, no stress atmosphere. You can follow Dane and all the action on twitter @ brccgolf.
We have some mystery layers on greens, the soil structure this year is really interesting.  Halfway down the soil profile, some layers appear.  We really like the channels that our fall aerification make, seen in the photo on the left side.  Look for more updates as we investigate this phenomenon further.
Lastly, our culinary team is whipping up some treats for pasta night......hand rolled, fresh gnocchi! Be sure to come out tonight, and avoid the end of the month rush!
See you soon,
Turf

Dollar spot and dollar days

It hasn't rained for two days at Briar Ridge!!
We are still experiencing some challenging weather for turfgrass. The cool temperatures and high humidity result in extended periods of leaf wetness. That means fungal growth. Many of you experiencing allergy symptoms due to high mold counts can sympathize with our fairway turf. Dollar spot pressure is high, and this common turf pathogen is out-competing our fungicide spray intervals. Dollar spot is under control for now although you will still see the impacts, small brown circles.
The photo below shows some cottonwood and some dollar spot fungal growth (mycelium). As you can see, the difference is difficult to distinguish.
Speaking of dollars, Dane and the golf staff would love to outfit you! If your going to shoot 100, you might as well look like 100 bucks!!
The golf shop is stocked with some very attractive gear, please check it out and support our club.
I bought some puma shoes and I'm looking pretty hip,
Turf