Strange weather week...

We began the week with more rain and warm weather and we end the week with gusty winds and highs in the 40's.  Today was quite cold, not too many golfers out which allowed for uninterrupted cleanup work on the fairways. We are almost done with the process which includes: pulling a 10 ft wide piece of weighted chain link fence to bust up the ridges, then mowed and blown off.  This process takes all of our manpower and usually takes 6-7 hours to complete.

#14 fairway after the cleanup process

#14 fairway,  Half and half mowing pattern

5.5" rainfall in less than a week

The rain has come and gone and left us extremely wet.  I think this is the wettest we have been in my nearly 2 years at NCC.  All creeks and lakes are over their banks and almost all bunkers are washed out and holding water.  Last nights total was 1.8", paired with 3.6" last week leaves at 5.5" in a weeks time and 9" in February.  Needless to say, we will be hard at work to repair bunkers and hopefully begin to clean up fairways by Friday.  We will need to remain CART PATH ONLY for several days.  Today will be very windy, which will help the drying process but increases the chance for limbs or trees to fall.

Sunday morning Fog

You know its wet when push carts make tracks!

Walk up to #5 Tee

New water hazzard on #4

Rain.....Again

More wet weather is upon us.  The course received 1.5" of heavy rain last night and this morning.  Fortunately no trees came down, but the course is extremely wet.  More rain is expected this afternoon,  Saturday and again on Monday.  3 to 6" is expected by Tuesday.  The course is holding water everywhere, bunkers are holding water and we are so saturated that there is no where for the water to go. We will be Cart Path Only for several days and possibly until Wednesday the 27th.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

#14 Fairway bunker

#3 Teebox standing water

#3 near the Fairway standing water

Monday play...

As we all know NCC is closed on Monday.  For a maintenance standpoint this is a day in which my crew enjoys because we can work uninterrupted.  Many of the jobs performed on Mondays, such as spraying pesticides, is the best opportunity to do this.  As the weather improves we are seeing more and more golfers out walking.  Please note that my crew has been instructed to continue working around golfers.  As a reminder, maintenance takes precedent over golfers on Mondays.

Thank You for your understanding.

Cart Path Only

More rain fell last night and this morning causing the course to be Cart Path Only.  I know this is an inconvenience, but if carts are allowed on turf the damage will be visible for a while.  Last nights total was .6", giving us close to 4 " in the last 2 weeks.  We also have areas of standing water throughout the course.  With this much rain in the last 2 weeks it takes more time for the ground to absorb the water.  We should dry up today to allow for the 90 degree rule Wednesday.

Thank You for your cooperation.

                                                      #10 cart traffic in wet spot

Standing water #10

90 degrees...

Today is shaping up to be a beautiful day.  We will be back to the 90 degree rule on carts, so come on out and enjoy a warm February Friday.  The course received 2.25" of rain this week and was it was very wet.  Bunkers were repaired and fairways have been cleaned up to remove the unsightly ridges that downpours can produce in the winter.  Although the cart ruling has changed PLEASE keep in mind we still have wet areas to avoid.  Hope to see you out today.

Water everywhere...

I have been on the course this morning to inspect for damage from last nights storm.  Fortunately, only rain fell and not any trees.  As of this morning, 2  inches in the rain gauge.  More rain is expected this evening, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Creeks and lakes are up, standing water everywhere, and water in the bunkers. We have had so much rain recently the ground is saturated and there is a very slow drying time.   For those coming out this week we will be Cart Path Only until further notice.

Bridge between #3 green and #4 Teebox

#4 fairway

Weed control

It's that time again.  This week I have begun to spray weeds throughout the course.  One of my goals this year was to put an emphasis on weed control and I am very pleased with control up to now. It starts with a Fall aplication of Barricade(prodiamine).  This is a very good product and as evident in the fairways it has done it's job.  I then sprayed simazine in late January.  This week I will be using a premium product, Ronstar(oxadiazon).  This product provides excellent control of many of ouy problem weeds, crabgrass and goosegrass.  Along with the pre-emerge, RoundUp(glyphosate) will be in the tank.  When bermudagrass is dormant you can spray RoundUp at low rates with a light mist.

Goosegrass:

Crabgrass:

Covering greens.....

As you have noticed the covers are out next to each green.  To explain in more detail as to when/why we cover:

-If the overnight low temperature is forecast to be below 20 degrees
-If the forecast is for temps to be below freezing for more than 36 hours
-If the greens were weak or stressed going into the Fall


Many variables come into the thought process when deciding and there is no weather "formula".  If I see a need to cover, we will.  Although air temperature is important, soil temperature is extremely critical.  Cold chamber studies have told us that plant death will occur at a soil temperature below 20 degrees.  These trials also demonstrated that exposure to soil temps at 25 degrees for less than one week does not cause great harm.  Given this information we could, in theory, attempt to monitor and predict soil temps in deciding to cover greens.

#7 green back with cover

Course pictures

 

I thought I would share some course photos from 2012.

 

 

 

#10 Green

#1 Green

150 year old Oak #9

#9 old Oak

#8 Green

Course pictures

#4 Winter 2011

#8 Tee

#16 Green

#17 Tee

#18 Green and #10 Fairway

#1 Green

 

 

New signage

My multi-talented maintenance crew has been busy on rainy and frost delay mornings making new signs.  We have installed new Tee box signs indicating hole number and Par.  We have made new Member Only Parking signs and have reinstated Club Champion parking, located on the grille room side of the clubhouse.