Well, March was unseasonably nice. In what is typically an awful weather month, she provided great weather. As of the 29th we have only received 3.5" of rain, but more is expected before April 1. We hit a record high 87 degrees, and that really helped jumpstart the bermudagrass. Fairways, tees and greens have really jumped out of dormancy nicely. Here's to hoping April is just as nice.
The pipe replacement project on #6 is complete. Christopher Grading did an outstanding job in a very short window. As wet as the ground was it still amazes me the job got done as quickly as it did. The 30" metal pipe was replaced by a 36" plastic pipe which we shouldn't have to revisit in our lifetime. While Joe was here we had him address the broken pipe on #10. Upon uncovering the problem we found that we had a rise of 7" which is not what we wanted to hear. So, we are kind of stuck with an open ditch, which will have water in it but will allow water to flow into the lake during rain. The area surrounded by silt fence will be fine graded later this summer when things dry out and re-sodded.
Greens are in good shape! We have lowered the height of cut several times from our winter height and they are rolling great. We fertilized them this week to really wake them up. I expect to begin normal cultural practices soon, such as light verticutting, topdressing and brushing.
Greens aerification schedule for 2016:
Monday May 16 1/4" core
Monday June 20 1/2" core
Tuesday Sept 6 1/4" core
Also,Monday May 2nd we will be grading high spots around the greens to allow water to drain off the green surface. This is the primary reason for loss of turf on a few greens. Years of sand topdressing has caused a lip at the edge of the green. At the same time I plan to re-sod weak areas on greens with new Champion sod.
April projects:
Fertilize fairways and tees
Pre-emerge fairways
Aerify fairways and tees
See you on the course!
Andy
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
Ready for Spring!
I'm sure like most of you, I am ready for the temps to warm and grass to green up. It has been a very challenging Fall/winter! 2016 has started off just like 2015 ended, WET. This has caused us many headaches like bunker repair, cleanup after storms and many days of Cart Path Only. Speaking of CPO, it does not give me pleasure in making it that, it is for the best interest of the course. So please respect the sign, you spend good money to be a member here.
We are set to begin work on the pipe replacement project on #6 this week. This should be complete by the end of the week if weather cooperates. The old pipe will be removed and new pipe installed correctly this time. Plan on a large area to be Ground Under Repair for quite some time. It is anticipated that 200 feet by 50 feet wide will be used as the work site. We might move the tees up so that everyone flies their golf ball over this area.
All pre/post emerge weed control is complete. We anticipate a very clean golf course this season. The board graciously approved an increase in my budget for addition weed control and I feel we have a great plan in place.
We also have a plan in place to correct the problems on the greens, which actually started off the green. During the growing season we sand top-dress greens weekly, over years of doing this the collars build up and create a situation that does not allow water to runoff. We will contract a machine to come out right after Member-Member(May 2nd) to grade around the greens to correct this. In many cases depending on how much material is removed we will just push the grass back with fertilizer, but some areas might need sod. It is a great solution to a problem that has been building for years. I am looking at ways to change my top-dressing program to possibly avoid this in the future. I will then sod cut out weak areas on the greens and replace with new champion sod. I am hopeful to have this complete in early May.
See you on the course
Andy
We are set to begin work on the pipe replacement project on #6 this week. This should be complete by the end of the week if weather cooperates. The old pipe will be removed and new pipe installed correctly this time. Plan on a large area to be Ground Under Repair for quite some time. It is anticipated that 200 feet by 50 feet wide will be used as the work site. We might move the tees up so that everyone flies their golf ball over this area.
All pre/post emerge weed control is complete. We anticipate a very clean golf course this season. The board graciously approved an increase in my budget for addition weed control and I feel we have a great plan in place.
We also have a plan in place to correct the problems on the greens, which actually started off the green. During the growing season we sand top-dress greens weekly, over years of doing this the collars build up and create a situation that does not allow water to runoff. We will contract a machine to come out right after Member-Member(May 2nd) to grade around the greens to correct this. In many cases depending on how much material is removed we will just push the grass back with fertilizer, but some areas might need sod. It is a great solution to a problem that has been building for years. I am looking at ways to change my top-dressing program to possibly avoid this in the future. I will then sod cut out weak areas on the greens and replace with new champion sod. I am hopeful to have this complete in early May.
See you on the course
Andy
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
USGA update
Below is an excellent article provided by the USGA. Take a minute to read it, it gives great insight to a lot of the issues we are dealing with in the current el Nino pattern.
http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/regional-updates/southeast-region/strong-el-nino-impacting-southern-golf-courses.html
http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/regional-updates/southeast-region/strong-el-nino-impacting-southern-golf-courses.html
Friday, January 22, 2016
Course Update
Weather continues to dictate what we do on the course. The maintenance crew has lost quite a few hours this Fall/Winter due to rain and cold temperatures. As you would expect this puts us behind on projects and we work hard when we can to catch up. As I write this it is raining again with more coming all day with potential for snow showers. As I get older my opinion of SNOW has changed, I don't care for it unless I go North to play in it! It just causes so much chaos in our area and it impacts what I do for a living. Moving on.
The sinkhole on #6 has gotten worse. We are currently receiving bids to repair and hope to know something soon. Basically the problem is this; under the fairway is a 30" culvert pipe that is rusted and now compromised. During construction in the mid-80's the pipe was put in to drain water to the lake. The pipe was installed lower than it should and over the years it has backed up with water which led to it's demise. So for now the plan is to dig up and replace the pipe, this time doing it right! PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS AREA. It is dangerous, unstable and could collapse at any time.
We plan to start spraying our pre-emerge in the next few weeks. This application will ensure we are free of weeds until the growing season, where we will apply another for even more control. The plan for fairways will be the same as last year. All of this is weather dependent.
Our maintenance manager Kyle has begun remodeling the restrooms on #13. They will be very similar to what the restrooms on #5 look like. Please know the will be out of order until further notice. Thank You for understanding.
See you on the course!
Andy
The sinkhole on #6 has gotten worse. We are currently receiving bids to repair and hope to know something soon. Basically the problem is this; under the fairway is a 30" culvert pipe that is rusted and now compromised. During construction in the mid-80's the pipe was put in to drain water to the lake. The pipe was installed lower than it should and over the years it has backed up with water which led to it's demise. So for now the plan is to dig up and replace the pipe, this time doing it right! PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS AREA. It is dangerous, unstable and could collapse at any time.
We plan to start spraying our pre-emerge in the next few weeks. This application will ensure we are free of weeds until the growing season, where we will apply another for even more control. The plan for fairways will be the same as last year. All of this is weather dependent.
Our maintenance manager Kyle has begun remodeling the restrooms on #13. They will be very similar to what the restrooms on #5 look like. Please know the will be out of order until further notice. Thank You for understanding.
See you on the course!
Andy
Monday, December 28, 2015
Enough rain already...
What a crazy "Winter". In the 15 plus years working on golf courses I have never experienced a season quite like this. This really describes 2015 in a nutshell. We started cold, then warm, then cold then rainy, then weeks of no rain. It has been the one of the most challenging years for me. As of December 28 we have received right at 70" of rainfall. Before weeks end we are expected to receive 2-4 additional inches. In comparison we received 47.5" last year. Talk about what a difference a year makes! By the way, our annual rainfall average is 51". Not only is rainfall a story, temperatures are out of whack too. We are 3 days from January and we still have a few green fairways and we still continue to mow grass on the greens. We have come within a few degrees of record highs on many occasions. We are ready for a cold snap to send the entire course into dormancy. It needs it! I rode the course during the last downpour and snapped a few pictures of flooding.
Sinkhole #6 fairway
#7 green
#18 green and #10 fairway
#10 lake out of its banks
#18 fairway river
Overwhelmed wall #17
#16 fairway
As you can see the course is a mess. My crew is working hard (when we can) to make it as great as possible. This weather has slowed us down on completing projects. Thank You for your understanding and cooperation. I look forward to 2016 and another great year at NCC. We have many great projects and ideas for the upcoming season. I hope your 2016 is great.
See you on the course!
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Course update
Well, disease on the greens continues to be a pain in my side. Several things contribute to this, excess moisture, damp, cloudy days and lack of sunlight for extended periods. We didn't see the sun for 12 days! While the fungus is under check it will unfortunately linger for a while. We have sprayed numerous products to control the fungus and push new growth, but temperatures are just not right for growth. I am thankful that its only affecting a few greens and for the recovery that has happened as they could be worse. This past weekend we had a cold snap which brought a lot of frost to the course. We have not had frost on the greens yet. The color of the greens now will be what we can expect throughout the winter. We use a pigment to keep them green as opposed to allowing them to go off color like the rest of the course.
This has been a strange Fall. It has been unseasonably warm and very wet. In the last month we have received almost 12" of rain. During the Fall it is very tough to dry out from this as the days are shorter and not as warm. The crew has worked hard to keep the course clean. Typically after each heavy rain we spend time repairing bunkers, which can take a day and a half to complete.
I hope you and your family have a great Holiday season!
See you on the course!
Andy
This has been a strange Fall. It has been unseasonably warm and very wet. In the last month we have received almost 12" of rain. During the Fall it is very tough to dry out from this as the days are shorter and not as warm. The crew has worked hard to keep the course clean. Typically after each heavy rain we spend time repairing bunkers, which can take a day and a half to complete.
I hope you and your family have a great Holiday season!
See you on the course!
Andy
Friday, October 23, 2015
Course update
We have been very busy on the course. Lots of leaves to blow each and everyday. Often times we will blow an area multiple times the same day. The weather has been awesome. Cool in the mornings, but by lunchtime we are shedding layers because the warmth of the sun. We have been very fortunate with the temperatures for recovery of the leaf spot outbreak early in the month. Typically the weather has turned much cooler by mid October. As I look at the 10 day forecast it seems that warm trend will continue. But as you know Georgia weather can change very quickly and I suspect we will have a frost within 2 weeks.
I wanted to talk about the "mud" on 2 and 7 greens. For a reason in which I can't explain, earthworms have enjoyed taking up residence in those greens. Each morning when we arrive to mow, nearly all of the surface is covered with mounds of dirt. We tried many things, including running water to reduce the amount of dirt before we mow. We tried blowing the dirt off, but there was no good way. Eventually the dirt began to pack down and create a layer and choke out the grass. So, we went out with a high pressure hose and flooded and washed the mud out and off the green. By doing that it allowed those chocked out areas to breath and get sunlight. We applied a few products that have worked in controlling the issue, and recovery is in progress.
I would like to introduce Tony Mosley, my new Assistant Superintendent. Tony joined us in early October and brings great knowledge. He has previously served as a Superintendent in the early 2000's before getting out of the golf business. I am sure you will get a chance to meet and get to know him.
See you on the course!
Andy
I wanted to talk about the "mud" on 2 and 7 greens. For a reason in which I can't explain, earthworms have enjoyed taking up residence in those greens. Each morning when we arrive to mow, nearly all of the surface is covered with mounds of dirt. We tried many things, including running water to reduce the amount of dirt before we mow. We tried blowing the dirt off, but there was no good way. Eventually the dirt began to pack down and create a layer and choke out the grass. So, we went out with a high pressure hose and flooded and washed the mud out and off the green. By doing that it allowed those chocked out areas to breath and get sunlight. We applied a few products that have worked in controlling the issue, and recovery is in progress.
I would like to introduce Tony Mosley, my new Assistant Superintendent. Tony joined us in early October and brings great knowledge. He has previously served as a Superintendent in the early 2000's before getting out of the golf business. I am sure you will get a chance to meet and get to know him.
See you on the course!
Andy
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Leaf Spot/Pythium
Greens Update:
What is another way to tell Fall is here? The arrival of disease pressure on the greens. This is a battle each season. When we get into periods of cloudy, overcast, rainy and damp conditions the fungus attacks. It thrives in that type of environment. The end of September has provided exactly that. Leaf spot and Pythium have reared its ugly head. I have applied 3 types of fungicide to control it. While this fungus is mostly aesthetic the greens continue to put very well. Recovery time depends on the weather. Out of the last 10 days, we have seen the sun ONE DAY, and it has rained 8 of those days. Bermuda grass needs sunlight. This weeks forecast looks great with Sunny days and highs near 80. The greens will bounce back, please be patient. Now let the sun shine!
What is another way to tell Fall is here? The arrival of disease pressure on the greens. This is a battle each season. When we get into periods of cloudy, overcast, rainy and damp conditions the fungus attacks. It thrives in that type of environment. The end of September has provided exactly that. Leaf spot and Pythium have reared its ugly head. I have applied 3 types of fungicide to control it. While this fungus is mostly aesthetic the greens continue to put very well. Recovery time depends on the weather. Out of the last 10 days, we have seen the sun ONE DAY, and it has rained 8 of those days. Bermuda grass needs sunlight. This weeks forecast looks great with Sunny days and highs near 80. The greens will bounce back, please be patient. Now let the sun shine!
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Fall is here...
Fall is here, grass has slowed its growth and leaves are falling. Mornings have been cool lately and afternoons comfortable. I love this time of year. With the approaching cooler weather we prepare. Listed are a few things which are very important this time of year.
-Raise the Height of cut on Tees and Fairways from .5" to .6"
-Raise Greens HOC from .125" to .135", We will do this as the temps get cooler with an end result of .160"
-Pre-emerge golf course for winter annual weeds
-Apply preventative fungicide for Spring Dead Spot
-This time also allows us to catch up on bed detail and spraying weeds in beds
-I plan to address several bunkers that are low on Sand
-Repair any leaks or broken Irrigation
We always have a project list in the Fall/Winter, and we work hard to complete it.
What is another way to tell Fall is here? The arrival of disease pressure on the greens. This is a battle each season. When we get into periods of cloudy, overcast, rainy and damp conditions the fungus attacks. It thrives in that type of environment. The end of September has provided exactly that. Leaf spot and Pythium have reared its ugly head. I have applied 2 types of fungicide to control it. Now let the sun shine!
See you on the course!
Andy
-Raise the Height of cut on Tees and Fairways from .5" to .6"
-Raise Greens HOC from .125" to .135", We will do this as the temps get cooler with an end result of .160"
-Pre-emerge golf course for winter annual weeds
-Apply preventative fungicide for Spring Dead Spot
-This time also allows us to catch up on bed detail and spraying weeds in beds
-I plan to address several bunkers that are low on Sand
-Repair any leaks or broken Irrigation
We always have a project list in the Fall/Winter, and we work hard to complete it.
What is another way to tell Fall is here? The arrival of disease pressure on the greens. This is a battle each season. When we get into periods of cloudy, overcast, rainy and damp conditions the fungus attacks. It thrives in that type of environment. The end of September has provided exactly that. Leaf spot and Pythium have reared its ugly head. I have applied 2 types of fungicide to control it. Now let the sun shine!
See you on the course!
Andy
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Busy August and looking forward
August was HOT! It was our warmest month so far, but as I write this it is 58 degrees. This morning was beautiful. Fall is on the way. With that said, we will soon be doing cultural practices to prepare the course for cold weather. Tuesday September 8 we will close the course for our final core aerification of the season. We will get more aggressive with the verticutting, pull a 1/4" core, topdress heavy and fertilize. I anticipate full recovery in 2 weeks. We will also begin to monitor the temperatures, that will dictate raising the height of cut and reducing the amount of growth regulator applied. The days are getting shorter, we need maximum growth going into Fall.
September is the time in which we Pre-emerge the course for winter weeds. Last Fall we had perfect timing and I am hoping for similar results this year. I would also encourage you to do the same on your lawn. There are many products out there and I can help steer you in the right direction.
NCC's annual Club Championship was held August 15,16 with a field of around 70. Carson Vaughn won with rounds of 75-75. Pick Parks won the Senior division, Ernie Bell won Super Senior and Ms. Nina Fanning claimed the Ladies Championship. The course was playing tough. The roughs have become thick and greens were fast. In fact, I have had quite a few folks mention that they have never been as fast as they were for the tournament. Yes, I would love to keep them like that, but it's just not that simple. Overall I was very proud of the condition of the course. I heard many positive comments. It is always nice to hear those nice things after putting in the hours to get it there.
Call2Cut tree service was out Monday to remove 5 dead pines. The most noticeable was on the left side of 9 fairway. It was struck by lightning July 19.
We received 4+" of rain last week and we are just over 5" for the month. We are slightly ahead of our annual rainfall total.
September is the time in which we Pre-emerge the course for winter weeds. Last Fall we had perfect timing and I am hoping for similar results this year. I would also encourage you to do the same on your lawn. There are many products out there and I can help steer you in the right direction.
NCC's annual Club Championship was held August 15,16 with a field of around 70. Carson Vaughn won with rounds of 75-75. Pick Parks won the Senior division, Ernie Bell won Super Senior and Ms. Nina Fanning claimed the Ladies Championship. The course was playing tough. The roughs have become thick and greens were fast. In fact, I have had quite a few folks mention that they have never been as fast as they were for the tournament. Yes, I would love to keep them like that, but it's just not that simple. Overall I was very proud of the condition of the course. I heard many positive comments. It is always nice to hear those nice things after putting in the hours to get it there.
Call2Cut tree service was out Monday to remove 5 dead pines. The most noticeable was on the left side of 9 fairway. It was struck by lightning July 19.
We received 4+" of rain last week and we are just over 5" for the month. We are slightly ahead of our annual rainfall total.
Monday, August 3, 2015
July Recap
Well, we continue to be busy on the course. I am very proud and appreciative of my staff for the effort they have put in this season. Working conditions have been tough and challenging. July 6 all greens were verticut, aerified, sanded and fertilized. We were fortunate to receive a few timely rain events to help with recovery. The recovery process went very well, in fact we aggressively verticut and sanded them again 7 days after aerification. This really helped smooth out the surface. We had 19 days to have them great for The Kirby. We accomplished that.
Speaking of The Kirby, I thought the course was in great shape. Greens were rolling smooth and with a good pace. I played this year and heard numerous compliments, all positives! Brad Harden won this year with a +1 total. The course was playing tough.
We received 5 1/2" rainfall in July, bringing the yearly total to 38". We are just above average for the year. And although we have received adequate rainfall we are pretty dry. The intense heat dries us out very quickly. Last rainfall was July 19.
We are preparing for Club Championship, August 15,16
I have sprigged a nursery green at the far end of the Driving Range. I anticipate 8-10 weeks grow in. This will allow us to utilize plugs from there instead of the chipping green when repairs are made. Speaking of repairs we plan to address the front of #12 green and back of #13 green in the coming weeks.
Next Greens Aerification---Tuesday Sept 8, day after Labor Day.
See ya on the course!
Andy
Speaking of The Kirby, I thought the course was in great shape. Greens were rolling smooth and with a good pace. I played this year and heard numerous compliments, all positives! Brad Harden won this year with a +1 total. The course was playing tough.
We received 5 1/2" rainfall in July, bringing the yearly total to 38". We are just above average for the year. And although we have received adequate rainfall we are pretty dry. The intense heat dries us out very quickly. Last rainfall was July 19.
We are preparing for Club Championship, August 15,16
I have sprigged a nursery green at the far end of the Driving Range. I anticipate 8-10 weeks grow in. This will allow us to utilize plugs from there instead of the chipping green when repairs are made. Speaking of repairs we plan to address the front of #12 green and back of #13 green in the coming weeks.
Next Greens Aerification---Tuesday Sept 8, day after Labor Day.
See ya on the course!
Andy
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
June Recap
As I write this I am enjoying life, at the beach on vacation. Yes I know, there are better things for me to do but just a quick recap for the month. First off, I am very proud of my staff. They have really worked hard this month preparing the golf course for 2 big events. Monday June 22nd NCC hosted a GSGA Georgia Amateur Qualifier. 75 players competed for 16 spots. NCC's own talent of Trevor Smith and Carson Vaughn competed and played very well. Trevor shot 68 and Carson shot 69. 68 was low round of the day. They will now compete in the State Amateur at Sea Island in a few weeks. Good Luck!
Also this past weekend was Member/Guest. I felt like the golf course was in great shape. I heard several compliments on how the greens rolled, and course conditions. The crew put in a lot of hours in the heat this month to have the course ready. Speaking of HEAT, it has been hot! We have had warmer than average temperatures this month, 7-10 degrees warmer than normal.
We are catching up on rainfall after a very dry May. Many days in June were wet and it looks like we may end the month that way. The weather for Member/Guest was very challenging, but we got it all in without having to use Sunday. I gladly accept rain, I learned to not complain about it, just deal with it!
We plan to aerify greens Monday July 6. The course will be closed all day so we can work uninterrupted. We will use 3/8" tines, backfill the holes with sand, drag, verticut, mow, fertilize and water. It will take us all day to complete this process. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and allow us to complete this job. While I know the greens are in great shape it must be done. I expect a 2 week recovery and we will have them ready for The Kirby.
Also this past weekend was Member/Guest. I felt like the golf course was in great shape. I heard several compliments on how the greens rolled, and course conditions. The crew put in a lot of hours in the heat this month to have the course ready. Speaking of HEAT, it has been hot! We have had warmer than average temperatures this month, 7-10 degrees warmer than normal.
We are catching up on rainfall after a very dry May. Many days in June were wet and it looks like we may end the month that way. The weather for Member/Guest was very challenging, but we got it all in without having to use Sunday. I gladly accept rain, I learned to not complain about it, just deal with it!
We plan to aerify greens Monday July 6. The course will be closed all day so we can work uninterrupted. We will use 3/8" tines, backfill the holes with sand, drag, verticut, mow, fertilize and water. It will take us all day to complete this process. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and allow us to complete this job. While I know the greens are in great shape it must be done. I expect a 2 week recovery and we will have them ready for The Kirby.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
May update
Rain, finally! The course received 2" of rain yesterday. Prior to that we had a whopping .65" for May. While I would rather have it spread out over a few days I don't complain about rain, I deal with it. We have had a busy month on the course. Along with the daily maintenance that we do we have done a few things that hopefully you have noticed. Several new signs have been put up, the Club Champion signs and a new Range yardage. We have also installed an Air compressor for blowing off cleats. By using this it will help keep the inside of the club a bit cleaner. Thank You to the MGA for the purchase of the compressor and Range sign! Two new weeping willow trees have been planted along #6 lake bank, purchased be members of the Sewer/Septic group. Three new maples have been planted along the right side of #8 where the big pine once stood. Lastly another willow has been planted on the lake at #2, in memory of Mr. Terry Lunsford.
The maintenance crew has also landscaped in front of the clubhouse. We have installed a dwarf Holly and Loripedilum. We will have Bermuda grass back in place and will be pine strawed. These shrubs will give us color and provide some feel of a foundation.
All fairways have been aerified. I plan to do this on all tees and in areas of the rough to relieve compaction. I think the fairways are in great shape, and we will fertilize them again within a few weeks.
Lastly, we will be repairing a few spots on greens. #'s 5, 12 and 13. #'s 12 front right and 13 back left are spots that stay wet and water has a hard time running off. The back 9 greens are native, push up greens so they don't drain like the front. Over time the collars build up due to the sand topdressing that we do and my plan is to cut back a few strips of the collar and lower the soil and replace the sod. While doing this we will also dig down and replace the soil and mix in greens mix. As for #5...I have sent off a sample to find out exactly what was applied. We will be repairing these spots within the next week or so.
Coming up in June NCC is hosting ....
Atlanta Junior Golf on the 6/4
GSGA Georgia Amateur Qualifier 6/22
Member/Guest 6/26,27
The maintenance crew has also landscaped in front of the clubhouse. We have installed a dwarf Holly and Loripedilum. We will have Bermuda grass back in place and will be pine strawed. These shrubs will give us color and provide some feel of a foundation.
All fairways have been aerified. I plan to do this on all tees and in areas of the rough to relieve compaction. I think the fairways are in great shape, and we will fertilize them again within a few weeks.
Lastly, we will be repairing a few spots on greens. #'s 5, 12 and 13. #'s 12 front right and 13 back left are spots that stay wet and water has a hard time running off. The back 9 greens are native, push up greens so they don't drain like the front. Over time the collars build up due to the sand topdressing that we do and my plan is to cut back a few strips of the collar and lower the soil and replace the sod. While doing this we will also dig down and replace the soil and mix in greens mix. As for #5...I have sent off a sample to find out exactly what was applied. We will be repairing these spots within the next week or so.
Coming up in June NCC is hosting ....
Atlanta Junior Golf on the 6/4
GSGA Georgia Amateur Qualifier 6/22
Member/Guest 6/26,27
Thursday, April 30, 2015
April Recap
Greens:
-Greens are
in great shape provided the weather we had in April. Very wet and somewhat cool. We ended the month with just over 9"
-Greens will
be verticut, aerified, topdressed, brushed and fertilized next Monday, May
4. The plan is to lightly verticut and
pull a ¼” core. With good weather I
expect a very quick recovery. We will also apply a lime product to adjust any soil pH deficiencies we might have. Golf course will be closed all day so we can complete this process.
Fairways/Tees/Roughs:
-Fairways and Tees
have really jumped and have grown in nicely.
For April our fairways are as green and full as I have seen in my time
here.
-Soil test
results on #13 fairway indicate a low pH, so the decision to blend Lime into
the fertilizer was a good one. I have
enough product left over to fertilize at a light rate later this season on
fairways.
-We have
applied another pre-emerge to the fairways and 3 passes around each fairway and
green.
Projects:
-Restrooms
on #5 are done. Our maintenance manager Kyle Mims has
done an outstanding job. We hope to have
the restroom on #13 completed before Member/Guest. Thank You LGA for assisting in this project!
-We hope to
build a new water station soon that will house the air compressor for blowing
off cleats. Thanks to the MGA for the
purchase of this.
-MGA also
assisted in the purchase of all new rakes for the course.
-Member/Member
was a challenge. My crew put in a lot of
work to have the course ready but Mother Nature won the battle! Overall I was very pleased and proud of the condition
of the course and what we could control.
We received 4.5” the week of the tournament and just over 9” for the
month.
See you on the course!
Andy
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Course Update
The golf course has begun to wake up from a long, cold and wet winter. My staff has been very busy with detail work. We have completed numerous beds that have been neglected. Those beds had shrubs removed or pruned, Miscanthus planted and new mulch or pinestraw. Many of our azaleas were so overgrown that we severely cut them back, more of a rejuvenation than a pruning. Overall I would estimate we transplanted over 300 Miscanthus throughout the course. While I don't expect these azaleas to produce this year they should be back to normal next year.
You may have noticed the course greening up. I notice each day, more and more and am hopeful by Member/Member(April 17-18) we will be close to 100% green. We drag the fairways weekly to break up the thatch to promote and allow the grass to get going. This does not harm the fairways.
Greens are in really good shape. While they may not be as quick as winter speed, I will take slow and healthy vs. fast and dead. We are in the transition time when greens put off a lot of new growth, meaning excess leaf tissue. I realize that many people want to speed them up, it is critical to watch the weather and not push them. For instance we are forecast low's to be in the upper 20's/low 30's this weekend. The more leaf blade on the plant the more protected they are. We will begin to be more aggressive when we get into a consistent weather pattern. They will much quicker by Member/Member, I promise.
Something new for this season, an Intern. Kevin Werner has joined our staff to complete an internship for his studies at ABAC. Kevin began work late February. He is involved in everything we do on a daily basis. He has been exposed to course setup, all mowing equipment, applying herbicides and also spent the day with Daniel our mechanic. Kevin is a go getter and wants to learn. Pictured is Kevin spot aerating thin/wet areas on greens
You may have noticed the course greening up. I notice each day, more and more and am hopeful by Member/Member(April 17-18) we will be close to 100% green. We drag the fairways weekly to break up the thatch to promote and allow the grass to get going. This does not harm the fairways.
Greens are in really good shape. While they may not be as quick as winter speed, I will take slow and healthy vs. fast and dead. We are in the transition time when greens put off a lot of new growth, meaning excess leaf tissue. I realize that many people want to speed them up, it is critical to watch the weather and not push them. For instance we are forecast low's to be in the upper 20's/low 30's this weekend. The more leaf blade on the plant the more protected they are. We will begin to be more aggressive when we get into a consistent weather pattern. They will much quicker by Member/Member, I promise.
Something new for this season, an Intern. Kevin Werner has joined our staff to complete an internship for his studies at ABAC. Kevin began work late February. He is involved in everything we do on a daily basis. He has been exposed to course setup, all mowing equipment, applying herbicides and also spent the day with Daniel our mechanic. Kevin is a go getter and wants to learn. Pictured is Kevin spot aerating thin/wet areas on greens
Friday, February 13, 2015
Course update and Weather...
Hopefully you have had a chance to get out and play in between the cold blasts this month. The course is in really nice shape. The crew is on top of blowing pinestraw, cones and any leaves that are out there. I am very proud of the golf course right now! If you have been out, hopefully you have noticed the detail work we have done in our landscape beds. We have done quite a few, but #1 Tee and #2 Tee beds really stand out. With the direction of golf course assistant Superintendent David the guys are catching on to how he wants them to look. On #2 several "leggy" azaleas were removed, while the others were pruned and we transplanted close to 60 Miscanthus. A nice edge was trenched, fresh mulch was added and a new gravel path was created for our walking crowd.
Also this week we finished spraying the course for weeds and weed control. Our Fall application was very effective and this will ensure a very clean course. Many people have commented about the course looking the best it has ever looked this winter. Thank you for the compliments, those never get old!
Also this week we have covered the greens. Here is the schedule:
Thursday--cover greens
Sat morning 9:30--uncover for play
Sat afternoon 1:30--cover greens
Mon morning--uncover greens
Tues afternoon--cover greens
Friday morning--uncover greens
***This is working off of right now's forecast. Things could change. As you can see the guys will be busy with this tough task. The reason we are taking off Monday and putting back on Tuesday is so that the greens are not under cover for a long period. Also we don't want to have to pull wet covers!
One last thing to mention, David Hartfree was named Employee of the Month. David puts his all into this job, we are fortunate to have him on staff. Great job David!
See ya on the course(when it warms up)
Also this week we finished spraying the course for weeds and weed control. Our Fall application was very effective and this will ensure a very clean course. Many people have commented about the course looking the best it has ever looked this winter. Thank you for the compliments, those never get old!
Also this week we have covered the greens. Here is the schedule:
Thursday--cover greens
Sat morning 9:30--uncover for play
Sat afternoon 1:30--cover greens
Mon morning--uncover greens
Tues afternoon--cover greens
Friday morning--uncover greens
***This is working off of right now's forecast. Things could change. As you can see the guys will be busy with this tough task. The reason we are taking off Monday and putting back on Tuesday is so that the greens are not under cover for a long period. Also we don't want to have to pull wet covers!
One last thing to mention, David Hartfree was named Employee of the Month. David puts his all into this job, we are fortunate to have him on staff. Great job David!
See ya on the course(when it warms up)
Thursday, January 22, 2015
2015 Pre-Emerge and other projects
2015 is in full swing! We have been really busy cleaning up the course, detailing beds, repainting yardage plates and hazard stakes, cutting back azaleas and spraying pre-emerge for weeds. Of all the things we do this is very important! So to take advantage of the approaching rain, David and I decided to begin yesterday. First thing we did was to have the guys focus on blowing all fairways and tees so that there were no leaves, pinecones or straw. Then we had them focus on the back 9 holes. By doing this it means it will be a cleaner, weed free golf course. So hopefully by days end All fairways, tees, approaches, Par 3 holes and most of the back 9 roughs will be complete. The products we are applying; Glyphosate, for emerged weeds and Simazine, for preventing weeds.
This should give us 4-5 months control of winter weeds. The plan is to apply Specticle as the course begins to green-up in Spring. 45-60 days later we will do a follow up application to hopefully provide 6-9 months of weed control. Always looking ahead!
Other projects include trimming and dividing our Miscanthus grass. We are trimming now and will begin dividing and transplanting to new locations throughout the course. Crepe myrtles will also be cut back soon. Once these plants have been cut back we will touch up mulch and pine straw to give the bed a finished look.
This should give us 4-5 months control of winter weeds. The plan is to apply Specticle as the course begins to green-up in Spring. 45-60 days later we will do a follow up application to hopefully provide 6-9 months of weed control. Always looking ahead!
Other projects include trimming and dividing our Miscanthus grass. We are trimming now and will begin dividing and transplanting to new locations throughout the course. Crepe myrtles will also be cut back soon. Once these plants have been cut back we will touch up mulch and pine straw to give the bed a finished look.
Monday, December 22, 2014
2014 Recap
As 2014 comes to an end I wanted to list some of the accomplishments for the year. Most importantly I want to say Thank You to my crew, because without them none of this happens!
- New equipment. NCC showed a commitment to me and the membership by leasing a new fleet of mowers. This allowed for a better quality of cut on all playing surfaces, most notably Fairways. Since I have been here we have not had a true fairway mower, we had to use a 7 gang which is efficient but does not give a quality cut at the desired height. By picking up new fairway units, I was able to put another machine in the Roughs, which meant we could keep up with the growth of Bermuda. We maintained it all season at 1.25"-1.5". That is the plan going forward.
- Coldest Winter in a long time. The winter of 2013/2014 was one of the coldest winters on record. Winter hit hard! We had significant snow, above average rain, high winds, and many single digit days. All of us with Ultradwarf Bermuda greens were very nervous in early Spring. We covered the greens a total of 29 nights, compared to 6 nights the year before. Needless to say my crew and I were glad when March came around!!
Tree Removal. Call2Cut tree service was contracted to remove close to 300 trees. This was step 1 for a major project involving trees and cart paths. Most of the trees which affected the paths were removed, while others were because of disease, shade or various reasons. For a job that is not clean, I was very impressed with the cleanliness of this crew. Very few damaged areas, ruts or tire tracks. We still have a few trees that need to come down for shade issues and a few have died, so expect them to be back out in 2015.
Cart Path repair. We contracted a milling machine to grind ~50% of the paths. After this was done the asphalt crew from McWaters Paving came in to grade out and pave. While it may look "patchy" they are smooth. I believe over time the fresh black will blend in with the old grey asphalt.
County road/Lake project #17. Coweta Co. took on a major project which affected NCC and Newnan Pines. It was determined that the overflow pipe was on the verge of failure, so the County saw the need to fix it. After several months of driving on a temporary road it was completed in October. While the lake was down, the club jumped on an opportunity to muck out the upper lake and build a dam to raise the water level. Jay Ayers was extremely helpful in this project, Thank You Jay! It was also decided to build a wall around the green. Blackhawk Foundation was contracted for this and I think it turned out great. It is a poured concrete wall now, but if we want we could drop the water and add some sort of rock for a really dramatic look, we can. Thank You to All who assisted on this project.
In addition to this list, everyday maintenance and small projects consume our time. We try our best to stay on top of things, but often times detail work is put off until winter. Trimming trees, cleaning out creeks/lake banks and detail work are projects we are currently working on.
2014 has quite possibly been the busiest, most challenging season for me as a manager. With the amount of projects going on and the club running without upper management for many months I am glad to see this season wrap up. I was also without an Assistant for 3 months, but have been blessed with a great individual who truly cares, David Hartfree. I am sure many of you have met him.
We already have a few projects planned for next season. I am looking forward to 2015!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Andy
- New equipment. NCC showed a commitment to me and the membership by leasing a new fleet of mowers. This allowed for a better quality of cut on all playing surfaces, most notably Fairways. Since I have been here we have not had a true fairway mower, we had to use a 7 gang which is efficient but does not give a quality cut at the desired height. By picking up new fairway units, I was able to put another machine in the Roughs, which meant we could keep up with the growth of Bermuda. We maintained it all season at 1.25"-1.5". That is the plan going forward.
- Coldest Winter in a long time. The winter of 2013/2014 was one of the coldest winters on record. Winter hit hard! We had significant snow, above average rain, high winds, and many single digit days. All of us with Ultradwarf Bermuda greens were very nervous in early Spring. We covered the greens a total of 29 nights, compared to 6 nights the year before. Needless to say my crew and I were glad when March came around!!
Tree Removal. Call2Cut tree service was contracted to remove close to 300 trees. This was step 1 for a major project involving trees and cart paths. Most of the trees which affected the paths were removed, while others were because of disease, shade or various reasons. For a job that is not clean, I was very impressed with the cleanliness of this crew. Very few damaged areas, ruts or tire tracks. We still have a few trees that need to come down for shade issues and a few have died, so expect them to be back out in 2015.
Cart Path repair. We contracted a milling machine to grind ~50% of the paths. After this was done the asphalt crew from McWaters Paving came in to grade out and pave. While it may look "patchy" they are smooth. I believe over time the fresh black will blend in with the old grey asphalt.
County road/Lake project #17. Coweta Co. took on a major project which affected NCC and Newnan Pines. It was determined that the overflow pipe was on the verge of failure, so the County saw the need to fix it. After several months of driving on a temporary road it was completed in October. While the lake was down, the club jumped on an opportunity to muck out the upper lake and build a dam to raise the water level. Jay Ayers was extremely helpful in this project, Thank You Jay! It was also decided to build a wall around the green. Blackhawk Foundation was contracted for this and I think it turned out great. It is a poured concrete wall now, but if we want we could drop the water and add some sort of rock for a really dramatic look, we can. Thank You to All who assisted on this project.
In addition to this list, everyday maintenance and small projects consume our time. We try our best to stay on top of things, but often times detail work is put off until winter. Trimming trees, cleaning out creeks/lake banks and detail work are projects we are currently working on.
2014 has quite possibly been the busiest, most challenging season for me as a manager. With the amount of projects going on and the club running without upper management for many months I am glad to see this season wrap up. I was also without an Assistant for 3 months, but have been blessed with a great individual who truly cares, David Hartfree. I am sure many of you have met him.
We already have a few projects planned for next season. I am looking forward to 2015!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Andy
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Wall #17
The wall project is now complete. This week the crew laid 5 pallets of sod around the new wall. I am glad this project is done, as this has been a work in progress for quite a while. Thanks to all the groups and individuals who have helped make this possible.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
We have been quite busy since last post! We finally got rain, two heavy rainfall events dumping 1.5" and 1.75". While I am thankful for it, I would rather have less, more frequent rains, as they came almost a month apart. With heavy rains bring cleanup work, such as pumping and repairing bunkers, dragging fairways to clean grass clippings, limb pickup and washouts. This cleanup typically takes the entire crew a 3-4 days. We also experienced an artic blast, with lows in the upper teens. We covered greens last Monday and kept them covered till Thursday. Hopefully this cold snap was not a glimpse into the Winter ahead, as this was very early in needing to cover. Greens are looking and rolling great.
The wall project on #17 is nearly complete. The wall is up and has been backfilled, my crew still has some fine grading left to do. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will have it complete with new sod. Several folks have commented on it and would like to donate money towards the project. We will absolutely accept donations, feel free to drop it off to myself, in the office or contact a board member. After the last rain the lake is now full.
If you have been out lately you have noticed the leaves are down for the most part. A few varieties are still hanging on. We continue to blow and mulch leaves daily. When we get caught up we work on small projects, hopefully some you will notice.
See you on the course
The wall project on #17 is nearly complete. The wall is up and has been backfilled, my crew still has some fine grading left to do. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will have it complete with new sod. Several folks have commented on it and would like to donate money towards the project. We will absolutely accept donations, feel free to drop it off to myself, in the office or contact a board member. After the last rain the lake is now full.
If you have been out lately you have noticed the leaves are down for the most part. A few varieties are still hanging on. We continue to blow and mulch leaves daily. When we get caught up we work on small projects, hopefully some you will notice.
See you on the course
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