Cart path edging

A small but time consuming project we just started on is edging cart paths.

The paths around holes 4,13 and 14 will be done this year.

The answer to yesterday's question - Ants.  Ants have been making a trail across the tee on hole #2, leaving the nest at night in search of food on the other side of the tee. 

 

Irrigation projects

We've had our share of irrigation projects this year, with an average of 3 heads per week that need to be dug up and cleaned out or repaired.  The beauty of the river is having access to water, the downside is all the debris that gets into the lines and ultimately causes problems with our irrigation heads.  It is not uncommon for us to get here in the morning and find a head that is stuck on due to debris clogging the valve.

Evan is digging up a head on 18 that was stuck on this morning, 2nd one this week. 

Wayne and Evan replaced a large valve on #11 today.  The original valve was worn out, we were having troubles turning off the fairway when needed.

 

Some of you may have noticed this line across #2 tee, near the blue markers.

Any guesses to the cause?

The answer tomorrow

 

Surprise encounter

Yesterday as we were picking up sticks on the course, I ran into a young fawn.

 

 

It was well hidden in our stick pile, it didn't see it until I threw a pile of sticks on top of it.  Mom wasn't too far away and keeping an eye us.

 

Hawk sightings

Those of you that have spent time around the Club, in particular around the southeast corner of the golf course, have seen and heard the hawks that frequent the property.  Not only do I enjoy seeing them flying around I am grateful for the work they do in keeping the small animals in check.

A Rough-legged Hawk has been seen lately

 

Besides the Rough-legged Hawk, we have frequent visits from Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper's Hawks and sightings of Bald Eagles, Osprey and a Great Horned Owl.

Visitors

We had some unlikely visitors at our shop today.

 

A mother Mallard and her brood of chicks!

They decided to stroll through our shop and check out every room.

After a little coaxing, they headed out for the driving range.

That will brighten anyone's day.

 

 



Firewood pile is growing

The guys have been hard at work this week cutting up the logs from the winter's tree removal, most of it being Ash.

We deliver the wood to members throughout the year, the pile was almost depleted.  We now have enough wood to make it through another season.

We see deer on the course frequently, this morning we had 12 of them on 3 fairway.

There was one buck in the group, he still had one antler attached, the other must have been shed not too long ago.

 

 

Beaver activity

A few weeks ago, I noticed a tree alongside the river that had some interesting markings on it.  After looking closer I discovered we have a beaver in the area.

I saw a beaver swimming upstream earlier this year, it must still be around.

Goose repellent

During the summer we used mono-filament line around to the river to deter geese from coming up the river banks and feeding on the golf course.  This worked very well during the summer months.  Over the course of the fall the geese starting flying over the line.  We took the line down to prevent a big mess in the event we had a flood this winter, so we needed something else to deter the geese.  Enter our 24/7 guard dogs:

I have seen these before and have heard they work if you keep moving them.  This particular brand was brought to my attention by one of our members.  This silhouette will spin and wobble in the wind, tricking the geese into thinking it is a live dog.  If we keep moving them around the area (every 2 days), the geese won't realize that they are not real dogs.  We have put up 3 of them around holes 8 and 9.

It's HOT!

First time I have ever seen a squirrel do a spread eagle in the shade.  You know it's hot then.  Click on the picture to enlarge.

Wildlife

Lately I have been seeing 4 fox running around the course during the early morning hours.  I hope they stay around to help keep the geese away.  They have been doing a great job on the rabbits this year.

There has been a Doe and her three fawns walking around as well.  Brave little ones, they let you get fairly close.

Goose Repellent

In the past few weeks we have been installing mono filament line around the golf course that boarders the Blanchard River (8,9).  This is being done to deter geese from coming on to the property.  During the night, geese walk up the banks and feed on our greens, tees and fairways.  They typically leave us before we get here in the morning and leave behind quite a mess.  A member suggested to us that we try stringing fishing line at about 10" above the ground, stating that the geese will not cross the line.  We have installed two sets of line, one about 8" off the ground and the other at about 16" off the ground.  I do have to say that this system works.  We were getting a lot of damage on 8 approach, lined it off and we haven't see damage on that approach since.  Now the geese were just moving to other areas of the course.  Yesterday we finished surrounding the entire River with line and this morning there was no sign of geese presence on the course.  Lets hope they don't get too smart and walk in from our grass nursery.