Fertilizer pick-up

If you are participating in our Home Lawn Fertilizer Program, we are scheduling a pick-up date on Saturday, April 2nd from 8am - 2pm.  You may stop in at the Maintenance facility between those hours and we will have someone available to load your fertilizer.  If you cannot make that date or time, please contact me to schedule your pick-up at dkoops@findlaycc.com or 616-405-5016

At the time of pick-up, you will receive all the bags of fertilizer that you have ordered along with an informational sheet on how and when to apply the products.  Feel free to call with any questions.  See you on April 2nd.

Open to carts

The course has dried out extremely well in the last couple days due to the sun and high winds.  Because of these drier conditions, carts are now allowed on the course.

 

I had anticipated the new tees on 10 to be ready and open at the start of the season, unfortunately they are still quite soft.  Due to the course rating reflecting the yardage from the new tees, we are asking members to play from the old forward tee on 10 until the new tee opens.  Thanks for your help on this.

We have roped off the old tee and placed a sign asking members to play from the old forward tee for the time being. 

Projects around the shop

With how wet we have been in the last few days, we decided to tackle a few projects around the shop vs. tracking up the golf course with ruts and mud.  The first project was solving a water issue at the shop, every time we had a hard rain, water would get into our break room.  The slope of the pavement would funnel all the water towards the front door, causing water to seep under the door.

We decided to install a retaining wall, keeping the edge about 1" higher than the pavement.  This will keep the water from getting to the building, making the water run along the wall and down towards the drain.

 

The project we tackled this morning was hanging the old front entrance sign on our barn.

With the history of the sign, I didn't want to throw it away.  We thought of possible locations and uses for the sign.  We decided on the wall of the barn is the perfect place to welcome people in to the shop and also showcase the history of the club.

Last chance for fertilzer

Last call for participating in the 'Home Lawn Fertilization Program'.  See the details below:

We (FCC) are going to give you the opportunity to purchase your lawn fertilizer through us, in doing so, you will get a great deal - $79.00 for a four step program that will cover 10,000 square feet of lawn per app.  Each application is less than $20.00 per app  You would pay over $180.00 for the same fertilizer at a home improvement store.  We will tell you when and how to apply, and you will be able to pick up the fertilizer all at one time at the club.  All you need to do is tell us before March 31st if you would like to participate in the plan.  The fertilizer order will be ready for pickup in April, we will charge your account at that time for the program.

 

Findlay Country Club Member

Home lawn fertilization plan, provided by:

• Four applications, less than $20 per application
• Everything you need to keep your lawn healthy
• Plan of application, we tell you when and how to apply
• One stop shop, pick up all the products you need in one stop
• Great value, save over 50% vs. purchasing at a home improvement store
• Supports local business, all products are manufactured in Fostoria

For a one-time charge of $79.00 per 10,000 square feet, you'll receive:

1. Mid-April app, 13-0-0 with Dimension pre-emergent (crabgrass control)
2. Early-June app, 21-0-4 with Mallet insecticide (grub control)
3. Mid-July app, 24-4-12, late summer feed
4. Late-September app, 18-0-2 with Trimec (weed control) the best time to control weeds is in the fall

*Each application consists of 1 bag which covers 10,000 square feet.  Measure your lawn to be sure you order the correct number of bags.  Calibrate your spreader to apply 5lbs of product for every 1,000 square feet.  Always read and follow label directions.

All orders need to be placed by March 31st.  If you would like to take advantage of this program, please call me at 616-405-5016 or email me at dkoops@findlaycc.com to sign up for the plan.  You will need to know the size of your lawn.  A typical suburban home lawn is around 10,000 square feet, if you have a larger lawn, you may need to order more than 1 bag per app.

All the products will be ready for pickup on April 9th.  We will set up a time were members can come pick up their fertilizer and take it home, you will also receive a guide on when and how to apply the products. 

We want our members to be proud of their lawns and we're going to make it easy for you!

Course opening

Not only is the clubhouse welcoming you back, the golf course is also opening and welcoming you to the start of the 2016 season.  Effective Saturday, March 12, we will be open with tee times starting at 9:30.  The course will be open to walkers only until we dry out. 

We had rain for 28 straight hours starting on Wednesday night, dropping just over an inch of rain.  While we are wet, the greens have drained well due to the recent aerification.  This is a true testament to the benefits of aerification. It looks like more rain is on the way in the 5-day forecast, this will push back the date for allowing carts out.  Please note - the driving range remains closed for now. 

Welcome back on the course!

Greens aerifcation

We were scheduled to Aerify greens on March 28 - I decided to move that up a bit.  While you may not have been able to golf on this gorgeous day, we used this great weather to be productive getting the course ready for the season.

 

 

Aerification is important to the overall health and playability of the greens.  No one likes to play while greens are slow and bumpy, but it's a necessary process.  The great news is now that we have this out of the way, you get to play on greens from course opening until October 24 with no more greens aerification.  As of now, we are scheduled to aerify fairways on April 4.

 

Feels like spring

I think that winter has left us for the most part, we may see a few frosty mornings or a snow flake here and there, but spring looks like it's here.  Today was the unofficial beginning of the season for us - transitioning from winter projects to spring clean-up.  The first item on our list is cleaning up the course and preparing it for a not too distant opening. 

We had special help today from the clients at Blanchard Valley Center, they came over this morning to give a great start on picking up sticks.  A big thank you to Molly, Nicole, Jeff and Cary for helping us out!

 

So, when will we open?  Not sure yet, we will see how this weather pattern pans out and how much rain we get this week.  Right now the sun is shining, but we are wet! 

Found - Titleist Pro V1

If you've lost a Titleist Pro V1 on #3, near the Linden by the left fairway bunker, we found it!

It was about 20 feet off the ground.

 It has been up there a while, the braches were starting to compress the ball and grow around it.

Master plan

As we near the beginning of the 2016 season, we are planning out our work load ahead of us to finish up the project we started last fall on the 10th hole.  This spring, our project list on #10 includes:

·         Expanding the corners of the green, allowing for more ‘tucked’ pins

·         Expanding the approach to the right according to the architects markings

·         Reseeding the old fairway to rough

·         Planting trees to the left of the start of the fairway

·         Removing the fence between the parking lot and the old 10 fairway, also adding some landscaping

·         Finishing growing in the new grass and sod

·         Installing cart paths to the new tees

 



The completion of these items will cap off the first piece of our Master Plan.

The project on #10 was done for a variety of reasons, including safety.  Another logical reason for starting with 10 was that this piece of the plan needed to be complete before we begin on other projects such us a new short game practice area and updated range facilities.  While these projects are still a long ways off, we are thoroughly planning and preparing for the day when it does happen. 

We are very aware that a large scale renovation on the course will not happen in the near future.  But, what we can do is small scale projects that point towards the end goal.  While a project at first may seem out of place or not carefully conceived, a review of the entire plan would say otherwise.

 

If you have any questions regarding the Master Plan and the end product, please don't hesitate to call me or stop by.  I would enjoy the opportunity to walk you through the entire plan. 

Winter tree projects

The balmy winter has given us a great opportunity to focus on tree trimming while also allowing us to remove a few trees.  Over the past few months we have been busy going through the course in a systematic way, trimming every tree.  The past few weeks we have been able to get larger equipment on the course which was needed for tree removal.

Tree trimming is an important task on the course.  As trees age, the limbs reach lower and lower.  The low hanging limbs don't offer easy access to the area by golfers or by maintenance equipment while also robbing the turf below from needed sunlight.  With the removal of these limbs, access is improved and turf benefits due to increased sunlight.  Another great benefit is the improved aesthetics, the look of a well manicured tree or grove of trees really adds to the overall detail of the golf course.

The tree removals this year are significantly less intense as in the recent past.  We have done a great job of removing trees that were affecting turf health and playability in the main areas of the golf course (greens, tees, fairways).  As the need for removals around these areas decreases, we can focus more on the failing trees and trees that don't have a positive effect on the beauty of the course.  Above is a Spruce that is being removed from 16, left of the start of the fairway, near the river.  As you see in the picture, the canopy of this Spruce was almost devoid of needles. 

Yesterday was one of the few days this winter that we could allow large equipment on the course.  This was needed to remove a few larger trees that we could not take down in-house.  We sought help removing a Walnut, Ash and a Cottonwood off of 14 - all of which were in major decline and threatening to fall on neighboring property. 

Fresh air

It doesn't get better than this - being able to work with the shop door open in February.  Loving the sunshine!

 

Winter sunrise

Beautiful sunrise this morning over a frost covered course.

 

Winter equipment maintenance

One of the questions we hear about 20 times every winter is "so what do you guys do over the winter?"  I can't blame them, they're just not aware of what it takes to keep a course running at this level.  The presumption is that there isn't much to do and it must be nice to take it easy.  The answer I give in response is the list of items that we tackle over the winter, and inform them that we transition into our "winter" schedule which is back down to 40 hours a week.  So while it is nice to have a less hectic schedule, we still have a laundry list of items to complete to insure the course is in great shape for the following summer.

Typical winter projects include: detailing equipment, service and heavy maintenance on all equipment, clean and repair course supplies (tee markers, ball washers, trash cans, benches...) make repairs to and paint maintenance building, tree trimming, tree removals, snow removal as needed, and all the scheduling / planning /purchasing that is required for the upcoming season.

The last few weeks we have been focused on the equipment, more importantly, sharpening all the reels and bed-knives.  This process is probably the most important task we embark on every year, without a perfect cut the turf will tear, which decreases the quality of the playing surface.  With 10 pieces of equipment with reels, consisting of 30 individual reels and knives, we have a lengthy process of breaking down each reel, replacing bearings and applying a sharp edge.

Jim replacing bearings on a front roller of a fairway reel.

Evan working on a fairway reel.

Eric, removing a reel from the grinder.

Wayne has been busy detailing the equipment, he makes a 6 year old piece of equipment look new.

 

Eric, Jim, Evan and Wayne have been doing a great job, working together in an assembly line like fashion to get these reels cutting better than they ever have.  I know it's a few months away yet, but I can't wait to see these mowers in action. 

Home fertilization program

I recently went to Legacy Turf and Ornamental and proposed a Home Lawn Fertilization Program that would be an added service to our members, they loved the idea.  This plan is a win-win for everyone involved, here it is:

We (FCC) are going to give you the opportunity to purchase your lawn fertilizer through us, in doing so, you will get a great deal - $79.00 for a four step program that will cover 10,000 square feet of lawn per app.  Each application is less than $20.00 per app  You would pay over $180.00 for the same fertilizer at a home improvement store.  We will tell you when and how to apply, and you will be able to pick up the fertilizer all at one time at the club.  All you need to do is tell us before March 31st if you would like to participate in the plan.  The fertilizer order will be ready for pickup in April, we will charge your account at that time for the program.

Like I stated already, this is a win-win for everyone, you get a great deal on your home lawn fertilizer, Legacy increases their sales and FCC gets valuable rebates towards the products we purchase for the course.  The more members that take part in this program, the more we can save on our future chemical purchases.

 

Findlay Country Club Member

Home lawn fertilization plan, provided by:

• Four applications, less than $20 per application
• Everything you need to keep your lawn healthy
• Plan of application, we tell you when and how to apply
• One stop shop, pick up all the products you need in one stop
• Great value, save over 50% vs. purchasing at a home improvement store
• Supports local business, all products are manufactured in Fostoria

For a one-time charge of $79.00 per 10,000 square feet, you'll receive:

1. Mid-April app, 30-0-0 with Dimension pre-emergent (crabgrass control)
2. Early-June app, 21-0-4 with Mallet insecticide (grub control)
3. Mid-July app, 24-4-12, late summer feed
4. Late-September app, 18-0-2 with Trimec (weed control) the best time to control weeds is in the fall

*Each application consists of 1 bag which covers 10,000 square feet.  Measure your lawn to be sure you order the correct number of bags.  Calibrate your spreader to apply 5lbs of product for every 1,000 square feet.  Always read and follow label directions.

All orders need to be placed by March 31st.  If you would like to take advantage of this program, please call me at 616-405-5016 or email me at dkoops@findlaycc.com to sign up for the plan.  You will need to know the size of your lawn.  A typical suburban home lawn is around 10,000 square feet, if you have a larger lawn, you may need to order more than 1 bag per app.

All the products will be ready for pickup on April 9th.  We will set up a time were members can come pick up their fertilizer and take it home, you will also receive a guide on when and how to apply the products. 

We want our members to be proud of their lawns and we're going to make it easy for you!

Assistant update

The people that we have on staff in the Grounds Department are an integral part to our success.  Two key positions that I rely heavily on are my two Assistants.  We recently had a change in 2015 with one of those positions.  As you are aware, Adam Bateson moved on in August, leaving an opening.  This open position was filled rather quickly, but it has occurred to me that I never posted this information on the blog.

I have promoted Evan Riggs to Assistant Superintendent.  Evan was born and raised in Findlay, started his working career on the family farm and got his feet wet in the golf industry working at Red Hawk.  In 2013 he came to FCC as a grounds crew member, in 2014 he performed his internship here at FCC, and in 2015 he came back after graduation for a summer position.  Evan now holds the title of Assistant Superintendent, supporting myself and my Assistant Eric Lowery. 

Evan graduated from Ohio State in 2015 with a Turfgrass Management degree.  We now employ three individuals with Turf degrees - one from MSU and two from OSU.

 

Evan, pictured here with his girlfriend Katherine, recently took a trip out east to visit his brother out on Long Island, who also happens to be an Assistant Superintendent.  In Evan's spare time, he enjoys fabrication and wrenching - two skills we take full advantage of!