September update

While growing in the rough around #10 this year, we had carts follow our rope to the fairway.  This allowed the rough to grow in but created a small dirt path due to all the traffic.  This shows just how much damage can be done to a course because of carts, and also shows how important rope and stake can be to the health of the course.  It also tells us that installing the path around the new tees was the right decision.  I can't imagine the muddy mess we would have had if the path wasn't installed this past spring. 

This week, before the rain hit, we aerified the dirt path, seeded and fertilized it.  Before long, this area will be back to normal. 

 

It's not very often you see a walk mower on our greens anymore, we got it out this week to fine tune our edges.

Over the course of the summer a few of our edges have crept out.  We went around every green and painted dots on where the green's edge should be.  If needed, we scalped the edge back with the walk mower.  This areas should recover within a few weeks. 

Monday update

Thank you for allowing us to accomplish more on Mondays by holding off tee times until 1:00, here is what we accomplished today:

• Mowed range tees
• Mowed range banks
• Mowed range rough
• Filled range divots
• Blew debris off of all playing surfaces
• Moved all tee markers, emptied trash, filled ball washers
• Mowed greens
• Mowed rough around all fairways
• Mowed intermediate around fairways (short rough)
• Blew out, repaired and raked all bunkers
• Hauled out firewood
• Cleaned up downed tree on 16
• Repaired asphalt patch by 1/2 way house
• Fertilized all greens with two products
• Sprayed for ant control on the practice green
• Sprayed all tees with wetting agent
• Sodded out thin spots on 8, 10 and 16 fairways
• Edged all tee plaques
• Raked out landscape beds that were damaged by storms
• Removed plant debris and annuals from landscaped beds
• String trimmed the ditch on 3,5,14
• Mowed fairways on the south side of the course

 

Get out and enjoy the course

This picture was sent to me by a member, what a great view. 

 

Some of the more picturesque views on the course come in the early morning or late evening as the sun is low in the sky.  Take time to enjoy the course with friends and family before the season runs out.

 

Another dry spell?

Take a look at this long-range forecast:

 

I typically consider detailed long-range forecasts to be inaccurate, but if this pans out, it looks like September will be a great month for golf.  Time will tell if we truly go 4 weeks with no rain.

Its green!

The course has really come back to life over the last week due to the rain we received, and by that I mean lots of growth.

 

We could mow this course every two days right now and it wouldn't be enough.  Eventually the surge will subside. 

Seeding the old 10 tee

Today we seeded the old 10th tee with a bluegrass / ryegrass blend.  We had to seed this area as the bentgrass that the old tee was covered with was not suitable for higher mowing heights. 

 

This area will make a great spot for small tents during outings and events. 

 

Careful what you wish for

While we needed rain, we now have more water than we can handle.  With the slow soaking rain from yesterday and another batch of storms moving through over the night, the ground is now saturated in areas that are typically irrigated.  We are currently sitting at 3.05" over the last 5 days and more rain moving through today.

Puddles are prevalent on the fairways.  We were not able to mow the greens today as we were pushing water with every pass. 

With little opportunity to get mowing done, we focused on a few projects.  Here we trimmed back the river bank in front of 9 green. 

The landscaping around the old 10th tee was also removed.  This area will be seeded into rough and make a great location for small tents during events and outings. 

BVC award

Last month I attended the Blanchard Valley Center board meeting to accept the Community STAR award for our collaboration with the BVI Greenhouse. 

 

Thank you BVC, we look forward to our continued partnership. 

 

The Grounds Staff will be hosting a lunch on August 17 for all the clients that have helped us this year.  It sounds like we are going to have a great turnout. 

Tree tour

Yesterday I had Cathy Smith, Findlay's own 'Tree Lady', visit FCC to look at our tree population.  We toured the course looking at a few specific problems with some of our trees; but the main purpose was for another eye to view our trees and point out issues that we may be missing.

There are a few trees on the property that are failing and I wanted to get Cathy's opinion on the cause of decline.  A small Spruce along 4 has a bacterial disease that is unavoidable (this may spread to other Blue Spruces on the course), and two trees on 8 and 9 are dying due to stress.

This Sweet Gum along 9 died this spring after leafing out.  There are no evident signs of cause, it most likely died due to stress - flooding and extremely cold winters.  It finally just gave up.  I suppose we could say the cause of decline was 'the wrong tree for that location'. 

This Norway Spruce on 8 is declining due to stresses that it just couldn't handle anymore.

 

Cathy also gave us great reminders on proper planting, watering, mulching and tree care techniques that can keep our younger trees healthy.  While we are a golf course, our trees are very important to us.  We take a long range approach to our trees, the trees we plant today will be the trees that will show their true potential 50-100 years from now. 

14 tee, summer stress

In an effort to make the 14th hole play a little tougher and be a better representation of the 4th handicap hole on the course, the Golf staff has asked that we place the blue tee markers onto the tee across the service road.  You will be seeing the markers placed here more frequently than not.

This will add another 10-20 yds to the hole from the blue tees.

 

 

 The summer stress has caught up to us on a few greens.  We are starting to see diseases surface that frequent stressed turf.  To combat the issues, we have raised the mowing heights slightly, applied a curative application of fungicide, and are keeping a watchful eye on our moisture levels.  Because of these measures, greens speeds may be slightly slower than in the past two months. 

Here is a picture of Anthracnose on our greens through the lens of a macroscope.  We apply preventative fungicides for this disease, but breakthrough can happen during high stress periods.  To reduce the chances of seeing these types of diseases surface, stress would need to be minimized or significantly more funds would be needed to put towards preventive applications. 

 

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

 

Update

The course has been holding up well to the latest wave of events coupled with high temperatures.  We are starting to see higher disease pressure due to the heat.  We are combating this by applying Plant Protectants and reducing stress on the turf.

For the amount of golf that we brought through here recently, I would say the course took it rather well.  We spent the early part of this week fixing ball marks, filling divots and mowing down the rough.  Other than some areas of our tees being well used, it would be hard to notice that we had some major events out here recently. 

The Grounds Staff enjoyed a cookout this afternoon, complimentary of a generous member.  Thank you for supporting the staff and all their efforts!

Ohio Amateur begins

Today was the first round of the Ohio Amateur.  The course is looking great, the OGA is thrilled with the conditions. 

With a big tournament comes earlier start times for the crew - morning meeting at 5:30, out the shop door at 5:35 and onto the course.

Over the last 20 days, the course has seen .2" of rain, I was hoping for a little more.  This is a picture of our rough in a non-irrigated section; it's still the same length as when we cut it two weeks ago and now much thinner due to the lack of water.

Our irrigated portions of the rough are a little thicker, but again, not growing anymore.  We haven't mowed this section in two weeks and it's really not much of a problem for the guys playing this week.  Had we more frequent rains before the event we could have seen thicker rough akin to the turf you may see in the spring.

Course update

I read a great quote this morning from Admiral Hyman G. Rickover.  This quote comes from Rickover’s testimony to congress, following the Three Mile Island accident. Rickover states: “Any successful program functions as an integrated whole of many factors. Trying to select one aspect as the key one will not work. Each element depends on all the others.”

This quote is an excellent description of the teamwork it takes to put a golf course in shape on a daily basis.  With so many moving parts and tasks to be completed, everyone needs to pull their weight and work as a team to create the conditions that are desired.  It's my job to make sure each 'element' is doing just what is expected.  Another great quote from Admiral Rickover states “You don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect.”

One of the factors we improved on today was bunker maintenance.  I showed the crew three separate bunkers - 1. A bunker with multiple infractions that we sometimes miss.  2. A hand raked bunker.  3. A machine raked bunker.  The message communicated was that we can produce a bunker the plays like a hand raked bunker if we just pay attention to the details, we can have good bunkers and be efficient with our labor resources. 

We have been busy with Ohio Amateur preparations, which isn't much different than daily preparations other than we are attending to all our little projects over the next week vs. tackling them over a three week period.  Many have asked, what changes will there be for the tournament?  You can expect thicker rough and banks, slightly faster greens; also, 4 and 15 will be played as par 4's.  How will this effect you as the member - you will see thicker rough over the next few weeks and expect a little mess when we finally have to cut it down.  Also, if you play the Friday and Saturday of the tournament, you can expect faster greens (weather dependent) than what is typical.  With outside outings on the Monday's before and after the tournament, the course will definitely have it's share of divots and wear patterns.  We will do our best to get the course back into shape as soon as possible.