Landscaping installed

Despite the frigid temperatures yesterday, we spent the day installing new landscaping at the clubhouse.  The new landscape bed will serve as a visual barrier between the parking lot and the golf course, after a few years of growth, this bed will fill in and be more appealing to the eye.  The old saying concerning perennials is: The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap. 

We have a few more plants to install next week and a fair number of perennials that won't be available until June. 

 

Evan put his welding skills to work and fabricated new forks for our loader.  Our current forks are a little banged up from years of tree work.  These new forks will only be used for unloading pallets off trucks and other needs that require a level set of strong forks.  With Evan's skills in the shop and the proper tools, we are now able to do more fabrication and heavy maintenance. 

Course to open this Friday

After some discussion this morning and a view of the forecast, we have decided to open the golf course for the year on Friday, March 24.  Friday looks like a decent day, although breezy, with temperatures reaching 70 degrees.  From that point on, we will remain open for the year.  We are expecting to see rain over the weekend and into much of the following week, if that pans out, we will remain open but carts will be restricted.  We will be allowing carts on the course this Friday.

Please note: we will be aerifying greens this Monday and into Tuesday, weather permitting.  We also have fairway aerification scheduled for Monday, April 3 with clean-up into Tuesday. 

If we don't see you on Friday, we hope to see you out here soon!

Tree work

This brief cold spell gave us an opportunity to remove a few trees this past week.  We create a list of potential removals in the fall and if the ground firms up enough over the winter, we go ahead with the removals.  While we did not get everything down that was on our list, we did get some of the less desirable / failing trees off the course, the remainder of the list will be saved for next winter. 

One tree that received approval recently was a Spruce to the right of the 2nd green.  This tree was not only encroaching into the green complex (covering up a portion of the right bunker), it was also causing damage to the cart path beneath it.  We will be re-paving this path in the spring, it therefore made sense for us to remove the tree at this time.

After a few tree removals earlier this week, we brought in a stump grinder yesterday while the ground was still firm.  This morning before the snow hit, we filled all our stump holes with soil.  Because of the tree work this week, stick clean-up went slower than anticipated.  While we had a few bodies on it all week, we still have some ground to cover.

One of our major projects of the winter is near completion - equipment maintenance.  We have a few more regular maintenance items to scratch off, then we can spend some time on fabricating items that will make our equipment safer and more efficient. 

Reinforcements arrive

We have the help of a few of our seasonal staff members that are on Spring Break this week.  Extra hands go a long way to get large projects, such as stick clean-up, done in a timely manner.  We sent everyone outside today to get some of our worst areas done before the snow hits.

 We completed the clean-up on 4 holes, using a total of 58.5 man hours today alone just on stick clean-up.  I am hoping the snowfall is light tonight allowing us to continue cleaning up the course.

 

My timeline laid out on Saturday may change depending on the snowfall tonight and upcoming temperatures.  We may not be able to aerify next week as I hoped as the forecast seems to be cooler now.  Again, I will keep you posted.

 

Same post, different week

We had much of the same this past week - wind, trees down, and restarting our clean-up efforts.

 

During Tuesday's wind, another large Spruce came down.  We made great strides cleaning up the course late last week and into this week only having to start over after Tuesday.  Baring any large wind events in the near future, we should have the course cleaned up by the end of the day on this upcoming Wednesday. 

 

We may start bunker maintenance later in the week, possibly aerify greens on Tuesday the 21st and look at opening the course the week of the 27th.  I'll keep you posted. 

Fertilizer pick-up date

For those of you that ordered your home lawn fertilizer program through FCC, you may pick it up this Saturday from 8-10am.  The fertilizer came in last week and is ready for the early spring.  If by chance you cannot make that date and time, just let me know and we can make other arrangements.

If you would like to participate in the program and have not done so yet, let me know soon as we do not have many bags remaining.  Thanks to everyone that participated - we received over $1,700 in free product as of this post.  We will be using those funds to purchase product (fertilizer and chemicals) for this upcoming season, helping to keep our costs down. 

Here are the highlights of the plan for those that may be interested:

• 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.

High winds cause damage

Just when we thought we were ahead of the game this year, almost having the course cleaned up and ready for the next project, we get hit with high winds.  We saw multiple trees down and debris all over.  Stick clean-up will have to start over from the beginning.   It seems there was a stretch through Findlay that received high winds and part of the club fell right on that path.  All our damage was on the north side of the course, with nothing being harmed south of 5. 

Crab Apple near the bridge on 8.

 The sun came out for a little bit today as we cleaned this one up.

 An Ash fell onto the fence and road behind 9 tee.

 Half a Pear tree on 11.

Spruce between 5 and 13.

Ash on 18

 A large Spruce uprooted behind 10 green.

We got the Spruce off the cable lines and off the neighbors yard, the remainder of it will be cleaned up Friday morning - we are hoping for firmer ground to get our loader up there and finish the job. 





Wayne was back on the job today after a few months hiatus and spent the day inside - coating all the tee markers with a layer of epoxy, making them look new again.  

What to do about Crabgrass this year

With the warm temperatures last week and the possibility of an early spring, the question arises  - When do I put my Crabgrass preventer down?  Here is a great video recently posted by the Ohio State Turf Team:

http://ohioturfgrass.org/Turf-Tips

A few things to consider:

• Findlay is about 1 week behind Columbus in terms of phenological events in the spring transition.
• If you apply your Crabgrass preventer too early, the product will lose its efficacy earlier causing more weeds later in the summer (August and September).
• Any crabgrass that happens to germinate in the near future will most likely be killed off by a frost.
• The Crabgrass preventer being sold in our home lawn program has pre and post-emergent activity, providing control on young crabgrass plants.

Great week of progress

The abnormal weather was not only great for the golfers, it was an opportunity for us to get a few projects and tasks done that we normally wouldn't be working on at this time of year. 

We got an early start on our stick clean up, this year we might be done before we would typically start picking up sticks.  This will allow us to move on to other tasks quicker and complete other projects on our to-do list. 

Believe it or not, we mowed all the fairways this week - in February!  This wasn't to produce outstanding conditions for the few golfers, they actually needed it. 

 

It felt great to open up the doors and let that fresh air in.

And have you noticed the trees, they to are waking up from the winter along with the tulips and daffodils. 

 

Normally at this time of year the ground would be froze and we would be taking down trees.  While the ground conditions aren't conducive for this type of work, we are busy getting other projects completed. 

 

Course closure update

What a great opportunity we had to enjoy the course in February!  Unfortunately this temporary opening will have to end after tomorrow (Friday).  We will be open on Friday, but will have to close the course for the remainder of the winter effective Saturday, as temperatures will be dropping and rain will be moving into the area, increasing the chance for damage to the course.  Please note, if we see rain tonight, the availability of carts for Friday will be in question depending on the condition of the course.  It was great to see faces out on the course, we will see you out here again very shortly. 

Course will open in February for a limited time!

Wow, have you seen the 10 day forecast for Findlay?  We are going to take full advantage of this remarkable warm spell and open up the course temporarily.  Here are the highlights:

• Starting at 10:00 am this Saturday the golf course will be open.
• The course will remain open through this warm spell, most likely through next Friday the 24th.
• Tee times will begin at 10:00 am on the days we are open due to the potential for frost. 
• Should we see heavy frost we may have to push back the start times.  Remember -it won't be 60 degrees until about 2:00pm, it will still be quite cold in the morning.
• Pins will be in the greens; we are not seeing any frozen soil under the greens, therefore the greens will be open for play.
• Carts will be allowed; the course is quite dry for this time of year, should we see a rain event come through we will have to pull carts.
• If you want to get 18 holes in, make sure you tee off by 2:00.
• Be aware the greens are quite soft this time of year, please fix your ball marks.   
• Once the weather turns cold again we will have to close the course back down for the winter. 
• Grab a friend and get a few rounds in, you don't get opportunities like this very often.

 

A little dirt moving

I spent a little time today with a rented dozer in our 'dump' area in the middle of the course.  Over many years, extra soil, sand and sod had built up from projects, making a significant pile of debris. 

The pile of debris was located next to our service road through the dump.  I was able to knock the height down and smooth out the soil creating a nice berm, which will be planted with grass, as this area is visible from the course. 

We will now be dumping all of our project spoils on the back side of this berm, which will enhance the look off to the left of #4.

 

Home lawn fertilization plan - back again

FCC is again going to give you the opportunity to purchase your home 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 application.  Each application equates to 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.

Here are the highlights of the plan:

• 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 8th.  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!

Future of the Master Plan

Over the course of the last few weeks, as I have been highlighting the Master Plan, I have heard many positive remarks and also some criticism.  Many members have seen the wisdom in having a plan that provides us a road map as we discuss potential changes to the course.  We now have a course wide plan that creates continuity, a plan to guide future committees, and a plan that is separated from personal design requests.  The old adage goes 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'.  We know that FCC and every other golf course out there evolves over time, some slightly and some more aggressively.  To sit here today and say this course will be good enough for the next 50 years is not wise.  It is our responsibility to keep FCC viable and maintain its prominence in the community, and that means updating the course from time to time.  Thank you to the Grounds Committee and Board for your leadership and foresight in planning for the successful future of FCC.

One notable criticism I have been hearing regarding the plan is 'We can't afford this, this is too costly for the membership'.  The answer to that would be yes and no.  If I were to sit here today and ask the membership to pay for a complete renovation of the course, - that would be too costly at this point.  But, we can complete and afford small projects just like we did this past year on 11 and the previous year on 10.  These projects were funded not only by the Grounds operating budget, but mainly from the Golf Course Improvement Fund.  This small account is funded by the fees charged to our Junior Academy members, it does well enough for us to pick off one small project a year.  So back up 4 years ago, we knew we needed to start improving the course over the long term and we knew we had modest funds to complete small projects but we didn't have a plan - enter the Master Plan.

Moving forward, you will see us continue to complete small projects that can be afforded within our budgets.  Another adage says 'A goal without a plan is only a wish'.  It is our goal to provide consistent improvements to FCC on an annual basis, to continue to grow and evolve with our members needs.  It is also our goal to continually reach for our Mission Statement - 'To offer our members an inviting family atmosphere, personalized services, outstanding facilities, and a commitment to excellence.'

Master Plan - 9th hole

And finally, the last hole of the Master Plan - hole 9.  This is probably the simplest of the plans, with slight changes to the tees being the most significant.  The tees would be rebuilt and moved slightly to the right for a better angle onto the fairway and the forward tee would be brought down the hill to create easier access to the tee.  Another notable change is the addition of a cart path spur to 9 tee, also allowing easier access.

Notable changes to 9 include:

• Rebuilt tees.
• Expanded cart path to 9 tee.
• Narrowing the fairway.
• Expanding the green pad in the back.