Greens Committee Meeting April 22, 2014

We had our second Greens Committee meeting on Tuesday April 22, 2014. The meeting consisted of a very important topic = contamination in the putting surfaces. The greens at Brookstone Golf & Country Club were converted from bentgrass to bermudagrass in 2009. They were regrassed in 2010 (due to extreme winter conditions). My employment began in 2011 and noticed some off-types in the putting surfaces. There has been much discussion in the golf course industry regarding off-types evolving from contaminated sprigs or the ultradwarfs mutating. No one can designate where these off-types are originating. This is becoming a major issue in the Transition and South Zone with the ultradwarfs varieties. We developed a plan to remove the off-types instead of a full scale renovation. This was discussed in depth at the Greens Committee meeting. We have removed 70% of the off-types. Our goal this year is to remove as much as possible by the end of the growing season. Will we ever get the off-types out of the putting surfaces? No, nothing is guaranteed. We want to be able to develop a maintenance plan where we remove small amounts next year. Something similar to changing cups. Our goal is to have our setup co-worker remove small amounts of off-types at an early stage. We also discussed the renovation of the bunkers and the process necessary. Other topics included the tree removal and cart path renovation.

Bunker Renovation Update

The contractor has started installing the drainage for the bunkers. The bunkers have been a hot topic for many years. Many members have asked "Once the renovation is complete, will the maintenance staff have to pump the bunkers again?" The answer is NO. The new drainage will adequately drain and reduce the amount of labor restoring the bunkers. This will benefit the membership in a which the maintenance staff can focus on other important areas of the golf course. Please visit the blog frequently for updates regarding the bunker renovation and other improvements implemented to the golf course.

Bunker Renovation Update

Golf Sculptors from Ocala, Florida has started the much needed Bunker Renovation. They have started the prepping process by grading the subgrade. Once the subgrade is established they will install the drainage, erosion/contamination mat and sand. I will continue to provide updates throughout the Bunker Renovation.

Co-Worker of the Month - March 2014

Our Co-Worker of the Month is Luke Brummeler. Luke has been an integral team member to the golf course maintenance staff. Since the beginning of his employment at Brookstone Golf & Country Club, Luke has implemented leadership and a great work ethic. The facility appreciates his hard work and dedication to his fellow co-workers and the membership of Brookstone Golf & Country Club. Thank You and keep Up the Great Work!

Golf Cart Barn Improvement and Organization

Golf Carts are the lifeline of any private or public golf course. I believe in organization and a systematic approach in not only cleaning the golf carts, but the preventative maintenance measures in controlling the repair cost of the golf cart fleet. I introduced a system for cleaning, maintenance and daily operations for the golf cart mechanic and cart attendants who clean the golf carts. Cleanliness and organization are vital in the presentation for our members and their guests. Below are some before and after pictures of the cart mechanic area and a board for the golf cart attendant's to track the cleanliness of the golf cart fleet. As with anything else, this is a work in progress. This is a great start to maintaining cleanliness and organization.

Safety Meeting April 2014 = Cart Safety

We have monthly SAFETY meetings with the golf course maintenance staff covering various topics such as: cart safety, correct vehicle or machinery operation, lifting techniques, bunker raking etc. These meetings are very important in training the staff regarding the correct operation of equipment and miscellaneous tools. Each co-worker is required to sign our safety document. We also provide food for these meetings. The picture below is for April 2014. The topic discussed was Cart Safety.

Greens Committee Meeting April 2, 2014

The Greens Committee Meeting power point presentations will be posted after every meeting. This is important to educate and inform the membership the important topics discussed at the meeting. The meeting on April 2, 2014 was a first in the history of Brookstone Golf & Country Club. The Greens Committee is the most important committee of any private club. I want to thank the members who have volunteered their time for assisting me in the development of the Greens Committee. THANK YOU! <iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/33548080" width="476" height="400" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Rolling Greens

Members have asked, "How do you see in the dark?" 90% of our maintenance equipment has lights. We attached a light kit to our greens roller in preparation for a busy golfing season this year. This morning we have our MGA tournament. It is imperative we start early in the mornings to set the golf course up before play. The greens are really rolling true and with a Stimp Meter Reading of 11.3'

True Height of Cut

As we move further into the growing season, the cutting heights for the greens will begin to be lowered. We start the season (Winter to Spring) at .145 of an inch (est. 9/64"). Moving forward (Spring to Summer) we will lower the heights gradually to .100 of an inch (est. 3/32"). Towards the end of the growing season (Fall to Winter) we will gradually raise the height of cut in preparation for the winter season back to .145 of an inch (est. 9/64"). These measurements are based on bench height. You may ask what is bench height? This is the measurement the Equipment Manager uses to set the height of cut at the maintenance facility. There is a difference in bench height and true mowing height. We use a tool called the "Grass Height Prism Gauge". The gauge features graduated measurement lines that determine the true mowing height of the turfgrass. The gauge can also display the quality of cut. We use this tool to make sure our quality and height of cut is perfect. The measurement difference between bench height and true height is between .01 and .015 of an inch. For example, if our bench height is .120 then we are actually mowing at an estimated .105 - .108. This is important in turfgrass quality, not mowing too low to stress the turfgrass and for green speeds. The Grass Height Prism Guage is also used for rough, fairway, approach and collar heights throughout the golf course.

Solid Tine Putting Surfaces

We have started implementing our cultural practices. We have solid tined all the putting surfaces. This is sometimes confused with aerification (pulling cores). Solid tining doesn't remove any material from the greens. We are basically poking many holes to allow oxygen into the root zone. This will aid in infiltrating precipitation or irrigation further into the root system. The greens have been sealed all winter long. This cultural practice will enable water to reach further to the root system, aid in releasing any gases trapped in the soil and as the weather is warming up this will also allow the soil temperatures to rise. The higher the soil temperature the faster the grass can begin to start growing. After one of the toughest winters we have experienced in years, this is an important cultural practice to begin the season. We poke holes (solid tine)every 2.5" and roll the greens 2-3 times to make sure the surface is smooth.

Not Soon Enough

We received 4.5" of rain yesterday. All of the bunkers washed and flooded except for the ones that have been renovated recently. No one wants the bunker renovation more than the maintenance staff. The contractor has given a definite start date. Golf Sculptors will begin the bunker renovation on Monday April 21, 2014. Images like below will be a far gone conclusion. We anticipate the bunker renovation to be completed by Memorial day.

Out with the Old and in with the New

We have received our new golf cart fleet this morning. I know this has been a hot topic for a while regarding the golf carts. The new fleet will have better suspension and all new accessories (bag holders, bag covers, coolers and cup holders). We are very excited about the new fleet. The staff should have all the carts ready to go by the end of the day. We hope you enjoy your new golf cart fleet!

Greens Committee Meeting

Wednesday April 2, 2014 is a very important date for Brookstone Golf & Country Club. We had our first Greens Committee Meeting in the history of the facility. The Greens Committee is an integral part of the communication between the golf course maintenance team and the membership. Moving forward we will meet twice per month to discuss course conditions, cultural practices, projects and any comments or concerns from the membership. I want to give a big THANK YOU to the following members who have given their time in becoming the First Greens Committee at Brookstone Golf & Country Club. Jim Glasgow - Chairman, Carol Welch, Norb Missler, Newt Ticer, Jeff Talley, Glen Collins, John Barnett and Bob Visintin

What are the Blue Lines for?

Many have asked what are all the blue lines around the approaches and fairways? The lines designate new areas that are converting from rough height to fairway height. This will add a new dimension to the hole both aesthetically and culturally. After communicating with many members regarding these changes, we believe everyone will enjoy the changes.