Before and After of Contamination Removal

The pictures below will show the difference in the putting surfaces on #7. I started sponge tubing and spraying the contaminated areas in late March and early April. This green was plugged 2 weeks ago. We have removed 90% of the contamination. The plugs and sod are tying-in remarkably.

Visitors This Morning

I ran into a couple of deer this morning on #16.

#7 & #17 Tees

We are in the process of regrassing the last set of tees on #7 & #17. We removed several trees adjacent to these tee complexes. The bermuda grass could not sustain playable conditions due to the shade and the recent winter weather we have experienced. The grass replacing the bermuda grass is Zoysia. Once the turf has taken root, we will begin rolling, topdressing and mowing the tee surfaces for play. The tees will be ready for play in an estimated 10-14 days.

Contamination Removal Update

The contamination removal is progressing as planned. We have completed Phase 1 of the removal. There has been so much contamination removed, any existing contamination is difficult to locate. There are very few (if any) golf courses implementing this process on ultra dwarf putting greens. This process has saved revenue loss, improved the playability and aesthetics of the putting surfaces and most of all improved the integrity of the putting surfaces for the long term. The pictures below are of a rectangular plug that was installed a week ago. The very small areas (similar to a ball mark) are where we applied a herbicide with a sponge tube. These areas will not be plugged, but topdressed with green sand. The small areas will be filled-in in 7 - 10 days. Phase 2 will consist of removing what little contamination is still in the putting surfaces. I am confident we will have an estimated 98% clean ultradwarf bermudagrass putting surfaces by the end of July.

Really Greening-Up

The warm weather has really started to green-up the golf course. The new bunkers emphasize the beauty of the golf hole.

Bunker Raking Training

Now that the bunker renovation is complete, the maintenance staff spent the afternoon in a training session regarding bunker maintenance. Daniel (Equipment Manager) installed necessary tools to improve the efficiency of bunker maintenance. The bunker rake machine consists of a shovel (this is necessary for wash or contamination), hand rake (for interior edges), backpack blower (blow debris/grass clippings) and a rubber mat (entrance and exit of the bunker rake machine). The bunker raking process consists of: Blowing unwanted material located in and around the bunker, remove any contamination (clay or dirt) from the sand if necessary, apply the rubber mat before entering the bunker, rake the bunker as smooth as necessary, rake the interior edge based on the length of the hand rake designated by the tape on the handle (depth of raked edge), place rake inside the bunker as the co-worker rakes the edges, remove the mat and rake the area where the mat was located. These steps will ensure the bunkers are properly maintained. Proper and frequent training is necessary to sustain the integrity of the bunkers. Below are pictures of the training session.

Edging Greens

One of the most important cultural practices in managing putting surfaces is edging the perimeters of the greens. This practice reduces the amount of encroachment from the turfgrass surrounding the interior edge of the green. We have reduced the amount of contamination throughout the putting surfaces with plugging and sod installation. The edging approach is to assure there is no encroachment from the 419 bermudagrass into the Champion Ultradwarf. This cultural practice is implemented weekly during the growing season and monthly during the nongrowing season.

Vertical Mowing of the Putting Surfaces

The basic cultural practices have started to be implemented to the greens. We vertically mowed, topdress with sand and then drag the sand into the canopy. This is a very important practice for ultradwarf putting surfaces. The removal of thatch and topdressing improve the growing medium for the turfgrass, improve ball roll (smoothness) and increases green speeds. We will continue to implement these practices throughout the growing season.

Bunker Renovation Update

I have included a slide show of the bunker renovation. The slide show consists of pictures during the process of renovating the bunkers. These include drainage, erosion fabric and sand installation. There are some pictures of numbers painted on the floor of the bunker. The numbers designate the linear footage of drainage pipe and gravel installed in each bunker. The slide show also will aid in determining the routing of the drainage pipe for future reference. There are instances where the drainage could possibly be impacted (crushed or clogged). The pictures will show the routing if there are necessary repairs in the distant future.

Golf Course Renovation Update

The renovation is progressing as planned. The bunker renovation is complete. The bunkers removed will be grassed by Wednesday. We are also regrassing the tee surfaces on Holes = #2, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #10 and #17. The Bunker Contractor (Golf Sculptors) will strip the existing turfgrass, level the tee surfaces and install Zoysia. This improvement, along with the tree removal, will improve the playability and aesthetics of the golf course. The cart path renovation will begin on Tuesday (May 20, 2014). We are focusing on the areas where concrete will be installed and then move to the replacement or repair of the asphalt areas. These improvements are throughout the golf course. You may have seen red markings on the cart paths. These markings provide exact measurements based on the proposed budget for the cart path renovation. Please visit the maintenance blog for updates regarding these improvements to Brookstone Golf & Country Club.

Tree Removal Update

The Tree Removal has been completed. We will now install Zeon Zoysia to the following tees: #4, #5, #6, #7 & #10. This will enable us to provide a better teeing surface. Although we removed a large amount of trees, we still have a small shade issue. We were unable to remove all the trees due to adjacent homeowner opposition. I am confident after the new turfgrass is installed, the membership will be very pleased.

Bunker Renovation Update 5-1-14

The Bunker Renovation is progressing very smoothly. Golf Sculptors has completed the following Holes: #10, #11, #12, & #18. The plan is to have the back nine completed by Monday. I will update you on Monday regarding the bunker renovation. The picture below with the number 151 is the amount of linear drainage installed in the bunker. This assists the club and contractor in makking sure adequate drainage is installed and keeping the drainage cost relative to the budget. The most important aspect of this is for future reference. Anytime in the future using this picture we will know exactly how much and where the drainage was installed.