Topdressing Greens

Part of maintaining ultradwarf bermudagrass (Champion) is topdressing. This year we have applied a little more sand than usual to aid in the tie-in of the plugs and sod throughout the putting surfaces. Topdressing will also smooth and firm-up the putting surfaces to improve playability. Once the sand is dragged with a brush and watered, the sand will be unable to be seen. This is one of the most important cultural practices in maintaining ultradwarf greens.

#3 Contamination Removal Update

#3 Green is coming along very quickly. We removed and installed 266 plugs in this green. In two weeks we have implemented the proper practices (fertilization, topdressing & vertical mowing) to improve growth and plyability. Below are some pictures of the sponging, plugging and recovery.

Suggestion Box & Greens Committee Meeting Minutes

A reminder to the membership, we have posted the minutes from the Greens Committee Meeting, A Suggestion Box and golf course related notes on the bulletin boards in the Ladies and Men's Locker rooms. The Greens Committee and the Golf Course Maintenance Department encourage all members to review the board for additional information regarding the maintenance of the golf course. The suggestion box is ideal for members to communicate their concerns or compliments regarding the golf course. The Greens Committee Chairman (Mr. Jim Glasgow) and I review these for discussion during the meetings. We check the boxes daily for the comments.

Maintenance Schedule For Next Week (August 18 - 24, 2014)

We will be implementing a very important cultural practice on Monday. We are going to vertically mow , double mow and topdress the greens. This cultural practices reduces thatch accumulation, shoot density and aids in providing a smoother putting surface. We will also continue to plug any small areas of the contamination removal that haven't completely filled-in. We are going to remove some of the construction material left over from the renovations. Please view the schedule below regarding the maintenance practices for next week.

Heavy Rain - NO Major Bunker Wash

The bunker renovation has made a huge improvement to the labor and maintenance of the golf course regarding clean-up. We received an estimated 2 inches of rain on Friday (August 8, 2014). This amount of rain would require many labor hours of bunker restoration. Unfortunately, we did receive some wash in the bunkers. This is due to the outside flow of water surrounding the bunkers. We plan to add some drainage directional berms to some of the surrounding bunkers. Out of the 58 bunkers renovated, we only had 6-7 with some wash. We did have the pesky finger washes on the perimeters of the bunkers, but nothing out of the ordinary. The fairway bunkers will be completed next year. Over the last few years, we have lost significant labor hours to bunker restoration during the winter season. The loss of labor has restricted the staff in focusing on small winter projects. This winter, the maintenance staff will have the ability to focus on irrigation improvements, additional drainage throughout the golf course and other areas in need of attention. Below are some pictures of the bunkers with minimal to no wash.

Maintenance Schedule for Next Week (August 11 - 17, 2014)

The schedule below is the projected maintenance schedule for the golf course next week. Of course, this is weather dependent. Based on our segmentation standards, I forecast the following week's schedule for the maintenance staff. Every minute of every co-worker's time is valuable in maintaining the facilities at Brookstone Golf & Country Club. This system enables me to focus on details, control labor dollars and implement cultural practices necessary for member and guest satisfaction. This schedule is posted every Friday afternoon, so the management team can plan and discuss any alternatives to the schedule. The schedule aids the equipment manager in repairs and preventative maintenance scheduling. This is a great tool for the staff. This schedule answers many questions members may have regarding mowing practices, projects and cultural practices.

HOT, HOT, HOT!

We have been experiencing some pretty HOT temperatures within the last few weeks. As the temperature increases, the humidity decreases. Low humidity will dry the surfaces of the greens very quickly. During times like these, we will be syringing the putting surfaces (especially the new plugs and sod). This practice cools the surface of the putting surface and provides adequate moisture for turfgrass health. Some areas will receive more moisture than others. Moisture management is critical for plant health, playability and aesthetics of the putting surfaces. Syringing will focus on specific areas necessary for moisture. The alternative is turning on the irrigation heads, which waste water and may provide too much moisture for the greens and surrounding areas. Wes Denmon (Assistant Superintendent) is syringing #11 green below.

Last of the Contamination Removal This Year!

The section in the pictures is the last area we will remove the contamination this year. The maintenance staff has worked diligently in removing the contamination. Moving forward, we will concentrate in maturing the new plugs and sod for the upcoming winter season. We want to be sure the plugs are healthy and not affected by the cold temperatures in a few months. Below is a before and after picture of the back right area of #13 green.

Golf Course is Looking Great!