Extra, Extra, Free Fertilizer!

Nitrogen fixation is one process by which molecular nitrogen is reduced to form ammonia. One of the ways nitrogen is fixed is though atmospheric fixation, the result of lightning. The enormous energy of lightning breaks nitrogen molecules and enables their atoms to combine with oxygen in the air forming nitrogen oxides. These dissolve in rain, forming nitrates, that are carried to the earth. In the end, it's free, all-natural fertilizer (nitrogen)! That's why there is a visual "green-up" of the grass in the days after a good lightning storm coupled with rain.

Event Lawn - Complete

Six weeks ago I posted about our new event lawn that was near completion. Well, the day has come. Actually, it was here a while ago but I haven't taken the time to take photos. Here they are!

Flymo Mania

This post highlights our flymo crew. Each week we spend about 50 labor hours flymoing the bunker capes. A flymo has no wheels and actually hovers over the ground. The height at which it cuts is determined by a setting beneath the mower along with the engine RPM. Every other week we edge the bunkers with a weed whipper which adds some time to the process but makes the bunkers look clean and detailed. I would especially like to thank Nick Melfi, Crew Foreman for his ability to keep the crew efficient while flymoing during play.

A NICE EDGE!

TEAM IN ACTION

BLOWING CLIPPINGS

Why we do, what we do - Aeration

In recent weeks the staff has been picking away at aerifying fairways. We make a huge effort to try and accomplish this task without disrupting golf and do our best to pick up every plug. In addition, we mow the fairway immediately after completing the cleanup process to reduce any trace that we were performing the task.

Aeration is a vital part to healthy and playable turf. Today, while taking some soil samples , I came across a few samples that show one of the main reasons we aerify.....GROW ROOTS! The root mass in the photo creates for a much healthier turf plant and reduces our water usage significantly. A shallow, weak root system requires additional water versus the depth of roots pictured which can take up water from much farther down in the soil profile. Deep roots also increase our traffic tolerance (i.e. golf carts).

Calm After the Storm

I recently heard a local weatherman say that the current weather pattern we are currently in is "normal" and that the last 5 years have been abnormal. Looking over our past weather records I am not so sure I agree. I guess it wouldn't be the first time a weatherman (or woman) has let me down. As compared to normal years at The Ridge, we are about 50% under our average irrigation water usage for the month of June. That water savings also means electricity savings and therefore dollar savings. That is good news when we are having to have the staff work overtime to repair bunker and cart path washouts, as was the case today.

On a more positive note, the $1500 in labor and supplies we recently put into renovating bunker drainage was well worth it since we didn't have to pump water from those bunkers this morning. Over time, bunker drainage suffers due to silt contamination, and clogged drain tile. When renovating, we usually focus on the low areas where the problems exists. Each bunker repair averages about 12 labor hours and $75 in supplies (new pea gravel, drain tile, and sand).

In the end, the show must go on, and it did as along with repairing the bunkers we were able to mow greens, tees, fairways and rough today. It's borderline too wet but the miles of drain tile installed over the past few years has really helped move the water off the surface quickly.

When It Rains, It Pours

As we reflect on our recent moist weather pattern, I would like to compare and contrast how it affects our labor resources and therefore course conditions. Obviously during dry weather patterns we place much more labor resource towards irrigation monitoring, repair, maintenance, and hand watering. During periods when we are receiveing ample rain, we tend to spend more time maintaining bunker sand distribution and adding drainage to areas where ground water is an issue.

To further discribe "ground water" you have to have little knowledge of history and geology. When The Ridge was first build, there was less hardscape, roads, and homes surrounding the course. As more and more homes have been built and hardscape developed, much has been drained to areas directly adjacent or directly onto the golf course. This drainage includes the home sites themselves but also things such as sump pumps, streets, and driveways throughout the neighborhood. Some of this added water produces above ground problems such is the case on hole #1, where the silt washes onto the grass and causes a brown, unsightly film. In other instances, the water finds its way into the ground, only to eventually exit out the side of a mound (see photo of hole #9)

Hole #9 Goundwater Exit Point















So although we have been able to significantly reduce our irrigation tasks, the 3+ inches of rain in recent weeks has also brought the need to install almost $2000 in drainage, and additional need for bunker work due to washouts and increased migration of the sand.

Storm Report

Yesterday, the course received one inch of rain in the 45 minutes between 1:00 and 1:45 PM. When it was over, hail, cart path washouts, bunker ponding, and clogged drains were a result. We made the decision to close the course for the remainder of the day to let things dry out and start the clean-up process. This morning we will continue the process with our full staff. In addition to the irrigation system took a few lightning strikes and fried a couple fuses. After all, what are fuses for?



Hole #15 Creek Bed

Ten Reasons

I came across this list while doing some online research. It gave me a few laughs and I'm sure it will do the same for you. Enjoy!

Ten Reasons to Love A Superintendent

From the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association

1 - They poke holes in your greens twice each year, even when they’re rolling like glass – Without regular aerification, putting greens develop a layer of thatch beneath the surface. This spongy build up of organic matter makes greens bumpy and restricts the passage of water and nutrients. Oh, and by the way, Tom Watson once shot a course record 58 at Kansas City Country Club just days after the greens were aerified and sanded.

2 - They won’t let you play on frozen greens, even after the sun comes out – An ice cube remains an ice cube for a quite a while even after you put it out in the sun. The same is true for frozen putting greens. They can take a while to thaw out. And footprints on frozen greens kill the turf you tread on. Golfers who ignore this fact might play today but they will pay tomorrow.

3 - They demand that you fix your ball marks, even when you knock it close – If every golfer ignored the indentations left by their approach shots, they would soon be putting on something akin to the lunar surface. And guess what, that would make us even worse putters than we already are. A putting green covered in unsightly, uneven, ball marks says a lot more about the people playing the course than the person trying to keep it in tip-top shape.

4 - They make you leave your carts on the path, even though it hasn’t rained since Sunday – At roughly 1,000lbs with two sets of clubs and two golfers on board, the average golf cart places a lot of pressure on turf that is already being cut far lower than it wants to grow. Zipping that load across sodden fairways can literally tear the turf out of the ground and damage roots already struggling for oxygen in saturated soil. Take a deep breath and enjoy the stroll. It’s good for you.

5 - They have a license to apply pesticides – Chances are that your golf course superintendent is the only person you know who is trained and licensed in the art of chemical application. The average homeowner can, and often does, bombard his backyard with any old chemical cocktail under no supervision whatsoever. And there are a lot more homes in your neighborhood than golf courses. Be thankful someone at least is operating with the best techniques according to the best science available.

6 – They are on call 24 hours a day - Long before most of us crawl out of bed and long after most of us have sunk our final putt of the day, our golf course superintendents are hard at work. When they do go home, they knows that any phone call may be the one summoning them back to the course because a tree has fallen across a green, lightning has blown an irrigation pump out of the ground, or vandals have broken into the cart barn. Dealing with the unforeseen is par for a superintendent’s course.

7 - They work as hard as anyone to make your game affordable – The less money golf course operators spend on course maintenance, the more profit they retain from sales in other areas like the pro shop and the snack bar. And when golf courses are making a profit, there is less incentive to increase green fees, which would hurt your hip pocket. As the big spenders in any golf operation, superintendents are constantly under pressure to do more with less. The bar staff might be more attractive than your golf course superintendent but they're the ones who deserve the hug.

8 – They have probably volunteered at a PGA Tour event – The strong likelihood is that at some point in their career, or maybe even every year, your golf course superintendents will give up some vacation time to work for nothing at one of the multi-million dollar events hosted by the PGA Tour. One reason golf courses look so darned good on TV is because there are 100-plus volunteer turf experts out there making sure of it. Can you imagine giving up a week of your vacation to get up at 5am in a strange town and working for 10 hours a day without pay? Didn’t think so.

9 – They are still going to school, even after all these years – Advances in science and technology as well as legislative changes, mean that golf course superintendents are constantly updating their education. They attend seminars, study on line, travel to conferences, and network amongst colleagues just like most professionals. And you thought it was just a matter of turning on a sprinkler and waiting for the grass to grow.

10 - They just know stuff that most of us don’t – Today’s golf course superintendent commands expertise in a range of disciplines. At any given time, they may be working as a scientist, environmentalist, horticulturist, personnel manager, instructor, meteorologist or accountant, just to name a few. They can ride a mower, write a budget, drag a rake, find employees, negotiate contracts, read a weather map, identify turf diseases, calibrate a chemical sprayer, deliver presentations, and so much more. Isn’t it great to know they're working so hard for the good of your game.

Lights, Camera, Action!

A day in the life of a golf course crew member.

There is only so much day light to perform the course set-up tasks so we have outfitted our mowers with light kits in order to get a head start on the sunrise. A crew members day typically starts at 4:15AM with a clock alarm (or two) that one never really gets used to, although after about 15 years in this business I guess you start develop that "mental clock". It is however quite frustrating to wake up at 4:15AM on a day off. Anyway, the crew starts their day at 5:00AM and have a strict 5-10 policy once they arrive. "5-10" meaning that they should be punched in and out on the course within 5-10 minutes. That includes having everything they need for their morning task. The hours from 5:00AM - 9:00AM typically involve performing a morning set up tasks such as mowing greens, raking bunkers, or cutting cups. After a 9:00AM lunch, the crew heads out for afternoon projects. These usually include weed whipping, pushmowing, flymoing, handwatering, and sanding and seeding divots. When 1:30PM hits, the crew is promply out the door.

Mother's Day and Repair Work

As a husband, father, and son, I have truly come to appreciate the efforts Mother's make in rearing children. I'll never forget the headaches I gave my Mother when I would come home late for dinner due to my "need" to be on the golf course. It seemed as though every time she wanted me home, I would be having the "round of my life". See, you have to understand that when growing up in northern (and I do mean northern) Minnesota, you have to take advantage of the nice golfing weather, even if there are one hundred mosquitoes buzzing around your head (and three biting your neck) during your back swing. In the end, my Mom became understanding of my passion to be outside on the golf course. Thanks Mom!

This week we will be continuing our winter repair work. Much of these repairs are needed due to heavy golf traffic coupled with shade. Starting in September, these spots receive very little, if any, direct sunlight. Sunlight is a necessity and when the turf plant doesn't get its "fix", it cannot produce carbohydrates and recover from the heavy foot traffic. Adding to the traffic and shade is the amount of winter snow sledding that is done on these areas. Sledding compacts the snow, causing ice. Ice, over time, suffocates the turf and when the turf is already weak from the traffic and shade, it tends to give up once the ice is there. Keep this in mind next winter when you think about sledding on the golf course. Thanks for your understanding.

Almost There

As we near the completion of our new Event Lawn, take a few moments to review the process that went into this effort. Note: Sedalia Nursery is credited with the retaining wall work
as well as the railing. The turf, irrigation, mulch, and landscape plants were installed with our golf course staff.

Our Vision

As we ramp up to full staffing levels for our peak golfing season, I thought I would bring you into the loop with a small but very important portion of our training and orientation process. Some of you may be familiar with company, business, and department visions. We are no different at The Ridge. The maintenance department has a Vision and a set of Performance Expectations that we revolve our maintenance practices around.

“OUR VISION”

"We are committed to being an industry leader by providing unsurpassed, quality playing conditions. This will be accomplished though our dedication to our duties and performing each and every task with detail."

"PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS"

• Above all, wave at, smile at, and help our guests.
• Be on time every day you are scheduled.
• Stay in communication with management and fellow employees.
• Follow instructions.
• Think safety at all times.
• Pay attention to details.
• Be professional both at and away from the golf course.
• Always be self-controlled.
• Maintain a trash free golf course at all times.
• Keep all the tools, equipment, and work areas clean.
• Treat the equipment as if it were your own.
• Always maintain a positive, optimistic attitude.
• Be a team player.
• Understand the need for flexibility in work hours.
• Let the leaders lead, but give your input.

New Neighbours

If you have golfed The Ridge in recent years you may have noticed a Swainson's hawks nest to the left of hole #1. Each year, this couple turns out 2-3 young hawks which leave the nest in search of finding food on their own. Most of their hunting is done close to hole #1 and hole #9. I am happy to announce that I believe that one of those juvenile hawks has found a mate and chose to nest right off of hole #18. Imagine, out of ALL the trees in the forest it's a tree that's within 100 yards of the clubhouse. While observing the male and female making trips to and fro, I noticed the local crows are not to happy about the new residents. Each time the hawks take-off, crows are hot in pursuit, harassing the hawks. Below is a summary of a nesting site in California. I would think that the hawks at The Ridge have a similar timeline.

The Swainson’s hawks that you see here returned from their wintering grounds (probably Mexico, but possibly as far south as Argentina) at the end of March. The female is the darker of the two; the male can be readily identified by the large white patch on its face, chin and throat, while the female has almost no white on its head. The female is also larger than the male (which is normal) although it is difficult to see the size difference at the nest.

Since arriving back at their nest site, they’ve been constructing their nest, mating, and defending their territory from rivals (other Swainson’s hawks), competitors (owls and other hawks) and hostiles (crows). The female began laying eggs last week and will lay/has laid up to four eggs (probably 2 or 3), each egg being laid 2 days apart. If successful, the eggs will hatch in 4 weeks. The female is primarily responsible for incubation, although the male will take over for short periods after bringing food back for the female. She usually leaves the nest to eat, and to stretch her wings.

After the young hatch, the female remains the primary caregiver, feeding, defending and shading the young. The male is responsible for finding prey for the entire family. Both will defend the nest/young from the air, attacking potential predators. In just 6 short weeks the young will have grown to the size and weight of the adults, and will be ready to fly. In the final weeks, the young will spend hours flapping their wings from the nest and branches around the nest, learning to fly, and the feeling of flight.

Source:http://www.audublog.org/?p=1506

Click below for more infomation on the Swainson's Hawk

Last Snow Day?

As with most of you, I am hoping this was our last snow day of the spring. A surprising 4" of snow fell on the course last night providing us the opportunity to fabricate some traffic control aids. In storage we had a few 4 x 4 posts. Greg Goecker, Assistant Superintendent thought to pull these out of storage and spruce them up with some stain. Chris Hedberg, 2nd Assistant then thought of the idea to do a little "branding". Before long there was a mini assembly line going and within a few hours, 50 pieces of wood that were taking up space in our shop were transformed into customized course accessories.

As a side note, I am in the process of filling a few final seasonal grounds positions so if you know of anyone looking for some employment, give them a heads-up.

What We Look For

In my hand is a sample of debris from our first greens mowing (after aeration). From my experience, this is a pretty good ratio of grass:sand. After aeration is complete, the grass needs a chance to grow through the sand so we give the greens a few days to do so. During those days, we roll the greens with a 500 lb+ roller which places 4 P.S.I on the surface. If we mow to soon, we pick up sand that is there to create a smooth surface and fill the aeration holes, thus the use of the roller.

Daily Rumblings

To day was variety day at The Ridge. Taking place were a number of odds and ends.


1) Mowing greens and collars for the first time since aeration!
2) Repairing the cart path on hole #2
3) Prepping the event lawn for sod
4) Adding seed and soil to vole damaged areas
5) Raking Traps
6) Cleaning, raking and adding rocks to tee walk-up paths
7) Repairing irrigation leaks
8) Observing the local wildlife browsing in your backyard

Soil Temperatures

Now that aerification of the greens has been completed, we are at Mother Nature's mercy (as we always are) to help with our recovery time. While we do have some additional fertilizer in the soil to expedite recovery, another key factor is our soil temperatures. If we can stay above freezing at night and fall somewhere between 50 and 65 degrees during the day, our greens will be in tip-top shape sooner than later. If on the other hand we get a cold snap where night temps are in the low 20's and daytime temps are in the low 40's, it will take a little longer for complete recovery. All that aside, we will continue to roll the greens to get them in a smooth, playable condition.

Fourteen Green - after aerifying, amending, topdressing, dragging, blowing, rolling 2x and watering....

Pluggin' Away

Around this friend (and foe) of ours called Mother Nature, we continue to make a big effort to complete aerification. There is no doubt that many of you are itching to get out and bang some balls, especially after the warmer than normal March we received. As of Monday morning, we have completed 9 out of 20 greens. Most of the remaining greens are on the back nine and have 1-4 inches of snow on them. We will hopefully get to these greens in the next 2-3 days and get the course open for play as soon as possible. One blessing of this weather pattern is that it has allowed us to aerify greens while at the same time we are unable to open the rest of the course due to large drifts. So in essence, we are accomplishing this important task without having to close the course on a "golfable" day.

TOPDRESSING













AFTER DRAGGING - PRIOR TO BLOWING AND ROLLING

Frost Season

Over the next few months we will be adapting to whatever Mother Nature throws at us with respect to the weather and more specifically, frost. This picture represents the average foot traffic from one foursome of golf on a green. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this would be it.

Understanding Frost Delays
Presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
As winter starts to give way to spring-like temperatures, the desire to hit the golf course intensifies. It also signals a change in golf course management activities that can affect one's game and the conditions found on the course.

In many regions of the country, golfers occasionally face frost delays in the spring, thus pushing back starting tee times. When frost is present golf course superintendents delay play until the frost has melted. This is done to prevent damage that affects the quality of the playing surface and could potentially be very expensive to repair.

Frost is basically frozen dew that has crystallized on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass blade is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes. Because of the short mowing height (sometimes as low as 1/8 inch) and fragile nature of the turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally. When the membrane is broken, much like an egg, it cannot be put back together.

Golfers who ignore frost delays will not see immediate damage. The proof generally comes 48-72 hours later as the plant leaves turn brown and die. The result is a thinning of the putting surface and a weakening of the plant. The greens in turn become more susceptible to disease and weeds. While it may not appear to be much of an issue if a foursome begins play early on frost covered greens, consider the number of footprints that may occur on any given hole by one person is approximately 60. Multiply that by 18 holes with an average of 200 rounds per day and the result is 216,000 footprints on greens in a day or 6,480,000 in a month.

As golf enthusiasts Superintendents do not like to delay play, but they are more concerned about turf damage and the quality if conditions for the golfer. Frost also creates a hardship on a golf facility's staff as all course preparations are put to a halt until thawing occurs. Golf carts can cause considerable damage, therefore personnel cannot maneuver around the course to mow, change cup positions, collect range balls, etc.

Key points:
* Frost is basically frozen dew that has crystallized on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass blade is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes.
* Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally.
* When damaged, the putting surface weakens and becomes more susceptible to disease and weeds.
* One foursome can leave several hundred footprints on each green, causing extensive damage.
* A short delay while the frost melts can preserve the quality of the greens and prevent needless repairs.

A Look at Aerification

Although the weather has put a halt to our aerification plans today, we are still looking at performing this ever important task as soon as the snow melt (if it does). To highlight the process of aerification, let's start with the equipment we commonly use. Equipment will differ at golf facilities throughout the country and it really depends on a number of factors.
* Budget
* Labor Resources
* Course Closure Time
* Area Being Aerified (greens, tees, fairways, etc.)
* Terrain (steep, flat, etc.)
* Aggressiveness of Process (how soft the surface is after the holes are punched)

Since we are going to be punching greens, we will focus on this process. In our case, we have a few equipment resources that we "could" use but I prefer to keep as much equipment off the greens as possible.
First in the process is the Pro Core 648. Here again is the option to use a tractor mounted aerifier but the less equipment traffic on the greens, the better. The 648 is a top of the line, highly productive machine that allows us to aerify without running over plugs, a very important factor in ensuring a clean and efficient clean-up process. Another unique feature of the 648 is the "Contour Following System".
Next is the removal of the plugs. I prefer to have the staff shovel the plugs off the greens versus use a Core Harvester or Toro Pro Sweep. These units have their place at many facilities but also have a tendency to cause unwanted tire tracks.
CUSHMAN CORE HARVESTER

Click Here for a look at the Toro Pro Sweep in action.
After the removal of the plugs, we apply various soil amendments as well as the sand needed to fill the holes. Applying the correct amount of sand is a critical aspect of aerification. Too much sand and there is no grass left to putt on, too little sand and the holes are not filled, making the greens bumpy. The perfect amount of sand is that which fill the holes completely with a little left over on the surface to smooth any inconsistencies from the equipment tracks.