Everybody's Getting Frustrated

Back up a couple of weeks if you will. The weather was great, the course was "firm and fast" and life was grand at most of the Edmonton area golf courses.  I'll make the assumption a majority of our members were happy if not satisfied too. 10 to 14 days later and the level of discontent is reaching the boiling point. I'm frustrated, my staff are frustrated and I know you are frustrated as well. Touring the course and watching conditions deteriorate is discouraging. However there is nothing any of us can do about the recent heavy rains. We are saturated and it is going to take more than a warm day or two to firm up. There are no magic solutions or superintendent secrets to improve the present situation other than closing the course and keeping all traffic off until it dries. Of course that is not going to happen. 


So now is when I have to make unpopular decisions. Cart use has been curtailed, low lying areas are beyond pumping without more turf damage, my staff can't drive in a straight line without hitting soft turf, there are ropes and signs everywhere, etc. etc. But this has happened to all of us many times before and it will happen again. I have faith in knowing conditions will improve and we will once again set our sights on presenting a premium golf course. Until that time we carry on to the best of our abilities in very trying circumstances. As for my decisions I have made I stand firm. I only have the best interests of your course in mind. Not having conviction in your thoughts and actions only causes confusion and frustration. Can I be flexible? Absolutely if the rationale is sound. Do I have to go against my desires at times to accommodate the membership? Of course. I'm in the happy business. These are difficult times but my profession is full of challenges and I always meet them head on. 


I encourage anyone to call me if you want to vent or discuss matters of concern. A face to face talk or a chat on the phone can go a long way in calming rough waters. In closing I would like to express my sincere thanks  to all of the membership for your understanding when we have had to close the course or restrict power cart use. Today is shaping up to be a sunny pleasant Friday. Enjoy your round, your meal or have a good practice session at the range. I know what we'll be doing. Mowing, mowing and more mowing.


Wade

Introducing "The Turf Care Team" And Some Other News

• This week will see the introduction of a group of young junior members that will traverse the course from #18 back to #1. They will be identified by their uniform, a white hardhat, sand/seed pails in hand and a certain course superintendent as their chaperon. They will be filling divots, fixing ballmarks and handing out cards with "Course Maintenance Tips". This is an initiative spearheaded by our manager, Mr. Wade Hudyma, to encourage and foster course etiquette. Please be aware of their presence on the course and I will do my best to keep them organized and still while you play your shots and putt on the greens.

• I'm sure we all know how wet the course is so I would ask that when driving power carts please do your best to avoid puddles if present. Be mindful of low spots that may appear dry but are still soft and vary your entrance and exit points near all cart paths. Its times like this when the benefits of a hard surface path become obvious. The month of July is not yet over but the City has surpassed last year's rainfall totals by 25mm and we are approximately 50mm above the historical average for the month. I don't have the numbers but our totals are significantly higher than the City Center Airport readings of 131mm to date.

• Maureen is removing some damaged perennials at the Golf Shop and we will be planting some tress to block off the old path from 12 green to 13 tee. She has also begun to plant hops along the fence line at 12 green so that we can eventually remove the green coloured covering screen. After the trees are in Maureen will reclaim the inside corner of the new cart path that used to be the exit to 13 tee.

• Alberta 1 Call arrived to do the locate for the new posts behind the practice greens. They didn't send a senior locator who could do the required work. The person they did send explained why. I then got frustrated with the explanation and the fact I had to reschedule another locate. We are calling in a private company and paying a reasonable fee to get it done sooner than later. 

Wade

On The Course This Week

We have received approximately 150 mm of rain in the last week or so and more is on the way. The course has come through in pretty good condition thanks in large part to how well the course drains, the efforts of my staff and the fact I have been able to hold power cart use in order to mitigate damage in all the low lying wet areas. Thank you to the membership for your patience and understanding when a call is made to restrict power carts or to close the golf course. Unfortunately there are small areas that just won't dry up and also some minor damage that will be repaired when we dry out.

When fairways are this wet and lush the size of a divot tends to increase dramatically. It is now more important than ever to replace it or fill the divot hole with enough sand/seed mix. I have picked up some huge divots in the last few days and saw attempted repairs that just aren't fair to the players following. If a ball rolled into some of the divot holes I'd swear you'd have to take an unplayable or risk breaking your wrists :) .

Alberta 1 Call was scheduled to locate utilities for the new netting poles on Thursday but they never showed up. I called Friday for an explanation and they are inquiring of the locate company and rescheduling another visit. Nothing can happen until then.

On The Course:

• We will be venting and topdressing greens on Tuesday. We probably won't finish before the first tee time arrives on the scene so we'll finish up early Wednesday morning. This is the second venting this season. It will not affect ball roll as the greens will be rolled and cut immediately following. Venting opens up the surface to allow more oxygen down into the root zone. More oxygen is very good!!  
• Topdressing fairways 2 and 9 as a test for more frequent applications of sand throughout the summer. It will not be as heavy as our fall application. We will spread it and then float it in with a drag mat. This all hinges on weather. Excess rainfall will delay the process until a later date. We have been topdressing 10 fairway throughout the summer so look for a similar "feel" while hitting shots.
• Lowering the height of cut on #10 fairway from 3/4 inches to 5/8 inches on Wednesday. 
• Work will begin work on the service areas next to the new asphalt paths this week. We are installing paving stone similar in look to the path at the 6th tee. These areas will be large enough for the bench, the ballwasher stand and garbage containers. Our desire is to replace the plastic garbage containers with new wood containers. We will bring in a sample later this season.
• The driving range tee is open for use when conditions permit. It has only been about 5 weeks since it was sodded so we need to proceed with caution. When the weather is adverse we will be back on the artificial surface until we feel the natural surface can sustain the traffic. Also, assume the range will be closed every Friday morning until around 8 a.m. The Golf Shop does a "clean pick" every Thursday evening. Friday morning we mow the entire range and complete a major divot repair. If the weather doesn't cooperate we will change the day and then send out a notice.

All for now,

Wade

My Thoughts For What They're Worth And Other More Relevant Notes

As I work on this blog entry on a Sunday evening I'm watching the rain continue to fall. The entire staff was scheduled to work this evening in order for us to get some extra prep work done for the Member/Guest events beginning on Tuesday. I'm also fretting over losing an entire day of mowing as well. I decided to bring them in tonight anyway and get some of the "dirty work" (for lack of a better term) completed. Weed whipping, pruning, general cleanup, etc. They all showed up and not one of them uttered a word of complaint. At least within my earshot. In fact most of them seemed very upbeat. I'm proud of them and it shows their commitment to the Royal Mayfair and the desire to see a successful week of showcasing the facility. However I'm sure they'll be less than cheerful when we end work at 8:30. Monday will be a very busy day as we pump water, readjust the bunker sand and hopefully get some extra  mowing done in addition to all we had planned otherwise. By the way they all have rain gear supplied by the club.


I've had 24 hours to reflect on the Score Magazine Top 100 ratings. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't matter to me that we were removed from the list. It stings a bit and the ego is bruised. But as my wife so eloquently put it: I look after The Royal Mayfair Golf Club for the members, not the readers of Score Magazine. I came back to the club late Saturday, went for a tour, checked the speed and roll of a few greens and generally felt very pleased with what has been accomplished over the last 2 seasons. So on that note I congratulate Blackhawk and Northern Bear for their rankings but tomorrow is another day and we carry on. For myself, The Royal Mayfair is #1.


On The Course

• The short game practice area turf height of cut will be lowered slowly over the next month in order to eliminate the risk of scalping as we develop conditions that reflect the golf course. The greens height will stay as it is for this season but will match the golf course in 2013.
• The driving range grass surface will open for regular use on Tuesday. We will move back to the artificial surface if required. Those requirements being aeration, topdressing or possibly after heavy rains. The goal however is to use the turf as much as possible.
• Beginning next week we will be testing the process of lightly topdressing fairways. The thought being what can we do to increase the health and playability of our fairways? Yes they are in excellent condition but we would like to increase the maintenance frequency to bring them more in line with the greens and tees. We picked  what I consider to be 2 fairways that have different issues. #2 is a fairway that sees a lot of traffic in a tight area. #9 is a fairway that has some minor drainage problems. The practice of frequent, light topdressing has many benefits over the one heavy application we put down on the fairways in the fall. We also want to measure the inconvenience, if any, for the membership. Stay tuned.

All for now,

Wade

Course Update Following Thunderstorm

The course is currently closed due to flooding from the torrential rains that fell in a very short period early this morning. We are pumping water with all pumps in use but it will take some time to catch up. There are holes that are very difficult to traverse even if walking.

The bunkers have held up very well. Of course there are some minor washouts with the rightside bunker at 18 green requiring pumping and major sand adjustment. That is to be expected considering its location. Heavy runoff from the slope above the bunker overwhelms the design and drainage performance at times.

We can mow greens and tees and we are doing course setup for play when we reopen. We are also doing our weekly bunker trim but the crew will not be blowing out the grass clippings and other debris until later in the day.

As for the possibility of power cart use today I am very skeptical at this point. It will all depend on how firm the turf is once we clear up the standing water problem. These types of rains tend to run off surfaces quickly and collect in low areas without really soaking in. Contact the Golf Shop for further updates and I will use twitter for those members that follow me.

Wade

On The Course and Introducing PGR's

On The Course This Week:

• Continued cart path tie in work.
• Bunker sand adjust and required edging from Wednesday until Friday.
• Core aeration and topdressing of #10 fairway and approach.
• Install 2 sprinklers to account for lack of irrigation coverage on #2 approach to assist with improving turf health in this area.
• Greens verticutting and light sand topdressing early Wednesday morning (weather permitting).
• Greens height lowered to .110 inches on Friday (if we can topdress on Wednesday).
• Continued planting bed work on #13 and #16.
• The first application of a PGR on the greens and a test area on #2 fairway.

Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) Use At The Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

An important tool we as turf managers have for maintaining fine turfgrass is the use of plant growth regulators. In this case, Primo Maxx which is widely used throughout the golf course industry. Without getting too complicated this product will be sprayed on all our greens, in regular intervals, beginning today. We held off on the use until now because of winter damage recovery required on some of our greens. Trinexapac-ethyl (Primo Maxx) reduces the amount of grass clippings by regulating turfgrass growth rates. It also has several other important benefits such as improving density, color and in the case of Poa annua, keeping those annoying seed heads much lower and tighter in the turf canopy.

The major benefit as far as I'm concerned is assisting in the maintenance of green speed. When we have greater control of growth rates combined with our mowing and rolling practices it is easier to deliver consistent greens speeds throughout the day. With the desire for firmer, faster putting surfaces Primo Maxx can only help. There may be some temporary yellowing on the greens until the turf gets used to the applications but it will be applied within our liquid nutrient program so it may not be too noticeable if at all.

As we monitor the results there is very good chance we will be applying this product on tees and fairways in the future. On a side note this product has been mentioned as one of the more important innovations in the history of turf management. The use of PGR's is an important and welcome addition to our maintenance practices here at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

All for now,

Wade