Late March Update

A quick update and a few pictures of the golf course.

Obviously with the snow last week our plans have been pushed back in terms of clearing the greens. We will let the sun and warmer temperatures do some of the heavy lifting for us until we feel our equipment can do the work without creating more problems than necessary. Moving snow off greens to the side can be an issue if  the snow pack is so heavy and dense that melt water is continuously running onto the surface or we can't get our sprayer onto the greens to treat for springtime disease pressure. The snow staying on a little longer will protect the turf from low nighttime temperatures or an outbreak of cold weather. Eric brought  a few plugs in from some suspect areas on Monday (remember the last batch of samples was collected a month ago) and as of today they look good. Getting through April is the next big hurdle.

Still a lot of snow. This is 9 green. Turf looks and smells good. By smell I mean a fresh earthy odor.

15 Tee. We found the cartpath.

The new Tee House is nearing completion. With landscaping it will be a great area to relax after a round or some practicing.

All for now.


Happy Easter,
Wade, Eric, David, Ian and Maureen

Spring Is Right Around The Corner

I have not been very consistent with my blog entries over the last few months but there hasn't been much to report. I don't know how important it is to repeatedly discuss equipment repairs, shop improvements and such when our thoughts are elsewhere. I do know that as March arrives ears begin to perk up when talk revolves around the golf course. I can tell you that there is still 1.5 to 2 feet of snow out there and that we have cleared paths throughout the course so we can get to the greens when the need arises.

The weather is still too unpredictable for any snow removal to begin. In fact the existing snow cover is acting as insulation and also keeping the turf dormant. Breaking dormancy too early usually results in damage to the Poa annua that is present in varying degrees on the greens, tees and fairways. Once Poa is exposed to melting conditions and begins taking in water it's winter hardiness is basically gone. A night of freezing temperatures can result in serious consequences. The bentgrass will not break dormancy easily so it isn't much of a concern.

We have brought in turf samples from some greens and tees last week. We picked what we thought would be problem areas. For example, the swale that runs through #2 green, the front of #8 green and the back of #3 tee. These areas all had some ice cover. I suspect it formed in mid to late January but as of today the samples in the greenhouse are looking good. Keep in mind though that on the course the greens will still be covered for 2 more weeks. Sort of a catch 22 with the ice that may be present. Regardless I'm cautiously optimistic. Eric won't let me post a picture of the samples. Bad Karma apparently. Actually I'm on board with that one. When the greens begin to clear we will post progress pictures and some video. My 2nd Assistant David Smith has been forced into the Information Technology role whether he likes it or not. Thanks Dave.

For the remainder of this post some highlights for the coming season:

• In the process of obtaining permits from Environment Canada for Canada Goose control. We are also assisting the City of Edmonton and their control efforts and we will continue to work with the  University of Alberta researchers. Remember the swan decoy?
• Walk mowing tees and aprons/approaches during main golf season.
• More frequent light topdressing on fairways.
• Intensive cultural work on the tees to reduce the labour associated with hand watering localized dry spots.
• Establishment of a "cuff cut" or "pro path". This is the strip of short turf for walkers to use from the tees to the fairways. Regardless of the LPGA tournament we had planned to introduce this feature as a permanent change to the course.
• We have purchased another large area rough mower that will help keep the rough cut more often and more consistent across the course on a day to day basis.
• Finishing work next to the new cartpaths. Paving stone, sodding, etc.

• New 200, 150 and 100 fairway yardage plates to replace the old coloured steel domes.

That's our new maintenance facility floor covering in the background by the way. Thankfully no more carpet in my office.
All for now,
Wade

Audubon Update and How to Get Involved

This blog posting has been prepared by David Smith, our 2nd Assistant Superintendent.



 I would like to provide an update on our Audubon Certification progress. Last week we received confirmation from Audubon International that our environmental plan has been approved. This means that Audubon International will be supporting our work to preserve wildlife habitats and pursue sustainable management on the golf course. The golf course has received a certificate for our efforts in Environmental Planning, the first of six categories in which we are pursuing certification.

Our next step is to begin implementing our environmental plan and documenting our progress throughout the season. One example of our planned work this season will be the documentation of on-course species and identification of any environmentally sensitive areas on the course. The process will be ongoing, and I am planning on achieving full Cooperative Sanctuary certification by next year.

We have taken the initial steps, but now we need involvement from the membership. We want to provide ways for members to give their input and get involved with this program. One way you can do this is by joining our Resource Advisory Group (RAG). The purpose of the RAG is to meet together and plan our environmental projects on the course as well as outreach efforts to our community.  Anyone is welcome to join and the time commitment will be minimal. Environmental expertise are not required, just an interest in the environment and an interest in the program. We are currently looking for 3-5 members to be a part of this group initially and hope to have our first meeting in April.

If you are interested in joining the RAG and becoming involved with our environmental program, please contact either Wade Peckham (wpeckham@mayfair.ca) or myself, David Smith (dsmith@mayfair.ca). You can also call the Grounds Department office at (780) 433-9666.