End Of The 2014 Golf season

The golf course closed on October 31st and several ongoing projects were completed before winter arrived this past Saturday. All winter fungicide applications were put down during the 2nd half of October and into early November. It remains to be seen if the recent rains will have had any effect on the fairway applications sprayed in mid-October but I think the course should be okay based on past experience.

The turf has gone into winter in good condition, the leaf cleanup went well and 3 major projects were finished on time. One project of concern was widening the area behind the artificial tee surface at the driving range. There was a safety issue that needed to addressed before someone was injured. The Turf Hound mat deck was taken apart and moved forward. In its original location paving stone was laid down. It matches the stone used on the course in both color and style and looks much better than adding more asphalt. Next spring the mats will be reinstalled and the natural turf surface will be completely resodded and should be ready for use by mid June.

Another concern, at least for us in Turf Care, was reestablishing the nursery. All the existing turf was used over the summer. We now have 3 different sections at the nursery. There is about 10,000 sq ft. of Poa annua (from our greens aeration cores) that has been interseeded with creeping bentgrass. This should closely match our greens and will be ready for use later in 2015. We then cut off approximately 8000 sq. ft. of sod from several of the greens at Pioneer Meadows. This turf can be used on our greens if need be but is more suited for our bentgrass tees. It was difficult to cut, move and install as you can see in the picture. Fortunately all it needs is some care and attention next spring. We decided to leave it for now aside from some patching and topdressing of seams that occurred after the photo was taken. It looks much better at present. In between the two sections we installed 2000 sq. ft. of Kentucky bluegrass for other areas on the course that will need repair (such as the new cartpath edges).

Of course the major project was the paving of all the remaining gravel paths on the front 9, adding a few extensions on some back 9 paths and installing a continuous path on #11. All par 3's are now cart path from tee to green aside from the south path on #4. It was decided that it did not need to cut across the 4th hole to connect to the north path. The base preparation was 6 inches of gravel followed by 3 inches of asphalt. A very solid system especially considering all the trees lining the paths. The cleanup next spring will take time. Curbing, sodding, placing the premanufactured concrete steps and paving stone work will take place throughout the month of May. The amount of damage from the gravel and asphalt dump trucks is considerable across the poor old 9th fairway, in front of the 1st tee and in front of the 9th tee. They will be repaired as usual. The use of Dura Deck matting rented from Little Guy Oilfield Rentals resulted in significant reduction in turf damage further out on the course. Overall I am very pleased with the project. Carts will be cleaner, the paths are very smooth and many hours of labor tasked to keeping the old paths presentable can be utilized elsewhere. 

An example of the cleanup work. This section of path at 4 tee will have paving stone installed on the right and soil/sod work on the left.

This winter we have installed the bubble wrap/ice shield covers on 4 greens. In addition to the 6th green, covers were laid over the 8th, 18th and warmup greens. Fresh air will be blown under the covers every 10 to 14 days over the winter season. Over the next 5 months that should reduce my stress level by about 20% every time we experience a warm spell or it decides to rain. The plan is to keep adding covers each fall, 4 or 5 per year.

Backpack blowers are hooked up to each pipe to force fresh air under the covers. We use passive tubing which is inflatable plastic pipe with holes along its length that allows the air to fill the space under the entire cover.

All that remains is to rope off several greens to keep wayward cross country skiers off them. Any traffic on uncovered greens can possibly lead to ice formation. This season a new groomer purchased by the Royal Mayfair Ski Club will give us side by side tracks for a more "social" experience out on the trails. The skating rink will open once the ice is deemed safe. Enjoy the off season wherever you may spend your time.

A Personal Note To The Unsung Heroes

This blog has nothing to do with The Royal Mayfair Golf Club and is much more personal in nature. I want to recognize and pay tribute to the those superintendents that can maintain smaller golf facilities with limited resources and still present a course in great condition and is fun to play. Some of them are 9 holes, some of them are shorter 18 hole courses. You know who you are. Generally they are located in a rural setting but sometimes they can be found within the city limits. I have a very close association with one such club. That course will close permanently after 23 years of operation. The City of Edmonton has grown around it and it will soon become a new residential community. If you know me then you are well aware that Pioneer Meadows is the course and that my wife Jennifer has been the superintendent there for 20 years.

Course closures in this area (Alberta) are very rare and I realize that this has been a common occurrence throughout the US but this one hits home. I've experienced the growth of Pioneer Meadows through the trials and tribulations that my wife, her Turf Care team and the management have gone through over the years. When I say every penny counted I mean it. Almost to the very end. The Edmonton market is very competitive and Pioneer Meadows suffered under the perception of being "too short" or "too easy". Maybe the marketing failed. I don't know but I'm a fairly good golfer and I loved playing there. I used all the clubs in my bag, the greens became firm and quick over Jenn's time there and it didn't take 4+ hours to play (assuming you weren't playing in a company scramble buts that's another story).

Believe me when I say that Jenn has had it very tough at times over the years.  I realize we as superintendents all have issues and they become relative to the type of facility you work at but some of the experiences she has gone through made me admire Jenn and others like her even more. The perseverance and commitment was amazing at times. It took a toll on her health. It took a toll on our family. Could she have left? Could she have moved up the career ladder? Was it difficult being married to me? Absolutely. Imagine the conversations we had at home when discussing her club and the clubs that I have worked at, especially now that I'm at The Royal Mayfair. But she stayed so that I could realize my aspirations. We could bring our daughters to Pioneer Meadows whenever we wanted. Our border collies basically had free run of the place. When I came home and needed to vent she listened and offered advice. When I had "turf problems" she helped me through them as only another superintendent could. She was innovative and experimental with new turf care products and cultural management. She used a hand held moisture meter long before anyone had heard of the TDR 300 or POGO. I could go on and on here but I'll stop.

I was out at Pioneer Meadows last evening watching the heavy equipment strip the soil immediately south of the course and it was sad to see. No matter that it's my wife's course that will close. It is upsetting to see ANY green space disappear. Yes it is a golf course but one still surrounded by trees, populated by wildlife, a breeding ground for ducks and geese, rainbow trout in the ponds, etc. etc. Life moves on I suppose. Nice work Jenn and thank you for being such a close colleague over the years. You made me a much better superintendent.

If you recognize yourself or have worked in similar situations I salute you. If you know someone working at a small, limited budget golf course don't forget about them. Go play and support their efforts. There are hidden gems everywhere in this province.

Fairway Aeration Update

 

 



Anybody that has been out on the course this week (which is many considering the great weather) knows that Turf Care is currently core aerating the fairways. This process is very disruptive, messy and time consuming. The disruption is obvious. Two or three fairways covered in cores and several different cleanup procedures occurring all at once. Until the cores dry there is the matter of mud sticking to equipment, golf cart tires and the bottom of your shoes. Why so much mud? I'm going to be blunt here and it tells of the frustration we are experiencing during this procedure. The only sand in the profile appears to what has been applied in the last 4 years. Actually we have just started to get aggressive with topdressing in the last 2 years. The 2 to 3 inch core we are pulling is mostly dirt. We've known this to be the case for awhile but when you begin to correct the problem it becomes a daunting task. I'm left wondering how this could be at a course of Royal Mayfair's quality. But that's in the past and we have to think of the future.

 

The fairways were very good for the last few years and even up until the middle of last August. With the dry summer some problems were exposed. It was easy to see during periods of long term stress that the turf would suffer. By introducing some agronomic changes and proposed upgrading of the irrigation system we can greatly improve the performance of the fairways. However, they will not magically improve overnight. It will take years of aggressive turf management and then a commitment from both Turf Care and the membership to continue this type of work during every golf season in the future. Turf Care cannot decide that maybe one season we'll just solid tine or maybe a mid-summer topdressing will be skipped. Also, the membership must relax expectations when fairway aeration is underway (or any aeration procedure for that matter). Our great playing conditions do not happen on their own. A cliché yes, but short term pain will result in long term gain.

 

It may appear to the casual observer reading this that our fairways are in rough shape. Far from it but we need to get out in front of future problems given the changing weather, a commitment to deliver outstanding season long playing conditions and the day to day challenges of a golf course that has a very high % of Poa annua throughout the property.

 

I ask that you please be patient with Turf Care as we go through the next week of aeration and heavy sand topdressing. These are long tiring days for all involved. As much as you would prefer Turf Care to be somewhere else at 6:00 pm we need to be here to get the work done. Thankfully the weather is warm and we've experienced no frost delays. Yet. 

 

 

If it was always this dry cleanup would be so much easier. Each fairway is blown off after the sweep. Topdressing follows. The sun is setting so in this case the sand would go down the following day.

 

 

 

September Update From Turf Care

I haven't posted a blog since mid July but it is now time to detail activities on the course over the next month. Following the list of work a couple of turfgrass issues will be discussed. The month of August went very well at the Club. All the events came off without weather related problems. In fact it was the driest August (although very humid for Edmonton) in many years. Since I arrived at the Royal Mayfair in late 2010 the course has not gone through a dry spell until now. This weather has exposed irrigation shortfalls (as it always does) and further reinforced the remaining work required to keep improving the golf course and especially our fairways.

September is typically a month of aeration and this year is no different. Aside from the greens all the tees, approaches and fairways will be core aerated and topdressed. The biggest task, fairway aeration, will begin next week. They will be both solid tined and cored then heavily topdressed in order to begin reducing the compaction and poor drainage problems that have become more than evident throughout the summer. The wet summers of 2011 to 2013 masked underlying problems that need to be addressed moving forward. The greens are scheduled to be aerated in the first week of October (which may include the 29th and 30th of September). 9 holes will be closed each day so that Turf Care can accomplish this work without interruption from frost delays or member play.

Turf Care and Project Work:

• Early fall fungicide application on greens, tees and approaches (preventative).
• Aeration beginning September 8th on fairways with tees and approaches to follow later in the month.
• Sodding of damaged turf in wet areas around a few tee sidebanks.
• Repair the small collar damage behind 14 green.
• Replace a few small repair plugs that didn't survive at the very front of 9 green. Sodding on greens in mid summer heat at a very low mowing height is tenuous at best. The cooler seasons of spring and fall are more suited to that kind of work, when you have the choice that is.
• Leaf sweeping will begin soon. The leaves are quickly changing color and by mid month cleanup should be well underway and will continue until closing.

Projects:

• The largest project is continuation and completion of cartpath paving. The front 9, a continuous path from tee to green on #11 and some extensions on #'s 12, 13 and 15 will be undertaken towards the end of September. Exact start date is still to be determined and you will be notified as to when very soon.
• Removal of rxr ties on the south and east side of the north tee complex at #4. The tee was going to be renovated this fall but that has been delayed for a season or 2. When it is rebuilt a new retaining wall system will be built on the north side of the complex.
• Removal of the rxr tie wall beside the path leading up to #2 green. The need for a wall will be eliminated by moving part of the path into the tree line.
• The promised washroom at #14 tee is to be built in early 2015 and then installed on the course during the summer. Apologies for the delay but the process is in motion.
• Renovation of the nursery as all the turf was used earlier this season.

There are two turfgrass related topics to review. The first is the purplish colored spots on the greens that appear during the onset of cooler weather in the fall and prevails until the turf begins to grow as the soil warms the following May. It is not a disease and not much of a concern. It usually occurs on the strain (or bio type) of Poa annua that is perennial in nature (a tight growing, fine bladed variety with  low seedhead production). A very simple explanation is a buildup of certain sugars in the leaf blade that becomes apparent when chlorophyll is reduced as cool weather arrives. Some of those sugars give the leaf blade the purple/red color you may be noticing.

The second issue is more of a concern. Going back to my previous comments about the soil structure of the fairways, the hot August with little precipitation, high humidity and inadequate irrigation throughout the fairways, we experienced numerous dry areas and the onset of Summer Patch disease. This is not a new problem here but had been very limited in its occurrence in the past. It has run its course but we are dealing with the symptoms. There are patches of damaged Poa annua on many of the fairways. You may have noticed reddish patches of degraded turf quality even close to irrigation sprinklers. This is a root disease that can be mitigated by a healthy root zone. The solution for our fairways is more intensive management and perhaps a preventative fungicide application in future summers. That will depend on the type of weather we are forecast to experience during July and August. A mild September in combination with a recent fertilizer application and the upcoming aeration will certainly help recovery in those areas.

Mid July Course Update

Its been awhile since we've updated the Turf Care activities on the golf course. It's already the middle of July and the Men's Member Guest is quickly approaching followed by the Judge Walsh and the Club Championship later in August. Here's hoping the great weather holds for the remainder of the summer and these events get the same conditions we experienced for the Women's Member Guest held earlier this month.

The recent hot and dry weather has exposed some flaws in our irrigation system. The greens are fine and most of the surrounds are okay. Any dry areas around the greens is primarily due to the soil type under the turf especially on the top of mounds. This situation has been a problem at the club for many years but always improves with cooler weather. I am also not a believer in requiring a golf course to be emerald green across the property for the entire golf season. A few dry areas should not be of any concern. Having said that however the fairways are wetter than we would like. The Poa annua on the course requires more water than normal during long dry spells. Also over the last few days we have applied a second application of wetting agent on the fairways that should allow us to reduce irrigation requirements for the remainder of the summer. Unfortunately it needs to be watered in and that has resulted in some wet areas. We are cutting back the water and should be able to dry the turf out, hopefully before the thunderstorms that are sure to arrive in the next few weeks.

If you follow me on twitter or play the course enough you will have noticed some yellow spots and streaks on the turf on the greens and tees. There is no regular pattern or specific condition (shade or sun areas) that seem to be present either. Testing has not identified any disease organisms. We did test for nematodes and to our surprise we do have a small population of cyst nematodes that are harmful to turf. This is a complicated problem that we have never encountered. For that matter it is pretty much an unheard of issue in Alberta. Without going into great detail (there is detailed information on the internet) there is no registered chemical control for nematodes in Canada. There is a treatment protocol involving a mix of non chemical materials that we are currently researching for effectiveness but we aren't holding our breath. Fortunately the situation seems to be stable at the present time. No better and no worse.


On The Course Next Week:

• Adding irrigation coverage between the 9th green and the 1st tee slope
• Adding a sand/seed bottle exchange site at 16 tee
• Core aerating the collars (3/8 inch hollow tines) 
• Topdressing greens, collars and approaches
• Light topdressing on fairways (remember: once a month for June, July and August)
• some sodding next to the putting green and behind the 9th green
• Clover control

Overall I am very pleased with the golf course and the work above will allow Turf Care to fine tune some areas and improve the playing conditions even more. Enjoy the great weather.

Regards,
Wade Peckham and the Turf Care Team

Late June Course Update

It now appears that the Edmonton area will finally get a nice run of warm weather. With the high temperatures will come the warmer nights that really help fill in those areas that are slow to recover. We are focusing attention on some of the rough that was damaged by snow mold and the residual effects from hosting the Women's Canadian Open. A few tees also need some extra attention.

The warmup green is now open but it still needs a few more weeks (as does the east side of putting green) before it's 100%. The 18th is recovering nicely from a setback that occurred 2 weeks ago. We still aren't completely sure what happened but most of the bentgrass was affected. We had our theories and decided to proceed with a new plan that has had positive results. The warmup and #18 green are currently being mowed at a higher height so they will be slower for another week. Your patience with the 2 practice greens and #18 have been very appreciated.

On The Course:

• We are aerating a few select tees. #7 Blue, #17 Gold and #18 Red have been cored to help with the final stages of recovery and water penetration issues.
• The Gold tee on #4 will be resodded next week with Penncross creeping bentgrass. That tee is just too small to sustain the play it is getting. In fact the whole complex is not designed for par 3 use. Look for a late season renovation that will greatly increase tee space.
• The Short Game Practice Greens will be solid tine aerated to aid in air and water movement. Water holding amendments are being added to those tees with water issues.
• Bunker sand adjust next week.
• The tree stumps that have been springing up recently will be ground down and filled in.
• The benches for some of the tees have finally been shipped. The delay was due a manufacturer's error.
• Sodding various areas of troublesome rough.

Now that school is out more juniors will be playing the golf course. However etiquette school is in.
 If you are a junior reading this blog please remember to replace your divot or add sand if the divot breaks apart. On the greens fix your ballmark and maybe a few others as well. We've watched a few juniors over the last few days thus the reason for this reminder. Tell those that you play with and any guests you bring too. Actually we all need to remember these points no matter what your age. Thanks for your help in keeping the course clean and ready for the golfers behind you.


Regards,
Turf Care

The Difference Between Aerating And Venting

This morning our Teaching Professional pulled up to the first tee for an early round of golf, took a glance over to the 18th hole and saw a scene that strikes fear in the hearts of all golfers. The green had been topdressed, 1/2 inch cores were being pulled and cleanup of the surface was soon to begin. I was watching the procedure when he asked me if all the other greens were being worked on. Not being one to miss an opportunity I replied that we had punched all of them. The look on his face was priceless. Sorry Mike. Just kidding!! What it did tell me was that even with twitter, the Turf Care Blog and communication with the Golf Shop (several days in advance) not everyone got the message we were hollow coring the new turf on 18 green today. Or that we will be venting the rest of the greens on Wednesday and Thursday. Food for thought. The main point of this blog post is to review the difference between the two procedures and briefly explain the purpose of each.

We are all familiar with hollow core aeration. It is the removal of a predetermined percentage of the root zone and modifying it with sand that is brushed and or blown into the open holes. It is disruptive to play but is also an essential turf management tool here at The Royal Mayfair. We typically aerate in early October to extend "summer like" greens throughout September. In our area of the country if greens aeration occurs in September the quality of the putting surface will be changed for the remainder of the season. The later aeration date means the aeration holes do not heal over before winter but I believe that it helps drain away minor amounts of excess moisture in the late fall and helps in water and air movement in early spring. Just a personal preference and something that not every superintendent would agree with but it works here. The exception to the rule this year is the 18th green, the warmup and 1/3rd of the putting green. They are being "punched" several times to aid in recovery. Recovery that has gone very well to date.

Venting is a procedure that punches many small pencil like holes in a green using a soild tine (no core is pulled). The main purpose is to open up the surface to allow better air and water exchange, not to modify the root zone. However we do lightly topdress each green before venting. The mechanical action of the aerator loosens up the turf canopy (which is very tight at present) and quite a bit of the sand is vibrated into the grass. Also when we brush the remaining sand some of it does make it into the small holes in addition to smoothing the surface of the greens. Following the brushing we will roll and syringe (light watering) each green. The putting surface is now pretty much back to normal. Aside from some evidence of our regular topdressing program the holes are barely noticeable. We vent the greens once a month from June until September.   

Both procedures are important to maintaining our quality greens and their correct soil physical properties.  

There are many types of solid tines used for venting turfgrass. We have installed a "cross tine" on this aerator for our purposes.

Course Notes and Happenings

The first substantial rainfall on Monday has helped improve conditions after a week of warm weather and fertilization of the fairways and rough. There's a scientific reason that turf looks greener after significant natural moisture but I won't go into here. It is enough to say that as May comes to a close and we move into summer the golf course has shown increased growth where we needed it most. We are very pleased with the golf course especially with the look and playability of the 18th green. The warmup green should be fully recovered in 2 to 3 weeks and the putting green is coming along nicely considering it is open for use.

Before some upcoming work is listed and some pictures are posted a brief note about the 18th green:

• We are slowly lowering the height of cut which will change the speed and move it closer to the others during the month of June.
• The green requires hollow core aeration and that will take place in the middle of next week. The holes will fill quickly and the new turf will be healthier for it. 

On The Course:

• Rainbow trout were released into the pond on 10 last week.
• Spot control of dandelions over the next 2 weeks. We have done a good job of keeping the "yellow flower" in check but the City of Edmonton seems to be having some degree of difficulty in controlling (whether it be chemical or mechanical) the weed so get used to seeing a few dandelions on the course at times.
• Topdressing and venting the other 17 greens next Wednesday and Thursday. Nothing out of the ordinary but necessary to keep air and water moving through the root zone.
• Sodding of the fertilizer spill west of the 9th green (spreader malfunction).
• Fairway topdressing (light monthly sand application program that was implemented last season) will begin June 9th.
• Retaining walls are being added to the flower bed expansion on the 1st tee to keep soil from eroding down the slope. 

Pictures and Explanations:

 

 The goslings have hatched at the Golf Shop and will soon be moving to one of the ponds.

 

 

This strobe light is designed to disturb the geese so that they eventually leave. Results are varied by all accounts but right now we are willing to try anything.

 

 

The 3 spruce that were planted to screen the view of the cart path on the 2nd hole have been removed for 2 reasons. The first being that they look out of place, as if they were just plunked down out of nowhere. The second reason being that they interfere with cart access to the path creating wear patterns in the landing area that is already difficult to maintain. Once a new retaining wall is built and the path is paved it might even be less noticeable than the existing gravel path.

 

 

 

 

 

 



The 18th Green Is Open For Play

30 days ago on April 17th we sodded the 18th green after deciding that waiting for recovery would be an unreliable alternative in our short golf season. On Saturday it will open for play. If you've been following the progress of the work you know we used our own sod even though some of it was a little "loose". It was difficult to obtain a consistent cut off of the nursery which then made it tough to install on the prepared surface. That being said we're happy with the results especially considering the less than ideal weather we've experienced in Edmonton over the last month.

The green is fairly consistent in terms of ball roll and turf quality. The speed is "slow" and will be maintained that way until we determine how it is reacting to play (foot traffic, ball marks and other less obvious stresses). It is very important that you treat this green with more care and attention than you would the other mature greens on the golf course. Be careful how you walk on it (don't drag your feet), fix your ball marks but don't be too vigorous with your repair tool. Nice and easy for awhile. You may also find that cup edges are soft and will wear out quickly so it is very important that you do not scoop the ball out of the hole. Over the next month we will slowly bring the green speed closer to the others.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

ON THE COURSE NEXT WEEK:

• Greens will be lightly topdressed early Tuesday morning.
• Tees will be core aerated and topdressed on Wednesday and Thursday.
• Fairways will be sprayed with liquid fertilizer.
• Greens will be sprayed first, with growth regulator (the beginning of the seasonal program) and then again with a combination of fungicide and nutrients so that we can hopefully prevent the occurrence of Take-all Patch disease. 
• Bunker edge and adjustment work should be completed by Tuesday.
• Parking lot lines should be painted by the end of the week.
• Maureen and Val will continue with bed cleanup and planting should begin in the first week of June.
• The pro paths are now being reintroduced. #6 and #9 were cut this week and the rest will be cut over the next week or 2.

All for now. Enjoy the long weekend and the BBQ on Monday.

The Turf Care Department

Open For A Week

We've been open for a week and aside from one warm day the weather has been awful especially compared to last season when the high was +31C on May 6th. The present conditions don't lend themselves for any chance of a quick recovery on the 2 putting greens. The warmup is showing progress but it has a long way to go. There is no chance of seed germination with the below zero temperatures we are experiencing at night, even with the covers on. The putting green will open later today. Please avoid practicing on the eastern 1/3rd of the green. Obviously the cups will not be placed in this area for the next few weeks.

The 18th green is progressing nicely and we are scheduled to open it for play on May 17th. The mowing height will be reduced slowly over the next month and topdressing will be the order of the day until we feel the surface is comparable to the other greens. The small areas of winter damage on a few of the other greens has been repaired and is looking good. As we move into our regular topdressing program and the weather warms up the greens will soon be where we want them for May. The aeration holes from the coring last October have been slow to close over but it won't be long before they don't affect ball roll.

 

18 Green on May 7th. Picture quality is poor but it conveys the message. The dark lines are shadows from 2 sprinklers running when the photo was taken.

 

 

We have made good progress cleaning the golf course and we will be finished with the sweepers tomorrow. However course cleanup is always ongoing in some way shape or form on a course like ours. The bunkers are currently being edged and adjusted. Its a huge, difficult task with the number and size of bunkers on the property but we should be finished next week.

 

 

Turf Care Notes:

• New benches have been ordered for some of the tees on the back 9. A few of the log benches are just not of acceptable quality anymore.
• The ball washer/trash receptacle will be back at 13 reds next week.
• A sand/seed bottle rack has been ordered for the shelter on #6. A good suggestion from a member for those who use the forward tees on #7.
• Maureen and Val will be cleaning the flower beds over the next few weeks. Soil temperatures are not warm enough to even consider planting anytime soon.
• The Stanley Thompson tees are being installed out on the fairways (3000 yard course for kids and those who can't hit it very far).
• Rainbow trout will be stocked in the pond on #10 in the next few weeks.

 

Enjoy what hopefully should be a pleasant weekend.

 

Wade

 



Audubon Certification Announcement

On Monday I had the privilege of speaking before the membership regarding the Audubon Certification program. I was pleased to announce there, and here on this blog, that the Royal Mayfair has received full designation as a Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International. This designation signifies the effort we have made to ensure we remain sustainable and environmentally friendly in our management practices. Achieving certification has been a three-year process garnering the following positive changes:

     -   Monitoring and protecting course wildlife
 

     -    Improving soil and turf health
 

     -   Reducing water consumption

     -   Planting native vegetation

     -    Leaving native and natural areas undisturbed

Certification is only the first step for the Royal Mayfair. The environmental program we are adopting is an ongoing process. We are continually finding new ways to improve the habitat on the golf course. Some projects we have planned in the near future include:

     -   Releasing rainbow trout into #10 pond

     -   Inviting a local club to perform a bird count on the course

     -   Creating multiple butterfly gardens across the course

A way for the membership to be involved in this program is to attend meetings of the Environmental Improvement Committee. This group meets to evaluate the current environmental state of the golf course as well as discuss future projects. We will be having our first meeting of the 2014 season coming up in May. If you have any questions or comments about the program, would like more information, or would like to be involved in the Environmental Improvement Committee, please contact myself at dsmith@mayfair.ca or call the Turf Care office at 780-433-9666.

More pheasants were released on Thursday courtesy of another very generous member!

Regards,
David Smith
2nd Assistant Superintendent

Opening Day Update

The 2014 golf season begins today and I would like to welcome you back to a summer of uninterrupted golf. After 2 seasons of construction and hosting the CN Women's Canadian Open the Turf Care department is looking forward to grooming and presenting the course to you and you alone. Our goal, as always, is to provide you with the finest playing experience that The Royal Mayfair can deliver. In maintaining the course at a championship level we have developed a good idea as to what areas we can improve upon and also how we can change our agronomic practices to meet the demands of a premier golf facility. However, during the month of May, we do have to recover from some winter damage that hit the 18th, 8th, large practice and warmup greens.

As you may or may not be aware of the 18th green was resodded with turf from our nursery. The decision was made based on my experience with long term recovery in this part of Alberta. If May isn't warm and wet waiting for Poa annua recovery will stretch into June and eventually July. We will hopefully be back on the 18th green by the May Long Weekend. It won't match the other greens in terms of speed and roll as we need to cautious with our mowing height for awhile. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The warmup green recovery will take a different path than #18. We don't have enough sod that is ready for use to cover what is required. Any sod we do have needs to be saved for incidental repairs from some minor winter damage and also any future problems we may experience during the season. I didn't want to resod with pure bentgrass from a sod farm because we would then have a completely different putting surface than the golf course greens (a Poa/bentgrass mix). The warmup has been worked on extensively and will stay covered with a tarp that will heat the surface and keep soil temperatures higher than normal for this time of year. By staying off it and basically "greenhousing" the turf, recovery will be rapid. The putting green and #8 are coming along fine and should be back to normal by the end of May. There is also some minor damage to greens #2 and #16 caused by someone walking on the greens. Once the irrigation system is on (next few days) we will plug out those areas.

Course cleanup finally began in earnest last week and will continue for another few days. We verticut all the rough and sweeping up the debris takes time. Not all of the old loose grass could be swept up so you will notice it on your shoes and cart wheels for a few days. Once we begin mowing the rough the loose grass will cease to be a problem.

This was the new sod on #18 after its first mow earlier this week. It has since been heavily topdressed, brushed and rolled again. The cover is back on it to keep it warm at night. The front collar will be sodded in the next week and we will be reshaping the top edge of the right green side bunker to stop the constant washouts that occur after heavy rains.

Before I close I'm very pleased to announce that The Royal Mayfair is now a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Through the efforts of our 2nd Assistant Superintendent, David Smith, and the members of the Environmental Improvement Committee we are now one of 18 courses in Alberta and the first in the Edmonton area to achieve this status. I'm proud of our efforts to combine the game of golf with stewardship of the land and air especially in the center of a major metropolitan area.

All for now and see you on the course.
Wade Peckham

Royal Mayfair Golf Club Update

Good Friday is tomorrow and the weather is not cooperating in the Edmonton area. After a previous week of warm weather we are not progressing any further. There is still snow and ice on the course and many areas that have cleared are still quite wet. We cannot move freely about the course and begin cleanup due to the conditions. A few sunny warmer days will allow us to finally sweep the debris from winter and begin preparations for opening day which should be around the 30th of April. The driving range and practice area are ready to go once it quits snowing. When the practice area does open we have designated the north green and bunker for chipping and the south green for putting practice as the warmup and putting greens are not ready at this time. A new change you will soon notice on the practice tees are range finders for members to use to determine target green yardages  We are currently working on the details and setup. This will reduce "signage clutter" and provide a new unique service for those members who want accurate distances for their practice sessions.

The golf course turf is in a holding pattern with the current weather conditions. The cold temperatures at night and throughout the day are not unusual for April and as a result the bright green look when the snow first melts is being replaced with a duller more natural color for this time of year. The Poa annua throughout the course really tends to back off until the temperatures begin to climb again. The snow we have been getting is actually providing needed moisture on the tees and some of the greens.

As you may be aware we are currently working on the 3 damaged greens around the clubhouse area. The warmup and putting greens are being aerated, verticut, overseeded and topdressed when the weather permits. They are then covered with tarps to increase soil temperatures far quicker than if they are left uncovered. In addition to staying off them for a few weeks this will greatly assist in recovery.

The 18th green is currently being sodded (between snowfalls). The decision to resod was based on my experience with recovery of damaged greens at past golf courses. If the month of May isn't as warm as required recovery of damaged turf will stretch into June and even July. The 18th green would be very bumpy and would need to be continuously topdressed in order to provide a half decent playing surface. By sodding now with our own nursery turf we have reduced the recovery time dramatically. The use of our nursery is important at this point. It is similar to our other greens in that it is a blend of Poa annua (from our aeration cores) and bentgrass seed. We used Penncoss creeping bentgrass to match the turf type on our greens. Of course this will mean the use of a temporary green until mid May thus giving the sod enough time to establish itself. The green will not be the same speed and firmness as the others when we do open it for play. That will take approximately another month of care and attention but it will be open.

I realize that the mention of a temporary green strikes fear in all golfers and is something not seen here since the late 1980's but when a golf course changes over the years from a newly renovated bentgrass green facility to a Poa/bentgrass mix we now need to accept some damage at times or decide on change. This will be discussed at length this season and will be presented in future blog postings and course communications.

The 18th green looks okay from a distance but there is not enough healthy turf to result in a quick recovery. The ice cover was not complete as you may notice towards the back. That turf is in pretty good condition but still not enough when you look in the foreground.

Earlier this week we recorded the elevation numbers across the surface, rototilled the top several inches, added amendments and root zone material. This picture only shows the preliminary work. It was then rolled, firmed up and had the elevation (or contours) checked.

Its Thursday morning and the sodding has begun even with the snow that fell overnight. We need to get this finished before warmer weather returns. Difficult, tiring work for the Turf Care staff but definitely worth the effort.



When the green is finished and cleaned up it will be rolled, topdressed and covered with a dark colored tarp to heat the surface and speed establishment of the sod.

Royal Mayfair Turf Care Update

We have now been able to assess the entire golf course after a week of warm, windy weather. I'll review the rough, fairways, tees and greens separately and outline what will entail over the next few weeks before opening day which is tentatively planned for April 30th.

The practice facility will open on April 16th. The natural range tee surface is in good condition but will not open for use until we have better growing conditions and the irrigation system is turned on. Until that time the Turf Hound mats will be used. The chipping greens will be ready as well. The putting green has suffered some damage to the Poa annua but it still has plenty of good area to use while it recovers. The warmup has suffered extensive winter kill due to the high percentage of Poa. We will keep it closed for the time being so that the overseeding efforts stand a chance of success. It will be tarped and should recover quickly if the weather cooperates. It's location near the buildings and paths will also help raise the surface temperature on sunny days.

The rough throughout the golf course is covered in snow mold. It is quite obvious where the dividing line is between fungicide treated turf and untreated turf. We did treat a pass around every green so most of the side banks are free of mold. As occurred last spring we will begin verticutting all the rough to break up the mat of mold. After some sunshine, warmer temperatures, and fertilizer it will be okay.

#15 looking back at the tee. Without fungicides the fairway would look like the rough on the left of the image. Snow mold rarely kills turf in the rough. If the fairway wasn't treated most of the Poa prevalent here would be severely damaged.

The fairways and tees have come through the winter in very good condition. Our tees are predominantly bentgrass so they can withstand our harsh winters far better than the Poa that is mixed in with the bent on some of the tees. The fairways have changed dramatically over the years to the point where Poa has become the main turf type in many areas. When aerated, topdressed regularly and treated with winter fungicides it seems to come through winter in fairly good condition year after year. Of course if the fairways were covered in a thick layer of ice for more than 50 days I imagine it would be a different story.

#14 tee looking down the fairway. The importance of an effective winter fungicide program is obvious.

Now about greens 1 to 18. As I touched on in the previous blog we have not come through winter unscathed. All the greens except #8 and #18 are in good condition with a few blemishes here and there (being no different than any other year).

#13 green from the southeast side. Similar look to all the other greens aside from the front of  #8 and #18.

Someone walked across #2 green at the wrong time of winter and the footprints are quite obvious. That damage will be plugged out soon.

 #8 has the usual damage behind the front bunker. It will grow out with some help from Turf Care. The 18th green has taken a hit from ice damage as I suspected it would. I find it interesting that the 3 greens suffering the most this spring were all located around the clubhouse and golf shop. The micro climate in this area must have been warm enough at some point this winter (that week in January?) to cause the ice problem. It shows just how close we were to a serious situation on the other greens. The term is "dodging a bullet" I believe.

The 18th green showing some of the damage to the Poa on the right of the image. 

Over the next few weeks we will be out cleaning up the golf course. No matter how well leaf removal goes in the fall our winters seem to leave the property covered in branches, downed trees and more leaves. The turf on the greens, tees and fairways will be worked on so that we can present the course for opening day. May is always a month of rejuvenation and this year is no different. I'll blog the recovery outline for the warmup and the 18th green early next week. Until then enjoy The Masters.

Late March at The Royal Mayfair Golf Club

It has certainly been a month of extremes in March. However if you have lived here for any length of time it should come as no surprise that the weather can be very warm but quickly turn very cold. Like this year. That is why I am not in favor of clearing greens until it is absolutely necessary. I'll review my reasoning shortly. First we need to review the type of turfgrasses on our greens, some very basic plant physiology and the weather conditions that the golf course experienced over the last several months.

I've explained much of the following in previous blogs since the winter of 2011. For the benefit of all, especially those who have just recently started reading the Turf Care Blog, it is important to have at least a basic understanding of your golf course. Our greens are composed of two unique turf species, creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass. Many of you know annual bluegrass as Poa annua or just "Poa". There are volumes to say about how and why we have these grasses on our greens. I only want to discuss adaptation to our winter climate. Creeping bentgrass survival rate far outweighs that of annual bluegrass and there is pretty much nothing we can change about that. The only thing we can do is modify the environment. An example would be covering a green with bubble wrap and an ice shield and then exchanging air under the covers throughout the winter. This is done to prevent ice buildup, a condition that is harmful to both bentgrass and Poa depending on how long the ice remains on the surface. We've done this on #6.

Fortunately bentgrass left to its own devices can tolerate upwards of 120 days of ice cover. But unfortunately Poa can't. In my experience continuous ice cover of 40 to 60 days is enough to kill the plant resulting in that dark green color (fool me once) and sickly sweet odor after the ice is removed or melts off the surface of a green. Various techniques are utilized to try and remove ice when the number of days begin to creep towards the lethal limit. These procedures come with a host of problems, the least of which is exposure to the most brutal unpredictable months of our winter here in central Alberta.

The second issue we now have to deal with is how each of these two turfgrasses will break dormancy in early spring. Too keep it simple, Poa annua will do it quickly and begin to take up water as soon as it is exposed to warm temperatures and daylight. Bentgrass on the other hand will stay dormant longer. When this occurs in March the potential for very cold weather following a warming trend leaves the Poa very vulnerable to freeze/thaw cycles that can shatter the plant cell wall leading to death. That is why we prefer to keep the Poa (and bentgrass) dormant as long as possible. Leaving the snow on usually helps at this time of year.

This past winter was not ideal for our course. We experienced several very warm and windy periods that led to reduced snow cover. Even though we had a fairly decent layer of snow the temperatures were high enough to cause extensive melting. Water is heavier than snow and it could only go in one direction. Down. Down to the surface in a few areas. Of course the weather changed and severe cold retuned leading to ice formation. I surveyed all the greens in mid February as reported in my last blog. Yes we have ice in areas as suspected. I also found healthy turf as well. We did clear the putting green before this last cold spell and the Poa is damaged on the east third of the green. Just as I thought it would be. It had ice on it in early January so we saw no harm in exposing it early. It still remains to be seen as to how we will fare on the rest of the course. Read my previous blog to see the areas we are concerned about. We should have a good idea how the course wintered by the end of next week assuming the weather forecast remains positive. Until then all I can say is have patience.

Wade

 

Ice was present along the east 1/3rd of the putting green. If you look closely you can see x-country ski tracks. The Poa is damaged but the bentgrass is fine. We'll cover the damaged area to help heat the surface and get the bentgrass growing in early April.

A Challenging Winter

Before I discuss the trials and tribulations that we in Turf Care have experienced this winter I'd like to welcome Matt Johnson, our new Head Professional, and Kristi Larson, Merchandise Manager, to the Royal Mayfair team. They have brought a new approach to golf shop operations that will be appreciated by all. While I'm on the topic of the golf shop the addition of the new golf course simulator is very impressive from both a teaching perspective and a great way to pass some time at the course this winter.

The other winter activities we have provided are being adversely affected by the changing weather. Unfortunately the frequent cycles of cold then warm, windy weather (mixed in with more rain than I can recall in a winter) has resulted in several challenges for making ice and grooming ski trails. I'll begin with the skating rink on #10. When we were finally able to get onto the ice in early January we found a surface that resembled a gravel road. The rain and snow that melted into the thin ice layer in mid November left it very rough and bumpy. We began by flooding the surface for a few days and then another warm windy trend about 2 weeks ago turned the surface into a mess. We are presently trying to get it ready for Family Day. Hopefully it's "okay" by then. A Zamboni would sure come in handy right now.

The ski trails have been turned into rock hard tracks where there are any tracks at all. Without a significant snowfall we cannot reset them. Our grooming equipment is not capable of dealing with the present conditions. It is so hard out on the course that you can drive the snowmobile almost anywhere and not settle down into the snow pack: a snow pack that has been rapidly disappearing throughout January. We will be purchasing a new groomer for next season that'll allow us to groom the trials when conditions aren't ideal so that we don't lose a significant amount of time for skiing during the winter. We also plan to lay down 2 side by side tracks so that it is easier for skiers to be more social with each other while out on the course.

Now for the turf conditions. Winter started out with a fairly decent cover of snow. However a warming trend and several days of dreary rainy weather in mid November resulted in less than ideal conditions on several greens. Heavy snows in December were certainly welcome but once again more warm, very windy weather in early to mid January began to eat away the snow layer and deposit ice in various locations on the golf course. I have been through similar winters before in my years as a Superintendent and typically nothing good comes of them. I inspected all the greens last week and I think I have a good idea as to what we can expect this spring. Unfortunately I found ice on several greens. The warmup and putting green are covered in a thin layer of ice as are #16 and #18 greens. I also found some patchy ice on #'s 4 and 8. I didn't locate ice of concern on any of the other greens. That doesn't mean to say there isn't any ice or that those that I think are completely covered really are. After all I can't check the entire surface. I'm fairly certain we will have problems on the four greens with extensive ice cover. I'll be cautiously optimistic about the others. Of course the removal of snow in the spring, if necessary, is another matter to consider but I will discuss that as March arrives. If you recall we have covered the 6th green and have been blowing fresh air under the ice shield every 10 to 14 days over the last few months. We now have a true ongoing test of this turf protection system that is relative to the unique environmental conditions here at the Royal Mayfair. What this holds for the future remains to be seen. Four courses in the Edmonton area have committed to the use of these covers this winter. I really believe that investment (averaging around $100,000) will finally pay off. Time will tell.

I know that the greens are paramount when it comes to mind but the fairways and tees should come out in good condition based on the checks we have done to date. As is my habit I will keep the membership updated as spring arrives and we prepare for the 2014 golf season.

In other news we have ordered a set of markers that will be placed permanently on the fairways in order to assist juniors, beginners or any other member that wishes to play a shorter golf course. I believe they will play to approximately 5000 yards.

We have also purchased a new bench and trash container to display on the 18th hole and at the Teehouse. The wood used to make these products is called Shorea, a tropical hardwood similar to teak. I really like the quality, look and feel of this equipment and I think it adds more class to the paving stone convenience areas that are being installed beside all the tee complexes.

 Enjoy the upcoming Family Day activities and here's hoping for pleasant weather.

Wade