Irrigation System Update

The irrigation system is undergoing a major renovation this fall as I'm sure you are all aware of by this point in the season. All pipe, sprinklers and control will be replaced except for the green sites, the entire 10th hole, the short game practice area and the driving range. That work was completed in 2010 and 2011. The new Flowtronix Pump Station was installed in April and is operating as expected. What has not been discussed is a conversion from the existing manufacturer to Toro irrigation components. After careful consideration and using the latest technology from the other company around the greens we made the decision to change. We were going to leave the sprinklers around the greens even though we had considerable performance problems for several seasons after they were installed. We did overcome most of those issues but they are still, in my opinion, an inferior product.

Toro Canada offered to replace those sprinklers with their top of the line product. We were presented with this option after the project pricing had been submitted by the independent installer (Alpine Irrigation). Our only obligation was to supply the labour to install them and then Oakcreek Golf and Turf (the Western Canada Toro distributorship) would then take the old sprinklers in exchange.

Throughout the remainder of the summer Turf Care will be working around the greens to switch out those sprinklers. Simply put it was an offer we couldn't refuse and we are getting a superior product. The other manufacturer' sprinklers on hole 10 and the driving range will remain in place. They are a different model than the greens sprinklers and work fine for our needs in those areas.

The new sprinklers being installed around the greens are of the same design that will be installed on the rest of the golf course. What is unique about them is that they can be upgraded in the future as new technology hits the market in the years to come and they don't have to be dug up.

Eric and Sam are seen here at 17 green replacing the old sprinklers laying beside Tia with new Toro Infinity sprinklers.

Divot Repair and Early Morning Golfers

Divots replacement has always been an issue at golf courses and always will be. The same as ball marks. Its an inherent part of the business. Our task in Turf Care is to reduce the amount of improperly repaired divots and to educate the membership as to the best method of repair that relates to the turf conditions at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club. What other clubs do should have no relevance here. I'll repeat the message in word form and then feel free to watch the video below.

Quite simply, if you take a divot please retrieve the turf plug and put it back in the divot hole. If the turf flies apart into small pieces use the sand seed and fill the area completely level with the ground.

Early morning golfers that tee off before the first posted tee time cannot be afforded the same courtesies as those members that do. Turf Care must prepare the course for daily play without any interference. They have been instructed to keep working so that all the work can be completed without having to worry about golfers and possibly getting hit in the early morning hours. They are only looking for that first tee time group (7:00 am on weekdays for example) that approaches them and only then are they to defer all work until that group passes. If you are an early golfer you must not play golf until the Turf Care staff leave the area. You also have the option of skipping that hole but keep in mind that we have multiple groups of staff throughout the course. If you come upon another group you must again make the decision to wait or leave the area. There have been several very close calls this season and this policy is has been enacted as a result. thank you for your consideration in this matter.

On the Course This Month

June has arrived although it feels like July after opening the 2016 season much earlier than usual. The recent rains have really helped the turf as there is nothing like the complete coverage of falling rain and the benefits of soft water over hard water (our irrigation source that we had to rely so heavily on from April 9th until May 20th). Aside from our usual agronomic programs we are working on a few different areas of the course and dealing with new issues that have arisen as a result (in my belief) of the changing climate.

1.) There are more worms than I can recall coming to the surface and depositing that small mucky pile called a casting. This began last fall and has not abated. In fact the heavy rains have made matters worse. The castings are flattened down when the fairway mowers roll over them leaving small unsightly mud spots that interfere with turf health. We are trying some products to help reduce the worm numbers and keep them away from fairways. It's a double edged sword as the presence of worms signifies healthy soil but they interfere with high quality turf surfaces. They are not present on our greens. I read that they typically don't like to ingest sand particles. As we slowly build up a sand layer on our fairways maybe this will help in the future.

2.) The ants are everywhere. In the past we have only had to concern ourselves with the tiny pests that are present around the perimeter of some greens and tees. However they have shown up in large numbers on fairways and the rough. Why? I'm not sure. Possibly because the milder winters aren't keeping their numbers in check. They bring a fine loamy pile of debris to the surface of fairways and the rough. Again when Turf Care mows these areas in the early mornings we end up with mud spots. We are using a registered ant control product with some success.

3.) The fairways are scheduled for a light topdressing before the middle of the month. At the same time we will core aerate the 2nd fairway in our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of turf. It has a small landing area that sees heavy traffic both from approach shots to the green and power cart use. Those cores are full of Poa annua seed head. They will be used in conjunction with Kentucky bluegrass seed to become our fairway nursery. It is under construction in the area adjacent to the 13th green, the 12th tee and the above the right side of 18 fairway (the same location of the TV crane during the 2013 CN Ladies Open). We will soon have turf that matches our fairways when we need to do small area repairs instead of using pure Kentucky bluegrass sod.

4.) The new washroom between the 13th and 14th holes is currently being landscaped. 3 deciduous trees have been planted to break up the row of conifers in that area. Val and Laurel are adding plantings to give it a  more naturalized look and our own wood chips (as opposed to the cedar bark chips we use elsewhere) will be laid down as needed. On the 7th of June the building will have the lightning rod and grounding equipment installed. It will then be safe to use as a shelter during a thunderstorm as are the other 3 structures at 3 tee, 6 tee and 17 tee.