Irrigation Project and Fairway Aeration Update

The fairway aeration continues at a slow and steady pace. Cloudy weather, frost and shorter days at this time of year only allow us to do 1 or 2 fairways each day. We could move faster but the cleanup would not be satisfactory. The cores need to dry for a few hours so that the pickup and blowing off of each fairway is thorough. Topdressing will commence early next week on those fairways that have been aerated. You have been very accommodating by not driving on the cores. Any traffic will flatten the plugs (cores) and make them more difficult to remove. Warm weather will definitely help with the process.

Cleanup takes time on cloudy cool days. We don't have the luxury of waiting for ideal weather at this time of year.

The Irrigation Project has progressed onto the golf course with extensive work occurring on the 9th hole. Mainlines are being trenched in from the pumphouse across the beginning of the hole and also up the west side of the rough. The tee now has 8 individually controlled sprinklers all of the same type and size. In the past we had 5 sprinklers of varying sizes that were controlled in 2 blocks. This led to both over and under watering. The 2 fairway laterals (and sprinklers) that come off the line in the rough will be installed later next week. Work will progress westward from there onto holes 1, 2 and 8. Weekly and daily emails will keep you notified of the work plan and any course modifications. If you have been down to the Royal Mayfair you already know that #9 is playing as a Par3 and will continue as such for the next few days.

A mainline trench for 6 inch pipe down the side of #9. The existing 8 inch pipe is in the bottom of the picture. It is still pressurized.

A 3 inch line is feeding the new 2 inch lines for the 9th tee. Those lines are being installed with the directional drilling machine on the right so that the cartpath is not damaged.

Various sizes of fused HDPE await installation.

This machine is used to plow in and pull the miles of wire needed for the irrigation system.

Irrigation Project Begins

The irrigation system replacement project begins on Wednesday. All the components are on site, more pipe is arriving daily and Alpine Irrigation will begin fusing the 14 inch section of mainline that will be installed from the pumphouse out to the southern edge of 9 fairway. Once that is in the ground you will see the work move onto the golf course itself.

Keep in mind that all the green sites were completed in 2011. Alpine only needs to link that HDPE pipe to the new installation in front of the greens as they complete each hole. The work this fall will go as long as weather permits. We want to get as much done in 2016 to minimize the work required in 2017. As I've stated many times in the past this project though not "glamorous" is very important to the continuous and long term goal of presenting outstanding playing conditions. The efficient delivery of irrigation water benefits turfgrass health, is environmentally responsible and makes sense financially in 2 very important ways: we use and pay for a municipal supply and the new pump station is very efficient which has reduced energy costs (approximately 30% compared to the old pump station).

I won't sugar coat the following. There will be some disruptions throughout the term of the project. Tees will need to be moved up, perhaps onto the fairways at times. There will be equipment in the way and unable to move as the contractor works. There will be damaged turf and scars that will need time to heal. No different than any other work we have completed in the six years since we began the current LREP program at the Royal Mayfair. As always the Turf Care Department will restore and repair everything back to normal. Please be patient over the next few months. My thanks to the Board of Governors, the LREP Committee, Mr. Wade Hudyma and most importantly you, the Membership, for having the foresight to embark on this project.

I will post weekly blogs and use twitter to keep you informed of the work and any changes to hole routings that will occur. Emails from the Club or the Golf Shop will be widely used so please read them if you plan on coming down to the golf course from now until the end of the season.



The temporary connection that served us all summer will be replaced by a 14 inch iron "z-pipe".

Some of the installation equipment you will see on the golf course. 

The 14 inch HDPE pipe that will be fused and installed from the pumphouse to 9 fairway.






 

Aeration Season Has Arrived

Its been 5 months since the golf course opened for play on April 12th, approximately 3 weeks sooner than usual. In between we experienced drought conditions which then led into a very wet summer that has continued to this day. The seasonal core aeration of all playing surfaces is now needed more than ever. The relief of compaction, the easier exchange of gases and water, the raising of mowing heights and the heavier applications of topdressing all result in healthier turf. Our maintenance programs are very intense and now is the time to begin preparing the golf course for next season.

Beginning tomorrow cores will be pulled on tees. They will then be heavily topdressed on Tuesday and not mowed for several days following. Approaches will be next and the long process will continue with fairways next week. Please be prepared for some interruption throughout the next few weeks and have patience with the Turf Care staff as we complete the work. The greens will be aerated in late September or early October depending on the weather so there is plenty of time left to enjoy good putting surfaces until then.

Pictures from 2015 showing fairway aeration and core cleanup and the heavy topdressing applied to tees.