Fall Update and a Course Closing Date

Even though the weather over the last few weeks has been miserable the golf course is holding up very well and playing great. The upcoming forecast looks promising so we're hoping to see a lot more members out enjoying the conditions. Fall is aeration season so expect some disruption over the next few weeks. The tees and approaches were completed in late August and it went well especially since we had the staff numbers to finish this difficult task quickly and efficiently.

We had planned to core aerate the fairways (pull a plug) but the wet weather has forced us to reevaluate and thus we will be solid tineing (punching a hole with no plug) instead. It would be too difficult to clean up plugs with frost delays and little drying time this late in September. The heavier final fairway topdressing program will commence at the same time. This process has begun today, Monday the 24th.

Greens will be aerated immediately after the Thanksgiving long weekend. Nine holes will be closed each day so we can complete the work in drier conditions with no disruption for the Turf Care team. It is a little later than usual so that everyone will get an extra week of good putting surfaces, especially after the start we experienced earlier this season. Do not expect much recovery on the greens as the growth rate is almost non existent in October.

Closing Date:  October 21st will be the last day of golf for the 2018 season. Following this date the Turf Care team will be able to accomplish several important tasks in a more timely manner:

• The final fungicide applications can be done without disruption and having to be concerned with exposure to golfers.
• Leaf cleanup is much more efficient.
• The arduous process of covering the greens can begin without interruption and without the rush we have experienced in the past. Of course this is under the assumption that winter stays away until its usual arrival around the end of the month.
• Preparation for the resodding of the entire 2nd green and the front section of 15 green. (see below)

This all predicated on the goal of trying to ensure the best possible conditions for the entire membership in the spring of 2019.

Resodding Projects

1. The decision has been made to resod all of 2 green. It is a mix of several turf types that have not performed well over the last few years. We will be preparing the surface after the course closes and sodding asap in the spring using the same turf (creeping bentgrass) that is on 15 green. The green will not be in play until later in May and it will be a careful process to ensure its health for the entire summer.
2. The front section of 15 will under go the same process. The reasoning here is to match the rest of the green and thus present a consistent putting surface. That green should be opened much quicker as we can use the back section for play.

On The Course This Week

The  showers we keep receiving every 2 or 3 days is making it difficult to keep the golf course firm. That being said I remind EVERYONE to please repair your ballmarks. They aren't hard to see when the greens are soft so please help out and do your part.

The membership is doing a good job of fixing divots by replacing the turf or using the sand seed containers. My preference is to always put back the turf if it is in one piece. Thanks for your help.

The tree on 18 was cleaned up last Friday after a few days of chainsaw work. The large stump and protruding root mass will be ground down by Carrington & Company when he passes through Edmonton again.

On The Course:

• Spraying control product on clover and any other broadleaf weeds
• Light sanding of fairways Tuesday and Wednesday
• Spraying fertilizer and growth regulator on fairways after topdressing is completed
• Granular fertilizer in select areas of rough
• Completion of  fairway bunker sand adjustment (#3 and #5 waste bunker)
• Continued minor greens repair
• Renovation of the walk off area behind 17 green

We will be removing the worn out turf behind 17 green and replacing it with a section of artificial grass that will be topdressed with sand. The sand will work down into the fibers and give it a better feel when you are walking on it. The section will extend from the top of the mound down to the cartpath. I have seen this used with good success (and a decent appearance) at The Calgary Golf & Country Club. It is just too difficult to grow turf on that narrow exit point.

Bunkers, Trees and Greens

I started blogging at Highlands GC about 10 years ago and continued it consistently here at The Royal Mayfair. This season I have not communicated through this medium in a timely manner. I have used twitter more often but still not often enough. Instead the Turf Care Department has notified the Golf Shop about daily activities so that they could talk to the members as they greeted them at the first tee. This technique is not 100% foolproof and doesn't allow for detailed messages to be conveyed. Without a monthly newsletter I find myself in a quandary. How do we get our messages out to you the members? The answer is back to more blogging, twitter posts and email blasts. I am also out on the course throughout the day so please feel free to flag me down to answer any questions you may have.

Let me explain why the bunkers have seen a delay in edging and sand adjustment. The construction at our front entrance resulted in a delay for sand delivery from Idaho. They only deliver sand with long belly dump trailer trucks . There was no way those trucks could enter until the curbing was finished. The first load arrived 12 days ago and the second arrived last Wednesday. There was enough sand in our inventory to complete the green side bunkers a few weeks ago, had some sand left over to start fairway bunkers and  were finally able to order more sand. Unfortunately with the wind storm the fairway bunkers had to wait while we tasked labor to course cleanup for a week. We have many large fairway bunkers and there are only so many hours in a workday. However we are almost finished, with bunkers on 6,7,10 and 12 to be adjusted.

Many of you have seen that huge poplar that fell Saturday evening on hole 18. When they are on the ground it is easier to appreciate how big they are and how extensive  the cleanup is. By my estimate it will be 8 hours of chainsaw work and 16 hours of labor (4 staff x 4 hours) just to remove the debris and stumps. On top of that will be disposal of the branches and wood. We will chip what branches we can but there is no room in our area for any debris. It will need to be put into 35 cubic yard roll off bins and hauled away. The stump area will need to be ground down and then sodded. Right now I would make a rough estimate of $2500 to $3000 for cleanup. That's just one large polar. Daunting to say the least.

The greens are almost healed with the 14th green being the last to come around. The bentgrass that filled most of the damaged areas will eventually become fine bladed and shorter as we lower the mowing heights and continue with verticutting, brushing and topdressing. We've also had to fertilize each green depending on its health. Some have received more nitrogen than others (to speed recovery) which has made it difficult to maintain consistency across the golf course. Sodded areas have been cut higher but we are slowly bringing those areas down to the same mowing height of cut as all other greens. The sod on 15 is looking great and we will continue to cautiously bring it "up to speed". It is slow but still a very smooth putting surface.

To say it has been a challenge so far would be an understatement. Thankfully our fairways, tees and approaches are in great condition. Lets hope for continued warm sunny weather.

First 2018 Course Information Blog

I would assume that most of the Membership has had a good look at the golf course by now. The fairways are in good condition as are the tees and approaches. There is cross country ski trail scarring and some minor ice damage that has started to recover.

The greens that were unscathed by any bubble wrap inflicted ice problems are in very good shape. The other greens are in various stages of recovery with 2, 14 and 15 being the greens that will require the most attention. Spiking and over seeding is continuous and ongoing. The Poa annua has begun to seed which will also speed recovery in those disruptive seam lines. The sod on 15 green is looking good but we will take it slow with height of cut reductions. We hope to have it open for play in 2 weeks time.

Our nursery needed a little time before we could begin using it but it is now ready so we'll soon begin sodding work on 2 green, the collar on 6 green and some other smaller areas. The greens will always be in play so both Turf Care staff and golfers will need to exercise caution at times.

The bunkers do require a major sand adjust and some edging which is scheduled to begin next week. We do have a good supply of bunker sand in our inventory but we cannot order more from Idaho until the construction work just outside our entrance is finished. It is too small an opening for the large trucks to make the turn into the parking lot. A car barely even fits.

On The Course Over The Next Few Weeks:

• Stump grinding repairs using soil/seed, sod or wood chips.
• Tri Wave overseeder used on some fairways (eg: left edge of 9) and the mainline trench on 3 and 5 that requires more work.
• Bunker sand adjusting and edging.
• Fairway top dressing.
• Ongoing greens repair.
• Removal of some dead trees specifically at the Tee House and holes 12, 13, 14 and 2 tee
• High broken branch at 14 green.

Of Note:

• Old sprinkler removal is well underway. The front 9 is finished and we are currently working on the back 9. I'm sure a few have missed a few but we will attend to those as we see them. The old location maps are not accurate in a way, shape or form.
• Tees are being core aerated and topdressed on Monday and Tuesday. The back 9 today and the front 9 tomorrow.