Back 9 In Good Early Season Condition. Front 9 is Bruised

Now that decent spring weather seems to have arrived it is clear as to how the golf course has come out of winter and the cold, wet April we just experienced. The back 9 is in good condition aside from some small fairway damage caused by standing water that froze in mid winter in a few low areas on 15 fairway. There is evidence of the ski trails and other traffic that will recover as it warms up. On that note the Back 9 will open on Tuesday as planned. Some mainline work was completed across the 14th and 16th holes last week so that there would be less interference with play once Alpine begins work after finishing the 3rd and 4th holes. They will be working on the remainder of the front 9 (#3 and #4) over the next 2 weeks. Expect the 3rd hole to be shortened as sprinklers are installed before the turn on the fairway and at the tee. There are several locations on the front 9 that need serious repair work to bring things up to our standards. The right side of #2, the right side of #5, the right side of #6 and a few areas on #9 need more prep work and sodding. That work begins this week with the Turf Care team taking the lead. Smaller spots will be repaired after the large areas are taken care of.

The front 9 has experienced varying degrees of damage that is now very apparent. The 2nd and 6th greens have exposure damage that occurred due to a lack of snow cover after the tarps were over inflated. The existing snow cover slid off a bit and the lack of further snow over the last part of winter robbed the turf of insulation from some extreme cold that followed. These 2 greens are overseeded and covered and the plan is to put them into play when we open the front nine on May 10th. Expect extra aeration, overseeding and heavy topdressing on these two greens.

Damage on the ridge at 6 green

Snow shoe, footprints and ski trail damage

Standing water that became ice in February

The fairways on 2, 6, 7 and 9 have seen ice damage, traffic damage and standing water damage. The type of turf on these fairways (Poa annua) is fine if their is enough snow and no areas of standing water in February. Unfortunately last February was very warm then very cold. It is obvious to see footprints from snow shoers, ski tracks and areas of ice or standing water. It affected this area of the course worse than others because of the tendency of theses holes to hold water. Same issue in the summer after heavy rains but there is no draining in the winter, only ice formation. Recovery will take time but we will also begin a bentgrass overseeding program on these holes. This was planned on all fairways over the next few years but we now need to expediate the process out of necessity. Hopefully we will see bentgrass begin to establish and compete with the annual bluegrass (Poa annua).

The practice green also suffered from low temperature damage. We didn't over inflate the tarp on that green but the snow cover was greatly reduced in February. The warmup green was damaged by a lack of insulation and more mice damage. We can no longer depend on adequate snow cover and trying to keep the mice at bay. The warmup has been resodded with turf from our nursery. We used the creeping bentgrass section as we need to take a different approach to get this green through the winter if the climate is changing. One only needs to look at the chipping greens to see how well bentgrass can survive tough winters. They were subject to the same conditions as the other two practice greens and they look great.

Later this week look for another blog outlining Alpine Irrigation's Back 9 installation schedule.


IMPORTANT COURSE NOTE:

• The course washrooms and drinking fountains are closed indefinitely as the 1 inch water line has been cut by irrigation installation work. We have begun to fix each cut pipe as they are flagged by Alpine. Until all the repairs are finished portable washrooms will be in use at 3/6, 14 and 17.

4 Tee and Billy Bunker Work

Aside from the major work with the irrigation system there are 2 small projects to be started later this spring. The north set of tees on #4 will be renovated and as touched on in an earlier blog post we will be testing a new bunker base that will drastically reduce sand wash out and contamination after heavy rainfalls.

A new brick retaining wall will replace the old railroad tie wall on the north edge of the gold tee. The entire right side of the blue and golds will be moved north creating a slightly different angle to the shot and both tees will be one level with the slope between the 2 tees removed resulting in some much needed extra square footage. Par 3 tee surfaces should typically be quite large to allow for divot recovery. That tee is one of our smallest.

The wall will be moved north and replaced with Allen Block. The blue and gold surfaces will be one level.

CTC does not want to begin work on the tee until they are sure the frost is out of the ground and they can begin the wall construction on a solid foundation. That means a project start in early to mid May. There is a 2 week timeline from start to finish (sodding) and then approximately one month of turf establishment. The tee is projected to be back in play by the end of June. The north tees will remain open until work begins.

The Billy Bunker work cannot begin until night time temperatures stay well above freezing and conditions are dry. CTC is doing the work at a reduced cost for the Royal Mayfair as part of a licensing agreement with Billy Bunker. The Royal Mayfair only needs to fund materials for 10,000 ft2 of work. CTC is providing the labour at no cost. We will be doing two bunkers on the 2nd hole, the bunkers on #16 and the bunkers at the 5th green. Those bunkers give us the most trouble during storms and will provide a good test of this technique. Visit www.betterbillybunker.com for a look at the procedure. The holes will remain open while CTC works on the bunkers. The work is also slated to begin in May.


GOLF COURSE UPDATE

• We were finally able to begin clean up on drier areas of the course this week however the western sections of the course (4,15,16) are still wet and even frozen in the shaded tree lines.
• Heating covers are on greens 2 and 6. This will give us a better idea as to the extent of recovery required in May. The greens will remain in play but expect some thin patches and more intensive turf management than the other greens would normally receive.
• The Poa annua on the course is basically in "neutral" until we get some sunshine and normal temperatures. Please keep your expectations in line with the cool early season spring weather.
• The warm up green will be completely resodded next week. It did not fare well this winter. We will need to rethink how we can get this green to survive less than ideal winters and the mouse problem. Our nursery sod will help as it has a much higher percentage of creeping bentgrass, a much hardier turf for our climate. At the same time new irrigation will be installed around the perimeter. The green should reopen in mid May.

Next Weeks Blog Topic: A review of the  irrigation cleanup required on the front 9 and what is in store for the remaining holes.

Course Update and Irrigation Project Review

After another winter of fluctuating temperatures and low snowfall totals we now have a clear picture of the spring course conditions. We removed the covers on the greens earlier this week and most of them have wintered well. However there is some damage to greens 2, 6, the putting green and the warmup green. I can explain the putting green (water got under the eastern edge of the cover during an early February thaw and created a solid ice layer). We will have to dam that area next fall by inserting the cover into the ground. As for repairs the green is big enough that we can keep it open while it recovers.

 The warmup green was once again the victim of mice even though we had mouse poison laid down. Something (maybe even squirrels) got under the cover and chewed the plastic lines on the north edge of the green cutting off fresh air to 2/3rds of the green. The extra line we added on the south edge was not chewed and that turf is fine. By early next week we will have a better idea as to the extent of the damage and how we are going to get the green repaired as quickly as possible. That green still needs new irrigation installed and we had planned on removing the perimeter ridge that has built up over years of topdressing at the same time. A faster solution than waiting for turf recovery might be to resod the entire surface while that work is ongoing. The section of our nursery that we would use for this green has come through in good shape. Stay tuned.

Greens 2 and 6 have areas of damage that are difficult to explain. We think we know why and our air exchange procedure may be to blame. Again we will need to guard against the same thing happening next winter. I caution anyone from thinking that the covers might not be the best solution just because we had a few issues. This is year 2 of the complete covering of the greens and obviously there are still have some kinks to iron out. I firmly believe the covers are the most dependable method of getting our predominantly annual bluegrass (Poa) greens through the winter. As for recovery it is our preference to not sod these greens and with our help have them recover over time.

The rest of the course has wintered fairly well. The tees are fine and the fairways look good. There may be some damage in low lying areas due to ice buildup during the winter thaws but that remains to be seen. Also the snowmobile left some scarring when we were trying to groom the cross country ski tails in less than ideal snow conditions but things will recover quickly. There is extensive leaf and debris cleanup required too. The early October snowfall and ensuing wet weeks interrupted our usual thorough fall cleanup.

The irrigation project should be completed by the end of June. Holes #3 and #4 remain to be completed on the front 9 and there is some considerable cleanup work required from both Alpine irrigation and the Royal Mayfair Turf Care team on holes #1 to #7 and #9. Most of the work is trench related alongside the perimeter of each hole. Some settling occurred over winter and the sod that was replaced by Alpine in late October and early November needs further attention. It certainly isn't "Royal" out there but it will get repaired properly as the weeks pass. Please abide by all signs, plywood paths, stakes and roped off areas when you do get on the golf course.

There is still some mainline installation when Alpine begins work on the back 9. They will cross 2 fairways but most of the open trenching will be alongside treelines. The majority of the project will involve far less disruptive plowing and directional drilling. Over the next few months expect temporary tee closures and possible short day to day hole closures if necessary. We will take all steps possible to minimize course disruption but do expect some inconvenience.

I don't want to sugar coat anything about the content in this blog. It is going to be a difficult few months for all involved. Please accept my apologies but this important project needs to get finished as quickly as possible. Alpine will begin work in earnest on April 17th by which time the ground should be ready to support heavy equipment.

Communication from Turf Care to all other departments and especially the Membership is a very important goal for us. Now that the season has arrived expect a weekly blog from myself and once the course opens, daily updates from the Golf Shop and/or Club Management. My last request: reread this blog and make sure as many members as possible are in the "know".  Feel free to call me anytime for more detailed information. My cell number can be obtained through the Club office. Follow me on twitter @MayfairSuper for more up to date information and pictures.

In advance, I thank you for you patience.

Wade Peckham

Bunkers: Sand And Future Renovations?

A large component of the LREP that began in the fall of 2010 was bunker renovation and the installation of new sand sourced out of Idaho. To date I think we can agree that it is a great product. It sets up firm and doesn't washout unless we are faced with heavy rain events. Unfortunately that can be a common problem during our summer storms. The drainage works well (given enough time) but design issues sometimes result in a lot of water rushing into the bunkers over a short period of time. When that occurs the layer of bunker sand washes out and then the clay liner begins to erode and mix with the bunker sand. When the Turf Care team repairs this damage we remove as much of the contaminated sand as possible. But we can't get all of it. Over the years the fine washed out clay begins to change the look and playability of the affected bunkers.

A perfect example of severe contamination after a thunderstorm at the 2nd green

Here is a list of issues that must be considered when discussing our bunkers and what the future holds:

• labour to repair bunker washouts is diverted from other daily tasks
• budgeting for new sand is required for day to day maintenance (easy) and storm repairs (not so easy)
• the sand being sourced out of the Idaho is subject to the value of our Canadian Dollar
• shipping from Idaho is very expensive (by the way, shipping from B.C. is also expensive)
• the type of sand we desire at the Royal Mayfair is not found in Alberta
• each storm causing washouts degrades the sand a certain % depending on severity

Every golf course faces some or all of the above issues. Bunker sand doesn't last forever and eventually needs to be replaced just due to normal wear and tear. Washouts complicate things. Not all bunkers "age" at the rate as some wear down faster than others. Turf Care does what we can to slow this process. We are now entering the 7th year with the new sand but we need to consider a complete replacement in about 5 years from now. That may also be the time to consider the design of our bunkers. Do they "work" as intended? Do we have too many? Are they in the correct location? What can we do using new technology to dramatically reduce washouts? I don't want to answer these questions aside from introducing a new bunker lining technique that is working wonders at many golf courses in Canada and the USA. The Club has decided to test the technique this spring on a few of our most troublesome bunkers. If it works long term and gets through our tough winters it may be a solution to a long standing problem and something to be considered in any future bunker work.

Before I name any companies the process involves removal of all sand, inspection and/or repair of subsurface drainage (not a problem with our bunkers), the installation of a layer of small aggregate gravel over the entire base of the bunker, the spraying of a special polymer over that gravel which creates an almost concrete like porous base, a thorough quality inspection and then new sand added to the bunker. This gravel/polymer based process dramatically reduces washouts. I've seen testimony after testimony from golf courses all over the USA give glowing approvals of the technique.

Everyone watched the Ryder Cup last summer. Hazeltine's bunkers were renovated prior to the event in just this manner. What many people don't know is how much rain fell leading up to the Ryder Cup. Their superintendent, Chris Tritabaugh, @ct_turf on twitter, remarked how well the bunkers stood up to repeated assaults from heavy rains. Priddis Greens in Calgary has also introduced this new system to some of their bunkers and they are holding up well to date. We will be using the "Billy Bunker" system in a few of ours. CTC will be doing the work in agreement with the company. Go to www.billybunker.com and review their site for a description and pictures.

As we get closer to spring we will review the Billy Bunker work again in a little more detail. Remember that the irrigation project will commence as soon as possible and the 4th the will be rebuilt when the snow leaves. As for those wondering about the golf course we are wintering well to date.

Family Day is coming up. Be sure to visit the Club and enjoy some skiing, skating and comfort food at the Tee House.

Irrigation Project and Cross Country Skiing

I have two topics to discuss and you may be surprised that one starting depends on the other finishing. In a nutshell the entire golf course property will be closed to skiing until Alpine Irrigation is completely finished their work for November and any open excavations are fenced off by the Turf Care Department. Even if it snows enough to establish tracks, as long as Alpine is working and to ensure your safety we cannot allow anyone on the course. Signs will be posted early next week and notification from the Club will go out to all members. This won't be long term but likely until the end of the month.

Even though 90% of the mainline work is finished on the front 9 and lateral line/sprinkler installation is completed on 7 holes (1,2,5,6,7,8,9) there are still some open excavations in isolation valve areas. There is mainline installation ongoing across the 18th fairway, behind the 13th green and out onto the 12th hole in front of the tees. As of Friday Alpine is also installing mainline alongside the south tree line on hole 5. The lateral line/sprinkler installation on hole 5 is finished as noted above. Now that the ground is beginning to freeze the lateral line/sprinkler phase will cease and trenching of larger lines will continue for another week or 2. As long as the excavated soil can be backfilled into trench lines and packed work will be ongoing.

Considering that Alpine Irrigation began work about 2 weeks late, Jeff Monkman became seriously ill and it snowed several times in October the project is almost on schedule. The wet weather throughout the last several weeks has left some areas of the front 9 in rough condition especially where Alpine had to travel with equipment and larger holes were dug for cross connection of  larger pipes and valve installation. Fortunately most of these areas are in the rough and in or next to tree lines. Keep in mind that resodding in wet conditions and the fact that there is zero growth at this time of year will mean a lot of attention from Turf Care will be required next spring to improve the repair work. We have a large task ahead of us but it will get done and the scars of today will disappear over the summer.

The golf course has been "winterized" and now we leave matters to nature aside from the Turf Care staff monitoring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels under the tarps covering the greens and blowing fresh air underneath when required. The "final" fungicide applications on greens, tees, approaches and fairways went well but the continuous precipitation (especially the heavy rainfall on November 6th) that followed and very warm weather necessitated another application (last week) across the golf course. We have left small areas that didn't receive this last application to test results of not being treated one last time. We should now have better data to monitor the effectiveness of the fungicide that was applied in late October. This may save money if these same weather conditions present themselves in the future.



10 inch mainline up the side of #2 and then heading out across the 18th hole.

Lateral line and sprinkler installation on #5 earlier this week.

#14 green covered and getting a shot of fresh air blown underneath.

Closed For The Season But The Irrigation Project Is Ongoing

The golf course is now closed for the season after a difficult October. There wasn't a lot of golf due to the snow that fell and stayed around for a few weeks. The irrigation project was delayed by the weather and serious heath issues that affected Jeff Monkman, the hands on owner of Alpine Irrigation. I'm happy to say that Jeff is recovering but it will be a long and slow one. They are back on track and making good progress. The forecast for the next 5 to 7 days looks great and Alpine should have 5 holes completed by the end of next week. At the same time mainline installation is progressing as well. When the weather turns too cold to install laterals and sprinklers all efforts will be made to get more mainline pipe in the ground. Fortunately this work will be in the rough only on holes 3, 5 and 2.

So as of November 1st:

•  Holes 9, 1, 2, 8, are finished and 7 should be done in 5 days.
• There is a large mainline to run up the side of 2 and across 18 later this month.
•  Mainlines are crossing holes 6 and 7.
• Lateral and sprinkler install on 6 is next after 7 is finished.
• If the weather cooperates  some lateral work may begin on 3 and 5 if the mainlines get installed.
• We will be very lucky to get any work done down on the 4th hole. Fingers crossed.

Turf Care is tackling a job that I'm sure not many would think of when renovating an irrigation system. We are removing the old sprinklers as Alpine finishes each hole. Most of these obsolete sprinklers will be sold at a later date to those courses that need parts for their systems. Its been cold, muddy work but anything we can do now reduces the load for next season.



A 6 inch mainline crossing the rough on #6. Another 10 inch line will cross the fairway closer to the green.



Earlier this week a mainline crosses #7 before lateral work can begin.

Lateral work and sprinkler installation underway on #7.

Now What?

This was the scene on the golf course late Saturday. Since then it has melted a certain amount but not enough to consider opening for a few more days. When play does resume power carts will likely be held off for a day or two. The drying index is very low and there is sure to be standing water to deal with. As soon as we can get on the golf course the Turf Care staff will be busy removing water, setting up the course and removing the many leaves that have fallen over the last week. I know many of you want to get a few more rounds in before the end of the month so hopefully the weather cooperates over the next few weeks. Fungicide application on greens, tees and fairways will commence as soon as these areas clear off and will continue at various times until the end of October.


IRRIGATION UPDATE:

If you look closely you can see the line designating the 2 inch lateral HDPE pipe that was plowed in on the 9th fairway and then closed over with a large rolling packer. The open holes are sprinkler locations. The 9th hole is finally finished and Alpine Irrigation is now working on the first and second holes although the poor weather has also delayed them for a few days.

This is what it looked like before the rolling. Hopefully all lateral work looks this good moving forward.

On the other hand this is mainline installation work. It is very disruptive and causes delays and interruption to the golf course. The main lines that will be installed in a "loop" around the property will cross 7 fairways and run down the side of several holes. The main lines carry large volumes of water that feed all the lateral lines on every hole. The new mains are much larger than the old system allowing more sprinklers to be used at any moment in time and thus creating a narrower "water window". This is especially important during our short nights of mid summer when we only have approximately 6 hours to irrigate the entire course. We are hoping that mainline work can continue into November if the weather doesn't get too cold.


4th Tee/10th Hole Update:

The area around the 4th tee has been cleared for tee expansion, all construction materials are on site and Ted Locke has revisited the course so that we could review the design of the tee decks enabling us to get maximum use of the new surfaces. This may sound difficult to believe but the front of the blue tee deck was only 3 inches higher than the back of the gold tee. The eye can be easily deceived. What this means is that the two tee decks were sloped upwards, an uncommon situation when hitting from an elevated tee. Instead of a tiered separation of the blue and gold tee decks there will now be one tee surface built with a slight downward slope: a slope you will not notice. Unfortunately the golf course construction company (CTC) hired to complete the work is delayed while they finish work in B.C. Hopefully they arrive before too long. If not the tee will be completed next season.

The bunker on #10 was also part of CTC's project work. The Royal Mayfair Turf Care staff will take on this minor project if necessary. I have gone over the work with Ted Locke and we are confident it can be completed as Ted would like it done. Assuming the weather cooperates. What a difference one year makes! Last season daytime highs were in the low 20's (Celsius) with nighttime lows around 9C.