Late Spring 2019 Update

This is a long overdue blog that I have finally dug down deep to finish. It has been a very busy spring at the Club and we have now begun to move into June and the warmer long nights of summer. As you all know by now we came through the winter in very good condition. After some minor repairs the greens are in excellent condition and we are close to reaching desired green speeds, firmness and true ball roll. In order to maintain these conditions ongoing cultural practices such as venting and bi-weekly topdressing will commence shortly.
The tees are fine and the fairways are in fairly good condition aside from all the low spots (referred to as bird baths by some) and any area that saw water run off the green covers over the winter. All those low spots and runoff zones froze during freeze thaw cycles and killed the turf. It killed Poa annua, creeping bentgrass and even Kentucky bluegrass in certain locations. If the greens weren't covered I shudder to think of the results.
Going forward recovery of the fairways will take time. We have sodded some large approach areas and will be sodding an area of the fairway in front of 18 green and the landing area on 2 fairway. This will be completed this week for #18 and next week for hole #2. All the other areas will be verticut again and overseeded with bentgrass. But what will really fill in those areas is all the seedhead that is being produced by the Poa annua on the fairways. It is very easy to notice right now as the whiteish tinge covering the fairways. As all this seed is mowed off by the equipment and the seed settles into those low areas it will eventually germinate as the nights warm up in June. It will take time but the fairways will recover.
The branch cleanup has finally finished and the piles to the left of hole #9 are chipped and disposed of. Several holes still need limbing next winter (the brutally cold weather of last February slowed us down) and we have stump removal and some major pruning on holes 10 through 13 to undertake throughout the summer. That will complete year 1 of the 5 Year Tree Plan.
Some members have inquired as to the reintroduction of the intermediate cut of rough. Rather than wait until next year we will find the time to do it now. The plan is to mark the first cut by shrinking the fairways back to original size and letting that part of the fairway grow back to 7/8" rather than scalp the thick rough or try to move out into rough where there is limited room. That will have to suffice for 2019 and then we can modify that intermediate rough/ fairway widths in the spring of 2020. Please be patient as this will take approximately a month of growth to achieve the desired results.

On The Course Over The Next Few Weeks:

• venting and lightly sanding greens this week
• lightly topdressing fairways this week
• erecting a small net section to the right of the range to protect golfers from errant range balls in a small opening in the trees near the forward tees on hole #10
• sodding sections of #2 and #18 fairways
• re-establishing the intermediate cut
• bunker edging, sand adjustment and addition as required

If anyone would like to discuss golf course related matters with me my contact information is available at the office. I can be reached by email and on my cell. Of course I still use twitter as I see fit and the app has daily course conditions posted, usually by 10 am.

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.

 

September Notes

 It seems like the leaves are turning color early and falling sooner than normal. Probably not. We likely just have short convenient memories. In reality summer is almost over and autumn is upon us. With the arrival of September come changes in the Turf Care Department and also changes in turf management procedures. As happens every season we lose approximately half the staff as students return to school. Replacing them and their experience is not easy when a new person will only be hired for 30 to 45 days. Fortunately turf growth begins to slow as the days get shorter so the practice of everyday mowing of the greens, tees and fairways will be reduced to help us deal with lower staff numbers.
The Turf Care team we assembled this year was one of the finest I've had in my 26 years as a superintendent. Dependable senior employees combined with mature, responsible young adults was what we needed to help the golf course come through a difficult spring and the major work of recovering from the irrigation project. They have earned my respect and admiration and I can't thank them enough. The days will fly by now as we have so much to do and it seems, not enough time in the day to accomplish our tasks.

The following are changes in turf management procedures that have already commenced or will soon occur in September:

• Tees, approaches and fairways will be mowed less often and rarely on weekends.
• Mowing heights will be increased on the greens allowing more leaf blade and deeper root depth as the plants prepare for winter. The green speeds will slow but our goal is to still keep them smooth and rolling true.
• Greens will be rolled rather than mowed as conditions dictate.
• Leaf removal begins in earnest so that means blowers and sweepers out in full force.
• AERATION. Tees, approaches and fairways will be aerated and topdressed this month. THE GREENS WILL BE AERATED IN EARLY OCTOBER.
• The grass tee at the driving range will close. We need the last few weeks of good growing weather to help our small range tee recover from this past summer's use.

Small Course Projects:

• The final phase of the irrigation project is the removal of the old sprinklers. We have already started and will continue until freeze up. Note: the coyote population loves to dig up our sod work as I'm sure you'll periodically notice this fall.
• Some shaded, wet areas (especially beside the tees on 16 and 18) will be stripped and resodded.
• The new range building is almost ready for "occupancy" by the Golf Shop. Once again Dave Quinn from Turf Care has come through and delivered a very nice product.
• As many are no doubt wondering, the new sprinklers on the fairways will have yardage plates installed on them next spring. We are waiting for Alpine Irrigation to give us accurate GPS numbers in October. 
• Removal of dead trees. The list is long and we will get to them as time permits. Stump grinding will be done in October.

Enjoy the last couple months of the 2017 golf season.

Bunker Project and Course Update

As touched on throughout the summer we are testing a new bunker lining process to reduce the occurrence of washouts during heavy rain events. This season we have been very fortunate. There have been no serious sand washouts to date. However over the last several golf seasons the bunkers have been flooded many times. With each washout the clay base was compromised and the expensive sand was contaminated. In addition, many hours of labor was tasked to repairing these bunkers.
Beginning this week CTC will be on site installing the Better Billy Bunker (Google search) liner system. We will be doing all the bunkers on hole 9 and one bunker on hole 2. Why 9 and not elsewhere? The reason is twofold: first there are washout issues on this hole and second the work is very close to the Turf Care Center where all supplies are located. I think the golf course has seen enough damage from project work for awhile.


Bunker Work Timeline: August 9th to the 18th

• Remove existing sand
• Check and repair drainage lines if necessary
• Edge the bunkers
• Install a 2 inch layer of aggregate (small fractured rock similar to gravel put down in parking lots for winter)
• Spray the Billy Bunker polymer that will penetrate and coat the gravel layer
• Install new bunker sand

The bunkers  worked on will be ground under repair and we ask that you stay out of them until the new sand is installed. CTC and Royal Mayfair Turf Care staff will retrieve errant shots. This will be critical when the gravel layer is installed.


On The Course:

• Greens vented and topdressed Tuesday/Wednesday
• Dead tree removal in several areas
• Tree line trim (string trimmers and rough mowers in tight to the deeper tree lines)
• Bunker sand depth check and level later this week and into next week