LREP Notes And Course Updates

The remainder of the week and the following one promises to be one of the busiest since the project began. At least for the RMGC grounds staff. Obviously we have a golf course to look after and that has its own set of both routine and unique procedures during May and beyond. We also have LREP work to complete. There is sod on the ground and around 2.5 more acres to be installed in the next 10 days. I don't want to see rain as it will hold up the project but if it did rain it would definitely help with keeping the sod healthier. We have irrigation but we are also open and it is very warm and extremely dry. So if you are out on the course and a sprinkler is in your way please allow it to function and be aware of its rotation so that you don't get wet. We will do our best to minimize the interference with your round of golf.

LREP Update

• sodding the new tees and greens on Thursday
• sodding the tee and greens surrounds on Friday
• work continues behind the 11th green ( new bunker and surrounds shaping)
• some drainage work to collect surface water at the short game practice area
• driving range target green prep in advance of sodding next week

On The Course

There is some spotting on the greens from the fertilizer we used last week. Besides the dark green dots here and there, no harm done. There is also a patch at the back of 10 green that has gone backwards but it appears to be non natural. It has straight line borders and defined angles. Turf decline shouldn't look like that. We are trying to figure out what happened. It is recovering albeit slowly.

• spike seeding and plugging the problem greens
• liquid greens fertilizer application on Thursday
• installing new micro irrigation (think residential here) on the north edge of the pond on 10 in addition to a power wire for the pond aerators that had been cut during the excavation
• bunker trim (edges and surrounds)

Wade

The Great Frost Delay Of May 13, 2012

The title of this blog may seem to make light of what led to a 40 minute delay to tee times this morning but I was stumped for a short title. Before I begin a detailed explanation I want to make one point perfectly clear. My second assistant David Smith made the correct decision in calling a frost delay. Of this there is no debate. There was frost in the rough, on some fairways and on the greens surrounds. No matter how nice it felt standing on the warm up green there was a significant temperature difference down on the course. As you will read circumstances and procedure led to a slighly longer delay than was necessary and for this I take full responsibility as the Superintendent.

It was decided on Saturday that David would organize and supervise the Sunday maintenance program. Eric needed a much deserved day off and I would come in approximately 45 minutes after our 6 a.m. start time in order to allow David his own time with the staff.  When I arrived at work it was a little chillier than I expected, the staff was on the course (I could hear the fairway mowers) and I was looking forward to getting some of my own work done that has been put off due to a certain ongoing project. I went out to paint some fairway perimeters and check on the weaker greens. While out and about I noticed some patchy frost here and there but didn't make anything of it. Not enough to worry about. It was just before 7 a.m. so I wasn't looking for golfers on #1 or #2. I eventually noticed a sprinkler running on 14 tee and it wouldn't shut off. For the next 30 minutes I was trying to solve the problem. At this point I had to return to the maintenance facility for tools and as I crossed in front of the first tee I noticed a crowd of golfers milling about and no one on the course. It finally hit me that there had been a forst delay. You know that sinking feeling we have all felt? I had it. I immediately called the Golf Shop and opened the course.

I then contacted David to inquire about the extent of the frost situation and at what time the staff were able to get on the course (6:30 a.m. and even then they were working around some lingering frost). David proceded by the book. He kept the time we needed to stay ahead of the first tee time (which for us is one hour) and adjusted the day accordingly. Unfortunately a frost delay in mid May on Mothers Day requires some non lateral thinking. That comes with experience. Experience I have.The above mentioned circumstances dictated that I wouldn't be able to help the Golf Shop deal with an upset group of golfers and to assist David in the follow up after making a frost call. Simply put I never expected to see frost after a warm Saturday.

Again I fully support David's decision but that decision needs to be followed up and supported. By that I mean not just estimating an appropriate time to end the frost delay and then heading out on to the course and assuming the norm. In the future David will contact me if anything is amiss. It doesn't mean I will rush to the rescue but I want my assistants to deal with the circumstances as I would. In this case after making the call and realizing a mid May frost call is far different than one in late September, his presence would be required in the Golf Shop or around the warm up green. Not exactly an easy task but one that is required at times. Believe me, if I had clued into the delay sooner I would have been up there myself. It wouldn't have been the first time I have faced an crowd of pissed off golfers. Pardon the english. Its also unfortunate the Golf Shop staff felt abandoned. I am the course superintendent but my desire is to see all departments cooperating and functioning smoothly so that the membership gets the service and attention they deserve.

The day has ended. Monday will be here in a few short hours and another busy week will begin. For those that were affected this morning please accept my apologies. I have spent all day concerned with the content of this blog and would like to now move on. If anyone wants some one on one time with me feel free to email or call. I will post another blog for the "week ahead" tomorrow.

Wade 

This Week At The Royal Mayfair Golf Club

On The Course

• The range netting has been repaired but Mark from Netex has confirmed what I suspected. The entire system is need of major repairs. That includes the netting, posts, cables and most of the anchor bolts. He will be forwarding advice and a quote to the club at which time we will review our options for the future.
• The front 9 greens will be verticut and topdressed on Tuesday (the frost delay today has pushed it back until tomorrow).
• The greens height will be at .125 inches by Wednesday and the first Men's League event.
• Fairways will be sprayed with a liquid fertilizer today and tomorrow.
• Greens and tee surrounds will be fertilized with a granular product.
• Cleanup continues as required. We now have poplar debris falling off the new buds to deal with.
• Widening/making perimeters of fairways and by extension the first cut of rough on holes 7, 9, 14, 15, 17 and 18.
• Bunker work will continue on the back 9 over the next week or so.

LREP Work

• Sodding on #18 and #11 throughout the day on Tuesday.
• Sand install at #11 green should hopefully be completed by the start of Men's League.
• Driving range mat platform/deck will be built this week. Turf Hound mat system to be laid down following completion.
• The actual range itself will have the new irrigation done by the end of the week and sodding of the target greens and the new natural grass surface should be finished by the end of next week.
• Rootzone and capping soil installation on the 10th tee and the SGPA is ongoing at present.
• Work behind the 11th green will still be occurring after the green opens. Everyone will need to exercise caution in this area.
• Many areas on the back 9 will be roped off so please keep power carts off as directed.
• Curbing on the new asphalt paths is scheduled to begin later next week.

We are opening the back this week but it is a work in progress. Expectations among the membership will vary.

Some of you will be pleased and surprised, some patient and some disappointed. I understand that. Please keep in mind the amount of work we have accomplished to date and the constraints we have had to work under. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Once the big picture is taken care of my staff will be working very hard on the "fit and finish" throughout the summer. I will of course keep you informed at least weekly of all projects big or small that remain.

Thank you for your patience and understanding to date and in the future.

Wade

Course Update: The Past Week And The Next Few Days

We have made significant progress on the golf course, CTC and Alpine Irrigation are working unhindered by weather and we have our irrigation system up and running. The announcement concerning the LPGA returning to the Royal Mayfair has been made which has officially ramped up my anxiety level. Of course I have known about the planning for awhile but its for real now. Here are my thoughts in point form (for what its worth):

• As I've stated in the past my goal since coming to the Club has been to deliver the finest conditions possible for you the Membership. It is an ongoing process that is subject to various factors both good and bad.
• Aside from mowing frequency and some minor modifications to the fairway and rough outlines I want the best female golfers in the world to play the same course conditions that you, the members, would experience in any other week in August. A lofty goal but very satisfying if you reach it. We'll do our best.
• This tournament will showcase our facility to many eyes besides the current membership. Sounds like a pretty good marketing tool.

LREP Progress

• CTC is presently installing root zone mix and capping soil at the 10th tee and the new practice greens.
• Large boulders are being placed behind the elm at 11 green.
• Alpine is installing new irrigation lines on the Driving Range. The old ones were damaged by the changes made out on the range.
• Sodding will be completed around the pond on #18, the right side of #11 green and around the bunker left of the green on Tuesday.
• The platform for the new artificial turf surface is being built at present. Google "Turf Hound" and visit their website to get an idea as to what we will be using when not on the natural turf.
• Sodding on the range (target green area) will be scheduled next so we can start using it sooner than later. 

Front 9 Maintenance

• Greens 2, 6 and 8 were verticut, aerated and overseeded. Unfortunately as smoothly as the last few days have been it is a mess on those 3 greens. The light rain and equipment malfunction led to poor results. We should have them cleaned up and re cut by early this afternoon.
• Bunker work continues throughout the course as does cleanup on the back 9.
• Sprinkler adjustment (arc changes) will be ongoing at the green sites today and tomorrow.

Wade

Course Update For The First Week In May

After a "soft opening" due to the usual weather that occurs when you need warm sunny conditions the weekend was very pleasant. It was good to finally get the front 9 open. I'm hoping that the back 9 will follow in some manner, way, shape or form in the next 7 to 10 days. We will spend the next week cleaning up as we did on the front 9. The amount of debris from last fall and overwinter is always a daunting task to remove. My staff did a great job on the front so I expect nothing less on the back. The big difference out there will be the evidence of construction and some major changes on several holes. I will review the Back 9 in a blog later this week.

The irrigation system will be pressurized beginning Monday morning. Once we are holding pressure (and repairs, if any, completed) we can begin more intensive management of the turf. The greens will be verticut aggressively, a light sand topdressing will be applied to smooth the surfaces and overseeding/plugging will have a significantly higher success rate.With soil temperatures rising we can also modify our nutrient program. Fairways will be fertilized with a foliar application and some granular will be going down on greens, tees and aprons as well.

The mowing height on the greens will be lowered on Monday. They are, at present, set higher than normal due to the weather. We also had to be careful of shocking the bentgrass that really took off under the greens covers earlier last week. The Poa that is healthy should also start to grow but it will require warmer temperatures, especially at night, to really get going.

Over the next week you will notice white paint lines on the perimeter of the holes. These lines will be guides for the fairway mowers and modification to fairway widths. Now is the time to widen fairways. Hopefully any changes meet with your approval. The goal being to make your round more enjoyable. We will also be reducing the amount of rough fertilizing unless certain areas require it. I'm looking for a middle ground here. Not too thick but still healthy. The color will not be that "lush green" of last summer unless it rains for an extended period. I also believe our fairways will look that much better as a result with the contrast in colors.

The 18th hole should be back in play by the end of the week. The weather delayed progress on #11 for a few days but all materials required to complete the work are here and CTC will be able to get back to work on Monday morning.

If you have any questions or concerns and would like to discuss matters with me please call my cell at 203-4211 or email me at  wpeckham@mayfair.ca.

All for now,
Wade

LREP Update And Course Condition News

LREP Update

• CTC is close to finishing their required work around the lake and in front of the retaining wall on #18.
• The Royal Mayfair staff has reconnected the irrigation line behind the wall and will now be installing root zone mix and sodding the area between the wall and the green.
• Sodding of the lake surround on #18 is scheduled for next week.
• When the green site is completed we should be able to reopen the hole and CTC will then concentrate their efforts on the green site at #11.
• Alpine Irrigation has completed the irrigation work on the new tees, the range tee and the short game practice area.
• We are waiting for a quote from Alpine to replace the irrigation lines on the range itself as many of the laterals were damaged during construction. We cannot tell what is damaged until the water system is pressurized so it may be easier just to replace all the lines with HDPE. If that is the case then all of #10, the practice area and the range could then be directly connected to any new future irrigation system work elsewhere on the course.
• Capping soil, root zone mix work and sodding for the entire area at 10 tee and the range will be ongoing beginning next week.
• A communication from the Capital Strategies Committee will be issued shortly. Part of it will consist of "Question and Answer" section to hopefully address some concerns that may arise when the back 9 is finally opened.

Course Conditions Update

The May newsletter will have a more detailed account of what has occurred with the greens coming out of winter. I'm fairly certain that most of the membership have not experienced these conditions in recent memory. When Poa annua has encroached upon greens to the state we are in now the risk of damage increases dramatically. If it isn't ice problems, it could be disease pressure. If not that it could be low temperature kill or early spring crown hydration followed by below zero temperatures. Aside from stripping all the greens and resodding with creeping bentgrass different overwinter management techniques will need to be considered. Food for thought. In the meantime:

• We will let the greens continue to grow and greenup before we make any sodding decisions. After touring the course today I would prefer to allow an "assisted" recovery in order to maintain consistent putting greens after they fill in. Sodding large areas will result in a variable surface for several years to come. I realize this may not be a popular plan of action but I believe it will yield the best results.
• Bunker board removal and edging is ongoing as conditions permit. The waste bunker on #5 will not have any rakes present. A true waste bunker is rake free.
• We are still in the process of leaf and debris cleanup on the front 9. Some tee and greens surrounds will be worked on in over the course of the next few days.
• The irrigation system will be pressurized beginning Monday.
• The course washrooms and water fountains will be turned on in a week to 10 days. In the meantime 2 portable washrooms and a wash station will be positioned behind the 6th green. 

All for now,

Wade 780-203-4211 (cell)

LREP Startup And Facing Change

Before I discuss the "Facing Change" topic here is a brief update regarding the LREP work.

• Alpine Irrigation is marking out the remaining sprinkler locations on the short game practice area today and tommorow. On Friday they will begin the actual work, continue installation Saturday and Sunday and carry on into next week.
• CTC is moving equipment in at present and will begin work at #11 and #18 green sites in the next 2 days. It is still not dry enough in spots but they will work around these areas. The ground is now firm enough to bring in the large boulders/slabs that need to be laid in place on #11 before CTC can really get going.
• Ted Locke was here on Tuesday to make a few small design changes that will allow CTC to begin moving in root zone mix and capping soil. Sodding will follow.

Facing Change
I'll get right to the point. Our greens are no longer predominantly creeping bentgrass and our fairways are a combination of Kentucky bluegrass and annual bluegrass (Poa annua). This change occurred slowly over the last 2 decades. We are a different golf course today. The greens are different and the fairways are different. These changes require different turf management practices. Mowing heights, topdressing frequencies, double cutting, rolling, fertility and pesticide rates, etc. must be modified to adapt to our existing turf conditions.

However, with the change in turf type, comes changes in how we try and get our course through the winter and spring seasons. One option is to resurface the greens to creeping bentgrass. Bentgrass isn't perfect (what living organism is disease and stress free?) but it gives the best chance of good spring and late fall conditions. This is a whole different debate for the membership to consider in the future. Right now we have to manage what we have. There are so many things that can go wrong with annual bluegrass over winter and through spring that I won't even list them. There are techniques and tools being used to tip the odds in our favour but they are not 100% tried and true. We now need to investigate and possibly implement some of these techniques. Fortunately the wheel doesn't have to be reinvented here. There is considerable research and ongoing practices on Alberta courses to help with any changes we will make moving forward.

One change I have implemented this spring is the use of greens covers for the first time since the greens were converted to bentgrass. These covers allow both air and water to move through to the putting surface and also increase the temperature underneath. This will get the turf into a more active growth phase and finally show us just how much grass (especally the Poa) is really healthy and what is not doing so well. Here I have to thank Brad Eshpeter and Redtail Landing Golf Course for lending us their covers. We have nothing of our own. That needs to change. Even with pure bentgrass greens they can be of assistance during a cool, wet spring. Just like the one we are experiencing right now. So that is the question moving forward. What changes can we make to get this course through the winter in the best condition possible? Just a final thought to consider. If the club does decide to convert the greens back to creeping bentgrass in the future there are management techniques and new products that are successful in keeping Poa encroachment at bay.