Back To Reality

What an incredible finish to the 2013 Masters! It was great shotmaking from both Scott and Cabrera and not a red shirt in sight. But putting my personal feelings aside it is now back to reality. The colors of Augusta National are a sight to behold but I'm more concerned with the colors at The Royal Mayfair. White is a predominate theme but as each day goes by more and more turf is beginning to show. As of tonight we have 8 more greens to clear so we should be finished by late Tuesday. Most of the tees will be left to clear on their own and we should be pumping water off the fairways in about 10 days.

The greens that have cleared look good (April 14th) and I'll give you a complete rundown on conditions once they are all exposed. I have a feeling we will be mowing them before the snow is gone as there is very little frost at the surface and in fact many greens are not frozen at all. The insulating value of a deep snow pack cannot be underestimated as many small mammals can attest to.

As expected all activity is delayed in relation to opening the golf course. Early to mid May is my guess unless we see a dramatic improvement in temperatures. The practice facilities will open as soon as conditions dry out. Even our staff orientation meeting will be affected by the late spring. We won't be able to take the usual course tour with the new staff members. 6 full months with snow cover. Enjoy every day from now on.


Some snow removal pictures from #8 and #10 greens:

One of our older rough mowers that is now a permanent snow blower idling at #8.

A Toro Polar Trac loaned to us from Oakcreek Golf and Turf on #10 green. The best machine we've used to clear snow off greens.

A good example why fungicide use is critical in our climate. It's very obvious by the spray pattern where the mold is not controlled.  Its unfortunate that the early snowfall last October stopped us from spraying non primary turf areas such as sidebanks and much of the sod we laid down in the rough last year. Very good results on tees and greens. No fairways are exposed yet but I think they'll be okay as well.

All for now,
Wade

An Update To Take Your Mind Off The Wonderful Weather Today

Early this week we made the decision to remove the snow from the 4 practice greens. The warmup green and the 2 new bentgrass greens were clear on Wednesday and the putting green was about 50% clear. Our plan was to get those areas ready to go as soon as possible while you wait for us to prepare the other 18 greens. The weather forecast has put a full stop to everything. We treated the exposed greens with a spring application of fungicide and we will now wait out the cold conditions. The deep snow cover on the golf course greens will keep surface temperatures at or near zero. The value of an effective fungicide now becomes apparent. It will be over 150 days of continuous snow cover on the greens and by the middle of the month it will be 170+ days of  snow cover on the tees and fairways.

If you recall last October we were fortunate to get all our main turf areas treated with over winter fungicides before the snow  arrived on the 15th of the month. Unfortunately we couldn't treat any of the side banks and susceptible areas of rough that always seem to be affected by snow mold. As well there will likely be some ice damage on fairways due to a few freeze/thaw periods early in the winter. The low spots tend to be comprised mostly of Poa annua and that's where water accumulates. That combination of factors doesn't bode well over a long winter.Time will tell.

Back to the exposed greens. They look pretty good especially at the short game practice area (remember they are new bentgrass). The Poa on the older greens will probably cause us some grief here and there but it is too early to tell. In past years I've seen it look good and then have it go backwards a few days later so I'm being cautious in my assessment. A few pictures and some short comments are all I  can give you until the sun shines again.

Snow mold is severe on the trail we blew off to the greens at the practice area. It looks bad but the turf tends to recover quicker in the rough.

Notice the definition between the treated green/collar and the rough. I think that will be a common look on many golf courses in the Edmonton area.

Snow blower damage. That is why I don't like mechanical removal of snow cover without a solid layer of ice. Unfortunately we will need to blow off some of the greens next week. Proceed with caution and repair as necessary with our nursery turf.

Notice the aeration holes filled with sand. There is still quite a bit of sand on the surface to spread around when we clean up the greens. All good.


It looks like I have one more weekend to reflect on life before we come out of the starting gate. Enjoy yours.
Wade

Late March Update

A quick update and a few pictures of the golf course.

Obviously with the snow last week our plans have been pushed back in terms of clearing the greens. We will let the sun and warmer temperatures do some of the heavy lifting for us until we feel our equipment can do the work without creating more problems than necessary. Moving snow off greens to the side can be an issue if  the snow pack is so heavy and dense that melt water is continuously running onto the surface or we can't get our sprayer onto the greens to treat for springtime disease pressure. The snow staying on a little longer will protect the turf from low nighttime temperatures or an outbreak of cold weather. Eric brought  a few plugs in from some suspect areas on Monday (remember the last batch of samples was collected a month ago) and as of today they look good. Getting through April is the next big hurdle.

Still a lot of snow. This is 9 green. Turf looks and smells good. By smell I mean a fresh earthy odor.

15 Tee. We found the cartpath.

The new Tee House is nearing completion. With landscaping it will be a great area to relax after a round or some practicing.

All for now.


Happy Easter,
Wade, Eric, David, Ian and Maureen

Spring Is Right Around The Corner

I have not been very consistent with my blog entries over the last few months but there hasn't been much to report. I don't know how important it is to repeatedly discuss equipment repairs, shop improvements and such when our thoughts are elsewhere. I do know that as March arrives ears begin to perk up when talk revolves around the golf course. I can tell you that there is still 1.5 to 2 feet of snow out there and that we have cleared paths throughout the course so we can get to the greens when the need arises.

The weather is still too unpredictable for any snow removal to begin. In fact the existing snow cover is acting as insulation and also keeping the turf dormant. Breaking dormancy too early usually results in damage to the Poa annua that is present in varying degrees on the greens, tees and fairways. Once Poa is exposed to melting conditions and begins taking in water it's winter hardiness is basically gone. A night of freezing temperatures can result in serious consequences. The bentgrass will not break dormancy easily so it isn't much of a concern.

We have brought in turf samples from some greens and tees last week. We picked what we thought would be problem areas. For example, the swale that runs through #2 green, the front of #8 green and the back of #3 tee. These areas all had some ice cover. I suspect it formed in mid to late January but as of today the samples in the greenhouse are looking good. Keep in mind though that on the course the greens will still be covered for 2 more weeks. Sort of a catch 22 with the ice that may be present. Regardless I'm cautiously optimistic. Eric won't let me post a picture of the samples. Bad Karma apparently. Actually I'm on board with that one. When the greens begin to clear we will post progress pictures and some video. My 2nd Assistant David Smith has been forced into the Information Technology role whether he likes it or not. Thanks Dave.

For the remainder of this post some highlights for the coming season:

• In the process of obtaining permits from Environment Canada for Canada Goose control. We are also assisting the City of Edmonton and their control efforts and we will continue to work with the  University of Alberta researchers. Remember the swan decoy?
• Walk mowing tees and aprons/approaches during main golf season.
• More frequent light topdressing on fairways.
• Intensive cultural work on the tees to reduce the labour associated with hand watering localized dry spots.
• Establishment of a "cuff cut" or "pro path". This is the strip of short turf for walkers to use from the tees to the fairways. Regardless of the LPGA tournament we had planned to introduce this feature as a permanent change to the course.
• We have purchased another large area rough mower that will help keep the rough cut more often and more consistent across the course on a day to day basis.
• Finishing work next to the new cartpaths. Paving stone, sodding, etc.

• New 200, 150 and 100 fairway yardage plates to replace the old coloured steel domes.

That's our new maintenance facility floor covering in the background by the way. Thankfully no more carpet in my office.
All for now,
Wade

Audubon Update and How to Get Involved

This blog posting has been prepared by David Smith, our 2nd Assistant Superintendent.



 I would like to provide an update on our Audubon Certification progress. Last week we received confirmation from Audubon International that our environmental plan has been approved. This means that Audubon International will be supporting our work to preserve wildlife habitats and pursue sustainable management on the golf course. The golf course has received a certificate for our efforts in Environmental Planning, the first of six categories in which we are pursuing certification.

Our next step is to begin implementing our environmental plan and documenting our progress throughout the season. One example of our planned work this season will be the documentation of on-course species and identification of any environmentally sensitive areas on the course. The process will be ongoing, and I am planning on achieving full Cooperative Sanctuary certification by next year.

We have taken the initial steps, but now we need involvement from the membership. We want to provide ways for members to give their input and get involved with this program. One way you can do this is by joining our Resource Advisory Group (RAG). The purpose of the RAG is to meet together and plan our environmental projects on the course as well as outreach efforts to our community.  Anyone is welcome to join and the time commitment will be minimal. Environmental expertise are not required, just an interest in the environment and an interest in the program. We are currently looking for 3-5 members to be a part of this group initially and hope to have our first meeting in April.

If you are interested in joining the RAG and becoming involved with our environmental program, please contact either Wade Peckham (wpeckham@mayfair.ca) or myself, David Smith (dsmith@mayfair.ca). You can also call the Grounds Department office at (780) 433-9666.

Early February Update

I know I promised a blog update but this one will be short. We met with John Gaskin from Golf Canada on Sunday for preliminary information regarding the LPGA event in August. All went well. Unfortunately we didn't have time to clear the ice before we left for the Golf Industry Show in San Diego. The trails and skating rink will not be attended to until next week.
I checked a few greens on Friday and they do have a crusty white ice layer but it can be scraped down to the turf. We will ckeck more when we return but I am hopeful that there is little sheet ice to worry about for now. More course related info when we return.

Audubon International Certification

I am pleased to be invited by Wade Peckham to author a guest blog entry in the Royal Mayfair Turf Notes. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is David Smith, Second Assistant Superintendent in the Turf Care Department. I joined the Royal Mayfair this past summer and it has been a distinct pleasure to be a part of this golf club. Wade and the rest of the management staff strive to provide the members with the best golf experience in Canada and are dedicated to quality and excellence.

This entry is about our current Audubon International certification efforts. Since coming to the Royal Mayfair I have led our department’s environmental efforts. Part of those efforts is seeking certification as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. What this title would mean is that our golf course has dedicated itself to protecting our natural resources (such as wildlife, plant life and water quality) and has proven its dedication though quantifiable efforts and results. Some of you may recall that this certification was pursued in the past. Due to a loss of information during the leadership transition phase two years ago, we are restarting the process and ensuring accessibility for years to come. For more information on this program, you can go to the Audubon website where it will provide further clarification on their purpose and efforts.

Currently we are in the initial stages of certification. We have sent information to Audubon International such as our environmental policy, wildlife inventory and ecological information and are awaiting further confirmation from them. That doesn’t mean we’re sitting around waiting for them to give us the go ahead. We are working on planning projects for the 2013 season as well as partnering with environmental groups in Edmonton. Wade and I recently presented our efforts and work to the Edmonton Nature Club and are looking to partner with them this coming season. 

The following are some highlights from our current and past environmental efforts:

• Upkeep of birdhouses on the course
• Partnership with University of Alberta studying urban coyote movement and ethical control of Canada Geese
• Inventory of wildlife on the course
• Continued effort to establish pheasants in the river valley
• Reduction of water use through upgrades to the irrigation system
• Careful and judicious use of pesticides to limit adverse impacts on human health and the environment

We will continue to update you on our progress through the certification. We welcome member involvement in this program. If you have any questions or would like to be a part of our efforts, please email me at dsmith@mayfair.ca, or Wade at wpeckham@mayfair.ca.