Next Week And Beyond

I'll start off by saying that I have a myriad of topics to discuss and a lot of information that you, the membership, should know about. Unfortunately one blog would be too long and I doubt it would hold your interest all the way to the end. So I'm going to post 2 blogs today: a point form entry concerning work on the course in the week ahead and another entry discussing some important cultural practices and some LPGA preparation talk. Read at your own convenience.

Next Week On The Course

• Lowering mowing heights on the greens and tees. We are still a few steps away from our lowest mowing height on the greens but we will be there much quicker than in the past.
• Liquid fertilizer application on the fairways with a weed control product added to the solution to eliminate the odd dandelion and some knottweed that is difficult to see on the fairways but is present in certain locations.
• Arbor Care Tree Services will be on the course working at #16 reducing the impact the overhanging poplar branches are having on tee marker positioning and pin locations. It will take a couple of days and some noise until 11 a.m. each morning.
• Following the work on #16 Arbor Care will then cut off any broken or dangerous limbs throughout the course. Please use caution when you are near the boom truck.

Note: The early and deep snow pack last winter did not allow the work to be completed at a more convenient time. Any work we had planned for the elms was also not done thus we now have to wait until November as required by a very strict City bylaw.

• The curbing work is finished and we will be sodding the cart path tie ins beginning on Wednesday. Precast concrete steps will then be added at the 1st and 11th tees. Paving stone side outs are the final piece of the project.
• Maureen and Val will continue with planting bed cleanup. They are about 10 days behind their usual schedule because of the extended winter. It is difficult to give them extra help at this time with the work the Turf Care staff are doing elsewhere. They will start planting in late May and early June.
• Opening the natural grass driving range tee on Wednesday. More on that in the 2nd blog.
• The Legacy Clock will be bolted to the concrete base and powered up on Tuesday.
• Weed control in the rough and alongside treelines. Watch for notification and signage. Please contact me for more information if required (Killex: 2,4-D, MCPP and Dicamba).
• Topdressing greens, tees and aprons. Greens scheduled for Tuesday morning due to the long weekend.

We are off to a great start but there are many loose ends that need to be attended to on our way to reaching our goal of achieving the highest level of conditioning and presentation at The Royal Mayfair.

Wade

LPGA Site Visit And On The Course This Week

Jim Haley from the LPGA visited the course last week to review the Golf Canada site plans on the course, review course conditions and make some fairway and rough adjustments. He also supplied me with specific tee decks and yardages that will be used for the Professionals in August. The changes have been explained to me and I can't say I disagree with the rationale. Be rest assured though that once the tournament has ended we will widen any areas that have been narrowed. Some fairways will actually be widened in spots and there is a good chance we will leave those areas as is. Here are the changes:

Note that for our reference a pace is one normal stride for someone 6 feet tall (a little more for someone vertically challenged like myself).

• Hole #1- the rough will be brought in 6 paces on each side.
• Hole #2- the rough will be brought in on the left side up to and even with the fairway bunker by 12 paces.
• Hole #3- the left side will be narrowed by 6 paces and the right side will be widened by 12 paces from 200 to 300 yards out from the tee.
• Hole #12- the left side will be widened by 12 paces 200 to 300 yards out from the tee.
• Hole #13- the left side past the fairway bunker will be widened by 6 paces.

Jim was pleased with the course conditions and approved of our mowing patterns and practices. The LPGA agronomist will be visiting the club in late May to discuss our cultural practices in more detail. I'm sure we will hear the most used term in present day golf course terminology: "We like it firm and fast". I'll report the results of that visit as well.

We will begin making these changes immediately especially since we need to cut down some rough and now is the time of year to do it. I know the Ladies Open is 3 months away but time flies. Over the next few days you'll notice a lot of white paint on the course. In addition to fairway marking the greens will be adjusted as they tend to get larger at the end of every season.

The pro paths (short cut path for walkers from tee to fairway) will also be established. Jim suggested we wait until the agronomist visits but we are going ahead. They can always be moved if necessary. These paths are for the membership too so there is no sense waiting any longer.

On The Course This Week

• continued curbing work at the 1st and 18th tees
• continued landscaping work, cart path tie-in and step installation
• install water fountains/aerators on the ponds
• clean out and turn on the water feature beside the Golf Shop
• pour the concrete base for the legacy clock
• aerate, overseed and topdress the haul road across the 9th fairway (this same path will be used as a crossing point for spectators, etc. during the Open
• mechanical removal of debris in the ponds and begin weed control practices
• fairway and greens height of cut to be lowered mid week

As for the height of cut on greens we are still a few steps away from our desired cut but it will come quicker than the past few seasons. We are rolling frequently and it is time to apply growth regulators as well.  My thanks to the Turf Care Team for a job well done over the last few weeks. Another busy week lies ahead. Hard to believe we've only been open 6 days. 

All for now,

Wade

Opening Day Notes

The golf club is finally open today at 9:00 am. My staff and I appreciate all the patience you have had over the last week while we were preparing the golf course for play. One week ago the weather was in sharp contrast to what we have experienced over the last few days. It seems the Edmonton area went from late winter to summer in one fell swoop. That +31 C felt pretty good yesterday. The following is a summary of the remaining course prep work and small projects that will be ongoing throughout the month of May.

Remaining course cleanup:

• continuing leaf, branch and grass removal concentrating on tree lines (it didn't help that we had 70 km/hr winds blow through last night either)
• cart path sweeping and washing (hard surface paths)
• cart path leveling and aggregate addition
• a few tee complex areas need additional branch and leaf removal
• the bunkers have been edged and had sand adjusted but we need to touch up a few that were still damp from lingering snow cover
• repair the back of 10 tee gold that was damaged by the contractor over the winter
• clubhouse and golf shop sweep and wash

We concentrated all efforts on the actual course over the last 7 days and now we can attend to those areas listed above. 

Course Projects:

• final cart path work beside the 1st tee
• curbing installed over the next week next to new asphalt paths
• sod tie in and paving stone side out installation at 11 tee, 12 tee, 18 tee 
• renovation/landscaping of side slope between the 1st tee and the new path
• installation of the Legacy Clock beside the Golf Shop
• paving stone patio work at the new Tee House
• install synthetic turf on the bridge over the pond on 18

Over the next few weeks we will be lowering the mowing heights, increasing mowing frequency and keeping the rough in check. You will notice the fairway and green perimeters marked by white paint as we do every spring to help the Turf Care staff with their mowing practices. The LPGA is visiting the course later this week so you may notice some changes that go beyond the usual. As always I will keep you informed of on course changes that may occur.

From all of us at the Turf Care Facility please enjoy the 2013 golf season. Conditions are very good and will improve rapidly judging by the weather forecast.

Regards,

Wade

Update On Course Opening Preparations

Even though the weather has improved dramatically we are not yet ready to open. That day is still set as Thursday, May 9th which is in line with most of the other private clubs in the city. The weather earlier in the week set us back a few days but we are now making up for lost time. The Turf Care staff will be working every day including all weekend to get the course ready for the membership. It may sound hard to believe but there is still snow surrounding several green sites. I'm hoping most of it melts by Monday so we can get to these areas and prepare them for opening.

We plan on starting up the irrigation system tomorrow (Saturday) even though some sprinklers and valve boxes are covered in snow. If we have an issue (meaning a water line break or the need to isolate a line) we will clear the snow away. With the windy, warm weather some areas of the course will need water very soon if not already. If we can move staff away from tank watering and onto other tasks all the better.

You may have noticed the gravel in the parking lot has been swept up. Part 2 of the process is to wash and sweep the lot with a street cleaner very early Monday or Tuesday morning. That will help with the dusty conditions. On Tuesday Answer Asphalt will be base prepping the unfinished section next to the first tee and paving it on Wednesday. Initially we had planned to use paving stone but for a variety of reasons that I won't go into here we decided to stay consistent and not introduce another landscape material to an already "busy looking" warm up green/patio area.

This spring we are verticutting all the rough including tee and green sidebanks to stimulate growth and cleanup the remnants of all the snow mold matting and dust on top of the turf. We'll be open before this process is complete and there will be plenty of loose, old grass that is missed by the sweepers but as we start mowing it will eventually go away. We will not be aggressively managing the fine turf areas until we have a consistent, reliable source of water. Mowing heights will be lowered in accordance with conditions but we do strive to achieve quality playing surfaces as soon as possible.

#4 Green Late Thursday Afternoon

#15 Green Late Thursday

#8 Late Thursday 

Hopefully this is gone very soon. See you out on the grounds this weekend. Wave me over if you need to vent your frustrations.
Wade

Course Opening And Project Work Ahead

The golf course is tentatively scheduled to open around the 9th of May. If the weather cooperates and it dries out more than I anticipate AND we are ready to present the course in the best possible light taking into consideration the late start we may open a few days earlier. Stay tuned.

Its great to start a season on all 18 holes with no major disruptions that will affect playing the golf course. However, as much as it pains me to say it we still have some project work to deal with during the month of May. The following list pretty much sums it up:

• Curbing installed next to the new cart path paving from last October.
• Cart path tie and sodding next to the new asphalt and/or curbing.
• Paving stone installation and landscaping changes beside the 1st tee.
• Installation of new steps to replace rxr ties.
• Removal of bunker boards and all bunkers edged.
• Patio and landscape work at the new Tee House.
• Installation of the new "Legacy Fund" clock next to the Golf Shop
• Haul road repairs (aeration and overseeding) across #9 fairway.

None of this work will affect actual play on the course. It may result in some inconvenience accessing green and tee sites from time to time so please be patient with the Turf Care Team. In addition to this work we have a lot of tasks to attend to on the course to get it in the condition you all expect and deserve. 

Curbing and new steps to be installed, for example, at 12 tee

Paving stone installation and landscaping work at the first tee

Tee House patio and landscaping work required

 

Even though it is snowing as I post this the warm weather will return. Stay positive.

All for now,

Wade

An Update On #6 Green

We removed the ice shield (waterproof plastic cover) and bubble wrap off of the 6th green on Tuesday. As you can see from the picture it's in the same condition as all the others: very good. This method of overwinter protection seems to be the best solution to a changing climate. Fortunately (or unfortunately if you are interested in an "experiment" of sorts) the past winter was a good one for all the greens and tees. After we had cleared the initial snowfall and removed any ice in early November the heavy snows came and never left resulting in excellent natural protection for the greens. Because of this a comparison of results doesn't tell us much this spring.

The 6th green Tuesday afternoon

What can be interpreted though is that a green can be covered and isolated from some extreme environmental pressures. The main one being ice formation. By monitoring the conditions (temperature and air quality) underneath the cover throughout the winter we have a pretty good idea what is happening. The venting system allows us to introduce fresh air to the green surface whether it needs it or not. Here I would definitely error on the side of caution and blow air under the covers more often than not.

Without complicating the topic any further I feel this method holds promise for the future of the overwinter protection of our Poa annua /bentgrass greens. This topic will be discussed at length in our Green Committee meetings. One last point to consider. NOTHING is 100% effective 100% of the time in relation to keeping sensitive turf types alive from November to May. At least in my humble opinion. However its becoming clear to me that if there is a technique that works more often than not it needs to be seriously considered. I'm all about reducing stress in our lives especially during the winter. There will be much more information to present to the membership as next fall approaches but I think we should concentrate on this season for now. A lot of  golf course superintendents and researchers have done the hard work in fine tuning this overwintering plan and I applaud them for creating this option.

The next blog will review the snow mold pressures faced by all Edmonton and area courses this spring, our fungicide use results and what changes, if any, will be implemented in the future.

The 2013 golf season has arrived as the practice facilities will open Friday morning at 9:00. Frost delays may be in effect for the natural turf areas.

Wade

Course Preparations Finally Begin

This past weekend we held our staff orientation meeting that was attended by new and returning employees. In addition to familiar faces we welcomed the newly hired on to the Royal Mayfair Turf Care Team. They toured the clubhouse, golf shop and of course the entire Turf Care Center. They had to process a lot of information over a span of 3 hours but they'll be fine as the weeks go by.

Its been a long time since the staff parking lot was this busy.

The equipment is serviced and ready to go. Our fleet is very large and more additions are on the way in the next few weeks. Ian, our equipment technician, has worked long and hard this winter doing what mechanics do, namely keeping the lifeblood of the course in excellent operating condition. Ian is busy all year long and without his years of expertise and his commitment to the club our success would be limited. My sincere thanks for a job well done Ian.

Some of our equipment all lined up but nowhere to go. 

Tomorrow will mark the beginning of cleanup and preparations for opening the golf course. There is still a lot of snow on the property so our efforts this week will be concentrated on the practice greens, the driving range and the short game practice area. It is our goal to have all these facilities open this Friday assuming the weather cooperates. The driving range will open using the Turf Hound mats for the next few weeks. The grass tee needs time to recover from winter and get to the stage where it can sustain the wear and tear to come.

The greens are nice but the rough has been affected by snow mold. Some care and attention from us in addition to some warm weather and it will recover quickly.

The week ahead looks good so I'm looking forward to some serious melting over the next several days.

Regards,

Wade