A Challenging Winter

Before I discuss the trials and tribulations that we in Turf Care have experienced this winter I'd like to welcome Matt Johnson, our new Head Professional, and Kristi Larson, Merchandise Manager, to the Royal Mayfair team. They have brought a new approach to golf shop operations that will be appreciated by all. While I'm on the topic of the golf shop the addition of the new golf course simulator is very impressive from both a teaching perspective and a great way to pass some time at the course this winter.

The other winter activities we have provided are being adversely affected by the changing weather. Unfortunately the frequent cycles of cold then warm, windy weather (mixed in with more rain than I can recall in a winter) has resulted in several challenges for making ice and grooming ski trails. I'll begin with the skating rink on #10. When we were finally able to get onto the ice in early January we found a surface that resembled a gravel road. The rain and snow that melted into the thin ice layer in mid November left it very rough and bumpy. We began by flooding the surface for a few days and then another warm windy trend about 2 weeks ago turned the surface into a mess. We are presently trying to get it ready for Family Day. Hopefully it's "okay" by then. A Zamboni would sure come in handy right now.

The ski trails have been turned into rock hard tracks where there are any tracks at all. Without a significant snowfall we cannot reset them. Our grooming equipment is not capable of dealing with the present conditions. It is so hard out on the course that you can drive the snowmobile almost anywhere and not settle down into the snow pack: a snow pack that has been rapidly disappearing throughout January. We will be purchasing a new groomer for next season that'll allow us to groom the trials when conditions aren't ideal so that we don't lose a significant amount of time for skiing during the winter. We also plan to lay down 2 side by side tracks so that it is easier for skiers to be more social with each other while out on the course.

Now for the turf conditions. Winter started out with a fairly decent cover of snow. However a warming trend and several days of dreary rainy weather in mid November resulted in less than ideal conditions on several greens. Heavy snows in December were certainly welcome but once again more warm, very windy weather in early to mid January began to eat away the snow layer and deposit ice in various locations on the golf course. I have been through similar winters before in my years as a Superintendent and typically nothing good comes of them. I inspected all the greens last week and I think I have a good idea as to what we can expect this spring. Unfortunately I found ice on several greens. The warmup and putting green are covered in a thin layer of ice as are #16 and #18 greens. I also found some patchy ice on #'s 4 and 8. I didn't locate ice of concern on any of the other greens. That doesn't mean to say there isn't any ice or that those that I think are completely covered really are. After all I can't check the entire surface. I'm fairly certain we will have problems on the four greens with extensive ice cover. I'll be cautiously optimistic about the others. Of course the removal of snow in the spring, if necessary, is another matter to consider but I will discuss that as March arrives. If you recall we have covered the 6th green and have been blowing fresh air under the ice shield every 10 to 14 days over the last few months. We now have a true ongoing test of this turf protection system that is relative to the unique environmental conditions here at the Royal Mayfair. What this holds for the future remains to be seen. Four courses in the Edmonton area have committed to the use of these covers this winter. I really believe that investment (averaging around $100,000) will finally pay off. Time will tell.

I know that the greens are paramount when it comes to mind but the fairways and tees should come out in good condition based on the checks we have done to date. As is my habit I will keep the membership updated as spring arrives and we prepare for the 2014 golf season.

In other news we have ordered a set of markers that will be placed permanently on the fairways in order to assist juniors, beginners or any other member that wishes to play a shorter golf course. I believe they will play to approximately 5000 yards.

We have also purchased a new bench and trash container to display on the 18th hole and at the Teehouse. The wood used to make these products is called Shorea, a tropical hardwood similar to teak. I really like the quality, look and feel of this equipment and I think it adds more class to the paving stone convenience areas that are being installed beside all the tee complexes.

 Enjoy the upcoming Family Day activities and here's hoping for pleasant weather.

Wade

Early Winter Update

Its been awhile since I lasted posted a blog as I've been on vacation for 3 weeks. My wife and I were in Maui enjoying some down time. If you know that Jenn is also a golf course superintendent you can imagine how we both needed a break. No golf. Just a lot of beach time, exploring parts of the island we've ignored in the past and eating a lot of Maui Onion potato chips. We stayed in Hana for 1 night. If anyone has been there besides doing a drive-by you can really appreciate the term "a different world". Its almost like stepping back in time. We arrived home last Wednesday to -30 temperatures and foul rush hour air. Our daughters had no sympathy for us.

As far as the golf course is concerned there is plenty of snow cover. Unfortunately the very warm weather and all the rain we had in mid November has led to cause for concern on some greens. We may have some issues on a few greens (especially the 2 practice greens) but I'll go into more detail in a future blog. Been there done that.

I'm hoping the Royal Mayfair Nordic Club members and all others who have used the trails are pleased with the changes we have made to further enhance the experience of cross country skiing at our club. The maps, on course directional markers, and the clock/thermometer (for adjusting wax requirements) are nice additions. For that I have my assistants to thank. Especially David Smith. After seeing what some clubs in the Northeastern USA were doing I had a chat with Dave and we came up with what you see out there now. The following is a picture of the map posted at the beginning (or end depending on your perspective) of the trails at 9 green and 10 tee:

As you can see we have several different options based on description, distance and level of difficulty.

Well done Dave. As always we welcome feedback but lets remember that there are limitations to what we can do out there based on equipment, expertise, timing, etc.

When the new year rolls around we will begin work on the skating rink at the lake on 10. We have some ideas that should make it another nice outdoor winter experience at The Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

All of us in Turf Care (Eric, David, Ian, Maureen and myself) wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year wherever and however you celebrate the Holiday Season.

Wade

Covering The 6th Green

This winter will mark the second winter in a row that we are covering the 6th green with the bubble wrap and non permeable plastic cover (Green Jacket ice shield). This system has been developed and successfully implemented at The Glendale Golf and Country Club over the last few years. However I want to see how it performs at The Royal Mayfair with our unique environmental conditions down here in the river valley. This winter is shaping up to be different than 2012 when the snow cover was pretty much ideal for overwintering sensitive turf. It may come to pass that we eventually cover all the greens. Or not. Another option is the conversion to bentgrass that I've mentioned previously but that discussion is for another time.

The purpose of covering the green is to greatly reduce the effects of freeze / thaw weather patterns or to keep freezing rain events from causing ice on top of minimal snow cover. Fresh air is blown under the cover and bubble warp every 10 to 14 days throughout the winter because there is minimal oxygen available to the turf. It's still a living organism requiring gas exchange even though it is almost completely dormant. When snow is present on top of the cover surface temperatures stay between -5C to -1C even when air temperatures are far below zero. This is very similar to the same naturally occurring phenomenon that happens in nature depending on snow type, depth  and moisture content.

The following pictures show the 4 main stages of covering a green. You'll notice that we have shoveled off the green. When the snow fell the green wasn't frozen enough so exposure to a few very cold nights took care of that.

1.) Laying down 3 rows of inflatable perforated plastic tubing. We don't use hard drain tile as the mice will travel along the edges and can cause damage to the turf.

2.) Connecting the plastic tubing to sections of non perforated drain tile that run outside the cover. Each line is then attached to posts beside the green. Back pack blowers are inserted into the end of the tile and fresh air is then blown in (about 10 minutes). If you recall the video from last year it showed the heavy snow cover lifting up and then settling back down when the blowers were shut off. The fresh air is being being pushed laterally to all areas of the green at that point.

3.) The bubble wrap is laid down with the side everyone likes to pop facing the turf (more air channels).

4.) The non permeable cover is laid over top and spiked down along the edges. On the high sides we use 1/4" plywood strips to assist in keeping a tight fit to the undulating surface. This helps reduce the potential for runoff  travelling under the cover. The other option is to "tuck in" the tarp by cutting the turf but the ground is frozen so that won't work in this case.

All done.I hope this further adds to your knowledge base or begins to pique your interest in our turf management practices here at The Royal Mayfair.

All for now,

Wade

The 2013 Golf Season Ends At The Royal Mayfair

The sudden, overnight change in the weather has closed the course for the year. We had intended to remain open until the end of the month but with snow and rapidly falling temperatures the above decision was fairly straight forward. Yes the snow may melt but it'll be well below zero for the next few nights and the ground will begin to freeze solid, especially in the first few inches.  I've mentioned before about turf damage in the late fall not recovering until next May. Now is not the time to squeeze in a couple of extra days of golf. Now is the time to stop play and allow the course to move into winter without any additional stress added to the system.

This now leads to my next discussion. Some members have talked to me about how many years ago they used to play into November on frozen ground. They couldn't get a tee in the turf and drives would roll down the fairway as if it were a parking lot. Next spring there didn't appear to be any problem. I personally can't speak to that but I do know that golfers expectations have changed over the last 30 years. Long gone are the days of always opening on temporary greens and accepting less than ideal conditions until June. Golfers (and superintendents for that matter) want great conditions right out of the gate. We all publicize and thirst for information as to how the courses overwintered as soon as the snow melts. In addition to preparing for winter that is why throughout most of Alberta, closures usually occur a week or two before the end of the month: to help increase the odds of good spring conditions.

At The Royal Mayfair we have decided to extend play well into late October as long as I feel the course can sustain the pressure. Up until Saturday I was satisfied with that philosophy. The weather was pleasant, the final fungicide applications were complete, the turf is in good shape and the root zone wasn't frozen. However, change is upon us and it's the right time to close the course.

Now we will remove all the golf course accessories, rope off greens that cross country skiers won't stay off of and eventually cover the 6th green. On a side note we are already registering for turf conferences occurring in early 2104 and discussing plans for next summer. More on that later.

In closing I want you to know that this past summer has been the most rewarding year of my career. I am very proud of all we achieved at The Royal Mayfair Golf Club and I hope you are too.


Wade

Winter Preparations Continue

Compared to last October our preparations for winter are progressing at a reasonable pace. For now. I don't trust long range forecasts at this time of year and that is why we will continue spraying until we are finished. The weather is always unpredictable during the transition periods of spring and fall so we need to take advantage of the pleasant weather. Also the new chemicals we are using can be applied earlier than others used in past years so the days of waiting until "the last minute" appear to be over. Of course as I've always said nothing is 100% but we can deal with the unforeseen if and when the time comes.

• The fairways and approaches were completed on Tuesday. You may have noticed that the brass fairway yardage plates have been removed. We don't want them stained by the fungicide and they need to be cleaned up over the winter. 
• Tees will be sprayed today. The yardage plates on the tees are difficult to remove so they will be covered to prevent staining. 
• Greens will be treated on Thursday.
• Greens surrounds and areas of the rough that remain shaded well into the spring will be sprayed on Friday.
• All of the above is weather permitting.

On The Course

• Irrigation blowout was completed late last week and went according to plan.
• All of the roughs will have been solid deep tine aerated by the end of the week.
• Several sodding projects are underway to cleanup some issues from the Women's Canadian Open, repair a few areas damaged by poor drainage and to fill small patches of rough that have been devoid of turf for several years (beside the fairway bunkers on #13 and #14).
• We are making headway with the leaves and with each nice day we get a head start on next spring's cleanup.
• Many of the tee surfaces are showing excess wear and tear due to the dry weather, lack of irrigation and no recovery from divots. As a result the tees will be placed in areas that I feel can sustain play until we close. That means they will be moved forward on all the par 3's. Considering the alternative this is a fair trade off. 
• Surprise. The gold tee on #12 is open for play.

A few members have asked about covering the 6th green. Yes we will be using the same system as last year which will involve blowing air under the tarp / bubble wrap every 2 weeks. However it is far too early to cover the green. The ground must be frozen for several days so that plant respiration is very low. A few weeks at least before we work on that green.

All for now,

Wade

Happy Thanksgiving

We have a lot to be thankful for here in Edmonton. Aside from winter I'm sure most people that have traveled around the world feel pretty fortunate when they return home. Personally I have a great position at The Royal Mayfair, a very competent and dedicated management team and a family that has always supported me during the very busy summers. Happy Thanksgiving.

We are getting closer to wrapping up the 2013 golf season. As each day goes by certain tasks are taken care of that prepare the facility for winter. I've been listing the work in previous blogs but much of what we do goes unannounced and has to do with maintaining turf health in advance of the snow.

Speaking of snow we are currently reviewing our plans for the cross country ski trails and the skating rink on #10. We will have 3 routes laid out on the course this winter to try and accommodate how far or difficult a trail will be. We will post maps and flag the trails as well. I'm looking into new grooming equipment to help keep the trails in good condition. Of course the weather will have to cooperate. We've been learning a little more each winter but your input is still welcome.


On The Course This Week:

• The irrigation system will be cleared (blown out) on Wednesday and Thursday. The weather looks promising (warm and dry) thus we will be giving the entire golf course a thorough watering tonight. This will be the last chance to keep moisture levels at a reasonable percentage until we get a permanent freeze or it snows.
• Fungicide applications will begin Friday on fairways and rough. If the forecast holds we'll take a break over the weekend and continue spraying next Monday. The final application on greens and tees will follow. Notification and signage will be posted as usual.
• There are ruts caused by the crane from the Canadian Open, some cartpath entrances and a few areas in the rough that will be repaired and sodded this week.
• And of course continued leaf removal.

Wade

Life After Aeration

The back 9 greens will be aerated, topdressed and rolled by the end of the day, assuming the weather cooperates. The approaches will also be aerated by the end of the day and we will topdress them tomorrow. That will finish the golf course for the 2013 season. As always there is the odd bit of turf damage around the perimeters. Depending on the weather those minor repairs may take place next spring after the irrigation system is back on and we have a dependable water source to keep any sod alive.

However, there are 2 spots we'll fix this week. Those are the 2 divots on the front left corner of the 8th green. We noticed them early Sunday morning. Many have mentioned the damage and some of you have theories. Here's what Eric and I have surmised. First of all its vandalism not just damage. The person that did it is a pretty good golfer as both divots are perfect and side by side. The same person was likely hitting a wedge over the trees onto the first green. The same person thought it was pretty neat to hit off a green. The same person should maybe play at a municipal golf course where that sort of  damage is a common problem. I know. I worked at a public facility and that type of person cares not for etiquette or the traditions of the game. I told Eric I was over it yesterday and wouldn't give it another thought but after consideration of what the Royal Mayfair stands for it is embarrasing for something like that to happen at a facility such as ours. I can only hope it was not a member that decided to "have some fun".

Divots, ball marks, cart damage, etc. are a fact of life on any golf course and superintendents accept that as part of golf course life. But when vandalism happens sometimes we need to discuss it such as now. I sincerely wish that whoever caused the damage thinks long and hard before doing it again. There, I've said my piece and now I'm over it.


On The Course This Week:

• City water lines are off for the season. The washrooms and drinking fountains are therefore closed. Portable washrooms will be placed at #6 and #17 later today.
• The water feature at the Golf Shop will be winterized and Maureen's gold fish will be released to the wild (lake on 10).
• Greens will be cleaned up throughout the week to help with playability until the end of the season.
• Approaches will be topdressed on Wednesday.
• Lake aerators will be removed from #10 and #18.
• Continued leaf cleanup.

All for now,
Wade