Course Notes and Happenings

The first substantial rainfall on Monday has helped improve conditions after a week of warm weather and fertilization of the fairways and rough. There's a scientific reason that turf looks greener after significant natural moisture but I won't go into here. It is enough to say that as May comes to a close and we move into summer the golf course has shown increased growth where we needed it most. We are very pleased with the golf course especially with the look and playability of the 18th green. The warmup green should be fully recovered in 2 to 3 weeks and the putting green is coming along nicely considering it is open for use.

Before some upcoming work is listed and some pictures are posted a brief note about the 18th green:

• We are slowly lowering the height of cut which will change the speed and move it closer to the others during the month of June.
• The green requires hollow core aeration and that will take place in the middle of next week. The holes will fill quickly and the new turf will be healthier for it. 

On The Course:

• Rainbow trout were released into the pond on 10 last week.
• Spot control of dandelions over the next 2 weeks. We have done a good job of keeping the "yellow flower" in check but the City of Edmonton seems to be having some degree of difficulty in controlling (whether it be chemical or mechanical) the weed so get used to seeing a few dandelions on the course at times.
• Topdressing and venting the other 17 greens next Wednesday and Thursday. Nothing out of the ordinary but necessary to keep air and water moving through the root zone.
• Sodding of the fertilizer spill west of the 9th green (spreader malfunction).
• Fairway topdressing (light monthly sand application program that was implemented last season) will begin June 9th.
• Retaining walls are being added to the flower bed expansion on the 1st tee to keep soil from eroding down the slope. 

Pictures and Explanations:

 

 The goslings have hatched at the Golf Shop and will soon be moving to one of the ponds.

 

 

This strobe light is designed to disturb the geese so that they eventually leave. Results are varied by all accounts but right now we are willing to try anything.

 

 

The 3 spruce that were planted to screen the view of the cart path on the 2nd hole have been removed for 2 reasons. The first being that they look out of place, as if they were just plunked down out of nowhere. The second reason being that they interfere with cart access to the path creating wear patterns in the landing area that is already difficult to maintain. Once a new retaining wall is built and the path is paved it might even be less noticeable than the existing gravel path.

 

 

 

 

 

 



The 18th Green Is Open For Play

30 days ago on April 17th we sodded the 18th green after deciding that waiting for recovery would be an unreliable alternative in our short golf season. On Saturday it will open for play. If you've been following the progress of the work you know we used our own sod even though some of it was a little "loose". It was difficult to obtain a consistent cut off of the nursery which then made it tough to install on the prepared surface. That being said we're happy with the results especially considering the less than ideal weather we've experienced in Edmonton over the last month.

The green is fairly consistent in terms of ball roll and turf quality. The speed is "slow" and will be maintained that way until we determine how it is reacting to play (foot traffic, ball marks and other less obvious stresses). It is very important that you treat this green with more care and attention than you would the other mature greens on the golf course. Be careful how you walk on it (don't drag your feet), fix your ball marks but don't be too vigorous with your repair tool. Nice and easy for awhile. You may also find that cup edges are soft and will wear out quickly so it is very important that you do not scoop the ball out of the hole. Over the next month we will slowly bring the green speed closer to the others.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

ON THE COURSE NEXT WEEK:

• Greens will be lightly topdressed early Tuesday morning.
• Tees will be core aerated and topdressed on Wednesday and Thursday.
• Fairways will be sprayed with liquid fertilizer.
• Greens will be sprayed first, with growth regulator (the beginning of the seasonal program) and then again with a combination of fungicide and nutrients so that we can hopefully prevent the occurrence of Take-all Patch disease. 
• Bunker edge and adjustment work should be completed by Tuesday.
• Parking lot lines should be painted by the end of the week.
• Maureen and Val will continue with bed cleanup and planting should begin in the first week of June.
• The pro paths are now being reintroduced. #6 and #9 were cut this week and the rest will be cut over the next week or 2.

All for now. Enjoy the long weekend and the BBQ on Monday.

The Turf Care Department

Open For A Week

We've been open for a week and aside from one warm day the weather has been awful especially compared to last season when the high was +31C on May 6th. The present conditions don't lend themselves for any chance of a quick recovery on the 2 putting greens. The warmup is showing progress but it has a long way to go. There is no chance of seed germination with the below zero temperatures we are experiencing at night, even with the covers on. The putting green will open later today. Please avoid practicing on the eastern 1/3rd of the green. Obviously the cups will not be placed in this area for the next few weeks.

The 18th green is progressing nicely and we are scheduled to open it for play on May 17th. The mowing height will be reduced slowly over the next month and topdressing will be the order of the day until we feel the surface is comparable to the other greens. The small areas of winter damage on a few of the other greens has been repaired and is looking good. As we move into our regular topdressing program and the weather warms up the greens will soon be where we want them for May. The aeration holes from the coring last October have been slow to close over but it won't be long before they don't affect ball roll.

 

18 Green on May 7th. Picture quality is poor but it conveys the message. The dark lines are shadows from 2 sprinklers running when the photo was taken.

 

 

We have made good progress cleaning the golf course and we will be finished with the sweepers tomorrow. However course cleanup is always ongoing in some way shape or form on a course like ours. The bunkers are currently being edged and adjusted. Its a huge, difficult task with the number and size of bunkers on the property but we should be finished next week.

 

 

Turf Care Notes:

• New benches have been ordered for some of the tees on the back 9. A few of the log benches are just not of acceptable quality anymore.
• The ball washer/trash receptacle will be back at 13 reds next week.
• A sand/seed bottle rack has been ordered for the shelter on #6. A good suggestion from a member for those who use the forward tees on #7.
• Maureen and Val will be cleaning the flower beds over the next few weeks. Soil temperatures are not warm enough to even consider planting anytime soon.
• The Stanley Thompson tees are being installed out on the fairways (3000 yard course for kids and those who can't hit it very far).
• Rainbow trout will be stocked in the pond on #10 in the next few weeks.

 

Enjoy what hopefully should be a pleasant weekend.

 

Wade

 



Audubon Certification Announcement

On Monday I had the privilege of speaking before the membership regarding the Audubon Certification program. I was pleased to announce there, and here on this blog, that the Royal Mayfair has received full designation as a Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International. This designation signifies the effort we have made to ensure we remain sustainable and environmentally friendly in our management practices. Achieving certification has been a three-year process garnering the following positive changes:

     -   Monitoring and protecting course wildlife
 

     -    Improving soil and turf health
 

     -   Reducing water consumption

     -   Planting native vegetation

     -    Leaving native and natural areas undisturbed

Certification is only the first step for the Royal Mayfair. The environmental program we are adopting is an ongoing process. We are continually finding new ways to improve the habitat on the golf course. Some projects we have planned in the near future include:

     -   Releasing rainbow trout into #10 pond

     -   Inviting a local club to perform a bird count on the course

     -   Creating multiple butterfly gardens across the course

A way for the membership to be involved in this program is to attend meetings of the Environmental Improvement Committee. This group meets to evaluate the current environmental state of the golf course as well as discuss future projects. We will be having our first meeting of the 2014 season coming up in May. If you have any questions or comments about the program, would like more information, or would like to be involved in the Environmental Improvement Committee, please contact myself at dsmith@mayfair.ca or call the Turf Care office at 780-433-9666.

More pheasants were released on Thursday courtesy of another very generous member!

Regards,
David Smith
2nd Assistant Superintendent

Opening Day Update

The 2014 golf season begins today and I would like to welcome you back to a summer of uninterrupted golf. After 2 seasons of construction and hosting the CN Women's Canadian Open the Turf Care department is looking forward to grooming and presenting the course to you and you alone. Our goal, as always, is to provide you with the finest playing experience that The Royal Mayfair can deliver. In maintaining the course at a championship level we have developed a good idea as to what areas we can improve upon and also how we can change our agronomic practices to meet the demands of a premier golf facility. However, during the month of May, we do have to recover from some winter damage that hit the 18th, 8th, large practice and warmup greens.

As you may or may not be aware of the 18th green was resodded with turf from our nursery. The decision was made based on my experience with long term recovery in this part of Alberta. If May isn't warm and wet waiting for Poa annua recovery will stretch into June and eventually July. We will hopefully be back on the 18th green by the May Long Weekend. It won't match the other greens in terms of speed and roll as we need to cautious with our mowing height for awhile. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The warmup green recovery will take a different path than #18. We don't have enough sod that is ready for use to cover what is required. Any sod we do have needs to be saved for incidental repairs from some minor winter damage and also any future problems we may experience during the season. I didn't want to resod with pure bentgrass from a sod farm because we would then have a completely different putting surface than the golf course greens (a Poa/bentgrass mix). The warmup has been worked on extensively and will stay covered with a tarp that will heat the surface and keep soil temperatures higher than normal for this time of year. By staying off it and basically "greenhousing" the turf, recovery will be rapid. The putting green and #8 are coming along fine and should be back to normal by the end of May. There is also some minor damage to greens #2 and #16 caused by someone walking on the greens. Once the irrigation system is on (next few days) we will plug out those areas.

Course cleanup finally began in earnest last week and will continue for another few days. We verticut all the rough and sweeping up the debris takes time. Not all of the old loose grass could be swept up so you will notice it on your shoes and cart wheels for a few days. Once we begin mowing the rough the loose grass will cease to be a problem.

This was the new sod on #18 after its first mow earlier this week. It has since been heavily topdressed, brushed and rolled again. The cover is back on it to keep it warm at night. The front collar will be sodded in the next week and we will be reshaping the top edge of the right green side bunker to stop the constant washouts that occur after heavy rains.

Before I close I'm very pleased to announce that The Royal Mayfair is now a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Through the efforts of our 2nd Assistant Superintendent, David Smith, and the members of the Environmental Improvement Committee we are now one of 18 courses in Alberta and the first in the Edmonton area to achieve this status. I'm proud of our efforts to combine the game of golf with stewardship of the land and air especially in the center of a major metropolitan area.

All for now and see you on the course.
Wade Peckham

Royal Mayfair Golf Club Update

Good Friday is tomorrow and the weather is not cooperating in the Edmonton area. After a previous week of warm weather we are not progressing any further. There is still snow and ice on the course and many areas that have cleared are still quite wet. We cannot move freely about the course and begin cleanup due to the conditions. A few sunny warmer days will allow us to finally sweep the debris from winter and begin preparations for opening day which should be around the 30th of April. The driving range and practice area are ready to go once it quits snowing. When the practice area does open we have designated the north green and bunker for chipping and the south green for putting practice as the warmup and putting greens are not ready at this time. A new change you will soon notice on the practice tees are range finders for members to use to determine target green yardages  We are currently working on the details and setup. This will reduce "signage clutter" and provide a new unique service for those members who want accurate distances for their practice sessions.

The golf course turf is in a holding pattern with the current weather conditions. The cold temperatures at night and throughout the day are not unusual for April and as a result the bright green look when the snow first melts is being replaced with a duller more natural color for this time of year. The Poa annua throughout the course really tends to back off until the temperatures begin to climb again. The snow we have been getting is actually providing needed moisture on the tees and some of the greens.

As you may be aware we are currently working on the 3 damaged greens around the clubhouse area. The warmup and putting greens are being aerated, verticut, overseeded and topdressed when the weather permits. They are then covered with tarps to increase soil temperatures far quicker than if they are left uncovered. In addition to staying off them for a few weeks this will greatly assist in recovery.

The 18th green is currently being sodded (between snowfalls). The decision to resod was based on my experience with recovery of damaged greens at past golf courses. If the month of May isn't as warm as required recovery of damaged turf will stretch into June and even July. The 18th green would be very bumpy and would need to be continuously topdressed in order to provide a half decent playing surface. By sodding now with our own nursery turf we have reduced the recovery time dramatically. The use of our nursery is important at this point. It is similar to our other greens in that it is a blend of Poa annua (from our aeration cores) and bentgrass seed. We used Penncoss creeping bentgrass to match the turf type on our greens. Of course this will mean the use of a temporary green until mid May thus giving the sod enough time to establish itself. The green will not be the same speed and firmness as the others when we do open it for play. That will take approximately another month of care and attention but it will be open.

I realize that the mention of a temporary green strikes fear in all golfers and is something not seen here since the late 1980's but when a golf course changes over the years from a newly renovated bentgrass green facility to a Poa/bentgrass mix we now need to accept some damage at times or decide on change. This will be discussed at length this season and will be presented in future blog postings and course communications.

The 18th green looks okay from a distance but there is not enough healthy turf to result in a quick recovery. The ice cover was not complete as you may notice towards the back. That turf is in pretty good condition but still not enough when you look in the foreground.

Earlier this week we recorded the elevation numbers across the surface, rototilled the top several inches, added amendments and root zone material. This picture only shows the preliminary work. It was then rolled, firmed up and had the elevation (or contours) checked.

Its Thursday morning and the sodding has begun even with the snow that fell overnight. We need to get this finished before warmer weather returns. Difficult, tiring work for the Turf Care staff but definitely worth the effort.



When the green is finished and cleaned up it will be rolled, topdressed and covered with a dark colored tarp to heat the surface and speed establishment of the sod.

Royal Mayfair Turf Care Update

We have now been able to assess the entire golf course after a week of warm, windy weather. I'll review the rough, fairways, tees and greens separately and outline what will entail over the next few weeks before opening day which is tentatively planned for April 30th.

The practice facility will open on April 16th. The natural range tee surface is in good condition but will not open for use until we have better growing conditions and the irrigation system is turned on. Until that time the Turf Hound mats will be used. The chipping greens will be ready as well. The putting green has suffered some damage to the Poa annua but it still has plenty of good area to use while it recovers. The warmup has suffered extensive winter kill due to the high percentage of Poa. We will keep it closed for the time being so that the overseeding efforts stand a chance of success. It will be tarped and should recover quickly if the weather cooperates. It's location near the buildings and paths will also help raise the surface temperature on sunny days.

The rough throughout the golf course is covered in snow mold. It is quite obvious where the dividing line is between fungicide treated turf and untreated turf. We did treat a pass around every green so most of the side banks are free of mold. As occurred last spring we will begin verticutting all the rough to break up the mat of mold. After some sunshine, warmer temperatures, and fertilizer it will be okay.

#15 looking back at the tee. Without fungicides the fairway would look like the rough on the left of the image. Snow mold rarely kills turf in the rough. If the fairway wasn't treated most of the Poa prevalent here would be severely damaged.

The fairways and tees have come through the winter in very good condition. Our tees are predominantly bentgrass so they can withstand our harsh winters far better than the Poa that is mixed in with the bent on some of the tees. The fairways have changed dramatically over the years to the point where Poa has become the main turf type in many areas. When aerated, topdressed regularly and treated with winter fungicides it seems to come through winter in fairly good condition year after year. Of course if the fairways were covered in a thick layer of ice for more than 50 days I imagine it would be a different story.

#14 tee looking down the fairway. The importance of an effective winter fungicide program is obvious.

Now about greens 1 to 18. As I touched on in the previous blog we have not come through winter unscathed. All the greens except #8 and #18 are in good condition with a few blemishes here and there (being no different than any other year).

#13 green from the southeast side. Similar look to all the other greens aside from the front of  #8 and #18.

Someone walked across #2 green at the wrong time of winter and the footprints are quite obvious. That damage will be plugged out soon.

 #8 has the usual damage behind the front bunker. It will grow out with some help from Turf Care. The 18th green has taken a hit from ice damage as I suspected it would. I find it interesting that the 3 greens suffering the most this spring were all located around the clubhouse and golf shop. The micro climate in this area must have been warm enough at some point this winter (that week in January?) to cause the ice problem. It shows just how close we were to a serious situation on the other greens. The term is "dodging a bullet" I believe.

The 18th green showing some of the damage to the Poa on the right of the image. 

Over the next few weeks we will be out cleaning up the golf course. No matter how well leaf removal goes in the fall our winters seem to leave the property covered in branches, downed trees and more leaves. The turf on the greens, tees and fairways will be worked on so that we can present the course for opening day. May is always a month of rejuvenation and this year is no different. I'll blog the recovery outline for the warmup and the 18th green early next week. Until then enjoy The Masters.