tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51389057972241914982024-02-01T21:16:19.989-08:00TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Turf CareUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-85875902420656811402016-04-03T19:49:00.000-07:002016-04-07T03:06:16.741-07:00One Year LaterI have not blogged since last Spring and quite honestly, a lot has happened since then. So, those of you that have been waiting patently for my next post, lo and behold, here it is! I started the 2015 season with a brand new assistant as the former deservingly moved on to take his first superintendent's job. After that we were plunged into our first summer with water restrictions due to abnormally dry and hot conditions (in Seattle!?) and then subsequently went through one of the wettest offseasons on record. I have spent 10 seasons here at TPCSR and never experienced either one at these extremes. Go figure they happen in the same year. It's always a interesting ride being at the mercy of continually moving forces whether it be driven by nature or man. <br />
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Despite the challenges of 2015, I mark it as a very successful year as we were able to maintain the positive momentum of the last few years in terms of course conditioning and infrastructure upgrades. A list of infrastructure accomplishments over the past year include:</div>
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<li><b>Drainage.</b> Installation of 9,000 linear feet of drainage on holes #15, #16 and #17 plus a few small in-house projects. It sure was fun being able to drive a cart down #15 fairway after a heavy rain this winter when a year ago, that thought would have never crossed my mind.</li>
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<li><b>OB Posts.</b> Replacement and installation of 350+ custom made OB posts throughout the property. The old ones were beginning to rot, faded and just plain ugly. The new ones are a little more tasteful in design and look much better.</li>
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<li><b>Stairs.</b> Those of you that routinely walk the course are sure to have noticed that all of the stairways and bridges on the golf course received a face lift this past winter. Rotted stair risers were replaced, new stone was laid, new non-slip matting was laid on the bridge on #4 and stairs down to #6 red tee and we installed a new handrail as well. </li>
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<li><b>Irrigation. </b> The staff spent countless hours this past winter making improvements to our irrigation programs in our central control, upgrading maps, replacing worn out nozzles and raising sunken heads for better coverage. The irrigation system is the lifeblood of our golf course and the work completed will make the operation and management of the system more efficient, thereby producing better turf conditions. </li>
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Right now, our focus is on putting the final touches of getting ready for the 2016 season. The aforementioned list in addition to our upcoming plans will greatly contribute to this year's formula. We have aerified the greens as of this past week which unofficially (from a turf manager's standpoint) marks the true beginning of the season. I expect they will heal up quickly if the warm weather we have been having lately continues. </div>
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On top of that, I am also excited to announce that Golf Plus Construction will be returning to the property on April 11th to install 5,000 linear feet of drainage. If the weather cooperates, we will average about 1,000 linear feet a week putting the timeline at approximately six weeks to complete. Primary focus will be put on holes #2 and #3 this Spring with a little bit of clean-up work in other areas on the golf course. At the end of this project, we will have installed 21,000 linear feet of drainage in the past three years. That's almost 4 miles!</div>
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When work is happening on the golf course, we will be following the same practice as the past few years of placing the tee markers on the fairway ahead of where work is happening. This is the only way to keep the staff working safely and productively. Tee markers will always be returned to the tee boxes for weekend play and most Friday afternoons. Updates on drainage work will be given to the pro shop daily so be sure to check in before your round so you know what to expect on the golf course.</div>
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Furthermore, we have ordered all brand new accessories for the golf course. All items are scheduled to arrive within the next four to six weeks and once we have them, you will begin to see new items appear on the golf course such as tee markers, trash cans, divot bottle racks hole identification and directional signage. Then of course, the new cups, flag sticks and flags on greens. These items will give our golf course a much needed face lift and quite honestly, a more polished look. </div>
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A lot happens in a year, right? I plan to return to my active blogger status so check back for more updates as we move forward with this season. I hope you are just as excited as I am to see some of the new upcoming improvements and changes. Welcome back to the blog!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-19631490634459215432015-03-26T11:55:00.000-07:002015-04-01T19:40:33.105-07:002015 Drainage Project Kickoff<div class="MsoNormal">
We are pleased to announce that the club has contracted with Golf Plus Construction to install 8,000 linear feet of drainage on the golf course this spring. This project is another piece to the puzzle of the club's push to provide improved shoulder-season playing conditions. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golf Plus Construction is owned by Daniel Soushek.</td></tr>
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Last year's installation of 4,000 feet of drainage on the 18th hole, also installed by Golf Plus Construction proved to be wildly successful based off the observed conditions this past winter as this hole went from one of the wettest to one of the driest in a single season. The agronomy team is very excited to continue this initiative once again this spring and hope that you share our excitement as we get started. </div>
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Our plan is to work Monday-Friday through the month of April and early May, averaging 1,000 feet a week with a three-man team working on the project barring any wild weather events. We are beginning on the 15th hole and will clean up the remaining wet spots on the top of the fairway in the first landing zone as well as a few cart access areas between the path and fairway. After that, we will be moving to the 16th hole and knocking out every single wet spot in the fairway and cart access areas. The next stop will be the 17th hole where we will address a few chronically wet areas, namely to the right of the green, just above the approach area. At that point, we will evaluate how many feet of the 8,000 feet we have remaining and allocate appropriately to other holes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting started on #15 on March 25th.</td></tr>
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It goes without saying that our ultimate goal throughout this project is to minimize the impact on our members' experience when playing the course. With that said, we have also formulated a strategy to keep our installation team working as <u>safely</u> and <u>efficiently</u> as possible. Our experience has shown us that the approach that we used last year as well as in 2012 worked quite well. We will be moving the tees up onto the fairway to eliminate any tee shots over the heads of our crew, depending on where they are working at that given time. The tee markers will be placed in a spot as flat as possible while also maximizing the yardage on that particular hole. This course setup will be in effect Tuesday-Friday with the tees returning to the normal tees every weekend.</div>
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We will be diligently communicating project updates and locations to the golf shop on a daily basis so I highly encourage you to check in with them before your round if you are interested to know our plans for that particular day. I would also like to thank you all in advance for your enthusiasm and patience as we work to get this project completed. A little short term pain for long term gain in the end will be worth it as we'll be enjoying much drier fairways this next winter. If you have any questions or feedback in regards to this project, please contact me anytime at rgordon@tpcsr.com. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-34384631822520435812015-02-09T14:05:00.002-08:002015-02-09T17:02:28.904-08:00Sod Bunker LinersWe have a lot of bunkers here at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. One-hundred-fourteen bunkers. All of these bunkers were constructed right on top of the property's native soil which is known as glacial till; a very dense mixture of boulders, gravel and coarse sand. <br>
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This stuff is what is merely inches underneath the white silica sand that is in our bunkers. Throw high annual rainfall amounts on top of the sand (75 inches in 2014) and BAM, you have frequent bunker washouts in which the sand is pulled off the sides of the bunkers, exposing the rocks and gravel underneath the sand. This is a perfect recipe for creating bunkers littered with unwanted debris such as silt, gravel and rocks.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glacial till exposed in a bunker following heavy rainfall.</td></tr>
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This is obviously a headache for the maintenance staff to maintain and frustrating for golfers to play out of. The solution to this problem actually has many options. There are a myriad of different types of liners on the market that can be laid down on top of the subsoil on the floor of a bunker prior to filling with sand in order to keep the two elements separate and minimize contamination of the bunker sand. It seems like each region of the country has a preference for the type of liner used in their bunkers. The Puget-Sound region is no different. </div>
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A very popular option in our area of the country has been to line the bunker floors with sod. Several local courses have recently completed or are in the process of completing bunker renovations in which this method is employed. I recently had the privilege of attending a chapter meeting for our local superintendent's association at Fircrest Golf Club in which I was able to see this process firsthand. The club is currently renovating it's bunkers and as the picture below shows, they are using the sod liner method. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunker at Fircrest Golf Club lined with sod.</td></tr>
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As you can see, the process is relatively simple. The floor of a bunker is lined with sod with the exception of the drain lines to maximize the flow of water through the bunker sand. The sod is laid down and given time to take root which at this time of the year can vary between six to eight weeks. Once the sod is firmly rooted, the grass is scalped down to stress the turf and/or sprayed with round-up, followed by smothering with new bunker sand. The thatch layer from the sod is essentially what serves as the liner that keeps unwanted rocks, gravel and silt from contaminating the clean bunker sand. <div>
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Through my years working in the industry, I have learned that what works somewhere else many not necessarily work here. We deal with many extremes here, especially as it pertains to weather. I am not so sure that this method has the ability to hold up to our high rainfall amounts and the constant exposure that the sod would receive due to bunker wash-outs. So, the only thing to do is do a test-run and try it and learn from it! For this experiment, we have chosen the greenside bunker on the right hand side of the 12th green. This bunker is actually one of the most contaminated bunkers we have and no matter what we do, we can't seem to keep the sand clean of rocks and gravel. </div>
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We plan to begin work on this bunker this week starting with excavation of the old sand. Once the sand is removed, we will touch up our drain lines with new gravel as needed, order some ryegrass sod and get it rolled-out on the bottom of this bunker. After that, we must wait the prescribed six to eight weeks for the sod to take root before we can come back and cover it up with sand. This way, the liner will be anchored properly where we need it. </div>
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In the meantime, if you happen to hit your ball into this bunker, please play it from the drop zone that we will have painted next to the bunker or if you are playing for fun, you may play it as it lies in the bunker. All we ask is that you take extreme care when walking on the newly laid sod as not to disrupt any newly formed roots which will be very important for the anchoring process. </div>
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We are excited to see how this project turns out and will be monitoring the results over the upcoming season. Perhaps, this could be our solution to those burdensome rocks that plague many of our bunkers. We shall see . . .</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-41918626244897786802015-01-09T12:49:00.000-08:002015-01-09T12:49:57.815-08:00New Year, New Projects!Happy New Year from the TPCSR agronomy staff! With the holiday season behind us, we are excited to get a few new projects underway in the next few of weeks. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy morning at TPC, highlighting the sun's rays. </td></tr>
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First up, is a few in-house drainage projects. You may have noticed already that we installed some drainage along the cantilever of #10 cart path where water seepage was a constant issue year-round. Our charter members may recall that this has been an issue tracing back to the days when the course was newly constructed. It will be nice to not have to drive by and look at a mud pit any more. We put in 200 feet of pipe to capture any water coming off the hillside towards the cart path and tied it into a drain at the bottom of the hill. As with any drainage project, we expect to see the full benefits beginning next season after the area has a chance to dry out this summer and begin next winter with a clean or I should say, dry slate. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDdiT5u5iY-4jrsfzeP0aw3r0tlDWY7UuGb3qJ23fJQJdIQ7l9Umnoj44qEqmmCPHR6WK98wXEyyGBc1cW_ypIT4R2pm7AwYTDvbAgU611M5EPWvFrS_7CSHC8v5_jPfXWLHKP8srdTU/s1600/iphone+download+1.9.15+328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDdiT5u5iY-4jrsfzeP0aw3r0tlDWY7UuGb3qJ23fJQJdIQ7l9Umnoj44qEqmmCPHR6WK98wXEyyGBc1cW_ypIT4R2pm7AwYTDvbAgU611M5EPWvFrS_7CSHC8v5_jPfXWLHKP8srdTU/s1600/iphone+download+1.9.15+328.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New drainage along #10 cart path.</td></tr>
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Next up, beginning Monday the 12th we plan to begin installation of 500 feet of drain pipe on the right side of #11 fairway starting about 165 yards back from the green and going all the way up to around the 85 yard mark. These two projects will kick off our season of doing as many in-house projects as we can before summer time mowing frequencies and other maintenance start to take over our time. If you happen to be playing next week, please be mindful of where you land your balls on this fairway as this can be somewhat of a blind shot where you run the risk of hitting into our team working on the project. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiOCP2CAFoqiVXvPQqOqc4vxjWBA6YFBbH9-E6JMeQQ1BvsJFlqXX2mfPm-W34I4TxCdbdJsUnpWFsV2PgCFr3kHLwUDWbk6WHqQUEJVYBONmI5zMN6CWVprwSTkpKoDL8-uXZQ9WVaw/s1600/iphone+download+1.9.15+396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiOCP2CAFoqiVXvPQqOqc4vxjWBA6YFBbH9-E6JMeQQ1BvsJFlqXX2mfPm-W34I4TxCdbdJsUnpWFsV2PgCFr3kHLwUDWbk6WHqQUEJVYBONmI5zMN6CWVprwSTkpKoDL8-uXZQ9WVaw/s1600/iphone+download+1.9.15+396.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new OB stake style is pictured on the left and the old on the right. </td></tr>
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Another project that we are excited about is the replacement of our out-of-bounds stakes. The existing ones made of wood are over ten years old, rotting internally, falling over crooked and covered with faded paint. We have chosen to upgrade the design with a little more sophisticated detail that will reflect the style and quality of the course a little better. Our staff has been hard at work with the chop saw, router and a few gallons of white paint. Once the stakes are complete, we will begin installation on the golf course, slowly completing the project between our other projects and routine maintenance tasks with the goal of complete installation by May 1st. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-31094005364938413322014-12-05T15:21:00.000-08:002014-12-05T15:25:30.194-08:00Snow and Ice, what shall we do?We made it through the heavy rains of October, two cold snaps in November, and our first snowfall of the off-season. The latest weather event kept us off the course for a few days as the snow and ice stuck around due to consistently low overnight temperatures in the 20's for almost a week. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJ84t83Wd6p99D0SSNm35sexUA-WiWSXTvZk_y7AmrR7g2CoM7D3ATdrb9wLZx5UwkIB-mVhfDkjHzn9mCxn1lTG2MDshbKfqOYsGG8459RB6ykGO3BTDCVp0Rhdws2-VsyY6lCG-Gj0/s1600/IMG_5749%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJ84t83Wd6p99D0SSNm35sexUA-WiWSXTvZk_y7AmrR7g2CoM7D3ATdrb9wLZx5UwkIB-mVhfDkjHzn9mCxn1lTG2MDshbKfqOYsGG8459RB6ykGO3BTDCVp0Rhdws2-VsyY6lCG-Gj0/s1600/IMG_5749%5B1%5D.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hole #1 the morning of November 29th</td></tr>
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Every year we look for opportunities to improve certain things on the property, processes within our operation as well as the headquarters that we operate out of. It has always been my belief that a clean, organized and professional environment has an impact on how our team views their jobs. Employees that take pride in their surroundings are more inclined to perform at a higher level, morale is increased and a feeling of structure is established which breeds efficiency. All of these positive attributes ultimately translate into a much better golf course for our members. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LihW8-fhr6Bk05FBmzYb2fQ3xsRFW4qIqy2OE7YywC4BbZP27rw5iAqGVUNJcqMa7GSk0mgf_UnKh7fhvooG5Cnw_FDMxXwN8mGeJ7deXJFU4ei9qJ3hldBL4DFjGcyutakPUcs4qi4/s1600/IMG_5773%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LihW8-fhr6Bk05FBmzYb2fQ3xsRFW4qIqy2OE7YywC4BbZP27rw5iAqGVUNJcqMa7GSk0mgf_UnKh7fhvooG5Cnw_FDMxXwN8mGeJ7deXJFU4ei9qJ3hldBL4DFjGcyutakPUcs4qi4/s1600/IMG_5773%5B1%5D.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hole #6 with snow and ice on December 2nd.</td></tr>
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With that being said, we took advantage of the recent weather and spent some time giving our head mechanic, Lou a hand in giving his shop a complete face lift. The last time we gave this area a good deep cleaning and fresh coat of paint was eight years ago during the winter of 2006-2007 so you could say it has been a while. The crew spent a lot of time scrubbing the years of built-up grime off the walls and floors before putting a new coat of paint on virtually every surface. Check it out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E4ZyqP6Nh3n3-FxdOFZtWd2Q8cchq6tJ0oauQn9JUKL3EOSpEYEkx60PgRSP0xcUQZ1Kd3dsx3QzilbnSFgxMG3NW9QQFrFJZJFkj94IxU5PYYk9wj-Myy3iJ6Y6wrinhngRtMKyy-c/s1600/IMG_5758%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E4ZyqP6Nh3n3-FxdOFZtWd2Q8cchq6tJ0oauQn9JUKL3EOSpEYEkx60PgRSP0xcUQZ1Kd3dsx3QzilbnSFgxMG3NW9QQFrFJZJFkj94IxU5PYYk9wj-Myy3iJ6Y6wrinhngRtMKyy-c/s1600/IMG_5758%5B1%5D.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupr6aUo26n4pdF2BMVStFiKMEbpntxAgTvVhbQQVE3opSFkzXVkXLviqhCx7MAHOqVs_5qXGmq9ZcyekfBLctc26gtPotVayHYmpMg8gu4szZV7U-rygAPIv6LIbPoqQN5lpcALSmBF4/s1600/IMG_5816%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupr6aUo26n4pdF2BMVStFiKMEbpntxAgTvVhbQQVE3opSFkzXVkXLviqhCx7MAHOqVs_5qXGmq9ZcyekfBLctc26gtPotVayHYmpMg8gu4szZV7U-rygAPIv6LIbPoqQN5lpcALSmBF4/s1600/IMG_5816%5B1%5D.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40NQB4RTshOaqZpoLwYgVZbuyGfBhgIJHrlrXGa-WC3YemNnFLGEdLgue0J-yW3m2KEz35atEjMmvUsocbhrIzShh9T-n_HV-FpNyMk9XSvo4ugBLGEv7kDKuzA6-ox3GhWEQNAJXAVE/s1600/IMG_5806%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40NQB4RTshOaqZpoLwYgVZbuyGfBhgIJHrlrXGa-WC3YemNnFLGEdLgue0J-yW3m2KEz35atEjMmvUsocbhrIzShh9T-n_HV-FpNyMk9XSvo4ugBLGEv7kDKuzA6-ox3GhWEQNAJXAVE/s1600/IMG_5806%5B1%5D.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up close look of the two part epoxy paint we used on the floor. Isn't it beautiful?</td></tr>
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Speaking of beautiful....look at this sunrise that I was able to capture standing on the 13th green earlier this week. Again, one of the reasons that I love my job here at TPCSR.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcrfVsml7zlMy9C0Glg7BEs2dchezc1lWHvsTNeWyttMXhyRIfkMhXjsrpUaaMQAPeTQ_OD21CPyRQfBGntzWCkm8KdpzEwhWZ_0IXq8AgeCnbidG2DWJylb2aCCOubuTxgDf4iElQBw/s1600/IMG_5716%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcrfVsml7zlMy9C0Glg7BEs2dchezc1lWHvsTNeWyttMXhyRIfkMhXjsrpUaaMQAPeTQ_OD21CPyRQfBGntzWCkm8KdpzEwhWZ_0IXq8AgeCnbidG2DWJylb2aCCOubuTxgDf4iElQBw/s1600/IMG_5716%5B1%5D.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#13 Green Sunrise.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_352262428"></span><span id="goog_352262429"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-26005221801982653522014-09-08T11:40:00.000-07:002014-09-17T16:17:55.914-07:00Looking Ahead to Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The agronomy staff has been very busy the past few months and we are finally in the midst of wrapping up a very successful summer on the golf course. As a whole, myself, and the rest of the team are very pleased with how the golf course is emerging from what is being touted as one of the hottest and driest summers in Seattle history. After the 90 degree day we had yesterday, we are set to break the all-time record for the most 80 plus degree days in a single season if we get one more day above 80 degrees this year. Thanks to our programs and practices that we had in place this past spring and summer, the turf will go into the Fall season playing great, healthy and primed to harden-off very well for the winter. <br />
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If you have been on the golf course lately, it is obvious that Fall cultural practices are already underway. As it is with every year, following the conclusion of the club championship which was held over the weekend of the 6th and 7th of this month, we work very hard to capture whatever nice and dry weather we have left to complete practices that are targeted at removing thatch, reliving compaction and promoting gas exchange within the rootzone on all short-cut turf. The dry conditions also help the work move much faster for our staff and leaves all surfaces cleaner, maximizing our bang for the buck and giving you, the golfer better post-aeration playing conditions.<br />
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This year, we have chosen to remove thatch on our fairways using our verticutter, then following behind with our newly purchased deep tine aerator to loosen our soils. This is a method that we have not had the luxury of employing in past years as we did not have a deep tine aerator. However, now that we have both of these machines, we are able to get the best of both worlds, remove thatch up top where it has the most impact on ball-roll and use our deep tine aerator to do the rest: relieve compaction, create drainage channels and promote gas exchange which all lead to healthier, better performing playing surfaces. For more information and highlights on our deep-tine aerator, please view my previous post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSDavmlU1RN0yxbTihsjbMiC6NWNZx0ITonSizFznoKCUAl48tIiDyVuzdle1JurAJZPJ-Rn7tBS0BGm7iXYG04s3PVAzop4c9XId2FURzOu6hPC8qF-sEh7n-r8U-ZgrXAgEWe7DlJE/s1600/September+2014+iphone+1509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSDavmlU1RN0yxbTihsjbMiC6NWNZx0ITonSizFznoKCUAl48tIiDyVuzdle1JurAJZPJ-Rn7tBS0BGm7iXYG04s3PVAzop4c9XId2FURzOu6hPC8qF-sEh7n-r8U-ZgrXAgEWe7DlJE/s1600/September+2014+iphone+1509.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Results of Verticutting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHv1_9-l5Kt3CBUYY9_h5DdxVG5fXZGASAkIfGmFxfGl1nywIwGhfmQkgTWhyphenhyphenSRJRyrey1RxGk-idIoW2DUfhSO-zXNhpxJQsiskxti7Y5LVCUOG_5Gz5NduiE6EvtxlqBnTrvuMQrA-g/s1600/September+2014+iphone+1507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHv1_9-l5Kt3CBUYY9_h5DdxVG5fXZGASAkIfGmFxfGl1nywIwGhfmQkgTWhyphenhyphenSRJRyrey1RxGk-idIoW2DUfhSO-zXNhpxJQsiskxti7Y5LVCUOG_5Gz5NduiE6EvtxlqBnTrvuMQrA-g/s1600/September+2014+iphone+1507.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Verticutting and blowing thatch off fairways. The large orange machine is the verticutter, <br />
a PTO- driven tractor attachment called the Wiedenmann Super 500.</td></tr>
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The areas that receive extremely concentrated amounts of traffic and compaction, namely our tees and approaches get a little bit more love which translates into a combination of the traditional core removal, verticutting and deep tining. Tees and approaches, no matter what the year will always need a little bit more TLC as they are very small patches of turf that are essentially bottlenecks for traffic from golfers and maintenance equipment. With that said, these areas need every advantage that we can give them through promoting ideal growing conditions which also leads to ideal playing conditions. Hence, we go a little bit more heavy-handed with the cultural practices on these areas. The cores removed from these areas will end up in all of the skybox footings that were dug out for the Boeing Classic on #14 and #18 this past Summer. Once all footings are filled and compacted, we will overseed and fertilize these areas to promote germination of new turf. <br />
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We will wrap up the month with greens aerification which is scheduled to take place on the North-end practice greens beginning Sunday evening the 28th and continuing all the way through Wednesday, October 1st. We will be testing our equipment and methods on the nursery and South-end practice greens in the next week or so to make sure we are ready to go at game-time. As with every year, there is a disclaimer that states we may need to move these dates up or back as it relates to the weather. One of the most important things we do when we aerify the greens is incorporate new sand into the profile through the holes we make with the aerifier. The only way that the sand is able to make it's way into those holes is if it is dry. That being said, if there is rain in the forecast, the sand will be too wet to sift down into the holes. We will be watching the 10 day weather forecast as the 28th-1st gets closer to see what Mother Nature has in store for those days. If the weather does not look good, we will need to make some adjustments to the dates in order to capture dry weather. Any adjustments to these dates will be communicated as soon as feasibly possible. Please keep your fingers crossed for good, sunny weather!! <br />
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Once we are able to complete all of these aforementioned fall cultural practices, the agronomy staff will be doing further work preparing the course for the winter which includes our annual mowing down of the fescue to promote plant health and control of unwanted species growing in the fescue areas. This will be something that you will see continue quite possibly all the way through the end of October and early November as we have almost 75 acres of the stuff and much of it is on very steep terrain, making it slow-going. We also plan to target a few areas in the fescue with a herbicide to keep the weeds from overtaking certain areas. <br />
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All in all, despite the busy summer, we have no plans to slow down this month as we have a lot of work ahead of us. With as successful of a season as we have had, it is important to remember that this kind of success does not come without a solid foundation of agronomic practices that set the stage for future success and as I have outlined, that is what we are now turning more of our attention to right now. Cheers, I hope all of you have enjoyed this summer as much as I have. See you around the course! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-64380929167207811612014-06-26T08:47:00.004-07:002014-06-26T08:47:59.932-07:00Let me tell you a secret . . .The crew has been busy this week punching not just the time clock but all the closely mowed turf too. You may or may not have noticed this because the impact of what we have been doing on play has been so minimal.<br />
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On the fairways and tees we have been using our newly acquired Wiedenmann deep tine aerator at a depth of 6 inches and a 15 degree kicking action that fractures the soil each time a hole is made. As far as the greens go, we use our porcupine spiker attachment that is mounted underneath our Tru-turf greens rollers at a depth of 1.5 inches. All of this busy work is part of the program that we have put in place to maintain turf health at an optimal level as we get ready to battle the summer heat and peak golfer and equipment traffic in July and August. The goals of this program include:<br />
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<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">Water penetration. </span></b> This helps wet spots dry out and dry spots become more receptive to water that is applied, creating a more consistent playing surface.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">Compaction relief.</span> </b> The golf course has been subjected to increased cart traffic, equipment traffic and foot traffic as we have moved from Spring to Summer weather. By making holes in the surface and fracturing the soil, we are creating pore space to encourage deeper and stronger rooting which will help the turf tolerate heat and traffic stress this summer. </li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gas exchange.</b> </span> Oxygen will be allowed into the soil while built-up carbon dioxide is able to escape, creating a healthy growing environment for the turf which leads to a stronger turf plant. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX7GbiDsrlOpcEUhyphenhyphenUPXI67RHcmqnEMvdonwEW847xGgUBbjTGGM7Zb77nzzrB2YBJe7WS_I2ktmuXW_GuzCsPgp0X1Gj6nuQGBIwa7YmRi2q1XZzb0GqVZ2bnsIxjfUhhQkusbEP-AE/s640/blogger-image-1144591674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX7GbiDsrlOpcEUhyphenhyphenUPXI67RHcmqnEMvdonwEW847xGgUBbjTGGM7Zb77nzzrB2YBJe7WS_I2ktmuXW_GuzCsPgp0X1Gj6nuQGBIwa7YmRi2q1XZzb0GqVZ2bnsIxjfUhhQkusbEP-AE/s400/blogger-image-1144591674.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punching tees on #8. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6UZlWwz3ykPX6i1FFuZmOIq-3cvGZ6Tt_reAEn7A5LRS5kmV4_JZAKztoWQiIRfc5Opd_JZK02zcN3mDDyB2j-9b8dIIMR4s5XAcgsSd7tkmxjwHGhFSxmXhua03bZmlr00HafMu88w/s640/blogger-image-1372734680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6UZlWwz3ykPX6i1FFuZmOIq-3cvGZ6Tt_reAEn7A5LRS5kmV4_JZAKztoWQiIRfc5Opd_JZK02zcN3mDDyB2j-9b8dIIMR4s5XAcgsSd7tkmxjwHGhFSxmXhua03bZmlr00HafMu88w/s400/blogger-image-1372734680.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Wiedenmann deep tine aerator in action on #1 fairway.</td></tr>
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One of the reasons we love our new deep tine aerator so much is that it is so easy to use year-round because the impact on play is so minimal but the benefits are incredible. Take a look at the two pictures below, the first one shows a fairway that was punched that day and the second one is a fairway that was punched three days ago. See, what I mean by low-impact?! Isn't it great?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoR2EFIVP4s-bH24H9-r-xtDtFuvuqOIcnHLzDhS9tLQmejSiWMjH4lpcnlFezdZ4IJIh-JjPXHmE7LM6N89q9SMwiKQ8dPwX5xfT75cqHEGv0xyuBWIoClVc7alrhnsczNmQcBlhzDg/s640/blogger-image-2104714725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSoR2EFIVP4s-bH24H9-r-xtDtFuvuqOIcnHLzDhS9tLQmejSiWMjH4lpcnlFezdZ4IJIh-JjPXHmE7LM6N89q9SMwiKQ8dPwX5xfT75cqHEGv0xyuBWIoClVc7alrhnsczNmQcBlhzDg/s400/blogger-image-2104714725.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairway that was punched on the same day this picture was taken.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyNHZ14DuOCqqTfYbK5YL2GWJsAiZ7Q7dsbu-rUw2ul7wTcscCYoTD1IJuZJ5SJ75PS38CktXKlK0ckP8iso08hFyA4KwAyzz1zQ2T7nWYotfKH1fyrAepCOZwIwa7IM4B4N2isxGiTc/s640/blogger-image--493532397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIyNHZ14DuOCqqTfYbK5YL2GWJsAiZ7Q7dsbu-rUw2ul7wTcscCYoTD1IJuZJ5SJ75PS38CktXKlK0ckP8iso08hFyA4KwAyzz1zQ2T7nWYotfKH1fyrAepCOZwIwa7IM4B4N2isxGiTc/s400/blogger-image--493532397.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fairway that was punched three days ago.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX7GbiDsrlOpcEUhyphenhyphenUPXI67RHcmqnEMvdonwEW847xGgUBbjTGGM7Zb77nzzrB2YBJe7WS_I2ktmuXW_GuzCsPgp0X1Gj6nuQGBIwa7YmRi2q1XZzb0GqVZ2bnsIxjfUhhQkusbEP-AE/s640/blogger-image-1144591674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
We also love our porcupine spiker. We used to have to put small tines on our greens aerifer, send out an operator to walk the course with a slow moving machine to aerate then send a roller behind him to smooth out the surface. Not anymore! Our porcupine spiker attachment allows us to do two things on one- aerate and roll. The manpower required for this practice is reduced and we can do it much faster and more often which will help us keep the greens healthier year-round. The impact on ball-roll is nonexistent as evidenced by the photos below. Dare I say if I hadn't told you that we did this practice you may not have even noticed. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGnEMycIBOGtscEVu09hSjFfz8vxkPCZqYybWiTJJVD6jFoXdP5qvjJ5uGtOuFrszGajRc8iuKWNB274p14NM-puttvGlxrTslokh3ePBPOW4R4wPXCMLuT7XyA3rpoJv8w9dF-Jw4N4/s640/blogger-image--571497306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGnEMycIBOGtscEVu09hSjFfz8vxkPCZqYybWiTJJVD6jFoXdP5qvjJ5uGtOuFrszGajRc8iuKWNB274p14NM-puttvGlxrTslokh3ePBPOW4R4wPXCMLuT7XyA3rpoJv8w9dF-Jw4N4/s400/blogger-image--571497306.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porcupine Spiker attachment under our Tru-turf roller.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezhTlpkpYIn0dNweCXiLXvNSFSSxyKuqJM36befFJDcu3L9ldJu-NZDcfFpfs5dG7oS2rjjrgHjXXL-X2jqCWxKBd8VuWj6-lIdQUVGqiOJ9TNWHhFnGK4ZkLTHXr97AJ22SxtcEVY80/s640/blogger-image--1276218913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezhTlpkpYIn0dNweCXiLXvNSFSSxyKuqJM36befFJDcu3L9ldJu-NZDcfFpfs5dG7oS2rjjrgHjXXL-X2jqCWxKBd8VuWj6-lIdQUVGqiOJ9TNWHhFnGK4ZkLTHXr97AJ22SxtcEVY80/s400/blogger-image--1276218913.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of a green that was spiked today. Tomorrow you probably<br />
won't even see these holes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDepmfi-yaLnjum1cYCoBAKaALU4Ue8A-reNRQuQ6OT6vtVv6fAewkLYmw3wWxncSWC1gixmT1KDy0OlzwB3Z9HcWtyZNz84uNDA9vJCic7LLZWVH6jqlc3MqZud3EmCNqWvRFcWAYs5o/s640/blogger-image--1198712752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDepmfi-yaLnjum1cYCoBAKaALU4Ue8A-reNRQuQ6OT6vtVv6fAewkLYmw3wWxncSWC1gixmT1KDy0OlzwB3Z9HcWtyZNz84uNDA9vJCic7LLZWVH6jqlc3MqZud3EmCNqWvRFcWAYs5o/s400/blogger-image--1198712752.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What holes? Greens are healthy and rolling true!</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-69260907918080217982014-06-10T09:47:00.000-07:002014-06-10T09:51:05.263-07:00Spring Project RecapIt's already the second week in June and looking back, the month of May practically flew by despite it being one of the longest months of the year. During May the staff was very busy with some projects that will have a huge impact on the long-term aesthetics and playability of the golf course and I wanted to take a moment to do a quick recap of these projects.<br />
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<b><u>#1: Drainage Project on the 18th hole. </u> </b><br />
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The installation of 4,000 linear feet of 4" perforated drain pipe on this hole is now complete. We were able to tackle the most saturated areas, mainly at the interface of the fairways and rough and the bottom portion of the fairway. With the change in the weather, the course has dried out and will stay that way as we head into the summer months. The immediate benefits will be most noticeable this winter when the rainy season returns. Our ultimate goal with any drainage project is to improve the playing conditions during the shoulder seasons when the weather bounces back and forth between wet and dry weather cycles. We are very pleased to say that we have installed over a mile of drainage since January 2014 (6,000 linear feet). This is the most drainage we have ever been able to install in one year since the construction of the golf course. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cEjX6JYuulgk5smHCmJPJDX8bfucyPcaSHF9ExZ-ApfjRLuZmcyXU9XN88VNoc80CHnDo8c3uf0qlvqlnkeBNjdFfTjrq_PHOABcrdTHDyzRPk2jLiH-pTQO9EQMSG9NVu2HKIQ61sI/s640/blogger-image--1942428187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cEjX6JYuulgk5smHCmJPJDX8bfucyPcaSHF9ExZ-ApfjRLuZmcyXU9XN88VNoc80CHnDo8c3uf0qlvqlnkeBNjdFfTjrq_PHOABcrdTHDyzRPk2jLiH-pTQO9EQMSG9NVu2HKIQ61sI/s400/blogger-image--1942428187.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles re-installing the sod on top of a newly-filled drain line.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkDoPYtKoWtiYRJiNO351tssptUIAomubUMoHF9_m8H55mFja7Jb7naUr9k-KT0g96R0MZFuWmkg9nq6kXwmVzbJS9OW5qQl38nbdg3D_ccVcqoYLqYi3SGCjnZfvbeJNjVST-h-8aJA/s640/blogger-image--235175728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkDoPYtKoWtiYRJiNO351tssptUIAomubUMoHF9_m8H55mFja7Jb7naUr9k-KT0g96R0MZFuWmkg9nq6kXwmVzbJS9OW5qQl38nbdg3D_ccVcqoYLqYi3SGCjnZfvbeJNjVST-h-8aJA/s400/blogger-image--235175728.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Installing pipe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGrvHgAkq4nRNCVS-ZYEQIQQy6wOjNpd7ruRcr35UeOyACeL3cXS6xmKzHvVz_l0Jlvju_IyGKgwDVjTomzO25n1j9WnbDOznXnj5izL8j_VxcEZBYeoy8eqWj0PIhSDkbvNSg4mH0AE/s640/blogger-image--1700693180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGrvHgAkq4nRNCVS-ZYEQIQQy6wOjNpd7ruRcr35UeOyACeL3cXS6xmKzHvVz_l0Jlvju_IyGKgwDVjTomzO25n1j9WnbDOznXnj5izL8j_VxcEZBYeoy8eqWj0PIhSDkbvNSg4mH0AE/s400/blogger-image--1700693180.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another huge boulder uncovered. Too many to count were found!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUGjwOndx4bLURBzt8X7sbI6XlXBG6nPAaAXMdJ88mk7NFHfz-tR3JqsQkDI4Vx8-xR9NmRxi2z1td12caK0gQke8dVrpw4pvmopiW85JFrGlE9Zz_zFGIEXDN0lfLWHWxgxE66SdtQg/s640/blogger-image-1967406874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUGjwOndx4bLURBzt8X7sbI6XlXBG6nPAaAXMdJ88mk7NFHfz-tR3JqsQkDI4Vx8-xR9NmRxi2z1td12caK0gQke8dVrpw4pvmopiW85JFrGlE9Zz_zFGIEXDN0lfLWHWxgxE66SdtQg/s400/blogger-image-1967406874.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weather finally dried out a bit in May, providing better working conditions in<br />
contrast to what we experienced in late April.</td></tr>
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<u><b>#2 Brush Clearing on the left of the 15th hole</b></u></div>
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As I outlined in a previous post, the canyon on the left side of #15 had become extremely overgrown over the years. To remedy this, we brought in goats to graze on whatever they could reach and finished by having a logger come in and cut down the remaining sapling trees and bushes. The result unveiled a nice clean cliff edge that improved sight lines from the tee and fairway and added another dimension to the psychological effect of how one may choose to play this hole. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96gnBHwWpSOKdmoWtpz9EwSlzBS9YeMGRyqphFiIJaWfeoizjGenxwXlsHzHXT0ibqKg1G-WyTq7NAUU9vwe_QpGSTWuJdSveNHnbqhCCHpQotiyb-IjX51LebREJZ4Om1bGRCuihtcY/s640/blogger-image-1504135405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96gnBHwWpSOKdmoWtpz9EwSlzBS9YeMGRyqphFiIJaWfeoizjGenxwXlsHzHXT0ibqKg1G-WyTq7NAUU9vwe_QpGSTWuJdSveNHnbqhCCHpQotiyb-IjX51LebREJZ4Om1bGRCuihtcY/s400/blogger-image-1504135405.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Product on #15.</td></tr>
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<b><u>#3 Removal of Pasture-Type grasses on Bunker Faces</u></b><br />
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Last Spring, I outlined a herbicide application process that we were experimenting with on our bunker faces in an attempt to remove some of the weedy pasture type of grasses. This grass is coarsely textured and a lighter green color in comparison to the finer textured grasses around it, making it stand out like a sore thumb. The process worked so well last Spring that we decided to do a full-scale treatment on all of our bunker faces and the results are now beginning to take full effect with many of these patches melting out of the stand. You can read more detail on the process in my blog post from last Spring <a href="http://tpcsrturfcare.blogspot.com/2013/05/experimenting-with-tenacity.html">here.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0CDwZsQL3-CormmMkLLwkzxug-IQDDqmBkUHK4O65VBD2qPiJqttmVR-EG7fDw9itjF1npvt1GIxa_bIBIEzTw_nAAWj6rG2H-jacIB9w-dg2k3SsqfdacuQZm6NDE62Ss4awVE7oKw/s640/blogger-image--1447408883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0CDwZsQL3-CormmMkLLwkzxug-IQDDqmBkUHK4O65VBD2qPiJqttmVR-EG7fDw9itjF1npvt1GIxa_bIBIEzTw_nAAWj6rG2H-jacIB9w-dg2k3SsqfdacuQZm6NDE62Ss4awVE7oKw/s400/blogger-image--1447408883.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The off-color white spots are the areas that we applied Tenacity.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMmUWi4KzsSLsjW65ATwHT5N7Fe56ZORNL_quNm1h9GSBfYzpeVduTD7-lLylZtXZr2jRXdphi2gpoYjNoBfwe5TwfDjXQPul7IXQT9_n_hiGwgR9twyEjfUWEZowQlo8w_PD3zUfceQ/s640/blogger-image--289881821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMmUWi4KzsSLsjW65ATwHT5N7Fe56ZORNL_quNm1h9GSBfYzpeVduTD7-lLylZtXZr2jRXdphi2gpoYjNoBfwe5TwfDjXQPul7IXQT9_n_hiGwgR9twyEjfUWEZowQlo8w_PD3zUfceQ/s400/blogger-image--289881821.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The herbicide works by bleaching-out the chlorophyll in the plant which<br />
makes the plant unable to use the sunlight's energy to sustain itself leading<br />
to death.</td></tr>
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<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>#4 Deep-Tine Aerification of Fairways</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Maybe some of you have seen this orange machine behind our tractor zooming around our fairways recently. Let me introduce you to one of the newest additions to our equipment fleet, the Wiedenmann Terra Spike XF. This machine is essentially an aeration machine that unlike our old one, has the ability to remove compaction up to 8.5 inches and "kick" the soil, creating a pocket of up to 1 inch below the surface. Using this machine to break up compaction at a deeper depth than ever before (5+ inches more) will lead to better root growth, help the turf make better use of water and nutrients, improve the flow of water and balance of air. These benefits will lead to overall better turf conditions year round including shoulder-season drainage. We plan to use this machine often as the benefits are so great and the impact on play is so little. The holes that are made by the machine have no affect on how the ball rolls on the fairways and the holes close up quickly. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxKqEW8dP13abvQjYfLXdIs3IF46s24Xc3wJkW0cKVwBR-aFONhHs0saE3NZEbVXE7_a5XgupyEkBbCNSP8qa3orqH6kSpUg_UEJ7unh5n1CPS82umQlnB_EtI3kozKwbRXxjUWdISVg/s640/blogger-image-1980766348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxKqEW8dP13abvQjYfLXdIs3IF46s24Xc3wJkW0cKVwBR-aFONhHs0saE3NZEbVXE7_a5XgupyEkBbCNSP8qa3orqH6kSpUg_UEJ7unh5n1CPS82umQlnB_EtI3kozKwbRXxjUWdISVg/s400/blogger-image-1980766348.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#15 Fairway being deep-tined</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYZ8J2KyKwbDnB3cd3jGRHmWqLCbkYwSCh0qJ4omh3N-f9Yi-_A8l66u4yFUFwh08AvbgsQn-NNB1lLdguGcGrG8t-Xjsi93Plndj2idPVa__rx6RvwXu6sX3srkem5eq3zSMzjPtkTQ/s640/blogger-image-1725820522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYZ8J2KyKwbDnB3cd3jGRHmWqLCbkYwSCh0qJ4omh3N-f9Yi-_A8l66u4yFUFwh08AvbgsQn-NNB1lLdguGcGrG8t-Xjsi93Plndj2idPVa__rx6RvwXu6sX3srkem5eq3zSMzjPtkTQ/s400/blogger-image-1725820522.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The after-result. These holes were healed-over in a matter of days.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZc0RuieCvd0AQhcJOZUfrvJHaVBaUcE3hINXtD38S686xtr7eGMxWjh9lF3i_5BN5nYUXgOBjxunChC-wMiKpAOibDPwt4Jvwk7eQVBkMax0P-cm7YBcms_Cwq2TIcPRbwuu_2rHQ7A/s640/blogger-image-299938926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPZc0RuieCvd0AQhcJOZUfrvJHaVBaUcE3hINXtD38S686xtr7eGMxWjh9lF3i_5BN5nYUXgOBjxunChC-wMiKpAOibDPwt4Jvwk7eQVBkMax0P-cm7YBcms_Cwq2TIcPRbwuu_2rHQ7A/s400/blogger-image-299938926.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the tines used on the machine, allowing us to penetrate the hard-pan below<br />
our fairways which will be one of the tools we use to improve course drainage over<br />
the next few years.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEGodgk1hfJjOiZWf9xbCvOKWOvpVlO1eXo2CEs56DY_vsenwmxe41Grjk0Cgt6ZchLYHCsx9JCNftHywyJVp9rRM8CmbIhlHUHRzAIOcNh7_AaMczsNr99D50ajBZAJeqoyNWQVWGdY/s640/blogger-image--553953765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEGodgk1hfJjOiZWf9xbCvOKWOvpVlO1eXo2CEs56DY_vsenwmxe41Grjk0Cgt6ZchLYHCsx9JCNftHywyJVp9rRM8CmbIhlHUHRzAIOcNh7_AaMczsNr99D50ajBZAJeqoyNWQVWGdY/s400/blogger-image--553953765.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tines are mounted two per block for a total of twelve tines. We have to change-out<br />
the tines an average of every three fairways aerified because the sand cap is so<br />
coarse, wearing down our tines quickly.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-36048437990038378692014-04-29T10:45:00.005-07:002014-04-29T10:45:53.707-07:00#18 Drainage Project UpdateMany of you have been watching the progress of our drainage installation project from the windows of the grille in the clubhouse and seen some of the progress that we have made over the past couple of weeks. If you are among the crowd following the progress from the grille windows, my guess is it has had a lot to do with the weather we have experience as of late which means it has been WET and RAINY. <br />
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As you can imagine, wet and rainy are not necessarily a friendly combination with the heavy equipment required to complete this project. We have had to use lots of plywood to protect the turf including a trash pump on several occasions when the freshly dug ditches have filled completely with water. To add to the fun, our soil type has a large number of boulders a bit larger than the size of a basketball. These slow down the progress as special care has to be taken to pry them out of the way and remove them. <br />
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The good news is that we have been able to install just north of 1,000 linear feet out of the 4,000 feet that we plan to install. To keep the pace of work moving along as smoothly as possible in addition to mandatory worker safety, we have needed to move the tee blocks forward onto the fairway to keep golf balls from hitting the drainage crew and the equipment. <br />
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This practice will only occur Monday-Friday with the blocks being returned to the tees each weekend. We will do our best to keep the yardages as long as possible, however, there may be days where we need to play this hole as a par 3 in order to keep the balls in front of the active work site. If you remember, this is the same practice that we utilized two years ago when we did large-scale drainage installation on holes #8 and #11 which as you can see today, worked wonders! Short term pain = long term gain, right? Your patience is much appreciated as we work to get this course improvement project completed. Here are a few fun pictures of the progress we have made along the way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyaqt62F-ovwYWP5KAn4y7kt1Rt17fPM-fk0BB2jqkCNB359mlFNY7glP9dUaSNZXE_0NuDAyolufnJnzzgj_cCRzAn-phi50TnQqr7ZgJM3hUL9jpAogUlnFoHsbI7Kh0GPX-fThZS4/s640/blogger-image-1732642975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyaqt62F-ovwYWP5KAn4y7kt1Rt17fPM-fk0BB2jqkCNB359mlFNY7glP9dUaSNZXE_0NuDAyolufnJnzzgj_cCRzAn-phi50TnQqr7ZgJM3hUL9jpAogUlnFoHsbI7Kh0GPX-fThZS4/s400/blogger-image-1732642975.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First and foremost, I would like to thank and recognize the team responsible for the<br />hard work on this project. From left to right, Sam Bonda, Miles Brownell and<br />our contractor, Daniel Soushek of Golf Plus Construction. Great work!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6BsnlWnz0MlpuioEpGhgxhgeVdsZ075KxxPcZz8NJlsgOHVVsRID3urPb_ZlLS3X0mv8HvMuneoXfcteaqXPcxYC8UkthR19AMdo4FvVdb6F40V1A_hQD0-2pY45XqsdeFe4DHeWWYA/s640/blogger-image-1065311634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6BsnlWnz0MlpuioEpGhgxhgeVdsZ075KxxPcZz8NJlsgOHVVsRID3urPb_ZlLS3X0mv8HvMuneoXfcteaqXPcxYC8UkthR19AMdo4FvVdb6F40V1A_hQD0-2pY45XqsdeFe4DHeWWYA/s400/blogger-image-1065311634.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started on the left side of the fairway between the bunker complexes to capture<br />as much water coming off the hill as possible with two trenches following<br />the contour of the fairway.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpniwUMa0jwIb5EamOWrj4aWaIgiVinFbFWmsqQI_otDyzOaLFuFajE1t7MJwQpNZAtSQt-mIOAarVVw-gMWJp0eu8OPeE7X_urSqt0ReUASWnNigPASypDgOAJDv9EdqRCP9PIzBTBc/s640/blogger-image--659180857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpniwUMa0jwIb5EamOWrj4aWaIgiVinFbFWmsqQI_otDyzOaLFuFajE1t7MJwQpNZAtSQt-mIOAarVVw-gMWJp0eu8OPeE7X_urSqt0ReUASWnNigPASypDgOAJDv9EdqRCP9PIzBTBc/s400/blogger-image--659180857.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture shows some of the WET conditions that the team has had to<br />work with so far. Notice all the surface water flowing into the open trench.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJV7x64Kvoki6gEcvgRL1EpM-RtSRolIseXofzRw4zWTn3URew3rT-4wpzxJSLakWQM9htZOhguw8rb5nLZ4SV3bTpw_s3DaYry6RBrW1ffpKlwZ3bIPu2FQ0vAD9PWM39Z9s4m_47A8/s640/blogger-image--1033209922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJV7x64Kvoki6gEcvgRL1EpM-RtSRolIseXofzRw4zWTn3URew3rT-4wpzxJSLakWQM9htZOhguw8rb5nLZ4SV3bTpw_s3DaYry6RBrW1ffpKlwZ3bIPu2FQ0vAD9PWM39Z9s4m_47A8/s400/blogger-image--1033209922.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo shows the area between the fairway bunker complexes where much<br />of the work to-date has been completed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhkrnqhiaD1gJYUPJwgB1HCg7A3k0vy_eql2vTNumbpvkqi6HmZLt62CtfXzPqv_z8WtqylAjEsRX3r6BOOTxbUvc26norl4ZEvux8PgswD8X_L5FeIHBlb6AxwZVxl1UqdxZgYOIXTQ/s640/blogger-image--738220438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhkrnqhiaD1gJYUPJwgB1HCg7A3k0vy_eql2vTNumbpvkqi6HmZLt62CtfXzPqv_z8WtqylAjEsRX3r6BOOTxbUvc26norl4ZEvux8PgswD8X_L5FeIHBlb6AxwZVxl1UqdxZgYOIXTQ/s400/blogger-image--738220438.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel has a very organized approach to installation: dig, install pipe, add gravel,<br />top with sand followed by resodding all within an hour of opening up a new trench.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOEVB6vS1HDOqa0d9LpVOQHcoSMQRKLxexpAc5yI1JPyZ8HD0YIlo15ywYPrKs3UsG3TDRccYMnXls3MWx3F0w5DGQp-ThT4FGEBnDuEUkp_oO6uiQXjn1KaXJF2f-VhRoe_tonCsAVc/s640/blogger-image--73242821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOEVB6vS1HDOqa0d9LpVOQHcoSMQRKLxexpAc5yI1JPyZ8HD0YIlo15ywYPrKs3UsG3TDRccYMnXls3MWx3F0w5DGQp-ThT4FGEBnDuEUkp_oO6uiQXjn1KaXJF2f-VhRoe_tonCsAVc/s400/blogger-image--73242821.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what 4,000 feet of drainage pipe looks like. A LOT!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf3ZEcQ0yb89MNzorKxRxvYlL6CTPUV9UQvFIQp22L-FRBMVjyEyArSwuEJHZC9EBj98NDqd77ASIdrC3_52phm9BHr0OtUF4lwnsCBsC6S5Fmw6wgKvVfQL1ttuAi_iHABABGUNqF2s/s640/blogger-image--1339713064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf3ZEcQ0yb89MNzorKxRxvYlL6CTPUV9UQvFIQp22L-FRBMVjyEyArSwuEJHZC9EBj98NDqd77ASIdrC3_52phm9BHr0OtUF4lwnsCBsC6S5Fmw6wgKvVfQL1ttuAi_iHABABGUNqF2s/s400/blogger-image--1339713064.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many rocks found. Nobody gets excited to see these.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rROUE1j8pv6-wL6cH4Ws37yY0XnvmpfOobzFoOvdYifD309V5F1__Q3YziDNKeSPLWG8dTExu-7MmNxj_KfCdEs-fkdFoQuKsgYzmIJBnZlCWPd7bLFZka5ykXHXz6fncB33xvhKi8o/s640/blogger-image-107646957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rROUE1j8pv6-wL6cH4Ws37yY0XnvmpfOobzFoOvdYifD309V5F1__Q3YziDNKeSPLWG8dTExu-7MmNxj_KfCdEs-fkdFoQuKsgYzmIJBnZlCWPd7bLFZka5ykXHXz6fncB33xvhKi8o/s400/blogger-image-107646957.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And another.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKBbKbFTBtpfICXCebTAp3GpnZQhCYl-bhkOPk2c1rmZlYJsAg94Stvw-l4jo50JazFAgnfPUObcCB6riO1UAstScdEJDoVZLvLB5BYgx_VOkj68ZrK72-B3H-KPeZPC5TOjEQTTGm9M/s640/blogger-image--1750420891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKBbKbFTBtpfICXCebTAp3GpnZQhCYl-bhkOPk2c1rmZlYJsAg94Stvw-l4jo50JazFAgnfPUObcCB6riO1UAstScdEJDoVZLvLB5BYgx_VOkj68ZrK72-B3H-KPeZPC5TOjEQTTGm9M/s400/blogger-image--1750420891.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And again. </td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-76159237519034887782014-04-14T16:48:00.000-07:002014-04-14T19:35:04.292-07:00#13 Green Views, Goats and Drainage!If you have a child, relative or friends with kids under the age of 10, you probably know the catchphrase, "To infinity and beyond!" from the Toy Story movie that features the toy space ranger hero, Buzz Lightyear. I love this because this describes exactly the impact of what I am about to discuss here regarding one of our latest course improvement projects.<br>
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In my last post, I talked a little bit about the natural features of this property that Jack Nicklaus did such a good job of highlighting in the routing of the course. Just like the canyon on the left of #15, the area behind the green on #13 had become quite overgrown in the last 15 years and the fir trees on the hillside were beginning to create a little bit of a wall and dilute the spectacular view off the back of this green. I found another picture from the early 2000's that shows what this hole used to look like. <br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVySKRTIp7goaGzPRUlXn2t2FGDFRLKD7DvisAFL4ZFBPDapBBpxeKl_vPKYkvpWIU_zD5UE6c-qG85UFgLmS23RSmemhz-m5z4v06qj3QAqFRe6Oq-qihosOMM4RRlFzbnb-gK3VupU/s640/blogger-image-476317839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVySKRTIp7goaGzPRUlXn2t2FGDFRLKD7DvisAFL4ZFBPDapBBpxeKl_vPKYkvpWIU_zD5UE6c-qG85UFgLmS23RSmemhz-m5z4v06qj3QAqFRe6Oq-qihosOMM4RRlFzbnb-gK3VupU/s400/blogger-image-476317839.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#13 in the early 2000's.</td></tr>
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Now, flash forward 12 to 15 years and this next picture shows how much the trees had grown over the years, blocking off that once clean edge of the canyon.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDv6CBkQsUvGgn1IKSEiEZ7xqqCWmSjw_6nfrBfiG0Mjbdudslopj5Et6EIK90Zo9RmJ3NG8W1Jzt8GXI7TQrDVHKS5uTJU2P0qGnPyoiCRnvRqjfb2jiW_S6KOQrpESdym2bz0pGVSg/s640/blogger-image--635530717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDv6CBkQsUvGgn1IKSEiEZ7xqqCWmSjw_6nfrBfiG0Mjbdudslopj5Et6EIK90Zo9RmJ3NG8W1Jzt8GXI7TQrDVHKS5uTJU2P0qGnPyoiCRnvRqjfb2jiW_S6KOQrpESdym2bz0pGVSg/s400/blogger-image--635530717.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#13 in 2014.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This morning, we sent three professional loggers from Cedar Falls Tree Service with chainsaws about 60 feet down the edge of the hillside for a few hours and BOOM! Look at the difference! The trees no longer block the view like before. We now have what I have personally dubbed the "infinity and beyond" green in which your eye follows the approach, rolls onto the green and jumps off into the sky, Mount Si, the valley and everything else- "to infinity and beyond!"<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO7Mzr5fConvPZzMTai4d64OZwSsYotrGwfkT_GmLNi7Q3nKTEvEyJCmkCvKnXa0z5tq-BDUA2Sb-XDR8qJ4LnzXFXprYjP3-7IViMihCka0Di-Ym6ujBWYUuXstNqiV2U8G9gTnb988/s640/blogger-image-495516997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUO7Mzr5fConvPZzMTai4d64OZwSsYotrGwfkT_GmLNi7Q3nKTEvEyJCmkCvKnXa0z5tq-BDUA2Sb-XDR8qJ4LnzXFXprYjP3-7IViMihCka0Di-Ym6ujBWYUuXstNqiV2U8G9gTnb988/s400/blogger-image-495516997.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#13 Green in 2014 AFTER tree removal.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ21YN_SDMgzppF2xFH6FUaz0zkh22IwDAb2QEmgayUH79aEszI_STwQ86Dz3Tp5Ccz4FsiS8-6WV8DOKoFmYAwBoaNW9WVZ68mn81NXZX2i5fLmhsNuXOBbAgmrbfe1tLDtV2mwybQrg/s640/blogger-image--1747573476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ21YN_SDMgzppF2xFH6FUaz0zkh22IwDAb2QEmgayUH79aEszI_STwQ86Dz3Tp5Ccz4FsiS8-6WV8DOKoFmYAwBoaNW9WVZ68mn81NXZX2i5fLmhsNuXOBbAgmrbfe1tLDtV2mwybQrg/s400/blogger-image--1747573476.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's an up close shot of what the edge of the cliff looks like now. Dramatic!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhRX-joESzFSEB5dhXSSCDSiJBuqY5grAAcMQVg7F4WQN81jKURwL01EKCORM_QM8q-EMVvw8Q_Jn4Ql8JuawcGy10BMkHWkjEtPUGHpSJQufOq05JasSrI9L-z-HF4oAo23FLR8R5lU/s400/blogger-image--1375726004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can even see all the way to the 15th hole with the trees gone!</td></tr>
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Pretty cool huh? We still have a little bit more work to do on the right side between the switchback in the cart path and #14 tees. On Friday that little grove of trees right there will be cut out and we will then have a nice seamless line running from behind the green all the way down and around the 14th hole. </div>
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While we are on the subject of view lines, we also did a little bit of light trimming on the "V" that gives you the peek-a-boo views of Snoqualmie Falls from the 12th tee so that view line will also be much better than it was previously. And of course, the action down on the 15th hole is going great. We started out with 37 goats in the pen over the weekend and as of today, we added another 27 goats to get our total up to 64 and make quicker work of things. The plan is to let the goats eat whatever they can and everything that is left over will be cut by hand such as the blackberry canes and the small to medium sized trees.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdLm2Fp3Le1JoUlwWSEao780YzTPL7QACNZ3baC_n8fnkqo2C6gs9FRx8uUQOHrhaYOvKzQTqvMZCuDbNmiKe7eUuTmrpDnV63ArzpB4MVixV_xoWmKedR1PQF5FJQdecBRNKdtv16qo/s640/blogger-image--1029618041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdLm2Fp3Le1JoUlwWSEao780YzTPL7QACNZ3baC_n8fnkqo2C6gs9FRx8uUQOHrhaYOvKzQTqvMZCuDbNmiKe7eUuTmrpDnV63ArzpB4MVixV_xoWmKedR1PQF5FJQdecBRNKdtv16qo/s400/blogger-image--1029618041.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">setting up the chute to move goats from the trailer into the pen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the difference between what is inside and outside of the fence. What is inside used<br>
to look like the outside. These goats don't leave anything behind!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkBPAmLdr8QV32DQdrSZvRH3BumkkB2PnNWVtebCXOEselrpnH1SnsIQdbtDlNopraU2lXyjLrPre41pj9Z6Pir2akgHNNH3xr0iHXUC0zaeAOmVStdUaE6_rmsK_exOsYbihsBkPN1M/s640/blogger-image--331530745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkBPAmLdr8QV32DQdrSZvRH3BumkkB2PnNWVtebCXOEselrpnH1SnsIQdbtDlNopraU2lXyjLrPre41pj9Z6Pir2akgHNNH3xr0iHXUC0zaeAOmVStdUaE6_rmsK_exOsYbihsBkPN1M/s400/blogger-image--331530745.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Selfie" of Assistant Superintendent Tate Berg and one of the baby goats.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone works at their own pace. You may see some napping but rest assured,<br>
come 3 AM, they will be logging their hours and doing their part.</td></tr>
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Ready for more? This truck from Golf Plus Construction showed up in the agronomy maintenance yard this morning and unloaded a couple of nice pieces of equipment specifically for drainage work. This past winter, the agronomy crew was able to install 2,000 feet of drainage in-house using our own equipment. While this is a LOT of drainage- we have decided to do more, this time with a contractor with specialized equipment that can make quicker work of things. About 4,000 feet more! Our agronomy team along with the ownership are committed to improving shoulder season playing conditions and this is part of the effort to keep this initiative moving along.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndO81YiPYTCJkg8kqzkGufoOjm10eeFSSxlGAOr89EYHn_PKVUanrAB56CeBR-dRj-tFOIQsj_E4iE7V5pDkAsHd-2plXNO67p1gYgWeOvldX5TsoYeoO-rGRWFaT97SC857ofm6YZEQ/s640/blogger-image-652492331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndO81YiPYTCJkg8kqzkGufoOjm10eeFSSxlGAOr89EYHn_PKVUanrAB56CeBR-dRj-tFOIQsj_E4iE7V5pDkAsHd-2plXNO67p1gYgWeOvldX5TsoYeoO-rGRWFaT97SC857ofm6YZEQ/s400/blogger-image-652492331.jpg" width="400"></a><br>
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Much of this work will be concentrated on the 18th hole and will take about two weeks to complete. Our contractor Daniel Soushek with Golf Plus construction has an extensive resume that includes work performed on many area golf courses and he worked with us in 2004 when the left side of the 12th green washed down the hill. </div>
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Our plan is to begin tomorrow morning with a "soft start" and as we move along, things will move along quicker and we will work to minimize the impact on play. There will be days where we may need to move the tee markers onto the fairway out of the line of work in the name of safety and our contractor's pace of work. We will be working with the golf shop to direct daily communication and placement of the tees. </div>
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This is an exciting time for the club with the many new improvements happening on the course along with the extensive remodel of the clubhouse that began today. I will do my best to keep the blog fresh with the latest happenings of what we are doing. I want to thank everyone in advance for their patience as we work to get these projects completed and hope that you feel the same enthusiasm for these projects as we do. Feel free to wave me down on the golf course or shoot me an email if you have any questions, I'm always happy to chat and thanks for taking the time to read through this long post!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-33568418384395375762014-04-09T08:15:00.000-07:002014-04-09T08:15:12.229-07:00Goats and Aerification HealingJust a quick update regarding the goats. Our contractor has been hard at work the past two days down in the thick abyss clearing trees and brush to make room for the electric fence that will keep the goats contained. This has taken him a little longer than anticipated so we are now looking at Thursday morning rather than today for the arrival of the first batch of goats. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjqKJmDo8bffCU4tIt3isZIWUo5QZkG-wX13qfk6ViBQ4PfRh_tz66eL5OzWjL5eQz9G-q6775GNIOocEBvjFsYbH4UeTmz_9MzX7x8ZSD38xQpYvE4mcAOQPjLBuJtTPnBLeoZLEJFs/s640/blogger-image-1763718298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjqKJmDo8bffCU4tIt3isZIWUo5QZkG-wX13qfk6ViBQ4PfRh_tz66eL5OzWjL5eQz9G-q6775GNIOocEBvjFsYbH4UeTmz_9MzX7x8ZSD38xQpYvE4mcAOQPjLBuJtTPnBLeoZLEJFs/s400/blogger-image-1763718298.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electric fence just to the left of the bunker complex near #15 green.</td></tr>
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The greens are doing great post-aerification. The photo on the left was taken on Monday and the photo on the right was taken this morning. It is pretty obvious that the holes are healing pretty quickly and it won't be long before we are back to normal. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLcMr63jYyv1D0sQObA18YoSaLavm-bDXsFj_fnQiPoRHCnVuhzzBqzdq1yExyRCDvd0o2uI8NE8DZ8Wtm_93xwMKrLoEG8WJrPFVyJPEnHBJ-FaOdM7Rlvdum3rPVql9zttekzTbJmM/s640/blogger-image-650836033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLcMr63jYyv1D0sQObA18YoSaLavm-bDXsFj_fnQiPoRHCnVuhzzBqzdq1yExyRCDvd0o2uI8NE8DZ8Wtm_93xwMKrLoEG8WJrPFVyJPEnHBJ-FaOdM7Rlvdum3rPVql9zttekzTbJmM/s320/blogger-image-650836033.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3E10vYHR-gxnC2E4qFrGb4rAZY0F4vwFCE5YxFJFDo8KLsXMx2e3N9MPNcnI0dbSDBsOjfQzLzvJ57nqCeRuAWKrTpzC4dYEtpddHK5wiU0P3kS8MQlgjDDe3dg06ClaikxmjoNAWdM/s640/blogger-image--1281628218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA3E10vYHR-gxnC2E4qFrGb4rAZY0F4vwFCE5YxFJFDo8KLsXMx2e3N9MPNcnI0dbSDBsOjfQzLzvJ57nqCeRuAWKrTpzC4dYEtpddHK5wiU0P3kS8MQlgjDDe3dg06ClaikxmjoNAWdM/s320/blogger-image--1281628218.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-68142393084005534882014-04-07T15:00:00.002-07:002014-04-09T08:19:40.388-07:00Remember When . . .I love coming to work every day and one of the reasons is because I enjoy spending time on our very special back 9 here at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. The back 9 is a special place not only because of Jack Nicklaus' phenomenal course layout but the magic of how he incorporated some of the natural landscape elements to bring some drama into the each hole that you play. Some of the most striking features that he had to work with include the panoramic views of the Cascade Mountain range that follow you as you rise and fall with the elevation changes and the steep cliffs that line holes #13, 14 and 15. <br />
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Jack did a great job using these elements to bring a little bit of a psychological aspect into the game, making the golfer give serious consideration when choosing the type(s) of shots that are played out here. One of my favorites is from the 15th tee which sits right along the canyon that runs all the way down the fairway and around the green. I came across the old photograph below some time ago of this hole as it was back in 1998 a few months before the course opened. <br />
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In this photograph, you can really see that Jack's intention was to use the canyon as an intimidation factor when selecting what kind of tee shot to play. The two choices forced the golfer to choose between running the risk of getting their ball swallowed up by the deep abyss on the left but reaping the reward of extra yardage if you manage to stay out of the canyon or playing it slightly safer on the right but sacrificing some yardage and putting the first set of fairway bunkers into play. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakCDzkpdbBNgChMLk-eNqThe2KhKXBMA9qLq3xpuwnmTgRN-405JV9hJCMXoWWZXK9gJO5COX26pQDbrJMfw-NjckU3Kq3UytCobDXu_d0kqsuuRa3IbBIJI28JftV7rPzANOrQ_VTes/s640/blogger-image--326064468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakCDzkpdbBNgChMLk-eNqThe2KhKXBMA9qLq3xpuwnmTgRN-405JV9hJCMXoWWZXK9gJO5COX26pQDbrJMfw-NjckU3Kq3UytCobDXu_d0kqsuuRa3IbBIJI28JftV7rPzANOrQ_VTes/s400/blogger-image--326064468.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hole #15 in 1998 a few months before the course opening.</td></tr>
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Today, this hole still retains the same elements- the bunkers, the extra yardage the only difference is that the edge of the canyon isn't as dramatic as it once was. Everything in the Pacific Northwest grows so quickly with our moderate climate and aggressive vegetation that this edge has gotten a lot softer over time. Normally, this would be an off-season brush clearing project however, because this specific canyon is so steep, the work is very slow going and can be a major safety obstacle when operating trimmers and chainsaws on this type of terrain. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dhni8UE5UT1XAuqD-eGug95OxIItHsaJtbXV3XArtoTwKfjtKOSKbFV_gLihQcujBKgtMFpQy0eht8fQs6nwtFlfbIDU5RvN_dZ8KnosxoqrPg1j7zapUVx6GD88ZTASXcjVhedzXUA/s640/blogger-image--1267364800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dhni8UE5UT1XAuqD-eGug95OxIItHsaJtbXV3XArtoTwKfjtKOSKbFV_gLihQcujBKgtMFpQy0eht8fQs6nwtFlfbIDU5RvN_dZ8KnosxoqrPg1j7zapUVx6GD88ZTASXcjVhedzXUA/s400/blogger-image--1267364800.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hole #15 as it stands today. Overgrown and not as dramatic as it once was.</td></tr>
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I am excited to say that despite the obstacles, there is a solution that we have never done before here at TPCSR and we will be putting into play this week. Goats! Bunches of them! If you know anything about goats, they love to eat and will eat just about anything not to mention they don't seem to mind steep terrain. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-QYfSeFhJKhoSL_W4Jk5LRy_tX_JAekXgPpee6QPxlqsof3yMeGLSFx7iKDmZwuittgdyUUgjc4G_C7u0MoZYu9IkkrT6ssN5fmXsdx7Qc7dM4HUpyEdvID04JSxIahuk-GnH2u2-QU/s640/blogger-image-768624723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-QYfSeFhJKhoSL_W4Jk5LRy_tX_JAekXgPpee6QPxlqsof3yMeGLSFx7iKDmZwuittgdyUUgjc4G_C7u0MoZYu9IkkrT6ssN5fmXsdx7Qc7dM4HUpyEdvID04JSxIahuk-GnH2u2-QU/s400/blogger-image-768624723.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We are working with a contractor that has worked all over the Puget Sound with clients that include the City of Sammamish, Mukilteo, Issaquah, Maple Valley, Sound Transit and Puget Sound Energy. The plan is to start down near the 15th green and work our way up towards the tees all the way through the top of the canyon on hole #14. In order to keep the goats contained and protected, trails for the erection of temporary electric fencing will be cleared ahead of the goats' arrival on property and the fencing will be set up in sections and moved up as they eat their way through the canyon. </div>
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The electric fences will be powered via our irrigation control boxes so you will see extension cords running from these to the fence lines. For safety and visibility, we will be marking these cords with red irrigation flags. We will do our best to route these extension cords to minimize impact on play the best we can. Should your ball come to rest up against the cord, you may lift and place it within one club length no closer to the hole. As far as the fencing, please do not touch it. As the name, "electric fence" states- you will get shocked if you touch it. There will be signage all along the fence reminding everyone of this safety factor. </div>
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If all goes as planned, about 25 to 50 goats will arrive on property early Wednesday morning and be placed in their first pen via a corral constructed behind #15 green. It is hard to anticipate exactly, how long they will be here but my guess would be two weeks until they are finished. It depends on how fast they eat and how nice the weather is will affect how fast they move along since they are more active when it is nice and no so much when it isn't. </div>
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We are excited to see the before and after impacts of this project not to mention goats are pretty cool. I will make an effort to post updates here on the blog of their progress along with some before/after pictures as this project takes place. We also have a few more exciting projects in the works- but those are for another blog post once we get details finalized, stay tuned!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-86296630949812196292014-04-03T12:40:00.000-07:002014-04-03T12:40:29.650-07:00Spring 2014 Greens Aerification<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, I think it is safe to say that we NAILED IT! The weather was perfect, nothing broke down during the process, we were able to pull a great plug and the sand went down into the holes beautifully. It feels great to be DONE and after a string of long days, I know the greens crew feels the same way although everyone's got a smile on their face now. We are excited to get the greens healed up and start conditioning them for the 2014 golf season. Here are a few snapshots that I was able to capture of the process, enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRMVnaS6U_9YvR9P6HDvbnVnKauchg2cUtRWigLlFxunGvPIbcj8tCKyL04HDyiwmLSwVoxTQK_yZpglfFJ_CWLB_9KiEHC3y8bEKUKuXm_0flYXLAVnU2KKrIytHLbXMZGVybN7geXc/s640/blogger-image--1743881003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRMVnaS6U_9YvR9P6HDvbnVnKauchg2cUtRWigLlFxunGvPIbcj8tCKyL04HDyiwmLSwVoxTQK_yZpglfFJ_CWLB_9KiEHC3y8bEKUKuXm_0flYXLAVnU2KKrIytHLbXMZGVybN7geXc/s400/blogger-image--1743881003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting green getting aerified on Sunday afternoon, only 22 more greens to go!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbhN0esVNvp8_UCzEcp0og_41F-XC8a0j5AozJNi-XZSppUd0ruwTSabAAEJL3cKdR_3e9edUb98C3DIRdFw2gfk_WuuERrnrbGBfFO10YgQxd9TUyNKl-PaNjoyioFEcQqOvfxzrKIo/s640/blogger-image-995177763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMbhN0esVNvp8_UCzEcp0og_41F-XC8a0j5AozJNi-XZSppUd0ruwTSabAAEJL3cKdR_3e9edUb98C3DIRdFw2gfk_WuuERrnrbGBfFO10YgQxd9TUyNKl-PaNjoyioFEcQqOvfxzrKIo/s400/blogger-image-995177763.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our aerifers have a bar placed behind the tines which collects the cores into<br />
windrows, making clean up much easier.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZh_J9_XrWVLwmC0-ktLdE0ixH52w7ucNc5gr44DyNUjnwXxh8s89XpQFmGGOFvp5Ot8ZOGQAasOB8KcwxiA6KU4qrBgBPfIaEnNrPd8_NtNZ-mnMBbCrcEmSIM4m61ZGqXrj75Ks3H4/s640/blogger-image-1817845628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: start;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZh_J9_XrWVLwmC0-ktLdE0ixH52w7ucNc5gr44DyNUjnwXxh8s89XpQFmGGOFvp5Ot8ZOGQAasOB8KcwxiA6KU4qrBgBPfIaEnNrPd8_NtNZ-mnMBbCrcEmSIM4m61ZGqXrj75Ks3H4/s400/blogger-image-1817845628.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Here, you can see the sand beginning to dry (light colored sand) and the</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">dark colored sand (wet sand) is slowly disappearing. This means it is</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">almost ready for bushing, blowing and brooming into the holes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K1Lm44nRgtFx92Eq4jWccJcKiD4LsBIgIWjwqRiU9pTcD4kbDJUNKOT9ZeOE_GHiXE9um1pzuLH8db_yDWKd76tV_978TTM9atIzcVm8qQA5v1o4urvXt6VmIGMK9u6C4n5_muxqoSM/s640/blogger-image--1912304342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: start;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K1Lm44nRgtFx92Eq4jWccJcKiD4LsBIgIWjwqRiU9pTcD4kbDJUNKOT9ZeOE_GHiXE9um1pzuLH8db_yDWKd76tV_978TTM9atIzcVm8qQA5v1o4urvXt6VmIGMK9u6C4n5_muxqoSM/s400/blogger-image--1912304342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Derek brushing in the sand. We followed behind with push brooms and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">backpack blowers to finish it off. </span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCavy2Ur6XtgDqhjmLAC00m8Z6ladQuHkCIx1DF8CKS5Luh3rhJx87uvk1R9nc9icW2iIZcG4AfGwgcAtMEyCEE4GmfflxSk6hCOy6ZNv41qs-jCJJBF2v1Ok0DpoWMzWxBdsraqswTkY/s640/blogger-image-181800634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCavy2Ur6XtgDqhjmLAC00m8Z6ladQuHkCIx1DF8CKS5Luh3rhJx87uvk1R9nc9icW2iIZcG4AfGwgcAtMEyCEE4GmfflxSk6hCOy6ZNv41qs-jCJJBF2v1Ok0DpoWMzWxBdsraqswTkY/s400/blogger-image-181800634.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After brushing we gave the greens a healthy drink of water to help the<br />
sand settle into the holes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpKahlyhvhuOKGRmaEj5mrTTz3hglBhyphenhyphenI2dukhWRkI4eVBJbd_QYbF0YxTJ-7tO4BaT4qVRxoS_86UyoizbtvqU269hYerD14fQT1QQ804y7YJdCd37mVzeCpX0reKCEOWwbMNG6cwzQ/s640/blogger-image-1384150722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpKahlyhvhuOKGRmaEj5mrTTz3hglBhyphenhyphenI2dukhWRkI4eVBJbd_QYbF0YxTJ-7tO4BaT4qVRxoS_86UyoizbtvqU269hYerD14fQT1QQ804y7YJdCd37mVzeCpX0reKCEOWwbMNG6cwzQ/s400/blogger-image-1384150722.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is #1 green at about 6:30 PM on Monday afternoon after brushing<br />
and watering in the sand. Looks pretty good! </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjGwbWq1COvXuV72qHiaOxIhp6ZfE-W6EtrSaVa3PjiKQZH_7aB7wFtHihJcSuJz5LhvDn_1LCucgUP3drVTdRuuhOeQ5cez5Ydr9kNPdx9M5Gkl5r9ia2-luZ6hP7kPkDYJlQq40PJg/s640/blogger-image-1226456895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjGwbWq1COvXuV72qHiaOxIhp6ZfE-W6EtrSaVa3PjiKQZH_7aB7wFtHihJcSuJz5LhvDn_1LCucgUP3drVTdRuuhOeQ5cez5Ydr9kNPdx9M5Gkl5r9ia2-luZ6hP7kPkDYJlQq40PJg/s320/blogger-image-1226456895.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgPzQnS9ewj80eER_MMrBXfv9zP8biIyt4rSdUoS5EgG42Q41H9c37MEhvfY4fukJJGgT7n98M5OPd7AkVh1o89Ae6cukJxymEvzykVB8_udIEh1agSFKDqapewHscqt_Ep4Twx4Ojkw/s640/blogger-image-454928305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgPzQnS9ewj80eER_MMrBXfv9zP8biIyt4rSdUoS5EgG42Q41H9c37MEhvfY4fukJJGgT7n98M5OPd7AkVh1o89Ae6cukJxymEvzykVB8_udIEh1agSFKDqapewHscqt_Ep4Twx4Ojkw/s320/blogger-image-454928305.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-11168129291023673042014-03-27T11:29:00.001-07:002014-03-27T11:29:38.830-07:00Making Hay While the Sun ShinesThe five day weather forecast is calling for a moderately dry or I should say, relatively drier stretch of weather early next week so we have decided to move forward with our annual spring aerification on the greens during this time. The course will be closed as usual on Monday as well as this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. I mentioned in my recent post about tee aerification, it is crucial that we do not get significant rainfall during the sanding process in order to be able to fill the open holes with sand. Thank you in advance for your patience while we perform this very important cultural practice. Here is a quick video from the USGA that explains the process if you would like a refresher on what we are doing and why we are doing it. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-89738615548177796352014-03-21T16:00:00.001-07:002014-03-22T06:16:42.141-07:00Thank you Steve!Today is a sad day for myself as well as the club as we bid our Head Golf Professional, Steve Bowles adieu. As many of you know, his last day was today as he is moving on to pursue a fantastic opportunity to work with the Boeing Classic.<br />
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Steve, thank you for your tireless service to the club these past five years, your contributions have brought incredible talent and enthusiasm to our operation over the years. I know that I echo the sentiment of many when I say it was a pleasure to work with you and you will be greatly missed by many. Good luck and don't be a stranger!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-89530795111152867062014-03-18T12:13:00.000-07:002014-03-18T12:13:03.224-07:00Punching Season KickoffPunching season is a love/hate relationship for the maintenance staff and golfers alike. We all know that it makes the golf course better in the long run through improved turf health and quality, but the process is a little bit painful sometimes for two completely different sets of reasons. With that said, I am happy to report that we have now checked one box off the checklist as of yesterday: tee aerification! The entire process went smoothly thanks to the weather, the diligent advance work by our head mechanic that went into preparing the equipment ahead of time, the extra-long hours put in by our greens crew and most importantly, the flexibility and understanding of our golfers as they played around the process. <br />
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Moving forward, we plan to aerify our approaches and par 3 fairways next Monday if the weather holds. After that, we will be picking and choosing a few fairways here and there to aerify as we move through the rest of this month and early next month until we are done. The decision of when and where to aerify will be based off of weather conditions (shooting for dry weather) as well as doing our best to balance what other things are on our plate at a given time (what else needs to be mowed, course conditioning, etc). Greens are scheduled to be punched in April, the week will depend on which ends up having the driest weather. By the way, a quick note: as of today, our current rainfall total for the month of March now stands at 11.23 inches so I am hoping the second half of the month is much drier than the first half was!<br />
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In regards to specifics on the tee aerification, we started the process on the black, gold and blue tee decks in what was a very small window of dry weather last Wednesday and Thursday. We finished the white and red tees along with the driving range tees yesterday while the course was closed. The dry conditions allowed us to pull a better plug and apply a good amount of topdressing sand to fill the holes behind the clean up crew. <br />
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When it is wet or raining, it is much more challenging to keep the process clean and tidy, slowing down the entire process significantly which in turn, increases the potential impact on play and overall course conditions. The plugs get sticky in the rain, clog our core harvester and have a tendency to smear and mash down on the turf. Not to mention, we need dry weather in order to get any sand into the aerification holes to maximize the amount of sand we can get into the holes. <br />
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While aerifying the tee decks, we were able also able to aerify the rough in the walk-on/walk-off areas on our tee surrounds which will relive compaction and improve the quality of the turf in these high traffic areas this summer. Also, as I mentioned earlier, following the aerification clean up, a healthy dose of sand was applied to our black, gold and blue tee decks which tend to be a little spongier than the white and red tee decks due to the reduced amount of play they receive compared to the other decks as well as the type of club used on these decks (more woods versus irons). Here are a few pictures of the tee aerification process as we went along. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpPtNZz0ynlNgjZPdqLH3ZJbRMnFZm1e3_IM_g_vGGkAaAQ_PYZ4Ek5BVfYeQrJOq5MqZtofem4YrVqxE1bPz8O_ldB4U_LchyOUIaHBiWrlOPjTp0C0xHi8roRGq2UPznMDcAsimrMw/s640/blogger-image--1766788684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpPtNZz0ynlNgjZPdqLH3ZJbRMnFZm1e3_IM_g_vGGkAaAQ_PYZ4Ek5BVfYeQrJOq5MqZtofem4YrVqxE1bPz8O_ldB4U_LchyOUIaHBiWrlOPjTp0C0xHi8roRGq2UPznMDcAsimrMw/s400/blogger-image--1766788684.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting the process started on #1 tee early Wednesday morning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLTdyCS56qyp0hDl11Ol7Jc06wM0wt3j5hjgj4bmgtVEyLu_b85P3EdlrkseV41VMYVxBQ3KdlI7LH-rfgRhOL_n6bT0A3_cmpgryez6kLfGJ_0ViPIVkL7coryLl7IGACFRtsOb9lC0/s640/blogger-image--788813781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLTdyCS56qyp0hDl11Ol7Jc06wM0wt3j5hjgj4bmgtVEyLu_b85P3EdlrkseV41VMYVxBQ3KdlI7LH-rfgRhOL_n6bT0A3_cmpgryez6kLfGJ_0ViPIVkL7coryLl7IGACFRtsOb9lC0/s400/blogger-image--788813781.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also aerified the walk/on- walk/off areas adjacent to the tee decks to relieve compaction in these high traffic areas.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIEopOHc4hfX0NmD_4VxyGTa1K_FQLqWDfblcDkTjR8wICINlOwijqzI4lrFk1IpnzpWPMFKpPuhw3UL7_4XKEmYaLmjHV3kn_FdkjWMFnLHL1KdBTRBVaEtrZv42d4xRoav0XNAzhS8/s640/blogger-image--1993247080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIEopOHc4hfX0NmD_4VxyGTa1K_FQLqWDfblcDkTjR8wICINlOwijqzI4lrFk1IpnzpWPMFKpPuhw3UL7_4XKEmYaLmjHV3kn_FdkjWMFnLHL1KdBTRBVaEtrZv42d4xRoav0XNAzhS8/s400/blogger-image--1993247080.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#9 Tees pulling a beautiful plug!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz05mmbQHiPKP97pn4zVhe2ZWgj__s01H0hf9hMQYswDPkNAJCrGJBUYKZPziHeFf94SKweMyjcQLctk0HOsPX2jYXSRH9ucOl_iJP4UxmNvqHnQBCu6rgoVavzj_fFnNNq6BWy32sLw/s640/blogger-image-487393099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFz05mmbQHiPKP97pn4zVhe2ZWgj__s01H0hf9hMQYswDPkNAJCrGJBUYKZPziHeFf94SKweMyjcQLctk0HOsPX2jYXSRH9ucOl_iJP4UxmNvqHnQBCu6rgoVavzj_fFnNNq6BWy32sLw/s400/blogger-image-487393099.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7/8" tines were used to maximize the amount of thatch removed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgBkaImDljz8hiRFQgvRAvIWCEzPnrGfbgL9rGiOyOhynCMGIZXjLDXNU9VO2OGUNJGmi5JiMsmYm8z7DcqnfEDOw4P3Sp4IW02U2JpOobPaRs__Gtu7xWlPWsSjlvLjxUU5NPEOCL-U/s640/blogger-image-1851091535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgBkaImDljz8hiRFQgvRAvIWCEzPnrGfbgL9rGiOyOhynCMGIZXjLDXNU9VO2OGUNJGmi5JiMsmYm8z7DcqnfEDOw4P3Sp4IW02U2JpOobPaRs__Gtu7xWlPWsSjlvLjxUU5NPEOCL-U/s400/blogger-image-1851091535.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomas, our expert core harvester operator. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA-TKcMdLLAbs1x5HSPNje7MROUu896RkD_TF4oLf1p3JWqt7J4EZXNxis3OQtd1k6KqyOy34BUkGphwskm6Dauqgy0AvIfyman-UwsMFJij5yH0_KDt1_tkKKHpNU42VYObd0wX8PTU/s640/blogger-image-1343337501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqA-TKcMdLLAbs1x5HSPNje7MROUu896RkD_TF4oLf1p3JWqt7J4EZXNxis3OQtd1k6KqyOy34BUkGphwskm6Dauqgy0AvIfyman-UwsMFJij5yH0_KDt1_tkKKHpNU42VYObd0wX8PTU/s400/blogger-image-1343337501.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isidro was our "stick man", pushing plugs out of the way as they came off the conveyor belt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpDem3_t2u7D5qxrSDNKcHMIF1V3W-PRXDxsLBvXBghQ1mWrp2WcqI38rvtnRCmGOC9MZNRZJV0NXrBWlPHkLdeFEvU9sQsJ6UA7PkluooI2DVbR2upm1O-e9qP6x6zjm1PabUHzJ9jk/s640/blogger-image--1017351849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpDem3_t2u7D5qxrSDNKcHMIF1V3W-PRXDxsLBvXBghQ1mWrp2WcqI38rvtnRCmGOC9MZNRZJV0NXrBWlPHkLdeFEvU9sQsJ6UA7PkluooI2DVbR2upm1O-e9qP6x6zjm1PabUHzJ9jk/s400/blogger-image--1017351849.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#10 Tees with a bed of dried sand from sitting in the sun, ready to be brushed in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The icing on the cake was brushing in the sand once it had dried.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-81829301176085839932014-03-11T16:45:00.000-07:002014-03-11T16:45:00.986-07:00Traffic Control on #14 GreenAs many of you probably already suspect, March has been very generous with it's contribution to our rainfall totals. The month to-date measurable rainfall total currently stands at 8.39 inches and the jaw-dropper is that we still have 21 days left in what is known as a very rainy month. I have a feeling that it won't be too long before March one-ups February's 9.16 inches which by the way, put last month in the top 10 wettest Februarys on record. The good news is that we are in for a treat over the next few days with a forecast of sunny skies and temperatures nearing the high 50's and low 60's.<br />
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The effects of last week's warm rain have already had a strong green-up effect on the golf course which means turf is finally growing! This has allowed us to remove the temporary green on #14 and put the regular green it back into play. You will notice that we have erected a few traffic control stakes with some rope woven through them to help direct our foot traffic away from the right edge of the green. Most of our traffic onto and through the green follows the right edge of the green. </div>
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Part of this tatic relates to human psychology. Most people when given a choice of whether to veer right or left will opt for the right side. Think about it, when you get on a bus or airplane, most people will subconsciously gravitate to the right side. Take this concept and put it in the context of typical traffic patterns through our 14th green. Most players (walking or riding) will approach the 14th green from the fairway, walk right on the right edge of the green above the greenside bunker, place their bag in the rough on the back right, walk back onto the green from the right side, putt then exit the green from the right side. That's a lot of foot traffic that the right side of the green has to sustain under low light conditions. </div>
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So, in the meantime, this rope and stake system is here to give all of our golfers a visual of what areas of the green we need to avoid walking through and we ask that you try to find alternate patterns on, off and through the green for the time-being. If your ball ends up in this area, don't be afraid to play it as it lies and move a stake or two out of the way if necessary, but please put them back the way that you found them before you leave the green. We plan to leave the rope and stakes up for a week or so then we will revert to a simpler setup once everybody has had a chance to see and learn the areas that we need to re-route our traffic around.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Rw-WW1bq4xrUs3TnmHuSrzS_IOsLel5VgCI65mQ5xL2Mzr9cO5a3O-B2WkKYcNBn62xPFFT2y22V_aIyRgHR3rg7F34QEbQCX-pMXjd5tagBLtONF82WOZWvlne62C7YYAbw-VeInq8/s640/blogger-image--994086382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Rw-WW1bq4xrUs3TnmHuSrzS_IOsLel5VgCI65mQ5xL2Mzr9cO5a3O-B2WkKYcNBn62xPFFT2y22V_aIyRgHR3rg7F34QEbQCX-pMXjd5tagBLtONF82WOZWvlne62C7YYAbw-VeInq8/s400/blogger-image--994086382.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rope and stakes on #14.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-67554262272900724902014-03-04T10:55:00.000-08:002014-03-04T10:55:57.992-08:00Old Man WinterThe weather extremes that we have experienced this winter seem to resemble your typical Costco variety pack- two very very dry and cold snaps (temperatures in the teens and low 20's) in early December and early February and everything in between has been filled with torrential rains (over 8 inches in February, beating the average by about 5") followed by a string of bluebird days lasting two or three days before reverting back to either the cold or rain, another cold snap or just a plain old gray Seattle day. <br />
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The point being, from the standpoint of growing conditions for Poa annua, we have been all over the board with a little bit of really good weather and some really bad weather. Most of our Poa seems to be handling these extremes changes just fine. However, the turf that experiences any form of shade from surrounding trees and houses or has a North-facing exposure has thinned out to the point where they are quite fragile. </div>
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As I have discussed in previous posts, Poa is a fantastic grass to grow in this part of the country and it is possible to do so due to our moderate climate. However, we do experience weather extremes that are outside the comfort zone of Poa (very cold and very hot) once in a while and it is natural that we will see the consequences of that. The cold snaps we experienced this year have been a little different than past years being that we got so cold without any sort of insulation from a snow cover which we usually have when when we drop to these kind of temperatures. The high winds we experienced during the two cold snaps didn't help either as the wind and cold temperatures work together to suck out all available moisture in the plants due to the exposure. </div>
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The good news is that we are now entering the time of the year that has the weather which defines our region as a breeding ground for Poa annua which is moderate everything. Moderate amounts of rainfall, moderate temperatures (40's and 50's) and improved sun angle and photo-period (longer days vs December/January). We have been treating thinned areas with care and judicious traffic control (as you currently see on #6 and #11 with stakes and the temporary green on #14). You as a golfer can also help by carefully choosing your paths as you walk on, off and through our greens. Try to avoid any thin areas, choosing the thicker, healthier turf for your pathway. </div>
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On top of our careful traffic management tactics, we have been implementing a few key cultural practices known to promote vegetative growth of Poa annua and overall plant health. With these practices in place, we expect to see turf recovery progress a lot faster over the next few months compared to earlier this year because the weather will start working more and more in our favor as time goes on. </div>
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Here are some pictures taken last week of the 14th green which is currently on a temporary green. This green has a primarily Northern exposure, meaning during the winter months when the sun angle is low, it gets an extremely limited amount of sunlight and heavily filtered morning sun due to the trees surrounding the green. Additionally, when morning sun is limited, the area is slower to rise in air and soil temperatures, slowing growth and prolonging the exposure of turf to frost and cold snaps. As you can see from these pictures, the turf on this green does not get much help from Mother Nature during the winter. This alone, sets this green well behind most of our other greens in terms of turf health and recovery from winter induced stress.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uKfH5AcoPCHLVDSbzeJnJJ2XpUO2-5lpoEgfU3c6Jzit52alT4rkBQAf155xGg0x2RxD0mbHai0J6S_IkaKy8kt7B66E1kX7kO8uUbBfqm-FoD91L1ybrOvm9ugCRniTf_4J_Zb1QJU/s1600/IMAGE_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uKfH5AcoPCHLVDSbzeJnJJ2XpUO2-5lpoEgfU3c6Jzit52alT4rkBQAf155xGg0x2RxD0mbHai0J6S_IkaKy8kt7B66E1kX7kO8uUbBfqm-FoD91L1ybrOvm9ugCRniTf_4J_Zb1QJU/s1600/IMAGE_3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning sun being filtered by the trees behind the green.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfewjDfOYGCil3C17bbq_HeHeWT_VQydVizX9hrdfclTvQRtxkSHMvdb2NdoQValRFcwA-L573Ugyhd-CFwbNjRuvO2AfB8m6RqGqSFaTeoZyk0UuYPFGrOnENe5waS8955tARJ73gX8/s1600/IMAGE_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfewjDfOYGCil3C17bbq_HeHeWT_VQydVizX9hrdfclTvQRtxkSHMvdb2NdoQValRFcwA-L573Ugyhd-CFwbNjRuvO2AfB8m6RqGqSFaTeoZyk0UuYPFGrOnENe5waS8955tARJ73gX8/s1600/IMAGE_4.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture shows how drastic the shade is on this green. Looking across Bear Canyon, you can see that the tees and fairways are being bathed in the sunlight while the green is quite the opposite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyDIUCbZ7MZ5H1CvDe3r-qZnQlItQydWsA1xgOL-nZJepwdKsABFZXxu1ETRakQsCYcfm9JjgYb1iK6YjA4To-4A_YzvQT4PG7v1enL9Rpj1ul9ro3mIAVcb-2B3v6XeITwmPQBeqiP0/s1600/IMAGE_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyDIUCbZ7MZ5H1CvDe3r-qZnQlItQydWsA1xgOL-nZJepwdKsABFZXxu1ETRakQsCYcfm9JjgYb1iK6YjA4To-4A_YzvQT4PG7v1enL9Rpj1ul9ro3mIAVcb-2B3v6XeITwmPQBeqiP0/s1600/IMAGE_5.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot that shows the expanse of the shade line that extends well into the fairway from surrounding trees.</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, we continued to work on adding more drainage to chronically wet areas around the golf course. The latest project was completed last week on the 15th hole. We tackled the wet area just right before the last set of fairway bunkers on the right as you approach the green. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZtEq7JkKk3FxBz5viyXLQPzdrDv1N0JT6_tP5nxBonup_i1wKbc637HfMJNlCsoM7NGGQ1Fb98XlmBAzZ0mbAmts_skwP0lC9CRkbPVLiVx0QLGCrxyR680U-myv4gc_eTYlXsm1COo/s1600/IMG_3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZtEq7JkKk3FxBz5viyXLQPzdrDv1N0JT6_tP5nxBonup_i1wKbc637HfMJNlCsoM7NGGQ1Fb98XlmBAzZ0mbAmts_skwP0lC9CRkbPVLiVx0QLGCrxyR680U-myv4gc_eTYlXsm1COo/s1600/IMG_3250.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Location of the most recent project, just right before the last set of fairway bunkers on the right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssJmefIlaXF8UEBpehgw22nJorkWaIlilBldhRNfsNMcIMjXL5n5HazUJyWg4Ifho4GtOE-upSORQAWmKTnRK8NthLOxsPuD1u3oND4dhSwi7xJ8RlhUJlTDdquMbR7glbMe1NXRNqc4/s1600/IMG_3283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjssJmefIlaXF8UEBpehgw22nJorkWaIlilBldhRNfsNMcIMjXL5n5HazUJyWg4Ifho4GtOE-upSORQAWmKTnRK8NthLOxsPuD1u3oND4dhSwi7xJ8RlhUJlTDdquMbR7glbMe1NXRNqc4/s1600/IMG_3283.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drainage expert extraordinaire, Derek Costa.</td></tr>
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We put 560 linear feet of pipe in near mostly at the interface of the fairway and rough line and up into the rough. This brings our overall installation total for winter 2014 to 1,740 linear feet so far. We do not plan on stopping the drainage projects just yet- as we still have a lot of winter left before we have to shift gears back to the mow and go routine. Today we started a quick little project on the south end practice area just to firm up the new approach a bit and the surrounding mounds near the chipping green. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the home stretch, last trench being dug!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3DhIwaiop1FnXBnoldIQLex1WXrPUJD8goMVQQY4f9I9M4qu9AdI9Yn5I1J_xYcQ0vu0bYTIoNRLT93prYPPEynFNxHuNQju0oB4YBfwmC_pkaN4THSa4Wba7VTI9UX5eScCcylz4ho/s1600/IMAGE_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3DhIwaiop1FnXBnoldIQLex1WXrPUJD8goMVQQY4f9I9M4qu9AdI9Yn5I1J_xYcQ0vu0bYTIoNRLT93prYPPEynFNxHuNQju0oB4YBfwmC_pkaN4THSa4Wba7VTI9UX5eScCcylz4ho/s1600/IMAGE_8.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the rare sunny days we had in February. It is amazing how much more can be accomplished when the sun provides a little motivation for the crew.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl6ErFg-fdzoDQToV8Z3V8jV-t-2n06GEtBaTRsynSseZhyphenhyphen334CnF50SmvFkTR8mDNGBF4PaD_30_d0-g4tV9UJUjpHZ6wSiLNbT9cJ9L1tHGH5rE3o7DdOnGXBirblo-cMo1McZrmG4/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl6ErFg-fdzoDQToV8Z3V8jV-t-2n06GEtBaTRsynSseZhyphenhyphen334CnF50SmvFkTR8mDNGBF4PaD_30_d0-g4tV9UJUjpHZ6wSiLNbT9cJ9L1tHGH5rE3o7DdOnGXBirblo-cMo1McZrmG4/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This particular area had quite a bit of woody pulp under the sand cap. Decomposing wood naturally absorbs water and most likely contributed to the extra saturated conditions found in this area.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-29449086244170544782014-02-10T11:42:00.002-08:002014-02-10T11:42:20.162-08:00Course ThawFinally. . . the freezing cold weather we experienced last week that closed the course has finally come to an end. The weather forecast for the next week or so has replaced the below-freezing temperatures with lots and lots of rain. So, what does this mean for the golf course and it goes without saying that the million dollar question is, is when will the golf course be open again? <div>
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The answer to that is, it depends. Over the next few days, we will be watching the impact of the rain and warmer temperatures on the greens. These two things combined, will slowly thaw the permafrost that formed below the surface during last week's freezing temperatures. What is going to happen over the next few days is, the greens (and all other surfaces) will thaw from the top down as the warm rain softens up the soil, eating away at the permafrost as it moves through. Going forward while this process is occurring, we have to be careful not to put any traffic on the greens until they are all the way thawed. </div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG74-455ZNGubO_Ip1W5KvhBmm6waMgwFGPSJGQGQCzvh8hcvAqKEo1VPrM9sSVcZyDX6JKvbedK1X6KSA-g-L0kRuZr5P9SqOKW2qnIsD0Q7JFlj7fzE3yW4dTOK7m1GxxsY8a0kANc4/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG74-455ZNGubO_Ip1W5KvhBmm6waMgwFGPSJGQGQCzvh8hcvAqKEo1VPrM9sSVcZyDX6JKvbedK1X6KSA-g-L0kRuZr5P9SqOKW2qnIsD0Q7JFlj7fzE3yW4dTOK7m1GxxsY8a0kANc4/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sheeting water on greens due to frozen surfaces.</td></tr>
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Until the permafr<span style="text-align: center;">ost is completely gone, it will act like a back-board inhibiting any type of drainage through the profile making the greens very squishy. Moreover, any traffic on top of this backboard will essentially squeeze out any existing pore space which would have a very detrimental effect on the turf health. The grass depends on this pore space for proper gas/oxygen exchange and root growth. This is why we need to be judicious about when we allow play to resume on the greens.</span></div>
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As of this morning, I could only get my ice pick into most greens about a quarter of an inch. It might take a couple of days depending on how warm it gets. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfS0nYy6Bqzmzmrmwj3Nxhc0wVb1fF6WxqqffrZQk_UlIiv8nfBXW7xXY-4ZbkqJR6GtIyVQkqpoblqPrON7rWB8pt64Whe3rjvWbJahqBRAx-2fhOmIRyJcObD7fnx7VZ57ZrWJ8FUY/s1600/IMG_3191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbfS0nYy6Bqzmzmrmwj3Nxhc0wVb1fF6WxqqffrZQk_UlIiv8nfBXW7xXY-4ZbkqJR6GtIyVQkqpoblqPrON7rWB8pt64Whe3rjvWbJahqBRAx-2fhOmIRyJcObD7fnx7VZ57ZrWJ8FUY/s1600/IMG_3191.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice pick hit permafrost at 1/4".</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-62261932840596573332014-02-04T12:39:00.002-08:002014-02-04T12:39:53.980-08:00What have we been up to?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My last post discussed the drainage addition that we completed on hole #3 and since then, the agronomy crew has been very busy with projects on the golf course. I wanted to take a moment and quickly walk through the list beginning with what most of you noticed, the massive drainage installation on the 15th fairway pictured below. We were able to install 565 linear feet of pipe right around the 100 yard marker. We are especially excited about this improvement as this area had been chronically wet through all four seasons and had become a maintenance nightmare not to mention that it was right in the middle of the second landing zone on this fairway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDouqYgEJacSNkGpCUFJlC2YQwfP3rnDhOxmTku8EIlqWxEejmHGZNPNhl2Iw66Q4rzlyXPeq2x5lPDFhzChgLsXG399s8G1ZCsB480LwO54pf2qPiNBN8TG5LzbCcoAbmJcAfez5UQ4/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDouqYgEJacSNkGpCUFJlC2YQwfP3rnDhOxmTku8EIlqWxEejmHGZNPNhl2Iw66Q4rzlyXPeq2x5lPDFhzChgLsXG399s8G1ZCsB480LwO54pf2qPiNBN8TG5LzbCcoAbmJcAfez5UQ4/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2689.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drainage installation on 15th fairway.</td></tr>
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After we wrapped up this project and got all the sod back in place, we were able to knock out an additional 200 linear feet to the right of the green. This last project increased our grand total of installed drainage pipe up to 1,180 linear feet so far this winter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdrW8Ce-SrfLz47aQD3mKod29ZNTkLwxF1ECguBi6QDiOcJBWrxyCmIsefhnow5xJrmjkvJZMb63Ru9tS6zSF65WJMyhei8PigxSdRt9xVyxdG1gyqWJ_-1gfuglTqE7VFh9yr2XtNLg/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdrW8Ce-SrfLz47aQD3mKod29ZNTkLwxF1ECguBi6QDiOcJBWrxyCmIsefhnow5xJrmjkvJZMb63Ru9tS6zSF65WJMyhei8PigxSdRt9xVyxdG1gyqWJ_-1gfuglTqE7VFh9yr2XtNLg/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2727.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew member, Derek Costa took over as our backhoe operator this winter and has<br />quickly become an expert, knocking out the trenches in no time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzn1i6VLAbMno5G80cKNgoW6_m5Ky7e_FWtOq0RPHLci7thDiTUH9xTwn229Pgghl0yzMtCnb30q6Wtoq8ryeS00GTZHj4Fsyv982lJhD-cQ1DMFxGcKwBkD0s586n-r6YjX-DOxXi8c/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzn1i6VLAbMno5G80cKNgoW6_m5Ky7e_FWtOq0RPHLci7thDiTUH9xTwn229Pgghl0yzMtCnb30q6Wtoq8ryeS00GTZHj4Fsyv982lJhD-cQ1DMFxGcKwBkD0s586n-r6YjX-DOxXi8c/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2724.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This area was in dire need of additional drainage. Notice all the water already<br />moving through the trenches. The playability of this area will be much better now.</td></tr>
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During the same stretch of dry weather that we installed the drainage pipe on hole 15, our silica bunker sand dried out so much that we were able to bust out a machine that we own called a Z-Screen which is essentially a vibrating sieve. We used it to sift rocks and gravel that had worked their way up through the sand from the subsurface. This machine only works well when there is no moisture in the sand otherwise the sand sticks and clogs the screens, making it impossible to sift. We made quick work of this, focusing on green side bunkers that had the worst contamination, namely, to the left of #3 green, all bunkers around #4 green and the right side of #12 green. Unfortunately, we got about 2.16 inches of rain a few days after we began this project, making the sand wet again. We hope to continue this practice on a few more bunkers once the sand dries out again. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd-ptQwrSTl9DQ2HkrSHsxyXUqRgEnuSkkRBOv1sVC_6vxO94fyplA0i2o5TeRcsaUsFpsWTSJfE5UgIkj2oauStaNlgPGgnNFjkcuLIx1zJMuZKpTzGJPRKMPqMXjdaXRVjgA87hMo4/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd-ptQwrSTl9DQ2HkrSHsxyXUqRgEnuSkkRBOv1sVC_6vxO94fyplA0i2o5TeRcsaUsFpsWTSJfE5UgIkj2oauStaNlgPGgnNFjkcuLIx1zJMuZKpTzGJPRKMPqMXjdaXRVjgA87hMo4/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2714.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tate and Sam sifting sand on #4. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1zLo9OR40k40oUa5SULcn3hOyScG_YoEWfJJk04Cab-__Jb3GyykfYkQsyHV3qeNdn27oGmIq9XsxL9Vi_NpWMok6P6aQzp-fZRTTGu19kOtO_8pBaEXFNZ0I8keXnjkbw6uYYJgkmo/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1zLo9OR40k40oUa5SULcn3hOyScG_YoEWfJJk04Cab-__Jb3GyykfYkQsyHV3qeNdn27oGmIq9XsxL9Vi_NpWMok6P6aQzp-fZRTTGu19kOtO_8pBaEXFNZ0I8keXnjkbw6uYYJgkmo/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2716.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trough at the bottom catches all the rocks and gravel while the sand<br />falls straight through the bottom of both screens.</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, our golf course is built on a soil type known as glacial till which essentially means lots and lots of rocks and gravel. With the heavy winter rains that we experience in Snoqualmie plus the lack of bunker liners, we are constantly subject to bunker washouts which exposes the glacial till soil. This exposure compounded with rainfall makes the sand extremely prone to contamination. The picture below shows what a typical washout can look like. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEZk4CZWmCekGcR1noyrEE7y1RjHCAIRxiBwiG5qWTd-D5HUqb0TrmwbA_rjFvqj9HUjTTuM3cjLcLwv_j40v1q8QA6qAGMVTMFDYMP0aRFZQ1QNXFddEMtTfv3w8dZcdJulfbpq8aDg/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEZk4CZWmCekGcR1noyrEE7y1RjHCAIRxiBwiG5qWTd-D5HUqb0TrmwbA_rjFvqj9HUjTTuM3cjLcLwv_j40v1q8QA6qAGMVTMFDYMP0aRFZQ1QNXFddEMtTfv3w8dZcdJulfbpq8aDg/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2680.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice all the rocks and gravel. Not good for keeping the sand clean.</td></tr>
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Speaking of bunkers, we have been able to restore and resurface the two pot bunkers in front of #1 green. Over the years the bunker sand inside the bunkers makes its way into the surrounding turf through a variety of means including wind, foot traffic and golf clubs splashing sand onto the face. Multiply this by a number of years and the surrounding turf can grow up to an astonishing foot or two, depending on the bunker. Usually the areas between bunkers and greens are the worst due to the higher volume of play. Here are some pictures that show the buildup and restoration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUZDmJpEERp486kjJZjJZ1OP5nbsGHggVXFvFBpZ_7a3j4HutiwiiGFbPj9gutmLM8UctO0pSz8Iqg65Ew-Vr0VfKKgAO5QgJ7YfzI8t-ezUqEgo1zIOjlug6S8lQWnArTFao9HpjQqk/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUZDmJpEERp486kjJZjJZ1OP5nbsGHggVXFvFBpZ_7a3j4HutiwiiGFbPj9gutmLM8UctO0pSz8Iqg65Ew-Vr0VfKKgAO5QgJ7YfzI8t-ezUqEgo1zIOjlug6S8lQWnArTFao9HpjQqk/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2619.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back side of the middle bunker on #1 had about 5 inches of bunker sand<br />buildup. The darker colored soil shows the original grade.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt53NmYVI-rTkFsU8zmM8Om00Zqa31tdMfbSZRWdSR52Zfdko5uERt-xAT4gQa7Y1s6Lpp-DEomPENXKRJlJbisGPgo7sT38Sh0K336pgWNiE3S8B4M0Md_Av2nGY13QrtTZN9zbf9VyY/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt53NmYVI-rTkFsU8zmM8Om00Zqa31tdMfbSZRWdSR52Zfdko5uERt-xAT4gQa7Y1s6Lpp-DEomPENXKRJlJbisGPgo7sT38Sh0K336pgWNiE3S8B4M0Md_Av2nGY13QrtTZN9zbf9VyY/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2620.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-grading. This eliminated the volcano-like shape of the outside of the<br />bunker and restored it to a sloping crater like grade.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDjzY0OXhyphenhyphenLQ-fSN3rOOJMBuOLV5D_uV2F5DS8dYZ5b6X3Odj2feiZNOzbVfMEdlICciHokn8NbJAnzQ_8RG8Zwzpc9bZyy14B1ca311QWzGg-u4mdaJiq4BFtSS1-PQGnRL9R9pVhA4/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDjzY0OXhyphenhyphenLQ-fSN3rOOJMBuOLV5D_uV2F5DS8dYZ5b6X3Odj2feiZNOzbVfMEdlICciHokn8NbJAnzQ_8RG8Zwzpc9bZyy14B1ca311QWzGg-u4mdaJiq4BFtSS1-PQGnRL9R9pVhA4/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2628.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The area between the middle bunker and green had about 8 inches of bunker<br />sand buildup. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGDt3pY0s7wB_PrxFXIfzSqVeMJj9LWMSKwk2y3oGz6oKzMzOIQk6yr3oEGlREbL5emF9Ey-9aFZTVxyeAOyXBXdawwqJCqZU26mMnDUBOqpPSw_vxz-K2GE9fVLTlBMYEIsUmpuK-TA/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGDt3pY0s7wB_PrxFXIfzSqVeMJj9LWMSKwk2y3oGz6oKzMzOIQk6yr3oEGlREbL5emF9Ey-9aFZTVxyeAOyXBXdawwqJCqZU26mMnDUBOqpPSw_vxz-K2GE9fVLTlBMYEIsUmpuK-TA/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2663.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product. The visibility of the green from inside the bunker is<br />much better and the size of the bunker expanded once all the sand<br />buildup was removed from the edges. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PRa9ICF1mBrGdQ1xCCg64GyMvISLF6UMmF679ZJC7XYFNliTxMXiNTdn023-03t1O4kFIf2MZty9NUymFGiQd__aG58BhmwC1ZnXVA0odzD1CLlONvV6NefT-9Wtig8doKmE1SBO8ko/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PRa9ICF1mBrGdQ1xCCg64GyMvISLF6UMmF679ZJC7XYFNliTxMXiNTdn023-03t1O4kFIf2MZty9NUymFGiQd__aG58BhmwC1ZnXVA0odzD1CLlONvV6NefT-9Wtig8doKmE1SBO8ko/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2670.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original grade of the bunker on the right side of the green. Notice the<br />inverted lip.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_laSBjfkPPQLArCdsbW1Ic61j-LRfa8tmrqNBzm7SpVDrfR9HKP_X08N5Du4rRANvX-33yD7-8wrTJgv27cnVsgnmKTTeJgX6esbeLLUuMb_O6ER_2zkPj0dPOdAc-474fFUhtD2uxSQ/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_laSBjfkPPQLArCdsbW1Ic61j-LRfa8tmrqNBzm7SpVDrfR9HKP_X08N5Du4rRANvX-33yD7-8wrTJgv27cnVsgnmKTTeJgX6esbeLLUuMb_O6ER_2zkPj0dPOdAc-474fFUhtD2uxSQ/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2675.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripping away the turf and bunker sand for re-grading. We removed about<br />a foot of sand buildup between the green and bunker on this one.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2zjHwFgDg0skwXIdVOgrOKaKRv7r8S8C5OjStf1KFr4r0hGN6RfnaU2BrSGi5Y4gxmJSyO8xjP0LPyaamJPebvI5AHHJjkyju3EyKCUPwprZZYq9r6LxGuY2tbPv1nRwH5c2WYec518/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2zjHwFgDg0skwXIdVOgrOKaKRv7r8S8C5OjStf1KFr4r0hGN6RfnaU2BrSGi5Y4gxmJSyO8xjP0LPyaamJPebvI5AHHJjkyju3EyKCUPwprZZYq9r6LxGuY2tbPv1nRwH5c2WYec518/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2694.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunker all-re shaped and sodded. Ready to redistribute the sand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgxEtdmQiAWGEkGACA2mWgHw8Oe6JRr5s_8b4asoAY715aYoeOPdD4eFVQqrsOprj-jb3rNNO6uLMaWXp5qAAyH3lPykDR1wkFtchai67QQ0UnMwN6Vq7mNTtPeG4i_csR5ThWdqulpA/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgxEtdmQiAWGEkGACA2mWgHw8Oe6JRr5s_8b4asoAY715aYoeOPdD4eFVQqrsOprj-jb3rNNO6uLMaWXp5qAAyH3lPykDR1wkFtchai67QQ0UnMwN6Vq7mNTtPeG4i_csR5ThWdqulpA/s1600/iphone+upload+1-31-14+2700.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product. Visibility of the green from inside the bunker<br />is much better here too. The volcano like edges are also gone.</td></tr>
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We also have a few brush clearing projects that we have been working on that I am excited about but I will save details on that for another post. In the meantime, our temperatures are forecasted to take a nosedive and remain in the teens/20's for the rest of this week so I expect that we will get a lot more brush clearning accomplished this week. I will leave you with a gorgeous shot I captured of our pond on the 9th hole during the last cold snap in December. I have a feeling I will be able to capture quite a few more similar photos this week! <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR1Rc_AzG-WZaM0oDJqrnQu8GXZlKPrJTixK_Qb-g_ZlEKLLSIex6qJxvZ4H8koVIcM_60Gpp6xFr17Tt5MZ5hy0rxk5q8B2miBcnrBXMLesK6e8QQeuoGoOQhsaiRp-KMGMPEX_Q0Js/s1600/IMG_2533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR1Rc_AzG-WZaM0oDJqrnQu8GXZlKPrJTixK_Qb-g_ZlEKLLSIex6qJxvZ4H8koVIcM_60Gpp6xFr17Tt5MZ5hy0rxk5q8B2miBcnrBXMLesK6e8QQeuoGoOQhsaiRp-KMGMPEX_Q0Js/s1600/IMG_2533.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#9 Irrigation Pond</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-65611503314661834702014-01-15T10:30:00.000-08:002014-01-15T10:30:32.672-08:00415 Feet installed!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The agronomy staff has been working hard to take advantage of the opportunity to accomplish a few key projects around the course to improve playing conditions for the upcoming season. The biggest opportunity that we get each year to do this is when the growth of our turf ceases or significantly slows down during the months of December, January and February. This frees our labor force up from the routine maintenance that takes up so much of our time during the season. <br />
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Each year, we assess the status of slow draining areas on the golf course and attack the wettest areas that have the largest impact on how the golf course plays. The areas in the rough on the left and right side of #3 green have been chronic wet areas for the past few seasons so we decided to start here first. <br />
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The left side of the green was completed at the end of last week with a total of 270 linear feet of 4" perforated pipe installed. Today, we are in the process of capping our trenches on the right side of the green with sand and sod today and the linear measurement for this area is 145 feet, bringing our total amount of installed pipe to 415 feet. Both areas are already a little bit drier than they were before, however, since the area was already wet, we will likely not see the full benefits of the drainage until early this summer. We are excited to have this process started and our next project will be on the 15th fairway in the landing zone, about 120 yards back from the green. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU36mIpFxq9Qq4aUwJNw0d9HmItYiS7QAciFJlFNIhtdsYAzWsRtrCXxVtvaMzJj99_WkfKUbZYDnmV6aD0Ht7O0eheg0Y_RK81cdRvM-na-3atWGO6_YpN2qpCIthpNr7LDGwl6BMCyk/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU36mIpFxq9Qq4aUwJNw0d9HmItYiS7QAciFJlFNIhtdsYAzWsRtrCXxVtvaMzJj99_WkfKUbZYDnmV6aD0Ht7O0eheg0Y_RK81cdRvM-na-3atWGO6_YpN2qpCIthpNr7LDGwl6BMCyk/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+002.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mainline for our herringbone design on the left side of the green.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjMYB1bBp5CNq4f-9NCZ5Kj1PWo24LtOBOpYG5aBuFkJdCbOKY_rYkAVHe91bcN4UPe-SexFhvJ4ftVduyrtR_N6EPQz3ucc0RT7zGZX0mnH__Msvyahkm55iXxXzHiXtfgTaLuTYN6A/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjMYB1bBp5CNq4f-9NCZ5Kj1PWo24LtOBOpYG5aBuFkJdCbOKY_rYkAVHe91bcN4UPe-SexFhvJ4ftVduyrtR_N6EPQz3ucc0RT7zGZX0mnH__Msvyahkm55iXxXzHiXtfgTaLuTYN6A/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+003.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fingers running off the mainline.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj28MXmrf2LxhVF942ZRwFKhBG_ev_UuKEemkJD9VarKBbM0666GczVL78vkCTG_F5SwC6XI01KQAYHwa1gclLFdYvlH5lBR2U4vgxmVJ3cw-1FhWlb9_rrApkKXD5KWKKlwAJewUM4Wo/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj28MXmrf2LxhVF942ZRwFKhBG_ev_UuKEemkJD9VarKBbM0666GczVL78vkCTG_F5SwC6XI01KQAYHwa1gclLFdYvlH5lBR2U4vgxmVJ3cw-1FhWlb9_rrApkKXD5KWKKlwAJewUM4Wo/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little visual of the entire area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElR2bOIlQmR5UHET87vOgBfu-9nXmPPk81nvhX8L_MJhZrbrgYWoiYeBuTLodiuHGRt5RLrsjNMRcD3iYv_K8LTKVcLybd0WUWa7iE6dKNAfibUCNxpUWsn2jt-AgOY8LBuTtgHJXdVA/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElR2bOIlQmR5UHET87vOgBfu-9nXmPPk81nvhX8L_MJhZrbrgYWoiYeBuTLodiuHGRt5RLrsjNMRcD3iYv_K8LTKVcLybd0WUWa7iE6dKNAfibUCNxpUWsn2jt-AgOY8LBuTtgHJXdVA/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+006.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left side all done. Pipe, gravel, sand and sod installed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1cvU9OILodN7Re-amE_tj4zwZa3A2JjcWZPA9JDzbQndPe3PSiIw7TPj7HuHSj1JE0DIW39ztWz4feIFHqREiswv2Bhqk8KzkRaAbXE_3HM-UI_xOLox2Tb-asfIUYqYvn8MpsHFzuQ/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1cvU9OILodN7Re-amE_tj4zwZa3A2JjcWZPA9JDzbQndPe3PSiIw7TPj7HuHSj1JE0DIW39ztWz4feIFHqREiswv2Bhqk8KzkRaAbXE_3HM-UI_xOLox2Tb-asfIUYqYvn8MpsHFzuQ/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to start the right side. Sod removed and ready to dig!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-TVrlmZLVLhtHycrD1M1kV-32NKSmG8gBq6y876QG3grgx3jvfbAJqhT8QMObK4qs_Zlhd1nqyQc-bRKsr42jcXyC1pNO2VZgDLOB9OjkmHUh1_-Fn2kls25nuwa6J4VKpRwGkWq9yg/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-TVrlmZLVLhtHycrD1M1kV-32NKSmG8gBq6y876QG3grgx3jvfbAJqhT8QMObK4qs_Zlhd1nqyQc-bRKsr42jcXyC1pNO2VZgDLOB9OjkmHUh1_-Fn2kls25nuwa6J4VKpRwGkWq9yg/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+007.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lot of ground water in this area, the first scoop we took, the hole filled up with water.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBEoBioRiy1ZYO23BIOw3YSlRsfEreBHX22AZz5BjpQAjawqm94w7p6ytnsYCS_yQ06oOgmvcfZjQbhqH65RnMPuKM9EFwZVo2-XPG680haQ5rm-nqjzMprlxEmAdAMlkTUkJOhHlcos/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBEoBioRiy1ZYO23BIOw3YSlRsfEreBHX22AZz5BjpQAjawqm94w7p6ytnsYCS_yQ06oOgmvcfZjQbhqH65RnMPuKM9EFwZVo2-XPG680haQ5rm-nqjzMprlxEmAdAMlkTUkJOhHlcos/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+008.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice all the water already moving through the trench. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDyWK0XSZd2aDL-rgHdQE3NEsXDopro9ruhejgbrT9MKF_LT3uajl7MuQeElEgggB6iRfJnm_Cpj8xdwB7f1Ntv3wXomd7nIGHoE5BrrbCiXryiGbRzPlVWxJHs5ATf066Sb5eugSF0c/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDyWK0XSZd2aDL-rgHdQE3NEsXDopro9ruhejgbrT9MKF_LT3uajl7MuQeElEgggB6iRfJnm_Cpj8xdwB7f1Ntv3wXomd7nIGHoE5BrrbCiXryiGbRzPlVWxJHs5ATf066Sb5eugSF0c/s1600/%233+Greenside+Drainage+Pictures+009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digging the final finger of this area.</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-78029301607718836422013-12-24T10:08:00.000-08:002013-12-24T10:08:31.311-08:00Sun and Shade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Seven hours, 34 minutes and 4 seconds. </span></b> THAT is how much less daylight (sun) that we experience here in the city of Snoqualmie on December 21st compared to June 21st. These dates are the days on which we experience the shortest day of the year and the longest day of the year, also known as the winter and summer solstices. </div>
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As we all know, one of the essential ingredients to growing turfgrass is sunlight. Without sunlight, the turf has no energy and is handicapped in it's ability to utilize it's food sources to produce and maintain it's roots and shoots. Add the stresses of nasty winter weather (remember the bitter cold temperatures of a few weeks ago?) and traffic on top of that and it is a given that you won't have a happy turfgrass plant. </div>
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Our golf course is spread out over a large area, with each hole in it's own micro climate which is largely created by the topography of the land around it as this can determine air flow, temperature and sunlight exposure which can drastically affect turf performance from hole-to-hole. </div>
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Take a look at the photo below. This is hole number six and this picture was taken around 11:00 AM yesterday. If yesterday's sunrise occurred at 7:56 AM, this means that this green got about 3 hours of sun before disappearing behind the houses and trees to the right of the cart path, leaving the green in the shade for a little over 60% of total daylight hours. That definitely takes a toll on the turf. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8CfU-zC3fj_QCo4iOgLWvAoKaIM9zfFbCZjpt_QLk7u8zXbX9DHM_XyT2pRGeKNhmJmmlySK-eHSe-L5jxRnhYIAoG7nnttaM3J8xXUL1cTV61h5oscmkN0SmIJi8mKcTP_ZGTCEx_E/s1600/%236+Green+in+December+Shade.BMP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8CfU-zC3fj_QCo4iOgLWvAoKaIM9zfFbCZjpt_QLk7u8zXbX9DHM_XyT2pRGeKNhmJmmlySK-eHSe-L5jxRnhYIAoG7nnttaM3J8xXUL1cTV61h5oscmkN0SmIJi8mKcTP_ZGTCEx_E/s1600/%236+Green+in+December+Shade.BMP" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hole #6</td></tr>
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Now, take a look at hole number 5 which sits in the sun for the majority of the day, due to the topography that it sits on. This picture was taken at the same time of the day as the one above. The entire green is basking in the sun and looking pretty happy. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0krh2voZKKT5xvNGkdkwt83nRjHIAoKXVPRXHs25hPtr_RiByt9_dfbeZ197_VEY9vjbgt95L0ynmi6wv3bPWWeJF50f6r2xE6jzc1Q8LVw0eKNEhM6KK8h6ZmiaEm3968q_dkR6Bso0/s1600/%235+Green+in+December+Sun.BMP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0krh2voZKKT5xvNGkdkwt83nRjHIAoKXVPRXHs25hPtr_RiByt9_dfbeZ197_VEY9vjbgt95L0ynmi6wv3bPWWeJF50f6r2xE6jzc1Q8LVw0eKNEhM6KK8h6ZmiaEm3968q_dkR6Bso0/s1600/%235+Green+in+December+Sun.BMP" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hole #5</td></tr>
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Limited sunlight is one of the many challenges that we face when it comes to keeping the greens healthy through the winter months and with that said, we have decided to place holes #6 and #11 on temporary greens which are located just short of each green. These greens are located in some of the most challenging micro climates on the golf course with minimal sunlight during this time of the year and in order to minimize stress to the turf, we need to give these greens some time off. Many of you have expressed your appreciation of our proactive efforts and we appreciate your support. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at rgordon@tpcsr.com. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-40043089862469174152013-12-10T16:44:00.000-08:002013-12-10T16:44:05.901-08:00Dang, that was cold!Have you ever had somebody sneak up on you and dump a bucket water over your head that is so cold that you lose your breath? I have a feeling that is kind of how our Poa greens are feeling after this recent extended cold snap. We set records around the Puget Sound region for low temperatures that dipped into the single digits and teens for some areas over a period of the last eight days. Five of those days didn't even see the high temperature climb anywhere past 29 degrees. It was COLD! <br />
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When you grow Poa, anytime you experience weather extremes whether it be extremely high or low temperatures, you get a little concerned as the possibility of turf loss becomes very real. Extremes such as this cause Poa to lose basic physiological functions needed for survival. Last time we experienced a deep freeze like this one was 2009 and that was a rough year for golf courses throughout the Puget Sound region, as many Poa greens were unable to handle the weather extremes and simply checked out. <br />
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Initially, I had hoped that the deep freeze would have a little bit of moisture mixed in with it as that would have produced a little bit of snow which is one of Mother Nature's best lifelines for grass (to a certain degree of course) and would have given our turf a little warm blanket to hide under, away from the frigid temperatures. Unfortunately, the ridge of high pressure pushed all the moisture down to Oregon where they got the snow I was hoping we would get. <br />
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The good news is that we had a little bit of lead-time in which we were able to do a few things to prepare the greens for the deep freeze in order to give the greens the best odds we possibly could. As some of you noticed, we put a slightly heavier than normal sand topdressing application on all of our greens on the 29th. The sand simply serves as insulation for the crowns (growing point between shoots and roots) for the plant. While it is not as good as snow, it was better than nothing. The other thing we have working in our favor is we mixed a little green pigment in our last spray application. While the use of pigment has many benefits, one of them is the increase in surface temperature due to the reflection of light off a darker surface producing added insulation and quicker recovery from cold temperatures. Otherwise, there is not much else you can do except wait for the weather to change and growing conditions to improve. <br />
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I have been surveying the golf course all week and as of today, I am feeling cautiously optimistic. There are a few areas on the perimeters of our shady greens that look a little dinged up due to winter desiccation and may struggle through the rest of the winter a little bit. However, with conservative traffic management, I do not anticipate any major turf loss. The turf on all areas will be coming out of this cold snap a little off-color, especially our roughs and bunker faces where we have a lot of fine fescue and bluegrass. This is simply the defense mechanism of the grass dormant until growing conditions improve. <br />
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Right now, we are waiting for the green surfaces to soften up a little bit so the plants can begin re hydrating themselves and getting a little bit of rigidity back into the leaf blades as water moves back into the plant cell walls. As of this afternoon, any traffic across the greens right now is leaving very visible footprints in which the leaf blades are slow to bounce back. This means the Poa is not quite ready for golf. Check out the picture below: this shows actual footprint patterns of ONE foursome playing the hole like normal. That's why we've got to be careful not to expose the greens to traffic too soon. The forecast is calling for temperatures to warm up into the 40's with a little bit of rain which is perfect for what we need to help the greens recover from the shock of the cold snap.<br />
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<img height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXFxTMvaDk2iy-wqqkb1BexXLdWjj9jy-2WaciuHHABU6poXQXICDWCnD4_EcZs3Ov0ukk_Afx9fT0ScFbldcqNz_Gfz4_8KO4T3NKp7xfX9Hgc1UuarvsBHktFji_xp4sfM4s86rH_g/s400/frost+damage+picture.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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To summarize, we need to make sure we give the greens the opportunity to re-acclimate themselves so they are strong enough to handle the foot traffic from regular play without causing any unnecessary injury. We will continue to monitor conditions and will be in constant communication with the pro-shop with further details as we want to get the golf course open again as soon as possible which should happen within the next few days. In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to read through this LONG blog post, for your understanding and patience as we work to get the course open again and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-20873843933501985392013-11-18T11:46:00.000-08:002013-11-18T15:16:17.882-08:00Comparing Rainfall TotalsThose of you that braved the rains out on the course this past weekend and love trivia, here's a tidbit of information for you to chew on: our on-site weather station recorded 2.48" of rain between Friday and Saturday, with most of it coming down on Saturday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60fT7rCT4aILWGbr_eNJZ-bTxwbycdbbp_ow795jY7mlMrjl6vAe7ufGir8aIq3C2LUyjLog2xJM16aQY6Gl6xyaaDVSheoiEtlzXLcjjeV-VW4BvZb6rghAg1PRV2zOcZdGCGCPD-Sk/s1600/2012-06-05+05.35.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60fT7rCT4aILWGbr_eNJZ-bTxwbycdbbp_ow795jY7mlMrjl6vAe7ufGir8aIq3C2LUyjLog2xJM16aQY6Gl6xyaaDVSheoiEtlzXLcjjeV-VW4BvZb6rghAg1PRV2zOcZdGCGCPD-Sk/s1600/2012-06-05+05.35.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Out of curiosity, I decided to pull up some old weather data records from 2011 and 2012 to see how the fall rains stack up to what we have experienced thus far in 2013. Many of us consider September to the kick-off of the fall season so, I took a look at the time period between September 1st through November 31st for all three years. Here's how the data stacked up:<br />
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<li style="text-align: left;">September-November 2011: <b>19.08" Rainfall</b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">September-November 2012: <b>11.21" Rainfall</b></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">September-Present 2013: <b>18.69" Rainfall</b> <i>(Through November 17th)</i></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5PqISr956uP_wqpIWA_lSzr1187lQqQxg-hA_sPV8u02Cbj7EhzwZEVonVoU8rk4Xd36wPsifI4VzFp7c8rNzgFemCs1KLiEUYxNC73t_aTcyl01m-npUoTFTfgfR_0DdnEIrYR97yY/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5PqISr956uP_wqpIWA_lSzr1187lQqQxg-hA_sPV8u02Cbj7EhzwZEVonVoU8rk4Xd36wPsifI4VzFp7c8rNzgFemCs1KLiEUYxNC73t_aTcyl01m-npUoTFTfgfR_0DdnEIrYR97yY/s1600/IMG_1294.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We still have thirteen days of data to add to the November 2013 rainfall records, however, to-date we are only 0.40" from beating the 2011 rainfall record and have already incurred 7.48" more rain than we did in 2012 during this time period. Needless to say, I think we are on-track to end up beating the rainfall totals for the previous two years by a lot. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5138905797224191498.post-40555716810374394392013-10-29T16:42:00.000-07:002013-10-29T16:42:07.195-07:00When the Frost is on the Punkin<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.islandbreath.org/2010Year/10/101028pumpkinfrost.jpg" height="319" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: #e1d4c1; font-family: Ariel, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Photo Credit: Juan Wilson on 28 October 2010 for Island Breath - </span><br style="background-color: #e1d4c1; font-family: Ariel, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: #e1d4c1; font-family: Ariel, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">(</span><a href="http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2010/10/frost-on-pumpkin.html" style="background-color: #e1d4c1; color: #6b3541; font-family: Ariel, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2010/10/frost-on-pumpkin.html</a><span style="background-color: #e1d4c1; font-family: Ariel, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">)</span></span><br />
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It finally happened.....Frost on the Punkin! I had to scrape a good layer of ice off my windshield this morning and our fairways, roughs and tees were covered with billions of gleaming white ice crystals when I pulled into the shop parking lot at 5:30 AM. While this frost was not quite a full-blown hard frost (the low was 33 degrees) it did put a kink in the maintenance crew's plans for the day as we had to wait a few hours before starting some of our planned tasks and ate into our head start on play a bit. Luckily it did not affect our regular 9:00 AM tee times this time around. <br />
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Following Mother Nature's cue, I figured now would be a good time to review a little bit on frost protocols here at the club as it pertains to golf course prep and tee times. Now to state the obvious, frost delays are something that none of us like to experience because as I mentioned above, it steals precious time away from the maintenance crew's head-start on play and does the same to the valuable playing time of our members. </div>
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It messes up plans for everyone involved, simple as that. </div>
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However, at the end of the day we are all in this together as we have the common goal of making sure that the golf course is looked after in order to provide the best playing conditions not just right now but next week, next month and next year as well. In order to do that, sometimes we have to make decisions that look past the short-term. Managing frost delays appropriately is one of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp57gGrZ5wKI68K5KREmD8BJo8481-pLb6BcQQlUzj-yq-FrOtVb6hETR4KoiOQ_djac5L9p1pLvwtDdO48mvHZUuZ0a-OygZZacdmAZCiTbTCKiMPKXmnyGghxFwKjjzfQdNPyTd9v8w/s1600/0DC1B9CD-C310-4807-AD91-6BFEBA20356A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp57gGrZ5wKI68K5KREmD8BJo8481-pLb6BcQQlUzj-yq-FrOtVb6hETR4KoiOQ_djac5L9p1pLvwtDdO48mvHZUuZ0a-OygZZacdmAZCiTbTCKiMPKXmnyGghxFwKjjzfQdNPyTd9v8w/s1600/0DC1B9CD-C310-4807-AD91-6BFEBA20356A.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Here is what we ask of our members and guests during frost:</b></div>
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<li>Before coming to the club to play, track the weather. A basic rule of thumb is when predicted temperatures are to be around the 40 degree mark or colder, chances of frost are high.</li>
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<li>Upon arrival at the club, please check in with the pro shop for the thumbs-up to use the range tee and putting green before starting your day. Normally, the putting green and range are among the first to clear and delays for these areas are usually minimal. We do have our covered hitting bay on the South end of the range for your use during those prolonged delays. </li>
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<li>Get confirmation from the pro shop that it is OK to tee off on the first tee before proceeding. Sometimes, things may not be what they seem. Our first two holes have tall Douglas Firs around them that block out the morning sun and significantly prolong the burn-off of frost relative to the greens that you can see around the clubhouse (putting greens, #18 and #10). </li>
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<li>Keep your cart on the cart path. Often times, we will allow play to begin before the frost has fully cleared off shady areas of our fairways and roughs (but has cleared off our greens). This is a calculated risk that we take as well as a concession that we make in the name of providing excellent customer service. Please take this request seriously and be considerate of your golf course. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo6cAnkW6E-DyE5oA6o04MaivPjuWpztM8cBnuavrTcfhi5_rxYZaD9zR2C_qTAaUlM1Ts2IUBQFN9KBCx7HQkVHamxq-ayQvF_ti4tm2W6gntzBOuzVzOzZrGke_sWjJBm9u50yk254/s1600/FE017FB9-6EAB-48E5-BEFC-4106AE76EA6D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo6cAnkW6E-DyE5oA6o04MaivPjuWpztM8cBnuavrTcfhi5_rxYZaD9zR2C_qTAaUlM1Ts2IUBQFN9KBCx7HQkVHamxq-ayQvF_ti4tm2W6gntzBOuzVzOzZrGke_sWjJBm9u50yk254/s1600/FE017FB9-6EAB-48E5-BEFC-4106AE76EA6D.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fir trees blocking morning sun on #1 green.</td></tr>
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We do our best to provide estimates of if and when frost will clear, however, this is often very difficult if not impossible to do. Truth be told, if I had the ability to predict this with 100% accuracy, I would be a self-made millionaire and probably on a beach somewhere in Hawaii. (Insert big grin here). Each frost delay is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and we will do our best to communicate the progression of the thaw-out through the pro shop. </div>
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One thing that many of us often forget is that even after the frost clears, the maintenance staff still needs to get out on the turf to prepare the course for play in front of golfers and this takes time. We do not mean to prolong the delay as our goal is to provide you and those after you with the best possible playing conditions that day whether that means mowing the greens, cutting a fresh cup or raking the bunkers. Now enough business talk, here is a nice little poem by James Whitcomb Riley (1853-1916) to get you in the mood for frost season:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"When the Frost is on the Punkin"</span></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5138905797224191498" name="5"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here—</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5138905797224191498" name="10"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5138905797224191498" name="15"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5138905797224191498" name="20"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5138905797224191498" name="25"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5138905797224191498" name="30"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></i></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—</span></i></b></td><td style="text-align: center;" valign="TOP"></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.</span></i></b></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0