McNeil

Our architect Robert McNeil was on-site today to check on the work.

Not a bad First Day

Construction is going well with the nice weather. Tomorrow will be a different ballgame.

Construction

Construction has started on 2 and 4 greens. Please obey all signs and temporary greens. Thanks

Carts

We will not have carts today after receiving 2.25 inches of rain. That is a large amount  of rain for summer months but with the cool weather and short days of fall the course is simply too wet and will not dry. Please call the pro shop for updates on carts for Thanksgiving Day.

Holes 2 and 4

The tree work behind the 4th green and the tree work on the right side and behind the 2nd green have been completed. The greens will be open along with the 3rd tee for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Beginning on Monday November 28th the construction crew will begin their work so temporary greens and tees will be in play. Please respect these designated areas as safety is most important for the workers. We have held off on this bunker and irrigation project until late in the season to reduce the amount of impact it will have on the golf course. Thank you for your patience and enjoy your holiday.

Construction

The trees behind 4 green are being removed to allow for more sunlight and air movement on the green surface. A wooden fence will replace the trees in combination with the bunker and irrigation project starting next week.

Winter Preperation

By Jim Skorulski, senior agronomist, Northeast Region
November 16, 2011

Late fall offers an excellent opportunity to plant deciduous trees that are or near dormant. A large sugar maple tree is being carefully transplanted to a more favorable site at The Country Club last week.

It is hard to believe it is mid November with the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner.  This year provided heavy snow, spring flooding, 100 plus degree temperatures, a tornado, an earthquake, a tropical storm and hurricane, and a freak winter storm has many of us wondering: what’s next?
To say the extreme weather has taken its toll on the Northeast states is an understatement. The physical, emotional and financial strains have been difficult. The landscape in many areas has changed forever, and repairs and clean-up will continue for a long time. But life goes on and so too the preparations for the inevitable winter weather that is ahead.
Late fall is a time when the grass is supposed to gradually acclimate to cold temperature. During this time we hope the plants are exposed more consistently to temperatures at or just below freezing temperatures during the day. Turf growth rates will continue to decline in the next few weeks, and there should be a gradual transition towards the purpling and khaki colors associated with winter dormancy. Maximum cold temperature acclimation is achieved in early winter when the plants are exposed to colder (below freezing) temperatures. Some areas have experienced colder temperatures already, but temperatures have not been consistently cold enough yet to make managers comfortable that the turf is ready for what lies ahead.

Winter Covers
Those who utilize cover systems to protect annual bluegrass from cold temperature injury are being challenged by the warmer-than-usual temperatures. Installing the covers too early will prevent the plants from fully acclimating to the cold; waiting too long risks headaches associated with a significant frost layer or a flash snow storm. Managers utilizing covering systems are encouraged to wait until a colder and more consistent weather pattern sets up in the region. That may not be until December in central and southern parts of the region, but courses further north are probably closing in on the time when covers need to be installed. Waiting an extra week in my opinion is worth the risk.

Temporary Greens
Now is the time to develop temporary greens that will be used for winter play. Temporary greens are never popular with most golfers, but are the best means to protect the primary greens after the turf is dormant and there is frost in the ground. Take advantage of the warmer weather to topdress and roll the temporary greens, the winter golfers will appreciate it!
Most, if not all, aeration practices have been completed by this time. Late fall topdressing also has gained popularity as a means to apply more sand to playing surfaces without disrupting play or damaging mowing equipment. The late season topdressings may also protect the plants from wind desiccation and warm the surface more quickly in spring. You are fooling yourself, however, if you try to use the late fall application to compensate for limited or no topdressing in season. Sporadic topdressing with heavier rates of sand creates distinct layers in the root zone and does not produce the homogonous soil mix provided with more frequent and light topdressings. Avoid dragging or aggressive brushing once the turf is dormant. Finally, consider dimple seeding the greens prior to the final dressing. The extra step will not require much additional labor or cost, and can provide new bentgrass seedlings in spring.         

Tree Evaluations
Late fall also is a good time to evaluate your tree plantings. The October snow storm probably culled most of your weak trees or severely damaged those with susceptible branching. Use this time to evaluate the condition of the trees and look for poor branch structure and external signs of internal decay. Trees shading playing areas or encroaching into sight lines or play corridors should also be noted so that action to remove or prune the trees can be taken in the next few weeks or over winter.
The Green Section Northeast Region thanks you for your interaction and support this season, and we hope that we have been helpful to you in this year of extremes. We wish you all a relaxing Thanksgiving holiday and let us hope that the winter ahead is a little more kind and gentle.

Irrigation

Today we blew out the irrigation system in preparation for the winter season. Storr Tractor will be tomorrow to winterize the pump stations.

Frost

930 AM and the back of the 8th green is still frozen. The Cypress trees affect the green at all times of the year.

Update Concerning Holes 5 and 6 from the Greens Committee

The storm of last week caused significant damage to many trees on the golf course. Pat Quinlan and his crew began cleaning up fallen limbs immediately after the storm and did a fantastic job of having the course playable in short order. The limbs stacked at the end of the maintenance driveway and at other locations will provide a perspective on the amount of work done.

Unfortunately a number of limbs have either broken off but remained lodged in the trees or have partially snapped. In either case they present a hazard to golfers. This condition is at its worst among the trees between holes 5 and 6. Due to the factors of equipment availability, ground conditions, the cost of emergency response, and the approaching end of the golf season, removal of these limbs will be delayed until the winter months when most of our other tree work is scheduled.

Meanwhile, we have shortened these two holes to par 3’s with the tee to be placed at the top of each hole beyond the area of trees between the holes. That area will be roped off and will be deemed unplayable.

Tree Work

Greenwood is here today removing the fallen oak on the 5th hole. There are still many other hazardous tree on 5 and 6 that will force us to play them as par 3.

USGA Update

The Frost Is On The Pumpkin

By David A. Oatis, director, Northeast Region
November 3, 2011


I am tempted to suggest that the recent freak snowstorm in the Northeast Region is “the icing on the cake” as far as weather extremes are concerned in this region, but with two more months to go, and heaven knows how many more records could be set, I am reluctant to do so.  Is it possible to set another record for the greatest number of weather-related records being set in a single year?
For now, I will not complain too much about the tree damage and the widespread power outages.  However, a mere three days without power in our neighborhood has taught me a number of valuable lessons:

• I love hot showers!
• I love hot showers in my own home best of all!
• Electricity is a wonderful thing!
• Candlelight may be romantic, but it’s darn hard to read by!
• A 7-year-old, dust-covered and never-used generator that takes up too much room in the garage is a wonderful thing!
• My wife will never complain about the generator taking up too much space again!

On a more serious note, the recent heavy, wet snow that blanketed many areas of the Northeast Region obviously wreaked havoc with trees and utilities.  This is the same phenomena that occurred in Buffalo, New York a few years ago, and the effects suffered by the trees are still being felt there.  I doubt there will be any impact on the turfgrass in the Northeast Region, but weaker, soft-wooded tree species with poor structure (see the Bradford pear trees from my neighborhood) have been severely affected.  Unfortunately, even healthy, good quality trees can suffer damage as a result of the weight of the snow on top of leaf-filled canopies.  The event obviously will generate tremendous costs for some courses as a result of cleanup, but there will likely be longer-term costs for some courses.  Trees that are severely damaged and not removed will eventually sucker out.  The suckers never form a strong point of attachment, so these trees will generate more debris and require more trimming in the future.  Damaged areas of trees can also be colonized by wood-rotting fungi, which further weaken the tree and its structure.  Undoubtedly, some courses will choose to keep damaged trees in the short term, but severely damaged trees may never fully recover. 

Source:  Northeast Region Green Section- Dave Oatis, Director doatis@usga.org; Adam Moeller, Agronomist amoeller@usga.org Jim Skorulski, Senior Agronomist jskorulski@usga.org. 

Course Update

Due to the hazardous conditions of the trees on hole 5 and 6 they will be closed until further notice. The holes on the clubhouse side of course will be open unless the greens are snow covered. The 8th hole will be temporary until the snow melts.
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Trees cont.

Oak on the right of 5 fairway. Greenwood will remove this tree.
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Tree Work

The oaks between 2 and 3 fairways.
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