Late this fall we had an issue with the water line for the cart building which is supplied from the maintenance building. The line completely failed so we decided to replace the entire line last week as the age of the original pipe was unknown. The water is used daily to wash the carts after each time they are used.
Our equipment manager, Mike, has started his winter work of services, rebuilding rollers, and grinding of all the cutting reels. Mike's first project was a total rebuild of the engine heads including replacing the valve train on our Pro Force blower. We are very fortunate to have Mike on our staff.
In preparation for the winter I have vented the greens with Bayonet tines allowing for gas exchange while the weather remains warm but most important these holes will allow water to drain off the surface preventing buildup of ice. These Bayonet tines have a large surface area but being long in shape are less disruptive then a round hole. Topdressing applications of sand will continue to be made leading up to snow cover. These applications are much heavier then we use during the season but the end results are insulation of the turf during winter and firmer playing surfaces next season.
The soil senors located in certain greens were removed for the fall to allow for easier aeration and maintenance practices but have been re-installed to monitor soil moisture and temperature. We have sensors in greens that will be covered and not covered this winter allowing us to track the difference in soil temperatures aiding in our decision whether or not to remove snow on the greens as we approach spring.
Our golf professional Craig captured this sunset during an afternoon round taking advantage of last weeks warm weather. Some good preparation for his tournaments in Florida next month.