Winter Preparations

We are beginning to prepare for winter on the golf course by aerating the greens using both a contracted deep tine aeration followed by our equipment using a smaller hole on a tighter spacing. These holes will allow for rapid drainage of the green surfaces during the winter months preventing against the potential for ice forming on the greens. The open channels in the soil will also provide ample space for the roots to grow this spring. The greens were rolled following these practices then topdressed with sand to begin protecting the crown of the plant from winter damage. We will continue to topdress the greens over the next few weeks as the sand works into the canopy of the turf building a layer of insulation around the crown (base) of the plant. Final applications of plant protectants for snow mold control will be applied as well in the next few weeks depending on weather conditions. The crew is finishing up their season this week but will return for one day to install the covers on the 7th and 8th greens protecting them from sleigh riders.

Deep Tine Aeration

Close Spacing Aeration

Course Update

The great fall weather stuck around for most of this week and mother nature even gave us an inch of rain on Tuesday, much needed as we are still 10 inches below normal. We were able to complete the lighting project on the front entrance columns, along the driveway, and at the front door of the clubhouse this week. As I pulled in this morning, the entrance to the club just looked great, much more inviting, safer, and the beautiful blue stone columns at the entrance finally look the way they were intended. As the season nears an end and our crew prepares to leave for the winter the water fountain from 7 tee was brought in for the season along with all the ball washers. Next week we will be removing the bunker rakes and the porch furniture for winter storage.

New this late fall season we will be aerating the greens this coming Monday utilizing a contractor to deep aerate to a depth of 9 inches followed by our machine using 1/4 inch solid tines. The greens will be then topdressed with sand preparing them for winter. This late aeration of the greens will allow us to not aggressively aerate the greens in the spring of 2017. The cold springs the past two season have created a challenge to heal the greens following the April aeration so we instead will aerfiy now thus having much better playing surfaces for the entire spring season.

November Update

We are in full fall operation now with the leaves falling and frost delays some mornings. Leaves will be the priority now that turf growth has slowed down. We are continuing to vent the greens on a weekly basis, these tiny 5mm holes create air spaces in the soil profile that allow the roots areas to grow. Do not be concerned that this will affect green speed as they have been over 11 the past 10 days. We are continuing to brush mow the greens reducing longer blades of grass producing healthier more consistent surfaces. Final applications of fertilizer being applied to greens and tees building carbohydrate reserves in the plant during the fall months producing roots and preparing us for 2017. Topdressing of tees and approaches will continue through the fall into the early winter to help firm these surfaces ahead of next season. The approval to install new lights on the entrance columns was given by the board so we will be installing the new wiring and fixtures this month.

Fall is a great time of year for turf

Fall Shade

I took these pictures today, October 26 at 10:30AM on the 5th and 6th greens. The shade in the fall is the worst on both of these greens with the 5th green at least receiving morning sunlight since we removed the trees along the houses but the 6th green receives no sunlight in the morning and only about 50% sunlight until after 11 AM.

5 Green at 10:30AM in October

6 Green at 10:30AM in October

From Dr. Danneberger at Ohio State
Managing bentgrass under golf course conditions is a challenge. Managing creeping bentgrass in
shade under the same conditions is frustrating and may be impossible. Shade not only influences the
amount of light available for plant photosynthesis but also affects light quality.

Plants absorb solar radiation as energy particles called photons. The energy of a photon depends on
the light wavelength from which it originated. Blue, green and red wavelengths provide energy for
photosynthesis. Far red wavelengths help manage plant responses to the environment. Light quality
refers to the proportions of particular wavelengths in the light environment. Changes in the
proportion of red and far red – and possibly blue – light trigger plant responses that affect plant
health.

In shade, a greater proportion of the light present is in blue and far-red wavelengths. These excesses
in blue and far-red light and a deficiency in red light cause turfgrass plants to produce thin, delicate
leaves and rapid, vertical shoot growth. These plants are usually more succulent and commonly
have a poor root system.

These circumstances and a decline in photosynthesis, combined with frequent low mowing and
nearly constant traffic, make it difficult to maintain healthy creeping bentgrass in golf course shade.
Thin, weakened leaves are easily to damage, but they regenerate slower than healthy plants. When
pressure is applied to succulent plants, cell membranes can rupture.

Turf in shade grows vertically faster, to compete with neighbour plants for light. This is a
disadvantage from an agronomical point of view. Because shoot growth is encouraged in shade,
root systems on shaded turf are shallow and sparse. Turf density is poor, and damaged areas are
slow to recover because stolon growth is poor.

Course Update

As of Saturday morning we are mowing greens at our normal height of cut and will begin using our brushes to work on the texture of the greens for the remainder of the fall season improving speed for our fall golf events. The cool nights and warm days have made the growth of the turf very strong and we are working to keep the rough in check with the recent flush of growth. Last week we had some gloomy days with a constant mist although very little measurable rain. The mist kept the surface of the turf wet and has created a large worm cast (mud) issue on the fairways which will get better with the current weather conditions. The casts from the worms smear over the turf as we mow creating muddy conditions and ruining our cutting reels on the mower. We are still in the moderate drought stage and no relief is in sight with very little rain forecasted for the next 10 days. October is a great month to plant trees and we took advantage planting 3 new trees this week, a Black Gum between 5 and 6 along with 2 Japanese maples around the 7th green complex donated by Mr. Turvey who grew them from saplings at his home. Mr. Turvey has a wealth of knowledge about trees especially Japanese Maples and his yard is close to being an arboretum, we thank Mr. Turvey for his donation and expertise.

USGA Update

Recent cooler temperatures have been a welcomed relief for turf managers, golfers and cool-season turf, which now is rebounding due to shorter days and cooler nights. However, turf recovery may take a while at some courses. It has been a difficult year and few courses escaped the season unscathed. Throughout the Northeast Region turf was damaged by drought, excessive moisture, disease and insects. Perhaps most noticeably, weed invasion at many courses hit an all-time high this year. As you review the season and evaluate what worked and what didn’t, consider the following:

• This year’s drought identified irrigation coverage problems at many courses. It has also proven that every course should have a drought emergency plan.

• Weed populations exploded as a result of temperature and moisture extremes throughout the Northeast Region. The best defense against weed invasion is to maintain dense, healthy turf. Unfortunately, the extreme conditions meant that few courses were able to maintain turf density this year. The resulting weed outbreaks helped replenish the bank of weed seed in the soil. It may take several years of intensive management to get weeds back under control.

• Annual bluegrass, creeping bentgrass, and bermudagrass can be desired species or difficult weed problems, depending on one’s perspective.

• Annual bluegrass struggled this year due to high temperatures and disease pressure.

• The high temperatures and abundant sunlight helped bermudagrass perform exceedingly well, which is excellent if it is your desired species. However, where bermudagrass is considered a weed, the favorable weather this year created more management challenges for the future.

• Bentgrass populations increased at many courses – a welcomed sight on many greens, tees and fairways. However, bentgrass populations also increased in roughs, where it is not desirable. Summer patch infections in Kentucky bluegrass opened the door for bentgrass populations to establish or spread. If summer patch caused significant issues, it may be time to switch to a turf-type tall fescue. Turf-type tall fescue is not a perfect species, but it handles warm soil temperatures and drought better than Kentucky bluegrass and it is not susceptible to summer patch. In the meantime, implement an aggressive bentgrass control program in any rough areas that have experienced bentgrass encroachment.

• Trees also suffer from drought. The effects of drought on tree populations will be felt for several years. Many trees already have failed and more will fail in the future as a result of this year’s drought. Young trees and trees with vascular problems caused by bacterial pathogens, insect damage, girdling roots or impaired root growth will be most affected. Evaluate options carefully:

• Weak trees that have been further stressed by drought may never recover – removal may be the best option.

• Not all failed trees should be replaced. Wait one full year before making a decision about replacing a tree. During that time, evaluate the loss and give golfers time to become accustomed to a more open environment.

• Beware of late season anthracnose outbreaks.

• Also, annual bluegrass weevil damage recently has been observed. While annual bluegrass weevil populations may not be high enough to warrant treatment, their presence may explain why anthracnose damage isn’t responding to fungicides.

Japanese maple at 8 tee

Play for Pink Flags

Fall Display Scarecrow wearing pink ribbon

Aeration - Update

The first few mowings on the greens following aeration we pick up mostly sand but I am happy that Wednesday's mowing had mostly grass clippings in the bucket. We will be transitioning from our sand mowers back to our normal mowers working the height of cut back to our normal heights preparing for the International Tournament. I subscribe to a weather service that shows the forecasted growth potential of the turf for the upcoming 5 days, in the spring the numbers were not good following aeration but this week the forecast is perfect for growth.

Great Growth Potential

Roots are growing following aeration

Course Update - Late September

Aeration - All the short turf areas have been aerified with greens, tees, and approaches completed in-house and Fredco Golf completing the fairways during our 3 day shut down of the course. Sand topdressing was applied to fill the holes on the greens and a topdressing of sand was applied to the approaches and tees to dilute thatch material. The greens have been brushed and rolled 4 times working the sand into the holes and smoothing the surface. Mowing will begin as the turf grows through the sand, the first few cuts will be at higher height of cut followed by the gradual lowering of the heights until our normal height is reached. The greens will be sandy and bumpy this weekend.

Oak Trees - We have 3 oak trees (1 on 3 and 2 on 5) that tested positive for Bacterial Leaf Scorch. Symptoms include marginal discoloration or scorch of leaves in late summer or early fall, often with a yellow or dark band on the inside edge of the discolored area. Symptoms are similar to those caused by drought or root issues that interfere with flow of water and nutrients. Plants may not develop symptoms for a year or two after infection, but then thinning of branches occurs and trees die within 5 to 8 years.  We will monitor these trees, prune this winter and plan for their ultimate demise down the road with replacements.

Symptoms of the Bacteria

Weather - New Jersey saw the warmest August on record in 2016 although we did have an average amount of rainfall in August, September has been very dry and also very warm. We have had temperatures consistently in the 80's along with a few in the 90's this month which is much above normal, although I am not sure there is a normal any longer. For the second fall in a row we are struggling with drought conditions and the 10-day forecast doesn't show any relief. Thankfully we received .70 inches of rain on Monday September 19th which was great for the course but forced the cancellation of the NJPGA Assistant Match Play event. 

The routine morning water show 

Course Update

Well the past few mornings have been great for the turf, the crew and myself, a nice break from the heat and humidity although that weather pattern returns on Friday. The cooler weather has allowed for some recovery of the turf and an opportunity to apply some granular fertilizer to the stressed areas on fairways along with the 5th green and 6th tee. The long stretch of hot, humid and wet weather led to some wet wilt on the fairways and general thining on the 5th green although all the areas look better responding to the fertilizer application. We also took advantage and brush-mowed the greens to help stand up the turf gaining a better cut resulting in smoother greens following the dry-ject aeration.

Tan line on left of tape measure is the Profile material from Dry-Ject

Brushes on Greensmowers

Sunrise is becoming later and later 

Aeration

The greens were dry-ject aerified yesterday similar to the past 4 seasons where a machine uses pressurized water to inject material into the greens on a 3 x 3 inch spacing. In years past we used straight sand this season we opted to inject over 9,000 pounds of Profile into the soil. Profile is an inorganic soil amendment proven on thousands of greens across the country to resist compaction, eliminate localized dry spot, promote drainage and facilitate healthy root systems that leave turf less prone to disease and other maintenance problems. A Profile particle is 74% pore space with 39% capillary (water) pores and 35% non-capillary (air) pores. Profile Porous Ceramics improve water- and nutrient-holding capabilities, increase oxygen levels at the root zone, and facilitate drainage when soils are saturated. The particles also hold water and release it as needed to the plant, delaying the need for irrigation.

The roots on the greens have shortened with the past few weeks of hot and wet weather. The past 5 days especially have not been conducive for growing good turf and the course is showing some wear in areas. Temperatures over 70 at night prevent the turf from recovering from the days hot temperatures which have been hovering around 90 degrees. We have reduced our mowing and rolling on the greens and have shorten our application schedules to give the turf the best chance to recover from the heat.

Root Depth of 3 inches Mid-August

9th Hole

All phases of construction have been completed on the 9th hole and the new bunker complex is open for play. Please follow the cart signs and obey ropes when returning to the 1st tee.

9th Hole Completed

Before and After

Before and After

The Rough

The warm humid temperatures and recent rainfall, 1 inch Monday afternoon, have caused an explosion of the disease Dollar Spot in the rough around the course. Dollar Spot is the most common disease in the Northeast and in the early morning hours the mycellium actually looks like snow and boy do I wish it was snow. The good news is that we treat greens, tees, approaches, and fairways for this disease and we are clear of any disease in those areas. If the weather pattern continues we will consider spot treating these areas of the rough otherwise our Labor Day application of fertilizer in the rough will help grow out these areas from damage.

Active Dollar Spot

The greens will continue to be a little slower for the rest of the week as we are only single mowing them in the mornings. We will return to our normal mowing and rolling of the greens Saturday morning. A little defense now will ensure success for the remainder of the season. For those attending the PGA Championship this weekend enjoy all that major golf has to offer.

Mid-July Course Update

The course has been receiving a good amount of rain so far in July with over 3 inches to date but the typical hazy, hot, and humid for July have also been in full effect. Excessive moisture during periods of hot and humid weather is not good for turf especially the roots and pocketed areas around greens are prime for these conditions. We have been running the clubs new portable 50" fan behind the 6th green to help the rear portion of the green that normally thins out during summer. Untreated rough areas also have disease present in the form of Dollar Spot due to the wet and humid weather. All the short turf is protected from this disease. Here is the update from the USGA concerning our area: Oh Boy, Here comes the Heat

 I am asked many questions and receive complaints about aeration in the spring and fall along with comments when we dry-ject the greens in August but the photo below shows how we are making improvements in the soil profile. 7 plus inch long roots coming from a deep tine aeration hole on the 5th green in mid-July.

 Aeration is a cumulative process, thankfully we have been on an aggressive program for 4 years because this week we had a fast moving intense thunderstorm that not only knocked down 2 trees on the 8th hole and 1 tree in the parking lot but it brought over a half inch of rain. Following the storm I was back on the course and there was no standing water on the greens. This is very important because the sun returned following the storm and it was a steamy 88 degrees until dusk.

 The past 10 days was not only difficult weather wise but we were in full construction mode on the 9th hole finishing the final phase, the replacement bunker complex for the Silver Maple. Once the new bunker feature is open for play, the fairway will be 55 feet wide on the left now (same width as the 3rd fairway) and the bunker will play 45 yards to the center of the green. PLEASE DO NOT WALK IN THE ROPED AREA NOT EVEN FOR YOUR BALL July is a difficult month to maintain established turf and extremely difficult to maintain an area of sod. Any damage to the sod while its tender will kill the turf and prolong the time its closed for play. As a member please remind those in your group not to enter the roped area.

Course Update -July 1st

The course went 18 days with no rain in the month of June with warm temperatures, low humidity, and at times breezy conditions, perfect weather for golf but the turf requires plenty of moisture during periods like this. A lucky string of events started this week with verticutting the greens followed by a wetting agent spray Monday on greens, approaches, tees and fairways followed by two tenths of inch of rain Monday night then 2.2 inches of rain Tuesday night. The greens were flushed of all the sodium build up thanks to the deluge and the women were still able to have their member guest tournament with no delays on reasonably smooth putting surfaces. Areas of the rough and bunkers that have weak or no irrigation are bouncing back thanks to the rain and we have been able to keep the irrigation system turned off for the past 4 nights after relying heavily on the system for most of June. I was thankful every morning to see the system running at full capacity thanks to the capital investments on both of the club's pumping stations and wells implemented over the past two winters.

			Madison Golf Club
			Rainfall Month to Month
Year	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	Total
2011	6.75	6.1	4.05	3.6	17.95	8.3	3.05	4.6	54.4
2012	3.75	6.45	3.35	2.3	4.45	4.95	5.2	0.7	31.15
2013	2.35	7.25	9.4	5.9	5.05	2.75	0.8	0.95	34.45
2014	5.78	6.15	5.05	6.85	2.5	3.1	4.05	1.8	35.28
2015	1.38	1.7	7.4	1.8	2.35	4.6	4.8	2.1	26.13
2016	1.75	3.6	3.8

I recently found an interesting map of the past few years showing the rain deficit for the east coast and it matches up to my records fairly accurately.

Our irrigation water has higher levels of sodium and calcium then we would like but that's the cards we are dealt. The issues begin during long periods without rain and large use of our irrigation water like we had in June. Sodium is predominant to potassium and the turf is attempting to substitute sodium where possible creating weak stomates increasing water consumption, decreasing leaf thickness and suppressing growth. The chart below shows our in-ground sensors picking up the sodium being flushed from the recent rain events.

The two pictures below are from wednesday morning after the 2.2" rain event. The bunkers on the 8th hole do not have liners and they washed out yet the bunkers on 9 fairway with liners had no washouts. The liners are working and keeping the bunkers free of contaminants.

8 Greenside Bunker Washed Out

9 Fairway Bunker no wash-outs

Course Update

Summer officially begins tomorrow but summer-like conditions have already arrived with temperatures in the upper 80's to lower 90's predicted for the next few days. The good news is the night time temperatures are nice and cool. This week we had a visit from Steve McDonald of Turf Grass Disease Solutions, who helped sample the golf course for annual bluegrass weevils, the single biggest pest on the course. Steve visits over 300 courses annually and conducts independent research for many manufacturers and the USGA. I discussed with Steve our disease and insect control program along with nutrient and aeration management issues. Steve was able to recommend a different product to help with the weeds in the native areas along with providing a better theory of how the calcium in our irrigation water is affecting the potassium levels in the soil. We are monitoring the nutrient levels through our bi-weekly tissue testing program.

Steve using his weevil vacuum on #2

 The late spring has brought little rain with little rain in the forecast bringing us to the Moderate Drought Level. Currently we are not facing any restrictions in regards to irrigation although we will continue to use hoses to water certain areas reducing the amount of water we are consuming.

The image below is from the USGA and describes water usage around the golf course.

Course Update

The weather is really perfect and unexpected for this time of year but that goes with the theme of the 2016 season which is nothing has been normal, but I will take 50 degree night time temperatures in June as long as I can. Greens have been verticut the last two Monday's removing longer straglers of turf smoothing the surface and creating more upright turf for better playability and health of the greens. We will be topdressing the greens this week continuing to follow our organic matter dilution program. The program has different parts including aeration, topdressing, verticutting, brushing, venting, and Dry-jecting.

Tuesday June 14th you may encounter some sprinklers running during play. We will be conducting a certified flow test of our two wells as required by our water allocation permit issued by the NJ State DEP. A certified contractor will use an external portable flow meter to ensure that our permanent fixed flow meters are accurate. We record the amount of water we use monthly on both wells and report these values to the DEP at the end of the year. The state requires we have our flow meters calibrated and certified on a 3 year basis.

Hard to imagine the 9th Hole without the bunkers on the left

June USGA Update

Spring in the Northeast Region always is unpredictable. While dry conditions and cool temperatures have been welcomed compared to the wet weather last season, exceptionally dry weather in New England and parts of Canada has some superintendents worrying about rainfall this summer. Although a severe drought has not occurred in the Northeast Region for more than 15 years, a Drought-Emergency Plan is a document every golf facility should develop in case dry weather progresses into a drought.

Putting surfaces are performing well throughout the Northeast Region and Poa annua seedheads will diminish over the next few weeks. Many superintendents will begin to regularly topdress and groom putting greens to keep them smooth and firm through the summer. These programs help smooth imperfections created by seedheads, ball marks and traffic but can be challenging for superintendents to schedule during a busy golf calendar. Golfers should be patient if topdressing or grooming are performed during or just prior to their round.

Golf courses with bermudagrass playing surfaces are experiencing a slow transition this spring due to below-average temperatures in May. This has resulted in more weeds and traffic stress because bermudagrass has not been rapidly growing. The situation will improve as temperatures begin to increase.

Perhaps the biggest topic of discussion among superintendents in the Northeast Region is the absence of annual bluegrass weevils. The hope is that annual bluegrass weevil populations are low due to early spring temperature fluctuations, but superintendents should continue to meticulously scout. Annual bluegrass weevil larvae have been observed and damage could quickly develop. 

Memorial Day Update

If anyone saw spring let me know because it feels like we went from winter to summer. May 16th we had frost and May 25th it was 90 degrees. The recent shot of heat has really woken up the golf course and things are really growing now. The past 7 days or so we are getting a consistent amount of clippings from the greens and they have been rolling between 10 and 11 feet daily. We will be lightly verticutting the greens on Tuesday since we are closed followed by some potassium and wetting agent applications. The wetting agent helps evenly distribute water in the soil of the greens following irrigation and rain events. Potassium is slightly low according to our tissue tests so just giving the turf what it needs.

Two reminders, please not use the divot mix in the rough and please use the stands next to the greens for the flag sticks on Memorial Day due to the American Flags. If the weather is not good the American Flags will not be placed out on Monday. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the weather and conditions at the course this weekend and let's take a few minutes to remember what Memorial Day is all about.

Lifting Fog

3 Green in the Fog

Fine Fescue Trial

I have started a trial area located on the hill behind the 5th tee in the "native area". My goal for a long time has been to develop a plan for the out of the way "native areas" to have a fine fescue stand that a wayward golf ball could still be found and played. A colleague of mine in Colorado tried a method using a post hole digger to plant fescue on 1 foot centers allowing for a great look and have playability. The method is labor intensive but inexpensive. The area is totally killed of all vegetation with just small holes dug on 1 foot centers for the fescue. I have tried a small area to monitor this season with the goal of expanding this fall. The fescue for this area is a mix of sheep, hard, and red fescue while our fescue for our normal rough areas is tall fescue.

Existing Turf Killed, Seed planted

Seed Germinated

Finished product - Country Club of the Rockies
Photo courtesy of Kevin Ross

Blossoms at Madison

Forecast calls for a dreary weekend, so here are some blossoms to help fight the weather

Recovery in Full Swing

Its been 12 days since we finished aerification of the greens and we are starting to see some growth  with clippings in the buckets instead of just sand. I know its frustrating to many members putting over holes and through sand but the weather controls growth, plain and simple. No amount of fertilizer will increase growth if the soil is too cold, extra fertility during cold periods only builds in the soil until the warm weather arrives causing a flush of growth with slow unhealthy putting surfaces. I have attached two charts below that show the Cool GP or growth potential of cool season turf. The charts clearly show this week will be much better for growing turf then last week with red indicating temperatures too cold for growth, yellow indicating some temperature stress, and green for good growth potential.

As a reminder please fill your divots on tees and fairways with the mix provided and please look for your ball marks on the greens and repair them properly.

Last weeks growth potential - all red/yellow

This weeks growth potential - green/yellow

2016 Spring Aeration Update

Last week was not the best weather for aeration week between rain and freezing temperatures but we were able to complete aeration to all playing surfaces. Not much recovery was seen last week as the temperatures were fairly cold but this week things should begin to recover with the warmer temperatures. We will begin mowing the greens again on Wednesday although they will still have some sand and be bumpy for a few more days. The tees have been treated with a pre-emergent crabgrass product allowing us to begin filling divots this week. As a reminder only use divot mix on the tees and in the fairways, NEVER in the rough. We are adding some dried compost to the divot mix this season to help increase the germination and recovery time. Dried pelletized compost has also been added to collars and select tees this season at aeration to help increase moisture holding and aid in traffic tolerance.

We have two irrigation projects we will be completing this week allowing us to finish the area around the new fence behind 5 green. I am hopeful the remaining plant material needed to finish the area at the first tee will be available next week so we can finally finish up our spring projects and turn our full attention to golf course maintenance.

Please be mindful where you are using the push carts, they should remain 10 yards away from greens either in the rough or on cart paths. Please do not push the carts across tee and green surfaces.

Course Update

We have been having some warm days yet most of the nights are still pretty cool so turf growth has been sporadic. We have planted the majority of the new trees to replace some of the trees we removed during the winter. I am waiting for some additional plant material to finish the area by the 1st tee but the nursery has not received their shipment yet. We have installed new irrigation on the right side bunkers of 8 green along with the mounding area between the clubhouse and 9 fairway.

 A couple of things about the weather, the ball washers will not be placed out until the threat of freezing temperatures is gone, a week from today temperatures will be in the 20's with a chance of snow. The weather system forecasted for next week coincides with our aeration days so it will be a waiting game to see how much we can get finished depending on the hand mother nature deals us. The divot buckets will be placed out on the tees following the aeration the tees next week. We have received the permit for the fence behind 5 green, work will start on that project tomorrow. Spring is a funny season perfect golf weather one day with frigid and snowy weather the next. We have a full crew now and we will be completing as much maintenance everyday based upon the weather.

Course Update and USGA Regional Update

The season seems to be moving right along much different then last spring when on March 17th we were removing ice from the 6th green. The greens have been mowed 4 times this season and rolled twice with the club's new "two-wheel drive" roller. The rest of the short turf has also been mowed and the course is beginning to green up. The crew has been hard at work clearing the stump grindings, adding topsoil where needed and seeding. New trees and plant material is on order and should be arriving next week. The fence project behind 5 green has received zoning approval from the borough and we are currently awaiting our building permit. Carts will available this weekend if your thinking about braving the cold weather. We have a Welcome Back cocktail party at the club Tuesday March 22nd at 7 PM and I hope see you there.

New Roller in Action

Let's Tee It Up... But
Remember It Is Only MarchMON MAR 14 01:26:00 EDT 2016By Adam Moeller, agronomist, Northeast Region

The early spring weather is being welcomed by golfers who are taking advantage of the courses that have opened early throughout the Northeast Region. The early start to the season has allowed many superintendents to complete post-winter course cleanup ahead of schedule. However, most facilities are not fully staffed, so getting course conditions to a level that meets peak-season expectations will be very challenging. The season is roughly three weeks ahead of schedule and, as a result, many superintendents are a few weeks away from having their full seasonal staffs. Remember, bringing staff back earlier than anticipated will have significant budgetary impacts.

Even with ample staff, opening putting greens to early spring play is a tough decision. A significant amount of play on putting greens that are not actively growing, or not growing fast enough to recover from wear, may lead to thin turf and bumpy surfaces. Do not hesitate to keep putting greens closed if they are not growing enough to handle traffic.

Several golf course maintenance practices may need to be examined and adjusted because of the early start to the season.Poa annua seedhead suppression and weed/pest-control programs may need to be initiated earlier than anticipated if the warm spring weather persists. This may result in a more applications than originally budgeted.

The early start to the golf season may stimulate revenue but it is crucial to acknowledge that staffing and/or potential budget restrictions might limit course conditions at your facility. Golfers should enjoy the early season but must be patient with course conditions. Remember, it is only March.  

Early Spring Conditions

After two years of getting a late start to the season this year looks to be starting a bit different. We brought back half of the crew a week early to begin getting the course cleaned up. The weather will be fantastic this week and I am sure many of you will be out to play but please keep in mind it takes a couple of week to get everything cleaned up and begin regular maintenance. Our well project has been completed with the installation of the new well shaft, pump, and discharge head. Completion of this project will provide the club with reliable water source for the next 20 years. The fence project behind 5 green is half way with the trees being removed including the logs and the stumps have been ground. The fence will be installed in the next few week so please be mindful that we currently do not have a fence behind the green and we do not want golf balls landing in the neighbor's yard. Thank you for your understanding until we can finish this project.

I will be attending the MGC Green Chairman Education Series with Ken Ryan from the greens committee on Thursday at Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, NY. I always enjoy going back to Willow Ridge as it was my first assistant superintendent job. The seminar includes speakers from the USGA green section, Cornell University, and world renowned golf course architect Tom Doak. The day should be a great experience.

New Well Shaft Installation

Tree Management - 2016

For those that attended the annual meeting or have driven by the club you have noticed the removal of trees along the driveway and may be wondering "what is Pat doing now." I will explain all of our tree management work for this winter.

• Removed the dying plums along the driveway and the dying Silver Maple at the first tee.The plums will be replaced with more serviceberry trees to form a grove of serviceberry trees from the entrance all the way to the parking lot. The Silver Maple will be replaced with a Tricolor Beech along with additional landscaping at the 1st tee.
• Pruning of Honey Locust at the 3rd tee. Pruning of Beech at 3 green.
• Removal of black locust and wild cherry at 4 tee to be replaced with miscanthus tall grasses similar to the right of 4 green
• Removal of wild cherry in native area behind 5 tee (not the flowering cherry) area will be planted with fine fescue using a new method to create playable fescue areas
• Removed 4 dying plums at 5 forward tee to be replaced with Redbud trees.
• Pruning of 3 oaks and 1 maple between 5/6 for playability, safety, and health of the trees
• Removal of large white pine right of 9 fairway close to clubhouse. Irrigation will be added bringing the existing mounding back into play with maintained rough

Remaining tree work still to be completed is the removal of select trees behind the 5th green followed by the installation of a new fence. This project will clean up the area behind 5 green and 6 tee along with adding better playability.

Removals at 1st tee

Oaks being climbed for pruning

Removal of pine on 9

Serviceberry planted along driveway

Tricolor beech to be planted at 1st tee

Redbud to be planted at 5 forward tee

Well Shaft Replacement Project

The replacement of the well shaft at the Garfield Ave. pump station began just before the holidays with a crane removing the motor, discharge head, 250 feet of pipe, and the bowl assembly. The results of the inspection were what we assumed they would be for a pump that is 17 years old. The discharge head, 250 feet of pipe and bowl assembly will be replaced with the motor being re-used. The motor is easy to service and was rebuilt only four years ago. The replacement materials should arrive back to MGC in the next few weeks.

This Saturday is the Annual Meeting at the clubhouse beginning at 10AM. Reports will be given about the golf course, tournamnets, clubhouse, women's and senior divisions, membership, and financials. I hope to see everyone on Saturday.