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.

Course Update

The winter season is starting much different then last year with temperatures more like September and no snow on the ground or in the forecast. We have delayed many of the closing procedures as long as possible and some like putting the covers on the 7th and 8th greens simply has to wait until the temperatures drop to normal levels. All of the course accessories have been brought in with the exception of the flags which will remain on the greens until we get snowy weather.

 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.