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.

Gearing Down

Two of the most important days for the maintenance staff is irrigation start-up in the spring and irrigation blow-out in the fall. Thankfully both went well this season as the irrigation system was used very frequently with the dry conditions that prevailed for the majority of the summer and fall months. The board of governors has approved the replacement of the well shaft at the pumping station on Garfield Ave which will take place in early December. Please follow the blog for updates on that project. I track the rainfall amounts from April 1 to Nov 1 yearly and this season we are 8-10 inches below the previous 6 seasons. I am very surprised the talk of drought has quieted as we are still very dry and the reservoirs continue to be below normal. The crew will finish up next week and be laid off until the spring. The greens will continue to be prepared for winter through topdressing, venting, and snow mold protection. Course accessories are being brought in for storage as night time temperatures will be at near or below freezing temperatures. The grounds staff would like to wish all the members a Happy Thanksgiving.

Irrigation Blowout with Red Maple in her fall glory

Drought Map for Northeast

Frost a Possibility for the Weekend

The night time temperatures will be dipping below 40 degrees this weekend so the presence of frost will be a concern over the weekend and for the remainder of the season. The following is from the USGA and explains why frost is an issue on the golf course:

Frost is essentially frozen dew. Ice crystals visible on the outside of the plant can also form on the inside of grass blades. The grass plant, normally resilient to footsteps or cart traffic, becomes brittle and fragile when ice crystals form. Under the pressure of traffic, ice crystals puncture living plant tissues and rupture plant cells. Damage will not appear right away, but it will show up in footsteps and tire tracks the following days as the plant is unable to repair itself and begins to die. Frost damage can occur on any turfgrass mowed at any height but it is amplified when the plant is mowed low, as on a putting green. In a best-case scenario, damage will be limited to leaf blades only, which will eventually disappear once active turf growth resumes. However, if the plant crown, or growing point of the plant, is compromised, damage will be more severe and recovery could take months.

Please check with the golf shop before traveling to the club during the morning hours. The practice green and the rough around the practice green are included in frost delays. Please do not walk on any turf if frost signs are posted without checking with the golf shop.

USGA Update

                                                The Original Solar Panels
                                                                 By
                     Jim Skorulski, agronomist, Northeast Region September 29, 2015

Plant leaves are the original solar panels with the amazing ability to absorb the sun’s energy and convert it into simple carbon molecules – i.e., sugars – that are used for growth and other functions. Like the solar panels we use to produce electricity, plant leaves require maximum light absorption for optimal photosynthesis.No person investing in solar panels would have them placed in an area that does not receive full sun exposure. Yet, it is easy to take for granted the impacts of shade on a plant’s ability to synthesize the energy it requires for normal growth. Full sun exposure is especially critical for close-cut, dense putting green turf. The fall season is a great time to review shade patterns across your playing surfaces and take action to provide at least eight to 10 hours of full sun exposure daily to all greens through the entirety of the season.

The arrival of fall has brought with it cooler seasonal temperatures which are much welcomed by weak-rooted turf and surfaces that are recovering from late season damage. Cooler nighttime temperatures and shorter day length also trigger turfgrass to begin producing new roots and storing sugars that will help it survive flash freezes, hydration events and ice cover that have caused severe turf loss at many courses over the past two seasons. Tough weather can be expected in the winter months ahead,so now is time to focus on maintenance practices that favor carbohydrate storage and avoid those that force plants to spend energy reserves. Here are some important practices to help that process:
          • Maximize sun exposure
          • Begin raising mowing heights in increments of 0.05-0.1 inch. Higher mowing heights will increase the size of the solar panel – i.e., leaf blade. Bigger leaf blades are better for accumulating carbohydrates. Mowing heights can be increased in increments through the remainder of fall. Keep in mind that raising the mowing height in late fall, after the turf has gone dormant,will provide little benefit for carbohydrate storage.
          • Provide potassium where soils are deficient. This can be accomplished through granular applications or spoon-feeding programs.
          • Avoid high rates of granular nitrogen in more northern areas of the Northeast Region. Fertility priorities on golf courses located in southern parts of the Northeast Region, or those who will be aerating greens in the coming weeks,will be different. Keep granular nitrogen applications at 0.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet on greens or spoon feed with lighter rates of soluble fertilizers to meet the growth needs of your turf.

The fall season can provide some of the best playing conditions of the season. It also is the time to get turfgrass “solar panels” in good working condition to prepare for the long winter ahead.