What A difference A Week Makes!

The golf course was closed for four days from August 18th thru August 21st in order for grounds maintenance to perform the second of two aerifications this summer. While never popular, this is necessary for long-term health and playability. I posted numerous photos last week showing our activity and "destruction." I was pleased with the end results of the work performed and I am also pleased with the recovery. The grass looks healthy and the golf course is well on its way to returning to its excellent condition.

During the closure we also took the opportunity to construct a new forward tee on number 13. We have a target date of October 1st for opening this tee. 

For those interested, I had the pleasure of appearing as a guest on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio last week on Katrek & Maginnes On Tap. For those who missed the original broadcast you can find it by clicking on "Kevin Sunderman" at the following link: PGATOURRadio-KevinSundermanInterview

   New Forward Tee on #13 

   15 Green Last Week

   15 Green This Week

   9 Fairway Last Week

   9 Fairway This Week

Coming to an End

It's been a long week for the grounds maintenance department but that activities of aerification week are coming to an end. We continue to work on the clean-up but the bulk of the work is complete. While conditions will be a little rough for a couple of weeks, we should see a little recovery every day. Thank you for your patience and understanding that this is for the benefit of your golf course. 

   Pedro and Arturo clean up the last of the aerification plugs.

   We used plugs on #8 fairway to improve the thin areas along the cartpath.

   #9 Fariway on Thursday following verticutting

   #9 Fairway on Saturday morning already starting to green up.

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

The work continues for the grounds crew as we work towards the completion of aerification week. The title of this post is "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder." That describes the results of the aerification process very well. I am very happy with the progress this week and consider it to be one of the best aerifications and vertical mows we've ever had. We were able to incorporate sand into the aerification holes up to 4+ inches deep. The sand helps the holes to maintain their integrity which prolongs the benefits achieved through aerification. This will help to improve the movement of air, water and nutrients within the soil. A good deal of thatch was removed from the greens but an immense amount of thatch was removed from the fairways! Especially with the significant amount rain this summer, the grass tends to grow so fast that it grows on top of itself as opposed to growing on top of the soil. We were able to harvest a great deal of thatch from the fairways which should result in improved health and playability once they recover. While I'm excited, I realize that golfers may not see things in the same light. I assure you that the short term pains felt following aerification yield long term gains in aesthetics and playability! Full recovery typically takes a couple of weeks.

   15 Green with holes full of sand

   Dillon aerifying 5 tee

   Fernando running the fairway verticutter

   Lines where the verticutter pulled up thatch

   1 Fairway following a verticut and mowing

   Chris putting the final touches on grading the new forward tee on #13

The Work Continues...

At the end of day two of the course closure we have completed pulling cores from the greens, more fairways were verticut and we began aerifying tees and green surrounds. 

Today we are working on incorporating sand into the empty holes on the greens. We continue to aerify tees and surrounds and verticut fairways. Assistant Superintendent, Chris Hewitt, is working on renovation of the Red/Gold tee on #13. In between all of this the crew also begins the cleanup efforts to haul the debris removed during the fairway verticutting. 

   Sand on #14 green ready for incorporation into the holes

   #9 tee following aerification

   Here lies the pile of thatch removed from #1 fairway. That's a lot of loads to haul! 

Turn the Radio Up? Aerification Day #1 is Complete!

For those who listen to SiriusXM Radio, I will be a guest on PGA TOUR Radio on Katrek & Maginnes on Tap at 6:00pm this evening, August 19. You can find PGA TOUR Radio on Sirius #208 / XM #92. I will have the opportunity to speak with Brian and John about current regulations impacting the golf industry and look forward to being their guest.

Yesterday was day #1 of our aerification. It was a long, hot day for the maintenance crew but they managed to get a good start. While it's not fun for anyone, aerification is a necessary practice for the long-term success of turf management, especially on putting greens. Serving multiple purposes, aerification is primarily performed to create space for air, water and nutrients to move into the soil as well as thatch removal from the green surfaces. This promotes healthy turfgrass and superior putting surfaces throughout the golfing season.

   Arturo is happy to be on his last green for the day.

   #9 Green has been aerified and the fairway verticut.

   #9 fairway following vertical mowing.

Grounds Update

Towards the end of last week there were a few greens that experienced some drought stress. Yes, we've recently received some significant rainfall but greens are built to drain quickly. Irrigation on these stressed greens most likely occurred just a few hours too late. A program has been put into place to promote recovery. What doesn't readily recover will be repaired following aerification.

Speaking of aerification, the golf course will be closed August 18th thru August 21st for the second of two aerifications this summer. Greens, tees and surrounds will be aerified and the fairways will be verticut. While not popular amongst golfers, aerification is a necessary practice for maintaining a healthy golf course. The golf course will reopen August 22nd for play. Please expect a couple of weeks for full recovery.

Finally, due to the significant rainfall the past few weeks we have been "cart path only" several days. As a result it appears that there are a few more unfilled divots than normal. It would be greatly appreciated if you would take the time to fill any divots you may come across. Thanks!

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

A couple of weeks ago we really needed rain and finally received some. Then we we received some more, and more and more! July brought us a total rainfall of 12.55" with 11.75" coming during the past two weeks. It has rained 14 of the last 18 days with more heading this way. Fortunately, the forecast is calling for a return to a more normal summertime pattern later this week and it will be welcomed.

With all this rain it is obvious that the golf course is wet. We are very fortunate that we have received less rainfall than many of the neighboring courses to the north. I'm aware of some courses that have been closed for the past two weeks and some even have greens completely submerged under flood waters! We are also fortunate that Isla drains very well. With all that being said, we are definitely waterlogged at this point. We've done well to eliminate many of the areas for standing water by installing drainage last year, but now the soils simply are saturated. Because our soils are sandy, once we stop receiving precipitation we should dry out quickly. In the meantime I appreciate all of you for understanding when we have cart restrictions to drive on the paths only. I know it is inconvenient but we are looking to make short-term sacrifices for the long-term success of our golf course. The grounds department surveys course conditions and communicates the appropriate restrictions to the golf shop. While some areas may be dry enough to operate golf carts there are many areas that are prone to rutting and possibly getting carts stuck. While sometimes it is possible to restrict cart traffic on just a few holes, there are other times when the problem areas are too widespread to do so. While you may have played a few holes and not encountered many wet areas in the specific areas you have travelled, the grounds department has surveyed the entire property before making their decision. It is our goal to minimize any inconvenience to you while at the same time protecting the golf course. I'm pleased to say that I have observed minimal violations of our recent cart restrictions. Thank you for being so understanding and cooperative!

   Another round of showers rolling in this morning.