The changing and falling of the the leaves, the dwindling daylight, and slowly declining temperatures provide ample evidence that this golf season is close to an end. Determined golfers are making the most of the time left taking advantage of a sunny September. The cooler darker days are limiting grass growth and mowing schedules have been cut back, and on course maintenance is shifting from summer maintenance to autumn hardening and preparations for winter.
Greens and tee boxes have been aerated and top dressed in order to strengthen root structures. Trees have been trimmed and cut. Potential deadfalls have been felled and removed. Several small scale maintenance projects are also underway that take advantage of the reduced play and traffic on the course, and preparations are underway for putting the course to bed in October.
A lot goes into prepping the course for winter. There is much more to closing than just pulling out the flags and gathering up the tee markers. Greens and tees will need to be chemically treated against winter moulds and diseases. Blankets and covers need to be acquired and sized for installation before the winter snows arrive.
Keeping ice out of the irrigation system is always a challenge, especially at the junction where the city supply connects with the course's system. Shutting the water off is easy, as are blowing out the courses lines with air. The hard part is preventing gradual seepage from ground water or spring runoff that will alternately freeze and thaw through out the the system and potentially cause delays in restoring the irrigation system in the spring.
Once mowers are retired for the season they need to be serviced and prepared both for winter storage and for easy start up in the spring. Some reels are sent away for sharpening, other parts are serviced on site. All equipment needs to be assessed for wear and tear and a determination made as to whether or not it can be prepared for another season or whether it should be retired and replaced. The shops are currently not well heated or insulated so the window of opportunity where work may be done comfortably can be pretty narrow.
In terms of competitive play, there are very few functions left this year. The men's commercial league wind up was played Sundays and the playoffs have come down to a winner take all face off between the first and second place teams. Only the closing day Die hard tournament is left on the fixtures card. My work year at the course has also drawn to a close.
Sadly, Ive had to park my mower and return to my week day job at the school district. As always its been great fun to make the cut this year. I'll continue to update the outside blog through the fall and into winter, though entries will likely be limited to one or two a month. I've enjoyed writing this blog and hope readers found it interesting. When I started back in March my target was to reach at least 100 hits per month. The site will reach its 700th reader sometime this week, so that goal will be reached. Hopefully you can get out to the course a few more times in the next two weeks but if I don't see you out there I'll watch for you next spring when we start making the cut once again!
FSJ Links - Nearly time to Swing By
Links - Your In Town Course
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
In the Loop
This past weekend saw Links host its 2011 club championship. The outside crew faced a few challenges in getting the course ready for this event. A broken water line on Thursday and a broken belt on the greens mower Friday, meant some hurried activity and improvisation were needed to have the course set up for the championship. Fortunately the weather was fabulous both days.
As it turned out most of the grounds crew sat out this year's event. There are many reasons why we might skip a tournament. Len might tell you the event is for members and most of us are staff. Russ might say that he doesn't care to hear comments about where he sets the pins, and I'm not partial to comments about how the greens are running. I think really, we just like setting up the course better than competing on it.
I did get to be part of this year's championship in a different sort of way, however by caddying for the eventual winner, Jeremy Clothier. A year ago Jeremy had lined up someone else to be on his bag for the club championship. Plans had even been set for sport appropriate costumes, but somehow the plan went awry. When the topic came up this year I volunteered for the job. I'd have to say it was both interesting and kind of fun. The costumes were restricted mostly to Jeremy's John Daly-like pants and my Bagger Vance hat, but the competition in the championship flight was tight and intense and came right down to the last three holes before a par birdie birdie run earned Jeremy the title.
The fact that Jeremy brought a caddy likely raised a few eyebrows, and I know a few folks wondered about why I'd consent to lug around Jeremy's extra large staff bag, but the facts are that's how caddying is done. Most folks are familiar with the sight of caddies on the PGA tour, and Jeremy and I were trying to simulate that look as best we could.
The role of the caddy historically dates back to the 17th century when the nobility would have young military officers carry their clubs for them. These cadets, pronounced cad - days, eventually morphed into more seasoned course workers at Scottish golf clubs. These caddies (cad - deez) worked in pairs and would for a fee, carry a member's clubs and scout ahead to ensure that a member's ball could be easily located for the next shot. The caddie who went on ahead was called a fore caddy. When a member hit, the carry caddy would shout "fore" to alert the fore caddy of the incoming shot. This tradition has carried on in golf etiquette and is the reason golfers still yell fore when a shot threatens to come too close to players on ahead.
In the 19th century caddies were truly the first professionals to work the golf circuit. The game was played mostly by amateurs and the caddies, as course workers were the only ones who could make their entire living from the game. As the 20th century progressed and golf became an increasingly professional game, caddies were less and less commonly used by average golfers. Today they are almost exclusively found at the professional level and at some elite private courses.
The modern caddy's job is both simple and complex. Sometimes described as "Show up, keep up and shut up" the caddie's real job is to give his golfer what they need, when they need it. Whether its yardage, the right club, encouragement, water, a snack or just a helpful word or two to keep the golfer focused, caddies need to be in the right place at the right time. They keep the equipment clean and in good working order and tend to the flag around the green. Almost invisible when they do their job well, caddies only make the news when they make a mistake or, as with the recent case of Stevie Williams, they are let go.
This weekend there were two caddies found at the Links club championship. I was carrying for Jeremy and one of the juniors had a rather diminutive younger associate pushing his cart. Ironically we both got offers to abandon our golfers and work for other competitors at higher rates of pay, though neither of us did. I don't know if having a caddy was instrumental to Jeremy outlasting the competition to win the club championship. Certainly to win, a golfer needs the talent and ability to hit the shots that the course demands. I'd like to think my caddying helped to some degree. At least I can claim to be the caddy with the best winning percentage at Links. Until next year I'll just take my 1-0 record and go back to my regular job making the cut around the greens!
As it turned out most of the grounds crew sat out this year's event. There are many reasons why we might skip a tournament. Len might tell you the event is for members and most of us are staff. Russ might say that he doesn't care to hear comments about where he sets the pins, and I'm not partial to comments about how the greens are running. I think really, we just like setting up the course better than competing on it.
I did get to be part of this year's championship in a different sort of way, however by caddying for the eventual winner, Jeremy Clothier. A year ago Jeremy had lined up someone else to be on his bag for the club championship. Plans had even been set for sport appropriate costumes, but somehow the plan went awry. When the topic came up this year I volunteered for the job. I'd have to say it was both interesting and kind of fun. The costumes were restricted mostly to Jeremy's John Daly-like pants and my Bagger Vance hat, but the competition in the championship flight was tight and intense and came right down to the last three holes before a par birdie birdie run earned Jeremy the title.
The fact that Jeremy brought a caddy likely raised a few eyebrows, and I know a few folks wondered about why I'd consent to lug around Jeremy's extra large staff bag, but the facts are that's how caddying is done. Most folks are familiar with the sight of caddies on the PGA tour, and Jeremy and I were trying to simulate that look as best we could.
The role of the caddy historically dates back to the 17th century when the nobility would have young military officers carry their clubs for them. These cadets, pronounced cad - days, eventually morphed into more seasoned course workers at Scottish golf clubs. These caddies (cad - deez) worked in pairs and would for a fee, carry a member's clubs and scout ahead to ensure that a member's ball could be easily located for the next shot. The caddie who went on ahead was called a fore caddy. When a member hit, the carry caddy would shout "fore" to alert the fore caddy of the incoming shot. This tradition has carried on in golf etiquette and is the reason golfers still yell fore when a shot threatens to come too close to players on ahead.
In the 19th century caddies were truly the first professionals to work the golf circuit. The game was played mostly by amateurs and the caddies, as course workers were the only ones who could make their entire living from the game. As the 20th century progressed and golf became an increasingly professional game, caddies were less and less commonly used by average golfers. Today they are almost exclusively found at the professional level and at some elite private courses.
The modern caddy's job is both simple and complex. Sometimes described as "Show up, keep up and shut up" the caddie's real job is to give his golfer what they need, when they need it. Whether its yardage, the right club, encouragement, water, a snack or just a helpful word or two to keep the golfer focused, caddies need to be in the right place at the right time. They keep the equipment clean and in good working order and tend to the flag around the green. Almost invisible when they do their job well, caddies only make the news when they make a mistake or, as with the recent case of Stevie Williams, they are let go.
This weekend there were two caddies found at the Links club championship. I was carrying for Jeremy and one of the juniors had a rather diminutive younger associate pushing his cart. Ironically we both got offers to abandon our golfers and work for other competitors at higher rates of pay, though neither of us did. I don't know if having a caddy was instrumental to Jeremy outlasting the competition to win the club championship. Certainly to win, a golfer needs the talent and ability to hit the shots that the course demands. I'd like to think my caddying helped to some degree. At least I can claim to be the caddy with the best winning percentage at Links. Until next year I'll just take my 1-0 record and go back to my regular job making the cut around the greens!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Hole Truth About Aerification
You may have seen that over this week tee boxes are being hole punched. This process is known as aerification. Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of grass roots and it reduces and prevents the accumulation of too much thatch.
The quality of a good playing surface is more than what golfers see at the surface. In fact, what the golfer sees at the surface is greatly impacted by what goes on below the grass. In order for grass to grow thickly enough to produce a quality green or tee box, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good root systems need to breathe. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles.
Over time, the traffic on the course compacts the soil - particularly in high traffic areas like greeen and tees, or areas where the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil gets compacted, air pockets are crushed, and the roots are essentially left without enough air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die.
Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, helping the grass plants to stay healthier. It's often done by removing half-inch cores from the compacted soil, allowing for air and water to get in and promote a resurgence of growth. The spaces are sometimes filled with sand - "topdressing" - to help the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow.
Older courses often are constructed on soils with significant amounts of silt, clay and may be prone to compacting over time. Filling aerification holes with sand improves drainage and resists compaction. The periodic introduction of sand can, over time, avoid or postpone expensive rebuilding or renovations of areas like greens or teeboxes.
Growing turf also gains organic matter on the surface. Frequent cutting produces clippings. While clippings are routinely carted away on the greens, they are left on the tees and fairways to contribute to a layer of organic material. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matter makes for a good playing surface, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing with sand can prevent thatch buildup, Aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established.
Often aerification techniques use machines with "tines"; or knives that simply poke holes through the soil profile. Verticutting greens is such a process. A new technique even uses ultra high-pressure water that's injected through the soil profile to create small holes that relieve some compaction but heal quickly.
Many types of aerifying machines have different attachments to deal with different sorts of problems. So the next time you're ready to comment on all those little holes please remember that a little preventative maintenance brings out the best in the course over the long haul.
The quality of a good playing surface is more than what golfers see at the surface. In fact, what the golfer sees at the surface is greatly impacted by what goes on below the grass. In order for grass to grow thickly enough to produce a quality green or tee box, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good root systems need to breathe. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles.
Over time, the traffic on the course compacts the soil - particularly in high traffic areas like greeen and tees, or areas where the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil gets compacted, air pockets are crushed, and the roots are essentially left without enough air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die.
Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, helping the grass plants to stay healthier. It's often done by removing half-inch cores from the compacted soil, allowing for air and water to get in and promote a resurgence of growth. The spaces are sometimes filled with sand - "topdressing" - to help the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow.
Older courses often are constructed on soils with significant amounts of silt, clay and may be prone to compacting over time. Filling aerification holes with sand improves drainage and resists compaction. The periodic introduction of sand can, over time, avoid or postpone expensive rebuilding or renovations of areas like greens or teeboxes.
Growing turf also gains organic matter on the surface. Frequent cutting produces clippings. While clippings are routinely carted away on the greens, they are left on the tees and fairways to contribute to a layer of organic material. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matter makes for a good playing surface, but too much invites diseases and insects. Topdressing with sand can prevent thatch buildup, Aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established.
Often aerification techniques use machines with "tines"; or knives that simply poke holes through the soil profile. Verticutting greens is such a process. A new technique even uses ultra high-pressure water that's injected through the soil profile to create small holes that relieve some compaction but heal quickly.
Many types of aerifying machines have different attachments to deal with different sorts of problems. So the next time you're ready to comment on all those little holes please remember that a little preventative maintenance brings out the best in the course over the long haul.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
The F's of September
The calendar now reads September and there's abundant proof around the course that fall is truly here. September is a month full of f's, and no, I'm not referring to a certain expletive known to occasionally escape a few frustrated golfers lips. September is a month were fog, frost, fertilizer and falling leaves and trees can be frequently found!
As the days shorten and night time temperatures fall two phenomenon begin to occur. The first is fog. Fog forms when warm air moves over colder land. The result is the formation of a low layer of cloud. Fog is tough on golfers and maintenance crews. It is damp and cold and reduces visibility to the point where it is impossible to track the flight of a golf ball or safely transport equipment. A heavy fog usually keeps golfers off the course but it can slow down or stop maintenance as well.
The second phenomenon is frost. Frost is basically frozen dew, deposited on the grass in the form of crystals. Grass itself holds a lots of water so often, with a heavy frost the pant is frozen too. Frost is is found most often in the shoulder seasons of early spring or late fall. It happens most frequently when clear nights allow the surface temperature to drop close to freezing.
Walking on frosted grass causes the brittle frozen plants to break and crushes the plant at a cellular level. Once broken frosted plants cannot repair themselves. Frosted grass that has been walked on will die. It takes between 48 and 72 hours for harm to become apparent but the resulting damage, especially late in the season, can seriously affect the plant's ability to successfully survive the coming winter. A good rule of thumb is if its frozen, don't play on it!
With the end of the season approaching September also means time to fertilize. The grass is nearing the end of its seasonal growth cycle. Fall fertilizing helps keep the plants green and growing to the end of the season and, in combination with verticutting, helps the pants deepen and strengthen their root systems as they prepare for winter dormancy. At Links fertilizer on the greens usually looks like small green grains or dots. The trick is to lay down the fertilizer at the best time. Just before it rains is optimal. A good watering helps the fertilizer dissolve and soak in. Without a good soaking fertilizer can burn the grass and much of it can be picked up by the greens mower, limiting its effect.
Perhaps the most obvious messenger of fall are the trees. The deciduous trees around the course will start to have their leaves turn and fall. Balls that may have already been tough to find in the rough or edges of the fairway will soon be further obscured by leaf litter. While many home owners dutifully rake and bags the leaves that fall on their yards, the sheer volume of leaves that fall at a course make pick up impossible. The decomposing leaves also play a role under the coming snow in protecting and naturally fertilizing the turf beneath them.
You may have noticed that course staff have been falling a number of trees around the course. This is because, in most cases, if we don't fall them, they may fall themselves. The trees that are being culled at this time of the year are diseased, dying or already dead. The best example in the beetle killed pine that had been guarding the left side of number 3. It was sad to see the old tree have to go, but better it be taken down safely than by the wind or nature exposing golfers to risk. Tree maintenance can elicit strong reactions in golfers. Some are quite attached to the trees and find removal of even one quite hard to take. Other members are only too happy to recommend particular trees as potential victims for the chainsaw. Most og the have had instances where they wish they had a Husqvarna in their bags. The lone branch overhanging the left side of the sixth tree box is a frequent nominee for pruning!
With fall upon us winter must certainly be approaching. Whether it be be frost, fog, fertilizer, failing daylight or falling leaves or branches, the autumn is certainly has its challenges The days, and season may be getting short, but there's still a little time left to get out and cut a few shots off your handicap. And while you're doing that I'll be counting down the days I have left to still make the cut!
As the days shorten and night time temperatures fall two phenomenon begin to occur. The first is fog. Fog forms when warm air moves over colder land. The result is the formation of a low layer of cloud. Fog is tough on golfers and maintenance crews. It is damp and cold and reduces visibility to the point where it is impossible to track the flight of a golf ball or safely transport equipment. A heavy fog usually keeps golfers off the course but it can slow down or stop maintenance as well.
The second phenomenon is frost. Frost is basically frozen dew, deposited on the grass in the form of crystals. Grass itself holds a lots of water so often, with a heavy frost the pant is frozen too. Frost is is found most often in the shoulder seasons of early spring or late fall. It happens most frequently when clear nights allow the surface temperature to drop close to freezing.
Walking on frosted grass causes the brittle frozen plants to break and crushes the plant at a cellular level. Once broken frosted plants cannot repair themselves. Frosted grass that has been walked on will die. It takes between 48 and 72 hours for harm to become apparent but the resulting damage, especially late in the season, can seriously affect the plant's ability to successfully survive the coming winter. A good rule of thumb is if its frozen, don't play on it!
With the end of the season approaching September also means time to fertilize. The grass is nearing the end of its seasonal growth cycle. Fall fertilizing helps keep the plants green and growing to the end of the season and, in combination with verticutting, helps the pants deepen and strengthen their root systems as they prepare for winter dormancy. At Links fertilizer on the greens usually looks like small green grains or dots. The trick is to lay down the fertilizer at the best time. Just before it rains is optimal. A good watering helps the fertilizer dissolve and soak in. Without a good soaking fertilizer can burn the grass and much of it can be picked up by the greens mower, limiting its effect.
Perhaps the most obvious messenger of fall are the trees. The deciduous trees around the course will start to have their leaves turn and fall. Balls that may have already been tough to find in the rough or edges of the fairway will soon be further obscured by leaf litter. While many home owners dutifully rake and bags the leaves that fall on their yards, the sheer volume of leaves that fall at a course make pick up impossible. The decomposing leaves also play a role under the coming snow in protecting and naturally fertilizing the turf beneath them.
You may have noticed that course staff have been falling a number of trees around the course. This is because, in most cases, if we don't fall them, they may fall themselves. The trees that are being culled at this time of the year are diseased, dying or already dead. The best example in the beetle killed pine that had been guarding the left side of number 3. It was sad to see the old tree have to go, but better it be taken down safely than by the wind or nature exposing golfers to risk. Tree maintenance can elicit strong reactions in golfers. Some are quite attached to the trees and find removal of even one quite hard to take. Other members are only too happy to recommend particular trees as potential victims for the chainsaw. Most og the have had instances where they wish they had a Husqvarna in their bags. The lone branch overhanging the left side of the sixth tree box is a frequent nominee for pruning!
With fall upon us winter must certainly be approaching. Whether it be be frost, fog, fertilizer, failing daylight or falling leaves or branches, the autumn is certainly has its challenges The days, and season may be getting short, but there's still a little time left to get out and cut a few shots off your handicap. And while you're doing that I'll be counting down the days I have left to still make the cut!
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