Too much or too little - adjusting the Taps at Links

Everybody has one. You know - that pesky friend or family member you'd like to avoid, but really can't do without! That person you would really rather went away, only to find that you miss them when they're gone. For a golf course that's water. Rare when we need it, or, as was the case last week, too much of it comes all at once. Last week's significant rainfall illustrates just how important a good water management plan can be. With heavy rains closing the course Thursday night, and steady and continuing precipitation falling for much of the next two days, one might have thought Links would have been out of service for several days. However, when the sun emerged Sunday morning it took the grounds crew only about five hours to get the course up, running and ready for a full day of play.

Looking at the course Saturday afternoon, the sheer volume of water present was impressive. There was standing water on every green, a lake in the middle of the first fairway, and streams running across several holes. The cart paths had turned to water ways and raging torrents threatened to wash away areas such as the lady's tee box on 9, or the base of the gully on 6. It seemed unlikely that tournaments scheduled for Sunday would be played, or that the course would be open at all for days. Such is the thirsty and forgiving nature of turf however, that when the sun came up Sunday morning, the waters had already begun to recede. By half past six, the grounds crew were able to access the course, by 7 AM mowers were hard at work on the greens, tees and fairways and by 11:30 the course was in passable playing condition. The drainage system, aided by cutting practices and a high evaporation and transpiration rate worked well, and allowed the grounds crew to re-establish a playable course.

Standing water is the result when the supply of water exceeds the ground's ability to take it in. Soil types and the type and extent of installed drainage systems both play a role in how quickly water can be whisked away. At Links a series of underground drains, depressions and ditches all work with the natural slope of the the terrain to carry water off the course and into the nearby community forest watershed. Porosity of the base soil also contributes. Areas with higher sand content, like the traps and greens have higher porosity and better drainage and can take a considerable amount of water before saturation sets in. The fairways are more clay based and consequently hold water longer. This is why even days after the rain, the fairways remain wet and squishy. 

Greens are cut daily with a mower system that includes rollers. The rollers help compress the turf and squeeze out extra moisture. The downside of this process is that the reels quickly clog with cut grass, leaving larger than normal amounts of clumpy clippings behind. If there is too much water, the mower will push water ahead of the mower, causing grass to lie down and the mower to cut unevenly. Ideally a balance is sought so that the greens continue to be green, growing, lush and receptive without being so damp that the mower bruises them or sinks and causes damage.

Fairways and rough can also be hard to cut if wet. Fortunately evaporation and transpiration quickly dry out the course. Between the sun, wind and natural respiration of the grass, a fairway can lose up to 40 ml of moisture a day. Even with our recent 120+ ml rainfall it would  only take about three days for the course to completely dry out, even without the benefit of additional drainage. With in course drainage, a stiff wind and some sunshine the process is much faster. In fact the course can go from very wet to bone dry in a big hurry. Once the moisture is gone the grass becomes stressed and starts to brown out. Regular applications of fertilizer and water are required to keep the course green. So far this year a surplus of water has meant the course is green or muddy. In past years stressed fairways have yellowed only to rebound to verdant green after any rain events.

So, too wet or too dry- it seems golf course maintenance staff are never content. Finding balance in the water table is an ongoing challenge for maintenance staff and players alike. Hopefully Mother nature has now had her fun and will adjust the taps so the next little while things can be just right for everyone! We'll keep cutting to keep you putting but for everyone's benefit, lets hope for sunshine in the future forecast!

Blog Updates
Making the Cut received over 120 views in June! ! Let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see addressed at Making the Cut!

Course Updates
The recent rains washed out the access to the Ladies tee box on 9. Please watch at the club house for updates as to where ladies should tee off until repairs are effected.




Rough Cuts - We certainly have heard from members who aren't fond of the length of some of the rough. Len has been putting in time on the Massey and the rough mower to cut some of it down. As for the mounds - we agree- they got their hair cut this week too!

Commerical League schedule - the complete Men's Commercial League Schedule can be found on the course's web page at http://www.fortstjohnlinks.com

Playing it Safe

Golf is seen as a safe game. Most players know to stay behind and away from players addressing or playing shots, and to stay alert against moving dangers while on the course,  but there are many other hazards to be aware of while playing. By taking appropriate precautions, players can both protect themselves and keep others safe as they enjoy their game.

From the grounds crew's point of view being aware of your surroundings is key to staying safe. We already take a number of precautions to protect ourselves in order to safely operate  maintenance machinery. Knowing where players are, and whether they are prepared to hit into the area we are working, is important. From the player's point of view course maintenance can range from inconvenient to downright dangerous. Its a good idea to give the mowers and tractors a wide berth. At any time they could strike a hidden object and send it flying. If a mower is in your line of play, please be patient and wait for it to clear the area. If the greens mower is on the green do not hit up. Getting hit by a flying golf ball can result in a serious injury. Cutting a green takes no more than ten minutes under normal circumstances. If we see people waiting grounds crew members will defer to players and either duck out of the way or work quickly to complete the task. Similarly, if the flag is down because pins are being changed out, please wait to hit up. We do try to keep maintenance efforts to times when there are fewer players on the course, and your cooperation is much appreciated.

At this time of year, insects can represent a real danger to staff and players alike. Abundant rain and frequent thunder showers have provided the puddles and standing water needed for mosquitoes to reproduce in numbers. These pesky pests are present in persistent clouds all over the course, but are especially prevalent on the holes that border the Community Forest. Some courses use pesticides and spraying programs to control bugs. At Links we practice a policy of IPM (integrated pest controls) that focus on mechanical rather than chemical controls. Keeping grass cut, sand traps groomed and drainage systems flowing help to minimize mosquito habitat and keep populations within acceptable thresholds. Players who are easily "bugged' by biting insects should dress appropriately against the threat and carry personal supplies of insect repellent.

The summer sun brings with it the dangers of sunstroke and sunburn. Just as players need to dress against insects, they must also dress for the weather. While the temptation might be to soak up as much sun as possible, repeated and extended exposure to the sun's ultra violet rays can lead to skin problems ranging from sunburn through to skin cancers. Course workers in our coveralls, hats, gloves, and long sleeves may seem over dressed for the season, but, given our daily exposure to the weather, its better to be safe than sorry.  Light colored clothing, appropriate headgear and/or a sunscreen of an appropriate protection factor (15 SPF or higher) should be standard equipment for all players. In extreme sunlight making use of the shady areas is encouraged as well.

Proper hydration is also critical. In hot weather, players should avail themselves of plenty of fluids, and not just those that can be purchased from the beverage cart. Heat can accelerate the effects of alcohol consumption. Players need to pace themselves or consider alternative beverage choices such as sports drinks or water.

Recently thunderstorms have been roaring through our area. With our short season many players might be tempted to play through a thunder clap or two. Playing through lightning however, is not a good idea. Every year some news story runs about golfers whose stubborn refusal to leave the course leaves them burnt or electrocuted. Forget the old joke about holding a two iron over your head in thunderstorm because not even God can hit it. When lightning is in the area every club is dangerous!

Golf is often referred to as a game of risk and reward. While there may be times when players may consider gambling in order to post a better number, players and staff should never put their personal safety at risk. When it comes to personal safety, playing it safe is always the better play.

Leaving your Mark on the Course

Our grounds crew work hard every day to maintain and improve the playability of the course. Daily play puts a lot stress on tees, greens and fairways. Unfortunately, the divots, ball marks and spike marks players leave behind can all add strokes to the next player's score. The grounds crew put in lots of time to get the course looking and playing its best, but there are also things players can do to improve their own chances of drawing a favorable lie and getting a favorable result.

On the tee try to restrict your number of practice swings. If you happen to take a divot please replace it, or make use of the sand seed containers available at every hole. After your shot please remove your broken tee. There are receptacles at, or near every tee. Contrary to what some folks believe, our mowers are not powerful enough to mulch the remains of wooden tees. Some of the unbreakable plastic tees can dull or even chip mower blades and bedknives, resulting in an uneven or ragged cut.

Once your ball comes to rest off the tee, whether in the fairway or the rough, the rules of golf apply. Basically a person has to play the ball where it lies unless they are entitled to relief. Occasionally shots will come to rest in in a divot, the indentation or displaced turf mark from a previous golfer's shot. The rules dictate that your shot must be played out of the divot. While you are not entitled to move your ball, you can help ensure that others do not share your fate. Again restrict the number of practice swings you take. If you take divots on either your practice swings or actual shot, replace them. If the ground is damp and the divot is large there is a good chance that if replaced and tamped down, the divot will re-root. If simply left on their own divot gashes do eventually recover and fill in as neighboring plants grow into the gaps, but the recovery process can take weeks. If the divot is in a common landing area, your efforts at repairs will be much appreciated by those who follow after you. 

On the putting surface, player assistance in dealing with ball marks and spike marks is most essential, for the grounds crew are to keep up with daily wear and tear. A divot repair tool, a small two pronged fork like device, should be essential equipment for all golfers. Many well intentioned golfers incorrectly repair ball marks by inserting their divot tool or a tee into the ball mark and levering up the depressed earth. This technique actually causes more damage as it tears roots. The proper technique is to work in from the edges of the depression, kneading the grass and gradually easing the depression back to a more level surface. Complete the repair by tamping down the surface with the underside of your putter. There are many good how to videos about this available on Youtube. Just google ball mark repair! A good rule of thumb is to fix your own ball mark and two others on each hole.

Spike or cleat marks are different from ball or pitch marks in that, under rule 16 1-c , they cannot be repaired before you putt. Golf Canada explains this difference in terms of two key principles. All players are to: 1) Play the shot where lies and 2) Play the course as they find it. Pitch marks and old hole plugs can be repaired because they are easily identifiable. Spike marks may not be repaired until all players have completed play on a hole. Players can help prevent spike and cleat mark issues by moving carefully on and around greens and by ensuring that their shoes and spikes are in good repair. Soft spike technology has advanced considerably over the days of the old metal cleats. Most courses now require players to use the new soft spikes. If you've lost one, or your old ones are worn down, replacements are available for purchase at the clubhouse.

Keeping the course in good repair is a shared responsibility. With the amount of rain we've had this spring, its essential that we work together to minimize course damage and promote speedy turf recovery. Making sure your equipment is in good condition, and taking the time to properly replace and repair turf impacted by each swing, is the best way to make your mark at Links. Together grounds crew and players can both make sure the course continues to look and play its best.

Maintaining An Open Frame of Mind

Its US Open weekend and thousands of viewers will be watching some of the world's best players battling par and each other at Congressional this weekend. The second major of the year is somewhat unique as it is run not by the PGA Tour, but by the USGA, who feel that the winning score for America's open championship should never be much below par. Consequently, host courses are set up to be even more challenging than usual, as was evidenced last year at Pebble Beach when Graeme McDowell survived the final round to win with a score of exactly even par.

The USGA Rules and Competitions Committee issues strict guidelines to host clubs about how their course should be set up, and encourages local clubs to emulate these standards in their own contexts for their own open or club championships. These guidelines cover everything from parking arrangements to the positioning of ball washers and water coolers around the course. They speak to how the course should be set up, what equipment is to be used and even cover emergency and contingency plans should there be an accident or inclement weather.

Some of the more interesting guidelines deal with the physical set up of the course. For example fairways are to be no more than 25 to 35 yards in width. They are to be cut at an angle against the direction of play. Sand traps are to have sand to a minimum depth of 4 - 6 inches and have facing lips newly cut so as to prevent balls from plugging in the face of a bunker. Teeing areas are to be level, with markers set exactly six feet apart. Flag sticks are to be at least 6 feet in height and are to be clearly marked with flags of a uniform bright contrasting color for visibility, and greens must have sufficient area so that a cup can be placed in a level area where a ball struck with force at distance may come to a stop within six feet of the hole.

Perhaps the most famous aspect of a US Open course set up, or infamous if you prefer, is the attention paid to the rough. The guidelines state that rough should be "of a a sufficient height to be a significant problem." The USGA places a premium on shot making accuracy rather than distance, and feels that a foray into the rough should cost a player potentially half a stroke each time they miss the designated landing or target area. In order to get the proper height and thickness the USGA even recommends the specific type of mowers to be used (rotary rather than reel) and suggests that all vehicular and cart traffic be kept out of the rough for a week prior to the first round of play.

The thing about the US Open is its an equal opportunity major! Where as its virtually impossible to recreate the course conditions players find at The Masters at one's home course, the USGA actually encourages clubs to recreate course conditions found at the US Open. Their guidelines even serve as a template for grounds committees to follow. Of course the USGA's goal is to create conditions where the world's best players have to work hard to beat par. Local courses don't need to go to quite the same extremes when most members already see par as a very significant challenge!

Updating this posting this morning its apparent that Rory McIlroy has been up to the challenge so far, posting a new 36 hole record low score. It will be interesting to see if officials seek to beef up the course to "Rory"-proof it or whether he will be able to maintain his torrid scoring pace. If you read this blog earlier in the week you'd have also seen I referenced that US Open flags were to be yellow and yet the flags at Congressional are clearly red. I reviewed the guidelines and found out that my initial copy was out of date. They now read that the flags are to be" of a bright and vivid color" in order to maximize visibility for players.

As you play your next round at Links and find yourself in the deep rough or rolling through a narrow fairway don't get mad. Instead feel honoured that the grounds crew here think highly enough of patrons to set you up with US Open-like conditions! Maintaining an Open frame of mind, together with some careful course management, should help keep you feeling better about how you score next time out!

Having A Ball!

The poet T.S. Elliot once wrote that the only relics of western civilization that would last forever were "the asphalt road and a thousand lost golf balls".  Given the number of potholes that appear in our roads every spring, I can't speak to the durability of asphalt but I can verify that there are dozens of golf balls lost every day. When I'm mowing in the morning,  I can find as many as a dozen balls in any number of locations.  At that time in the morning there are usually very few golfers on the course so I'm pretty sure I'm not picking up anyone's ball in play. Often when I find a ball, there's not a soul in sight.

At first glance there doesn't seem to be much of a pattern to where balls  show up. I've found them in the rough, on the fairway, around the greens, in the half buckets where I dump the clippings, even in the cups. I used to wonder if some late night golfers, playing into the twilight just couldn't find shots in the fading light, or if folks just hit some practice balls down the fairways and went home without retrieving them, but after checking online with other folks who do what I do, it seems the lost ball phenomenon is not uncommon. Lost balls are everywhere from the surface of the moon to the bottom of Loch Ness, researchers have even called lost golf balls  "the signature litter of humanity".

Once lost, a ball will stay where it lays for a very long time. Made from complex polymers and
plastics, the modern golf ball can last a thousand years before decomposing. In the meantime, lost balls are a hazard for our mowers and a distraction for players. The rough and fairway mowers have blades that spin with considerable force, and will do considerable damage to an errant ball, but in turn its still like hitting a large rock when the blades make contact.

Some players, perhaps through constant practice, seem far more adept at finding lost balls than others. Course workers sometimes refer to these folks as ball hawks. Ball hawks come with various degrees of skill. There is the casual ball hawk, the player who simply keeps a wary eye out for any ball out of place as they walk their round. Such ball hawks are usually discriminating judges of quality, keeping only the best finds and leaving the cheaper balls for others. Then there is the Hoover hawk - the player who finds and keeps all sorts of balls. These are the players who regularly disappear into the woods and gullies in search of hidden treasure. Their bags often overflow with their discoveries and they are known to have buckets of "experienced" golf balls living in their trunks, lockers and garages. Finally their are the "Professional" ball hawks; those players who know their games, the course and the tendencies of others,  and know where the prime finding grounds lie. These players are like big game hunters. They are valuable partners to have when your ball goes astray as they already have a pretty good idea of where it might end up. Usually fairly proficient players themselves, these pros tend to be altruists, more intent on finding the balls of others than in keeping their finds for themselves, though they are not above keeping any premium balls they may encounter.

If you are wondering where the best spots are to find balls at Links there are a few things to keep in mind. Every hole has its own "catchment" areas. The graveyard to the left of one, the trees on the right and left of two, the tree line between three and four are all common collection areas. The community forest and gullies to the left of three, seven and eight take their share of victims, but the steep banks tend to discourage search parties. The gully on six, the trees on the left side of five and the fence line on nine are other fertile finding areas.

There are some guidelines as to the quality of "recycled" golf balls. The rule of thumb seems to be short and right = lower quality and long and left = better balls. Beyond that there really is no pattern. I have found balls so far off the proper line that one can only imagine how they got there. I've also found them sitting in plain sight on holes where no golfers can be found. One thing is certain though - if you pick up a ball that IS in play you will know about it very quickly. The old adage that the surest way to meet new people is to pick up their golf ball is very true, so before any ball leaves the ground be absolutely certain it is well and truly lost and in need of a new home.

Which leads me back to why the grounds crew might pick up balls. I've already alluded to the environmental and safety reasons for grounds crew clean up. I'll confess in my case its often curiosity and challenge that lead me to see what I can find. Some mornings are better than others. The day after a best ball tourney or a commercial league scramble seem to be the most fruitful. I know some of my commercial league team mates don't seem stress too much over balls hit deep and crooked. While they'd much rather be in the short grass, they'll occasionally follow a wild shot with a shrug and the comment "they make more every day". They're right of course. I find the proof all the time!

This week's blog went up a day late as I was in Vancouver doing my orientation for participation on the course and grounds committee at this years RBC Canadian Open. So far the assignment doesn't seem to be too challenging. My assigned task includes operating a cart and delivering water to caddies and players on three or four holes. I'm looking forward to the experience though and will be sure to update readers with more behind the scenes info from the tournament as the event draws nearer!

Weather or Not To Play

Over the weekend wacky weather played havoc with tournaments all across the Peace Country. The Oilmans Golf Tournament is notorious for bringing out the worst of weather but snow in June? No one was ready for that. Golf courses right across BC are reporting a slow start up to this years golf seasons. Some courses are laying the blame on the Canucks and their extended playoff run, but most are citing wet cold conditions.

Wet and cold conditions don't just make it unpleasant to play; it makes course maintenance difficult too! Really wet grass is hard to cut. It lays down, clogs the mowers and leaves unsightly clumps of clippings everywhere. Its important to differentiate between grass that is just damp from overnight sprinkler action or heavy dew. The mowers are built to handle that degree of moisture. What we're talking about here is standing water puddle time where the ball won't roll, the cup is full of water and every footstep leaves a squishy indentation. Under such conditions the mowers are better left in the shed. Not only won't they cut very well, they may actually damage the course by getting stuck, sinking in, creating ruts or causing compaction. The greens mower loses traction on very wet surfaces and can easily stall out on sloped surfaces, leaving behind chewed up turf damage that takes weeks to heal.

Most players know not to play in cold and frosty conditions. Frosted and frozen turf is easily damaged when players walk upon it or pull their carts across it. The rules of golf identify snow and ice as loose impediments, that may be removed prior to taking a shot. Frost and dew however, are not loose impediments and must be played through. Cold and wet conditions can also impact the flight and roll of the ball. Shots that would normally bounce forwards and roll out can plug or stop suddenly from the pull of wet grass. Players need to take the conditions into consideration and use more club or more force when confronted with surface moisture.

Playing or working in the rain can also be a difficult experience. The smaller mowers do not have cabs and operators are at the mercy of the elements. A hard hat is not nearly as effective as an umbrella and cold water running down one's back is not my idea of a fun time.  If I can see puddles dancing with raindrops in the morning, or hear a steady patter on the roof, then the mower won't be running that morning. It is interesting to note that in the rules of golf inclement weather, is not enough on its own to suspend or cancel a round of golf. Only winds high enough to move balls on the greens, standing water sufficient to surround the holes or the presence of lightning are cited as reasons to abandon play. I suppose common sense or a players strength of will are the determining factors on whether or not a player starts a round when its raining.

In this part of the world the weather can change suddenly. Knowing what the weather might be, or how long a given condition might stick around is useful information. The internet is a valuable source of information in this regard. The weather network provides both players and grounds crew members with excellent forecast information every day. You can check out the Ft St John forecast at http://www.theweathernetwork.com/index.cabc0102 or by googling The Weather Network Ft St John. Many people have a weather forecasting app right on their smart phones.

Another very useful website is the Environment Canada Spirit River Radar Imagery site (http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/radar/index_e.html?id=WWW) This site shows users any precipitation in the area and allows users to estimate whether a system is just passing through or will be in the area for some time. This is the site both the pro shop and the grounds crew use to determine what sort of day lies ahead.

When the weather is bad players have options. They can tough it out or they can call it a day and come back when the weather improves. Course workers are more at the mercy of the weather. Whether we work or not, course maintenance still needs to be done, and for some jobs, the longer they are left, the harder they become. Cold wet weather slows down grass growth, but it doesn't stop it completely. A string of three or four wet days in a row can really mess up a maintenance schedule. If the grass gets too far ahead of us, its very hard to catch up without scalping patches and leaving unsightly yellow patches around the course. The good news is that June and July are typically our peak months for sunshine so making the decision about weather or not to work or play should get easier as we move towards summer!

Hey - just a quick shout out to you, the readers! Since starting this blog in late March, it has now had over 300 viewers from five different countries and three different continents! Thanks for looking in! I'll try to keep the content interesting and current!

Keeping Things Rolling at Links!

Snow in June brought everything to a halt on Friday. Hopefully the good weather returns tomorrow, and things will be rolling again. By now members should used to seeing grounds crew motoring by on various pieces of equipment. Much of our mechanized equipment sports the green and gold of the John Deere tractor company but other companies with much longer golf histories are also represented. Toro, Cushman, Jacobsen, Kubota and even Massey Ferguson are part of our fleet.

Most folks are familiar with the the green and gold of John Deere. Our greens mower, the tee, apron and collar mower, the deck rough mower and the gators - those small jeep-like vehicles we use to move things around the course- are all John Deere products. It seems like this company has always been around. They do a good job marketing themselves as the official supplier of turf management equipment to the PGA, but to tell the truth, John Deere is a relative newcomer in the golf market. The company's origins go back to the middle of the 19th century. They originally manufactured plows and cultivators. It was the 1960's before they turned their attention to mowers. Their golf division was not founded until 1987. Today John Deere is a world wide conglomerate building diverse lines of tractors and equipment. This is ably demonstrated at Links as both the largest piece of equipment - the front end loader - and the most precise - the greens mower, are both John Deere products.

Toro - recognized by its trademark red, has a much longer golf pedigree. Their first greens mower was a human powered push reel device, patented in 1931. Locally big red machines are in use at both Taylor and Lakepoint. At Links our main Toro mower cuts the fairways - a large enclosed lumbering diesel powered unit with mowers decks flaring out both sides.

All but retired now,  an older greens mower - affectionately known as "the Jake" spends most of its time in the back of the equipment shed. Jacobsen lawn mowers trace their origins to 1921. Sporting orange/ red colors Jacobsens used to be more common like their red and green and yellow cousins, but at Links our aging unit rarely appears. Lacking in such amenities as power steering, deck lifting levers or ergonomically designed seats, the Jake can be a bone rattling handful to operate and is now only used in emergencies or to assist in the top dressing process when excess sand needs to be cleared off the greens.

Also used in top dressing is the Cushman utility vehicle. Now largely displaced by the gators the Cushman unit is used mainly for spreading operations and moving sand around the course. Most folks may be more familiar with Cushman as a golf cart company as both its white and green units are in common use through out the area.

Last but not least are the tractors. Kubota is a Japanese company whose pedigree runs back to 1890. Initially built for small and wet Japanese agricultural operations Kubotas seem tiny next to the club's old Massey tractor. With its familiar farm yard profile, the Massey is used to pull the gang mowers to cut the deep rough. Like many of the grounds crew, the Massey is starting to get on in years, but it can still be coaxed out on the course for another year of service, and once out there, still gets the job done!

Mechanical maintenance is mostly left in the hands of the Hollands. I'm certain Len and Mike spend way more time on and under the machines than they like. Routine and daily care is up to the operators. Last summer I learned way more about greens and tee mowers than I ever imagined. The mower reel units and verti-cutter units are interchangeable between the smaller John Deere mowers . After a little training and lots of practice I had removal of the reels down to a science and could effect the change with pit crew like efficiency!

Equipment maintenance is extremely important. Keeping the equipment running efficiently is key to keeping the course looking its best. Whether  green, red or some other color the courses machines truly play a key role in keeping operations at Links rolling along!

Please note: If it is unseasonably cold and there is frost or ice on the grounds DO NOT PLAY the course. Walking on frozen turf will kill the grass and leave greens and fairways damaged! Please be patient and wait for warmer weather so everyone can enjoy the course for the rest of the season!