Hey Owen. Let me ask you a question real quick

I get tons of questions every day/week about things we are doing.  I think if one person is asking the question there must be at least one more member that has pondered the same question.  For that reason, I’ll start adding a “Hey Owen.  Let me ask you a question real quick” section.

Did we use the big tines or little tines during this aerification?

we used what would be considered a larger tine. It is about 5/8" in diameter. This is the same tine we have used each Spring and Fall for the last several years. We have had great success in getting the holes filled back in quickly and the larger size provides a greater benefit to the subsurface of the green.

Can we do something to dress up the area on #18 cart path near the green where the golfers all enter and exit the green from the cart path?
Yes we can. We will be adding flat stone here similar to many other areas on the golf course.

The new sand looks great but how long will it take to become compacted?

With a few heavy rains and our crew continuing to compact the sand mechanically they will soon be compacted pretty well.

The Future?!?!?!

Several years ago when these "person-less" mowers started showing up in magazines, the advertisements were met with roaring laughter.  Then after they kind of stuck around for a little while, that hilarity simmered down to just a good laugh.  Now though, after seeing these machines perform at actual golf courses as well as the added difficulties of finding the right people for the job, that once roaring laughter has now turned

180°.  Now there seems to be more of a chuckle which dies into thoughts of how it could work for our operation.  For now the price of the units will make it a hard pill to swallow but over the next 10 years (or less) this may become a very common sight on courses throughout the country.

Short Game Construction

Here is a short time lapse of most of the construction of the short game area a few years ago.  Neat to watch the transformation. 

Other course blogs

I try to keep up with some blogs from other courses around the country and throughout the world to pick up any ideas or practices that they may do differently than we do.  I came across this one today from TPC Sawgrass where I know the head superintendent. 

I know we hate seeing our lake when it fluctuates up and down during droughts but at least we don't have to deal with this:

Some great photos of VCC

#14

Upper practice putting green

Waterfall on #6

Aerifying greens

We will be aerifying greens for the spring this coming Monday.  I will add photos of all the steps after we complete the long, labor intensive process.  I received a lot of great feedback the last time I sent out picutres of this process so I'll give it another go with some updated photos.

to be continued...

GREENING UP!!

Everything has really started greening up around the Club over the last week or so.  With that we went out and mowed for the first time in 2012.  The fairways and short cuts around the green have had their first cuttings and we may get to the rough next week (weather permitting).  Here's a few pictures in case you haven't been out in the last week or so and most of these were before the mower made it to the area pictured.

#2 Green on the Par 3 course has greened

#8 Rough and approach on Par 3 course

Looking down #16 fairway from #15 green

#15 Fairway back towards tee