Heavy Rains

Our rain gauge measures up to 6".  It was overflowing when we arrived yesterday morning to record it.  Here are few photos.  I have created a separate post to discuss the bunkers and i will post that soon.

#9 green

#9 fairway washout

Retention area on driving range; rose to about halfway before slowly exiting the properly

Practice area

We lost some of our newly planted material at the waterfall

The irrigation pumphouse flooded to about 1 foot deep; everything is still in proper working order

A lot of water if overflowing from the lake

Molly

 Molly, my black lab, came to the golf course with me almost everyday for the last 10 years.  She was healthy and running the golf course this past summer and chasing geese and squirrels as we drove the course each morning.  She had developed a schedule of going out in the morning and then sleeping in the office from mid-morning until it was time to go home for the day.  The last several weeks of her life saw a pretty drastic slow down and we had to have her put to sleep last month.  I got her as a 5-week old puppy and she lived until she was over 12 and i cannot imagine many dogs with a life as good as she had it.  She is missed for sure and I thought if you would bear with me I would share just a few pictures below:

Getting ready for the inaugural VCC Campout on the Par 3 course.

Her photo that was used for the calendar.  Sitting outside the Golf Shop waiting for me in the snow.

Squirrel!!!!!!

December 2012

This isn't molly but it's the cover of the calander she was in

Installing the greens encroachment barrier system

Newer fescue area near #4 tee

Checking out greens mowers in the morning

Checking greens at the end of a long summer

Repairing the leaking pond on #6

Helping with irrigation repairs

Renovation at the irrigation lake

Resodding the driving range tee

Installing the cartpath on #3 on the Par 3 course

Drainage on #3 fairway

Par renovation after a major rain

2012 Golf Maintenance

2011 Golf Maintenance

2010 Golf Maintenance

2009 Golf Maintenance

2008 Golf Maintenance

Spring Aerification

Our spring aerification went well again this year.  We aerified on March 11 & 12 and everything has healed in nicely.  Now we are getting the greens back to the perfect conditions everyone enjoys and the weather has finally started to cooperate with us.  Here are few photos from aerification day.

Deep drill crew- this machine drills down to about 12" creating very deep channels for air, water, and nutrients to move freely down through the green.

In the video you can actually see the front tire lift off of the ground a little bit.  This is where it is hitting a compacted layer.  

The black "box" dragging behind the aerifier collects all of the cores that have been pulled up and drags them to the edge of the green.  Prior to these attachments the entire crew would push these off by hand delaying their ability to perform other tasks (thus delaying getting the greens back playable for golf)

A cutworm crawls across the green in front of the deep drill machine

 Deep drill crew on #4 green

After the machines leave the green the piles are scooped up by hand to be hauled away

Backpack blowers used to further clean the surface and open up holes

After blowing the excess sand behind the aerifier machine and the deep drill machine we have as many holes as possible open; this allows for fertilizers to fall into the holes more easily

The Blog Returns for Another Season

So the blog has been in hibernation for a little bit but I plan to bring it back now that we are gearing up for another season at Vestavia Country Club.  I have loaded a few posts and will continue with regular updates as warranted.  I will send out a brief e-mail when new posts are loaded.  Also, if you know someone that would like to be on the list please send me their info and I can add them.  Or if you would like to be removed from the list let me know that as well and I will take you off.

Thanks
Owen Coulson
Golf Course Superintendent
Vestavia Country Club

Clubhouse Fowers

This year was an excellent year for all of our spring flowers around the club.  Here are few photos of everything in case you were away or just want to see them again.