Continued Wet, Winter Progress

It has been awhile since we have had a winter as wet as this one has been so far. The golf course is as soggy as it has been in many years and  those brave souls that have been out playing between and during storms know exactly what I mean. When a golf course gets saturated for an extended period of time you have to get a little creative just to maintain and mow it. We have been using triplex mowers, which are small mowers that we normally mow tees and sometimes greens with, to mow fairways. The large mowers that we normally mow the fringe grass around greens are far to heavy to use in these conditions so we have had to resort to using walk behind rotary mowers to get the job done.



Jogi Triplexing a wet Fairway



 

Fortunately the turf is not actively growing so the extra time it takes to get these tasks done with smaller equipment does not set us back. Normally when we get mowers out on the course we are able to allow carts off the path but that is not the case in our current situation. We are still far to wet for cart traffic.  If we were not afraid of the turf growth getting so far ahead of us that we would be "bailing hay", we would not even be mowing.  I can only imagine what it was like during past wet winters maintaining and maneuvering around this course without cart paths or for that matter maintaining the old bunkers. A nice reminder that   progress has been and is being made.



Hand mowing around the Greens

On a similar note the putting surfaces continue to drain and perform well despite all of the wet, dark weather. I attribute this to the aggressive core aeration that was performed in October and am even more optimistic that this new approach will give us the surfaces we desire. They are not as fast as they were in previous drier winters, but they are healthy and their root mass and depth is increasing. We could achieve more speed by rolling the greens but that would not be prudent in these wet conditions and I'm afraid would set-back the progress we are making. We are just going to have to be patient. Below are the current rainfall accumulations through December measured here at Granite Bay.

                  

              Granite Bay Golf Club - Rainfall Comparisons in Inches

                                                   2008          2009          2010
                        September           0.00            0.13           0.00
                            October           0.53            2.53           3.17
                        November           2.16            0.70           3.60
                         December          2.65            3.58            7.22
                             Total             4.81            9.94           14.00

Despite the wet weather we have been able to make good progress on the three major goals we have set for ourselves this winter. These three goals again are: Fairway Sand Trap Renovation, Tree and Brush Pruning and Trimming and Irrigation Triangulation around Greens.

Because the weather has been so wet we have not made the kind of headway on fairway bunkers as we did with finishing green side bunkers last winter but progress is being made none the less. We have been targeting small and non-draining bunkers because of forecasted weather patterns trying not to get caught mid process and having all of our work wash away. Since our last update we have only completed one additional fairway bunker, the one in the middle of #6. Then the December rains came and we had to back off. We had a dry week this week and jumped back into action, tackling the fairway bunker at the very front of the #17 fairway. This one was chosen primarily due to it's proximity to a cart path as the course is too wet to be tracking equipment across it to renovate bunkers. We hope to continue with the fairway trap on #18 next week if the forecast holds with another week of dry weather. If the course is still to wet to maneuver over to that trap we will tackle the fairway bunker closest to the green on #12. Once we commit to the right hand fairway traps on #12 we want to complete all three.



Completed Fairway Bunker #6





Completed Fairway Bunker #13

















Even though the wet weather of December stalled progress on fairway trap renovation we were able to continue progress on our tree and brush trimming list. We complete pruning of the obstructive willows and brush on the banks of Georges Lake between holes #1 and #9. This re-establishment of the original lines and view of your tee shot on #1 and approach shot on #9 was high on the golf committee list and confirmed with comments made by Kyle Phillips during our Summer visit. We plan to manage the re-growth of these areas so we maintain the current vision and eliminate the future need for aggressive pruning.



#1 Tee Before Pruning





#1 Tee After Pruning










Irrigation work around green surrounds is proceeding as planned and we have three more green complexes to complete on the front side. These are #4 which is currently in progress, #6 and #8. We should wrap this work up by the end of January and take the month of February and hopefully just part of March to complete the same kind of work on the back nine. Holes that need to be addressed to varying extents  on the backside are #10, #12,  a little more on #13, #15 & #16 and #18. Again this is not really sexy work but it will pay off in the summer months moving forward.


#9 Approach Before Pruning











#9 approach After Pruning




Speaking of a sexy project, we have one that we hope to completely have rolled out by springtime and that is additional divot mix boxes throughout the course. As you have probably heard, the Granite Bay Golf Committee is making a big push to encourage Granite Bay Membership to  take more ownership of certain aspects of course care, namely divot and ball mark repair. Ball marks have begun to be addressed with the committees "Adopt-A-Green" program that has been recently rolled out and is making a difference already.

When the discussion of imparting ownership to divot repair and filling it became apparent that the course had some infrastructure issues that needed to be addressed namely the location and amount of divot bottle boxes along with the complete lack of divot mix containers on our par three tees. These issues were brought to Mitch's attention and he secured some capitol finances and we are in the process of securing materials for building new divot boxes. We plan to build par three divot boxes for all par three tee locations and divot bottle stations which will house divot bottles for carts and the nice divot bottle tubes for walkers. We have decided to go away from the green recycled plastic and move towards natural hardwood as we feel that this is more of a aesthetic match for Granite Bay. We have chosen IPE wood, which is a hardwood out of the rain forests of Brazil that is weather proof and very attractive. Since all of our divot boxes will be made out of this material we plan to re-side our water jug stations with the same material maintaining this look throughout the course. We hope to have all 20 of the par three boxes in place  by mid February and shortly following have the 10 divot bottle boxes ready.



Early Winter Progress

We are all aware the weather plays a big part in golf course conditions along with the progress we make in golf course maintenance. Winter months are not nearly as stressful for the golf course as summer but cold and rain definitely effect playing conditions and hinder progress on  planned projects. So far this season we have received twice as much rainfall as we have the previous two seasons. More rainfall equates to more cloudy days and no sun to dry things  out which has the course in the wettest winter condition it has been in in many years. This week is the first full week in over three years that we have not been able to mow the course  and allow carts off the path because of conditions that are too wet. Extended forecasts call for a wetter then normal winter so if these prognostications hold up we could be in store for more of this.


          Granite Bay Golf Club - Rainfall Comparisons in Inches

                                                   2008          2009          2010
                       September           0.00            0.13           0.00
                           October           0.53            2.53           3.17
                        November          2.16            0.70           3.60
                December 10th          0.00            1.00           1.60
                             Total             2.69            4.36           8.38

The aggressive aeration that the putting surfaces received in October has really paid off during this wet early winter as well. The surfaces are firmer and drain much faster then in previous years after winter storms. However rolling the surfaces when they are wet creates excessive compaction which might work well for green speed but not for overall green health. So we have not been able to roll the surfaces since the onset of the storms. Look for green speeds in the nine foot to ten foot range when we are not rolling and in the ten foot plus range when we can sensibly get the roller on them, hopefully soon.


Despite the wet weather we have been making some decent progress on our 2010 - 2011 winter project goals since we finished core aeration of all of the turf grass surfaces in early November. As a reminder the three primary areas we plan to focus on this fall and the upcoming winter are:

1. Fairway Sand Trap Renovation
2. Tree and Brush Trimming and Clearing
3. Irrigation Triangulation

Granite Bay has 21 total fairway bunkers and 5 practice bunkers between the range and the practice chipping area. Our plan for fairway bunker renovation is not as aggressive as last winter with green side bunkers primarily because we desire to make progress in the other areas mentioned above. We have currently completed 3 fairway bunkers of the 21. Our goal would be to complete another 10 or more through the remaining winter and tackle the rest after fall aeration in 2011. I probably don't need to remind you that weather plays a significant role in the amount of progress we can make with this type of work and although we accomplished allot last winter dealing with just normal rainfall it looks like weather will be more of a deterrent this year then last. We'll just have to work between storms and see how it goes. In addition to the bunker work planned this winter, we hope to finish the practice bunkers around the chipping area later in the year when we have some renovation work planned for the entire area.  More on this to come.

#2 fairway Bunker Complete



#2 Fairway Bunker Drainage Pattern



#13 Left Hand Fairway Bunker - Completed

As I mentioned in the last update we have a substantial amount of tree and brush clearing we hope to take care of this winter as well. The Granite Bay Golf Committee came up with a list of areas that were priorities for the membership and we plan to tackle many of these areas. However as I mentioned in our last update, we need to open up some areas around greens providing more light and air movement to help with the overall health of these areas. These struggling areas  include the practice green, #7 green, #13 green, #14 green and #16 green.

Practice Green After Pruning



Practice Green Before Pruning



#7 Green after Pruning. 7:00 AM Picture

Since our last update we have completed tree pruning around the practice green, #7, and #16. We have started and plan  to complete the pruning around #13 and #14 next week and then start on the Golf Committee list ,starting with  the willows in the pond on #1 & #9 that are blocking the vision of those two holes. While we are in the area we  plan to start clearing in front of the #10 tee exposing the granite rock formations and returning the appearance while standing on the tee to more of the original vision and intent of the hole. We plan to take the last three weeks of December and beyond, if that what it takes to accomplish all of this work.

#16 Green Surround After Pruning

Irrigation triangulation is just a fancy way of saying we need to move some sprinklers so they can be more efficient when we start irrigating next year. We understand that this work is not as  impactful as exposing the rocks in front of #10 tee or pruning trees around the greens,  I only mention it to emphasize its importance. It is tedious and time consuming work albeit necessary and we don't want to start irrigating next year without completing all of it. So when you see us out there trenching, digging and making a mess around the greens just be assured that this work will help  create better conditions next summer.

Winter Plans

We are wrapping up core aeration of all of the playing surfaces at Granite Bay this week. If it seems like we have been working on aeration for awhile  its because we have. This is the first time since my tenure here at Granite Bay that we have taken the time to core aerate all of the turf at one time. As I have explained in the past, core aeration involves not just poking a hole but extracting a core and removing it  from the surface as opposed to solid  tine aeration where a hole is made in the surface of the turf but no core is removed. Both processes have different benefits. Core aeration is more disruptive and labor intensive but actually removes a portion of the   accumulated organic matter or thatch. Solid tine aeration supplies necessary oxygen to the root zone, as does core aeration, but does not address removal of excessive organic matter which is a real issue  here at Granite Bay. However the process is less labor intensive allowing us to get more done in a shorter period of time and the surfaces recover more rapidly.




Core Aerating around #16 green

 

Fairway aerator removing cores from fairways







We got started in September in the rough on some holes trying to get a head start and keep disruption to a minimum. An unseasonably warm early fall caused us to hold off a bit as any type of aggressive cultural practice such as core aeration during stressful weather can actually set the areas back rather then the intended improvement. Aggressive core aeration of the putting surfaces was performed in early October and the unseasonable weather continued and actually helped us with rapid recovery on the greens. Following the greens we completed fairways, then resumed the rough areas followed by the approaches to the greens and now just finishing the surrounds of the greens.



Seeding thin areas in the rough on #13



 The process requires some drying to both remove the damp messy cores and to get topdressing sand into the holes where sand was applied. Putting surfaces were done on days when we closed the course and the majority of the fairways were done on subsequent Monday afternoons following tournament events. The rest of the areas were done systematically during member play  by doing the actual aeration or core removal in the morning, allowing for some drying followed by removal of the cores and applying topdressing. Thanks to all members who put up with the disruption and noise during these processes. Bottom line these necessary procedures to the entire golf course take the better part of two months to accomplish. Core aeration along with normal golf course maintenance is all we can accomplish during this period of time.

Which brings us to whats next? What are our plans for this coming winter? We always look forward to the winter months because with any kind of luck and cooperation from nature we can get allot done. There are three primary areas we plan to focus on this fall and the upcoming winter.

1. Fairway Sand Trap Renovation
2. Tree and Brush Trimming and Clearing
3. Irrigation Triangulation

Starting next week we plan to start the renovation process on our fairway sand traps. Our plan is to use the same drainage system in the base of the sand traps and not extend the drainage into the faces of the traps as extensively as we did on the green side traps. This should allow for a consistent firm face of the trap and minimize the depth of sand on the face and maximize ball settling into the base of the trap. The faces of the fairway traps will probably washout more readily then the green side bunkers but  the traps will not be able to hold water in the base which is currently not the case. The totality of this final phase of bunker renovation will play out similar to last year. We have some capitol funds left from 2010 that we need to use by year end. That is what we will start with. If our capitol allotment for 2011 is approved early and weather cooperates we will continue through the winter of 2011.



#7 green shaded in the morning

                                                                                     Also next week we plan to start brush clearing / tree pruning in areas  that we did not make as much progress as we wanted to last  winter  because we put all of our resources into finishing green side bunkers. This work will be very visual and dramatic for all of us so we are excited about getting started. First things first, we have to address some green surrounds which tree growth and the associated shade are effecting turf quality on the greens. Greens surrounds that we plan to address in the next couple of weeks are: Large Practice Green, #7, #13, #14 & #16. Following the trimming around these greens we plan to start trimming the Arroyo Willows ( grayish colored shrubby willows) on the pond edges of #1 & #9 along with associated vegetation. Our goal is to maintain the natural look of the pond while re-establishing the original vision of the initial tee shot on #1 and the approach shot on #9. Following this area we plan to attack the area in front of #10 tee, again re-establishing the original vision of the hole and exposing much of the dramatic granite rocks in front of the tee. Another area we would like to address this winter is in front and around the #14 tee.



Practice Green in complete morning shade

 The third of our three goals for this winter is to continue to work on irrigation sprinkler triangulation improvement focusing on putting surface surrounds. You will have to trust me that this work will make a substantial difference in turf quality in these areas, improving irrigation distribution and enhancing irrigation management and scheduling efficiencies. I don't want to bore you with the details but again want to reinforce the importance of this work and our commitment to getting putting surface surrounds addressed this winter.

Current view from the granite tees on #1





Current view from granite tee #10



As we progress through these goals I will share details with you as usual. Weather always plays a big part in progress at this time of year but we will hope for the best and  see how much we accomplish come spring time.





Granite Bay Tees

Any one who has been a member of Granite Bay Golf Club for any length of time recalls our original tees and how we have been painstakingly replacing the original turf on them throughout the years. Newer members might be wondering about the inconsistencies in firmness versus softness and why some of them look just awful. This update will address all of these issues and let you know both the short and long term  plan for fixing them.

Our tees were originally seeded with creeping bentgrass which is a cool season grass commonly used for putting surfaces in our area. Not many courses in our area, none to my knowledge, started with bentgrass on their tees. This is  primarily because of the  intense maintenance requirements  for bentgrass and it's inability to recuperate on a teeing area  during the summer months. In the early years of the club it was nearly impossible to keep grass on some of the tee's during the warmer parts of the year as any charter or long time member can attest. Because of this, the decision to replace the bentgrass was a given.



Newly Sodded Club Tee on #12



This decision was made almost 12 years ago but back in those days allot was going on. The Club was going through a management transfer from the original ownership group to Club Corp and the members had a lot of pressing issues such as lack of grass on the greens, lack of cart paths etc. When it came to the tees, turf replacement started with the very worst areas and then progressed as other teeing levels took their place in the infamous pecking order of "next worst". It was not one big capitol project for there were many other needs vying for those precious capitol funds. The replacement sod was purchased through the maintenance budget as areas became unacceptable. Currently we have re-surfaced close to 80% of all the original bentgrass teeing areas on the course.

The replacement turf choice was a variety of hybrid bermuda called Tiffway II. This is a warm season, fine textured hybrid bermuda that produces a durable, firm surface with a high recovery rate ideal for  teeing areas. The new hybrid bermudas have a much better cold tolerance then their Great Grandfather common bermuda allowing them to hold on to color longer and come out of dormancy quicker. However dormancy of the bermuda was never going to be a big issue on the teeing areas  because the plan was to always over seed with ryegrass in the early fall, allowing them to be green all winter long.



Installing New Sod #6 Club / Cobble / Pebble Tee's

We are currently dealing with some of those "next worse" tees.  The Cobble tee on #2. The combo Club, Cobble & Pebble tee on #6. The Club tee on #12 and the Cobble tee on #17 are all currently being re-sodded. This leave us with only 22% of all of the teeing areas left on the course to re-sod. Our plan is to next year utilize a combination of sprigging and sodding of the remaining tees bringing some closure something that was started long ago.


#6 Club / Cobble / Pebble Tee in need of new turf.



Fall 2010 Aeration Progress

Anyone who has ever spent any amount of time on a golf course will inevitably be confronted with the  process of aeration to the turfgrass playing surfaces. There is some truth to the appearance that it always seems like we pick the most inopportune time for golfers, either in the springtime coming out of winter, or in the fall  when summer recovery is in full swing. Unfortunately  the simple truth is  that these procedures  have to be done while the turf is actively growing so the surfaces can adequately recover.

In turf, aeration is a cultivation process that provides for air to move or circulate in the root zone and soil. Air in the soil is necessary for most of the  turf grass plants basic functions and we can trace many of our turf problems here at Granite Bay to a lack of air in the root zone. Aeration also relieves soil compaction and when done by pulling a core, the process can be the most effective way of removing excessive organic matter or thatch which actually seals off the soil from air infiltration. Our overall problems will  only compound if we are not diligent at sticking to a routine aeration program on all of the turf areas here at Granite Bay.



#3 Green being core aerated.



Organic matter (we call them plugs) removal

We just finished aeration of the putting surfaces utilizing a more aggressive approach then has ever been applied to our greens. Over the years our greens have become soft and spongy which is a result off a over accumulation of organic matter otherwise known as thatch. The USGA states "In our experience, golf courses with successful mature greens have been on a core aeration program where 15% to 20% of the surface area has been impacted each year."  (USGA Green Section Record - Core Aeration by the Numbers July 2001) The greens at Granite Bay have been aerated twice per year since their inception. However we have typically impacted only 10% to 12% of the surface per year utilizing a minimal disruption aeration approach. hence the problems we had this past summer and our adopting recommendations by the USGA.



Total material removed from 2 greens, #10 & #11



Applying topdressing sand



Finished after brushing, sweeping, blowing and rolling



Organic matter is not just an issue with our putting surfaces. It has accumulated throughout the course and is the source of our soft conditions. The removal of it via core aeration and de-thatching is tedious and time consuming work that need to be done in a timely fashion so the surfaces recover as quickly as possible. Again as I mentioned above if we don't stay on a annual regimen of core aeration of all of our playing surfaces twice per year, our soft and mediocre conditions can persist. It is definitely one of the  necessary evils of golf course maintenance

Putting surfaces were completed the week of October 4th. Front nine fairways will completed the week of October 11th, back nine the week of October 18th along with the back nine rough. That leaves us two weeks to address the putting surface surrounds which we plan to core aerate and aggressively seed.

Why We Get Soft In The Summer

We have been getting comments from members recently regarding golf course conditions mainly pertaining to wetness and / or softness of the playing surfaces. Admittedly at this time of year  the moisture level in the fairways can be  up and down from day to day and even morning to afternoon on any given day. There can be many causes from sprinkler heads that stick during the evening, a leaking irrigation pipe or a miscalculated irrigation program. Some are outside the realm of control and planning and some we have to continue to work on and improve.  That being said the softness that seems to historically accentuate at the end of the summer comes from two primary culprits. Firstly the heavy decomposed granite soil type that our turf is growing on, and secondly the cool season turf blend we currently have established.




Different shades of green reveal examples of different patches of Bentgrass & Ryegrass on #4 fairway.



Light grey / green large patches - Bentgrass
Darker green - Ryegrass #4 fairway

Our fairways at Granite Bay are composed of an approximate 50/50 mix of bentgrass and ryegrass. These turf types are not necessarily blended together but have developed into independent "patches" of the varying species of turf woven throughout the course. To review, the course was originally seeded with ryegrass in 1994 and bentgrass was inter seeded shortly thereafter in 1995. The thought of original ownership regarding the bentgrass inter seeding was that it was a superior surface to ryegrass and would be unique to our area giving the club an competitive advantage. The conversion from Rye to Bent was not immediate and  when ownership changed in 1997 to Club Corp along with turfgrass management strategies the bentgrass was still spreading.

Ryegrass patch (red flag) adjacent to Bentgrass (white flag) #4 fairway.
Notice the gray green color of the Ryegrass area as it is starting to stress out.
( Cross section photos below are from these areas)

The main problem with managing these two cool season grasses  together is that the water management and  thatch development are very different for both species.  Bentgrass in our climate can be watered deeply and infrequently along with requiring more cultural practices (aeration & de thatching) to control thatch. Ryegrass needs nightly watering in the summer but does not develop as much thatch and hence does not get as soft as a bentgrass surface. Bentgrass is more heat tolerant in our area and tends to hold up to traffic better then ryegrass but again a ryegrass surface is generally firmer despite it's higher irrigation requirement. Trying to maintain these two species literally side by side is difficult and this difficulty culminates at summers end in the way of  soft playing surfaces in the bentgrass areas  and drought & heat stressed ryegrass areas.

Bentgrass cross section with 3" thatch layer #4

Bentgrass thatch layer moisture holding capacity #4

Ryegrass cross section. Minimal thatch and dry #4.

Close up view of a ryegrass patch #4 fairway

Comparing our fairway surfaces in the summer to some of the warm season or bermuda surfaces in the area is not proportional. Eight months out of the year the fairway surfaces at Granite Bay are comparable and at times can be superior. Four months out of the  year the bermuda fairways of say Cata Verdera or Northridge, as  examples, will be firmer  and you will get more ball roll. Dormant bermuda in the winter and spring can be a suitable playing surface although not as aesthetic. However in a wet year, the dormant surface can be sloppy and impassable with carts. All of the turf species grown in this area, both warm season (bermuda) or cool season (bentgrass & ryegrass) have their definitive ups and downs.
 Last year as an example when we tried to lean a little more on the dry side we experienced an unacceptable level of turf loss and dry spots without significantly firming up the bentgrass areas. With that in mind we decided to go in yet another direction with irrigation management this year and water less with our automatic system at night and have  dedicated afternoon water staff to both hand water hot spots and cool heat stressed turf down in the late afternoons. We continue to  make daily targeted adjustments to our irrigation regimen in addition to the dedicated hand watering program and I actually feel good about the direction we are going.

Typical drought stressed ryegrass patch adjacent to a bentgrass patch 2009 #17 fairway



However your perception is our reality and our desire is to provide the fast and firm conditions you want. The current unique blend of turf in our fairways make these goals a challenge but we will not give up. All of us are living in trying economic times and the short term reality for Granite Bay's turf is to work with what we've got. Long term  there are options to contemplate, nevertheless remember there is no perfect turf species for this area and even if there were the  living & dynamic nature of this outdoor surface we play this great game will vary from season to season by default. 

Cart Traffic On Stressed Turf - How you can Help

The article above outlines one of our largest challenges in maintaining the turf here at Granite Bay. As I mentioned above we do daily targeted irrigation adjustments which includes turning irrigation off  in some targeted areas for multiple days to dry out the bentgrass. When we do this it stresses out the ryegrass patches in the afternoon until they get some hand watered. The labor intensity of handwatering does not always allow us to get to every ryegrass spot every day.



Ryegrass area in afternoon stress surrounded by bentgrass



Typically when this stress occurs and receives irrigation from handwatering or the automatic system that coming evening it rebounds adequately until the next afternoon. This situation can be prevalent all summer but particularly acute late summer early fall as the bentgrass thatch (sponge) has become saturated and we attempt to dry the course out.



Another stressed out traffic area in the rough on #12 in the afternoon



Again these areas will revive but in this weak state cart traffic can be very detrimental. This is where you can help. Recognize these areas by their grey / brown color  and do not drive on them with golf carts. The tracking can last for weeks and can be very unsightly. We have all seen it.



Cart Traffic damage on a section of turf that is being nursed back. The tracking remains for weeks

This is an area where the membership can really help. Not everyone reads these updates so if we spread the word to our fellow members we can really minimize some  ugly damage.

Drive on the Green - Stay away from the Grey  is the rule of thumb. If anyone can come up with a better catch phrase then that, lunch is on me.