Aerification & Tree Trimming

We have finished the aerification process for the year and the next week or two will be the sand removal process off the greens. This last aerification we used 75+ tons of 30-grade kiln dried sand to ensure all the holes are filled and to smooth the greens in prep for the upcoming overseed. Excess sand has to be removed by a combination of mowing and dragging which is the process that takes the longest to complete.

Tree trimming is coming up soon ... starting Sept 13th. This process allows the light to reach the turf thus allowing for a more successful overseeding. So when you see the the ribbons around the trees this only means that they are slated for trimming and not removal. Speaking of removal, over the aerification we had to remove the pepper tree near 11's green due to killer bees. We have tried several times to remove this hive without any long term success and since it posed a harm to our staff and members the tree had to be removed to keep the bees from returning. I should note that this time the hive weighed over 90 lbs and contained well over 50,000 bees.

It has also been brought to my attention that some homeowners believe we are not cleaning Country Club drive enough and more should be done. During the summer months we clean CC Drive twice per month and trim once. Due to our limited crew size and the amount of work needed on the golf course during the summer this is all we can do for now. The good news is that we are still cleaner than some in the Valley.

JC Resort's Sand Hauler

Greens aerification is complete and with using JC Resort's sand hauler we were able to get the sand to the outlying greens quicker than ever with less sand loss. In year's past we have only been able to do three passes on a green before having to return to the shop to reload the topdresser ... but with using this piece of equipment we were able to finish a green entirely before returning to the shop.

Aerification is almost complete and we will be done with the tees & fairways tomorrow. Sand clean up on the greens will start tomorrow as well.

August Aerification

Starting this Monday we will be preforming our last aerification of the season. During this time the golf course will be closed for three days and will not open until 9:00 am on Thursday, however, JC Resorts has offered their other properties for the members of Avondale to play at while we are closed. I hope that many of you take the opportunity to see how JC Resorts runs their facilities.

Lots of work has started around the course already getting ready for Sept which is when we start prepping the course for overseed. In addition, my team has been doing some landscape work around the clubhouse to clean up the presentation for our members upon their return (and for the ones still here).

August Aerification

It is hard to believe that we are looking at the next aerification (the last of the year) already. Yesterday, we aerified the nurseries, small putting green and both the chipping greens, and next Monday we will be starting the rough aerification. Starting on the 16th of Aug. we will be closing the golf course for three days to aerify the greens, tees and fairways. This is always a big process and we encourage the members that are still here during the summer to come out and watch.

After Board approval the "animals" topiaries were removed from the clubhouse area. After Chuck repairs and paints the wall we will be planting the new wall cover which should greatly improve the overall look as you enter the staging area. In addition, the Board outsourced the bed replacement as you enter the parking lot at the clubhouse recently to tie in with the improvements that the HOA has been doing along the Avondale Drive.

The fairways have recovered nicely from the transition and now we are starting efforts to get them ready for overseed ... yes, I said overseed. Believe it or not we start in August the preparations to get ready for overseed which is just around the corner. The seed has already been ordered and will arrive in Sept.