Greens Are Getting Too Fast

Will we in GCM or the pro shop ever hear from the members that the greens are becoming too fast? ... Nope.  Too slow, of course, too fast never.  Why is that, and how do we know when the greens are too fast?  First, it is not in the nature of your average golfer to ever think that the reason a golf ball doesn't stop where you putted it to or even roll back at you is because the green speed has hit a level of just being too quick for its design.  Second, we know they are getting too fast for most of the golfer is that we start hearing that the pin positions are unfair, on a slope, etc.

What was a good pin position when the greens are rolling 9.5 to 10.5 is almost impossible when the greens are reaching or passing 12 on the stimpmeter as our greens are doing right now.  Presently, we are developing green placement maps but they are not fully ready yet.  And with our smaller, postage stamp greens with limited pin positions it is difficult for my team to understand what was good before is not good now.  We are working on that one.

To even out wear on our greens or not to continue pinning in the same area (as with the back position of 6's green) we sometimes have to shift the position into a less desirable position.  When the greens are too fast, it makes this position almost impossible. 

Today, I will increase the watering and decrease the frequency of the rolling to slow our greens back down.  Additionally, the mapping that I have finished will be put into a usable format for my team and continue their training.  With Ernie and working more and more in the field and doing less follow up this training has become critical to the success of the pace of play.

Divot Recovery Testing

2nd Week of Divot Recovery

This is the end of the second week and the recovery is still statistically uniform throughout the testing.  The divot itself is closing in on the edges as the turf slowly covers it, but the seed still (in the ones with seed) hasn't germinated.

Out of Town for Work

Almost all of next week I will be out of town attending GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America) national conference and seminars.  These seminars aid me in becoming a better superintendent for Avondale by teaching newer and more productive ways to get thing accomplished here at at the golf course while keeping my certification hours (CEU) up-to-date for things such as pesticide hours and irrigation auditor hours. 

Additionally, I attend the trade show which exhibits new tools to better serve the course such as bunker tools and others.  These seminars and trade show have been gleaned into savings for Avondale by finding better ways to do things with getting the same results, and networking with others in my industry that I can call on in times of need.

During that time I will have limited access to my phone and Internet but I still will return calls and answer e-mails on a timely basis.  I will be in contact with Ernie and Shaun daily and will post on the blog any updates that need to get out to the membership.

Do not feel to badly for me since this year the National GCSAA conference is in Las Vegas ... I will make the best of it while I am there.

Now & Then

About a couple of years ago a friend of mine who played here at Avondale (then Del Safari) back in the late 70's gave me a couple of pictures that he took on that day.

Behind 18's Green -- Today

Behind 18's Green -- Del Safari (Notice the Spears)

6's Tee -- Today

6's Tee -- Then at Del Safari

It is amazing just how few and small the trees are, and other changes such as the bunker behind 18's green is now gone.

Short Day Today and Tomorrow

With this being a holiday week we reduce the team's working hours to 32 hours to keep us under budget and at 40 hours total.  This means that the team will only be working four hours today and four hours tomorrow ... which for those who don't like to see the maintenance team in the field will be great for the next four days (including weekend).

All of This Piping is Now Gone

We have brought back the roller in the field and will be lightly rolling the greens today, plus we will be finishing the cart paths (hopefully).  You may have seen us working on the area behind the pro shop yesterday by removing and transplanting those few remaining flowers as well as removing the existing "ugly" piping that surrounded the back of the building.  This is the first step in improving this area for the remainder of the season.

Topdress Greens

This morning we are back to our weekly topdressing the green after suspending it for a week due to the weather becoming cool again.  These weekly topdressing aid in keeping the greens smooth, makes them faster and repairs any un-repaired ballmarks.

Use to be Full of Flowers -- Now Gone

Additionally, we are going to fix up the area behind the pro shop.  After several years of trying different flowers in this area that can withstand the shade we are giving up on the flowers and converting this area into a shade tolerant desert scape.  This will match the other side of the pro shop and should improve our overall look as you are exiting 18 & 9's green.  The a/c unit that has now become visible after the hibiscus died in September will also be addressed as well.

This Corner is Quite Ugly

Fire Extinguisher Training

Yesterday, as the the annual testing to ensure our fire extinguishers were ready we decided it was a great time to train the staff on the proper use of them.

Safely Starting a Fire for Each Team Member

Training them on the proper use allows them to handle safely any small fires that may arise.  Of course the big ones are handled by the professionals.

The Team Member Sweeps the Fire

Last Day of Barricade Application

Sent the teams out to start spraying this morning so hopefully we can knock out the Barricade application before or shortly after the ladies meet up with them.  This application is a big process and requires a lot of time and that is the reason we outsource the project.  If we were to try doing this project in-house it would take us about two weeks to complete compared to the day and half it takes the spray service to complete the task.

In addition, we will be starting the clean up process from this weekend's wind storm.  Luckily, it wasn't too bad of a storm and we should be completely cleaned by tomorrow.

Just a heads up ... next week we will be tilling the bunker bottoms of the greenside bunkers.  The good news is that we have gotten new blades of our smaller rototiller which will not "fluff" them nearly as much as the larger tiller.

Spraying Barricade

Spraying 11's Tee

In an effort to control the spring weeds (i.e. crabgrass) and regulate the growth of the turf we have contracted an outside service to spray the entire golf course with fertilizer, Barricade (pre-emergent) and Primo (a growth regulator).  They will have three spray rigs in the field all day, but will spray the tees and fairways first.  This means that the tee markers may spend a majority of the day on the cart path instead of the tee blocks to prevent their potential of getting stained.

Spraying 11's Fairway

This process usually only takes a day and half to complete but can vary depending on the amount of play in the field.  This particular team has been spraying Avondale going on their seventh year and are vary much aware on how to not interfere or at least minimal impact to our members.

The Foam "Balls" are Just Soap Markers

First Day of the Championship

The Club Championship starts today and we will be ready for a fun event.  The team is focused on getting the golf course ready for some great competition.  We have received the pin sheet for today so if you do not like the pin position go after Brian Stuck ... he is the one who selected them ... just kidding about going after him.

After One Week -- Recovery Slow But About the Same for Each

This is the first week after performing the divot recovery testing project.  I will post a picture of the first week's results on this post, and will continue to do so until we have full recovery.  These results (once complete) will be discussed at the Green Committee.

Francisco Munoz Rolling 9's Green

We finally got the heavy roller in the field and working.  This will ultimately improve the smoothness of the greens ... which were great to start with anyway.

Daily Update 2-16-12

Yesterday and last night we ended up getting 0.32 inches of rain here at Avondale.  This is fantastic because it means that we can shut off the irrigation for at least a couple of days (maybe more) and save some of our budget for another day ... like in the summer.  Today it is supposed to start raining again around 9:00 am.

Thus, with the ground moist from the rain last night we are planning to fertilizer the fairways and tees this morning which will finish out the remaining fertilizer we have in stock.  With the rain coming again today we should get a very even watering in of the product.

Our plan tomorrow was to topdress the greens, however, with the sand pile getting wet, this process will have to wait until another day.

Could It Be Rain

It is such a big event when rain occurs in the Valley and it is predicted that some rain will happen later today.  Every time it rains we get to turn off the irrigation and enjoy free water, which in turn can be up to $1,000 savings or even more to the golf club.  So unlike Woodstock's chant "NO RAIN, NO RAIN" my team is chanting "RAIN, RAIN."

No major maintenance plans today other than course clean up.  Yesterday with the Ladies Valentine event we could not bring the heavy equipment out (such as sweepers) to clean the golf course, but today they will be out in force.  The winds as usual left their mark on Avondale by leaving small branches and twigs everywhere ... which now we will clean.  The only bad thing is that along with the rain it is projected that the winds will lead the rain into the Valley ... thus, more clean up.

Spraying Fairways & Needle-Tining Greens

It is the day of the ladies Valentine Day tournament and the "honey do" list for maintenance continues to grow.  To relieve the water retention issue that is effecting several greens we will be needle-tining greens 1 - 3, and 8 this morning before they are mowed.  Other than holes in the greens (see picture from previous post) the playability will not be affected too much.  With the Championship this weekend we needed to complete this task as soon as possible to increase the potential to be able to roll the greens.

In addition, today we will be spraying the tees and fairways with a foliar application of fertilizer.  This application along with the granular application we are doing Thursday will aid in the recovery of divots and wear from cart traffic.

We are suspending the bunker edging and weed eating today to allow the ladies to enjoy the golf course without us being in their way ... but tomorrow we will be back in full swing on the bunkers.

Here Comes the Wind

As the cold front pushes its way into the Valley so to comes the winds.  Today they are projecting sustained winds of 15 - 25 mph, with gusts up to 40+ mph.  This means the team will have to clean any debris off the greens before any maintenance can be done, as well as caution should be observed under our trees throughout the day for potential falling branches.

This week is filled with applications and other work.  We have two fertilizer applications planned for the fairways and one planned for the greens.  Additionally, we will still be doing our weekly topdressing and start the edging and weed eating of the bunkers.

A Question I Get Asked

As our green sand for divots nears it end along with the seed we have remaining I get asked quite a bit about divot recovery.

I had Brian, the assistant pro, take five evenly sized divots next to the small putting green for the test.  Please do not do anything to these divots they are part of the test.  Then we filled the divots with different parameters ... one with straight green sand; one with our 50/50 sand/OM mix; one with green sand and seed; one with 50/50 and seed; and lastly without any divot mix.

Ernie Filling the Divots

These divots will be allow to heal under normal conditions under normal watering.  We will get back in a couple of weeks with the results.

From Top to Bottom
Top: Green Sand; 50/50, Grn Sand w/Seed; 50/50 w/seed; Bottom: No Sand

Weekly Update

We finished up the wall-to-wall fertilization and all went smoothly.  With the warmer temperatures lately and this fertilizer should greatly improve the quality of the rough's turf.  Next week we will be both foliar and granular fertilizing the tees and fairways to strengthen them up for the heavier play from the heart of the season.

Additionally, today we will be treating the greens for grubs which historically start about this time of year.  In the Valley, in general, grubs and BTA's (the little black beetle) are a major issue when it comes to turf quality ... thus we can see two to three cycles of each in a given year.

According to the weather channel, the winds are coming back this weekend ... oh what fun.  We will get the needed equipment ready in case there is a need for them that arises ... now, it is just a waiting game.

Puddle Formation on 1's Green After Only 3 - 4 Minutes of Irrigation

After spraying for grub control we have to water in the product ... today, this minor watering led to puddles being formed on a few of the greens, thus the rolling will be suspended for a bit and we will start needle tining them to improve percolation.

Needle Tined Green (Small PG Near 3)

Hopefully the Last Day of Fertilization

We are continuing the wall-to-wall fertilization today starting on the front nine.  We still have holes 1 - 4, 8, 9, 11 and 12 to finish on the golf course and the practice to complete.  Putting down the fertilizer is the easy part, it is the watering in the product so as to not burn the turf which is the difficult part of the process.  Considering the amount of irrigation heads that need to be turned on it takes 30 plus minutes to finish each hole ... and that needs to be finished before play starts.

This fertilization cost over $7,000 to complete at a rate of 0.66 lbs N per 1,000 sq ft.  If we were to go at the normal full rate of 1.0 lb N per 1,000 sq ft this cost of application would be around $9,600 for just this one application.  For this reason we solely focus on the fairways and tees most of the year, and limit our wall-to-wall application to only a couple times per year.  This is why you see the roughs not as thick or lush as our fairways.  I should further note that the cost of application doesn't include water, fuel or labor costs associated with the application.

The Fertilization Continues

Since fertilizing the golf course wall-to-wall takes some time to complete due to the fact that we have 115 acres of turf we will continuing this process today and tomorrow.  Today, we will be addressing the green surrounds and hard to reach areas such as behind 8 & 10's blue tee, and tomorrow the use of the tractor spreader will continue.  If all goes well we will be finished tomorrow by 10:00 am.

Additionally, today we will be lightly topdressing the greens to continue their improvement.  If the fertilization is complete on Thursday, Friday we will smooth roll the greens using our heavy roller ... provided that it is completely fixed by then.

On a Side Note

The hydraulic leak problem on 18, 16 and 1 have all healed.  There is one side effect from the charcoal ... the areas sprayed adsorbed more heat during the daytime thus are greener than their surrounding turf.  With the wall-to-wall fertilization these effects will also go away.

Fertilzation Starts -- Wall-to-Wall

This morning we will be starting the fertilization of the golf course wall-to-wall.  Since there are 115 acres of turf to fertilize and water the product in, this will take a couple to a few days to complete.  Our goal is to finish the fertilization as quickly as possible without any interference with play other than the course being slightly wetter than usual.

This fertilization is the first time in almost three months that we have fertilized the roughs and will bring the golf course into premier conditions for all of the upcoming events.  Our fairways, tees and greens are already in premier condition, now it is time to take the remaining golf course there as well.

On the bunker front.  We have bought new blades for the smaller rototiller and this will be our unit for the remainder of the season ... or at least during the times when the nightly irrigation is so light.  Additionally, we are still experimenting with different rake styles to find the one that is right for us and our bunker sand in the mornings.  Since the team is working so hard to try to even our the bunkers there will be times that they will be caught in the mornings by play ... especially by twosomes.

Bunkers Again?

Yup ... it is the bunkers again.  Now they are officially too soft for many and slowly firming back up.  We will start to increase the water to them in an effort to nullify the tilling and bring them back to more playable condition.

What can be done in the future?  Well, for starters we will put to bed the new rototiller which no matter what we try is too aggressive for our sand.  Second, I just ordered replacement blades for the smaller rototiller which gives the results that most of the members enjoy ... but should note that takes twice as long to complete.  And lastly, we will, once the bunkers firm a bit, try our modified "hula-hoe" for more regular less aggressive tilling.  For now our main effort is solely firming them back up again.

The good news is on the rest of the golf course front ... it could not be in any better condition and the comments for just how great the golf course is continue.

Ladies Member / Member Starts Today

This morning is the start of the two day Ladies Member/Member event.  In preparation for the event we will be raking the bunkers around the greens in their normal pattern and lightly rolling the greens.  Our goal is to give excellent conditions for this fun two day event. 

Hand Scurfier for Loosening Bunker Bottom

Yesterday, Eric Jeska from JC Resorts gave his best attempt to rake one of our bunkers on 11 that has been tilled ... well let's just say I had to fix it, but it gave him an idea on just how difficult raking these extremely soft bunkers.  I developed a tool to attempt the next time we go to loosen the bunker bottoms that just may work for everyone's desires.

In addition, today we will be foliar fertilizing the fairways and the practice area.  This is a time consuming process but with our 600 gallon mix tank and our recently repaired pull-behind spray rig we should have no issues finishing ahead of the ladies or any other play.

Blank Map Ready for Mapping

I just got the maps for every green and starting today I will be mapping the "no pin" areas on the greens for later lamination to give to the Green Committee for approval to use.  Also today, on the 10th hole the tree trimmer will be trimming one eucalyptus that is being paid for by one of our members.

Upcoming Timelines:

a.      This Week:

a)            Jan 30^th foliar fertilizing the greens.

b)            Jan 30^th start tilling green side bunkers.

c)            Feb 2^nd lightly topdressing greens.

d)            Feb 3^rd roll greens.

e)            Feb 3^rd foliar fertilizing fairways.

b.      In Next Week After:

a)            Feb 6^th foliar spraying greens.

b)            Feb 7^th roll greens

c)            Feb 7^th fertilizing course wall-to-wall 18-5-0 starts.

d)            Feb 9^th lightly topdressing greens.

e)            Feb 10^th roll greens.

c.       In Near Future:

a)            Feb 13^th foliar spraying greens.

b)            Feb 14^th foliar spraying fairways.

c)            Feb 16^th lightly topdressing greens.

d)            Feb 17^th spraying the greens with X-Sodis, Meridian & Cascade.

e)            Feb 20^th foliar spraying greens.

f)             Feb 20 – 21^st outside contract spraying wall to wall Barricade.

g)            Feb 22^nd lightly topdressing greens.

h)            Feb 23^rd roll greens.

i)              Feb 27^th foliar spraying greens.

j)              Feb 27^th roll greens

k)            Feb 28^th foliar spraying fairways.

l)              Feb 29^th lightly topdressing greens.

Topdressing Lightly the Greens

So Soft Even the Members are Having Difficulty Removing Their Footprints

The bunkers are still having difficulty in becoming smooth but yesterday we put four team members to address the issue, and today we will address the issue again.  Super soft bunkers, such as they are when we till them (even at a depth of 3 inches), are extremely difficult to get back completely playable.  I suggested to the pro shop to consider them GUR for one more day to get them back under control.  Between the tilling and smoothing it requires approximately 80 working man hours to complete.

Lightly Topdressing 18's Green

Today, to further improve our excellent greens we will be lightly topdressing them.  These light topdressings smooth any imperfections, reduce ball marks, and speed the greens back up ... not that they were slow to start with. 

Ernie Lightly Dragging 7's Green After Topdressing

Speaking of speed, in a effort to improve our cup setters we are working on a non pinable area maps for each green.  But I heard this yesterday, as in the past, about the pin on 6's green.  It was a back pin position which even at slower speed is extremely limited on amount of placements ... but it was commented it was on a slope.  This was partly true that it was on a slight, flat slope.  The key is flat slope.  With so limited positions in the back, if the back of the green is to be used at all, it almost always will have a slight slope to it.  And when the green speed is over 11 as it is now, it is a tough but possible putt.  On day we will address these back positions on 6 and 7's green, and make the necessary repairs ... but until then my team will do its best to limit the cup on these slopes.

Looking Good -- 18's Green in the Morning

Side note:  Just got though watching one of our resident hawks kill a coot ... thank God for the hawks feeding their young.

The TIlling is Finished, But Smoothing Continues

We finished the tilling of the bunkers yesterday in order to hopefully have them completely smoothed out before this Friday.  The tilling of the green side bunkers, although time consuming, is the easy part of softening the bunkers.  The difficult part and the part that the members dislike is the smoothing them back level.

Smoothing of the quality of bunker sand we have is difficult at best but the extremely soft sand combined with the particle size and organic content makes a difficult job worse.  We will be spending numerous man hours and the next couple of days trying to get them back smooth again.  If you like during this process you may consider them as GUR.