Roughs Almost Done

Today we have finished most of the front nine's weed eating, tree trimming (except stump grinding), and almost all of the roughs have been scalped to there final pre-overseed height.  This week has been extremely productive considering just how far behind we were last week thanks to the damaged caused by the "freak" wind storm.

Starting this weekend we will be drying the golf course completely down to aid in halting the turf growth and being able to prep the final tidbits for the closing of the golf course. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend and be safe.

Getting Closer Every Day

Most of the Seed is in the Maintenance Building

Most of the seed came in this week and every morning I walk in I realize just how close the overseeding is ... and just how much is left to get done.  On the roughs we have almost finished our first pass at 0.750 inch, and starting later today we will be lower to the final HOC of 0.500.  Also the team has gotten the broad strokes of the weed eating done on the front nine and if all goes well we will finish this week at least with the cart paths and roads.

I have talked to a few members who are loving the additional ball roll they are receiving as the fairways dry down.  It may not be very pretty right now but plays great.  Sadly, the bunker get worse and worse each day as they dry.

For those who watch Caddyshack ... well the above picture of Francisco Munoz shows the difference between killing gophers vs golfers. 

Details, Details, Details

It is that time where all of the details have to be completed on time so we are reading to hit the ground running when the golf course closes down for overseed.  This is quite a big job ... just look at how long it takes your personal gardener to prep your yard at in most cases that is less than 0.2 of an acre -- we have 117 acres.

Scalping the Rough on 11

Talked with the tree trimmers yesterday and they feel that that will be 100% done by Friday ... that is great news.  However, the small branches left behind both on the ground and hanging in the trees will take an additional week or so to completely clean.

Removing the Damaged Trees on 14 - Two in Total on this Hole

The rough scalping is progressing quite slowly and so far we are still only at 0.750 inch .  Hopefully by next week we will reach the final cutting height of 0.500 inches and start on the tees and fairways.

Once More Scalping Needed on the Range -- 0.750 Now, Need 0.500 HOC

There is a drawback which will get worse as the golf course drys down in preparation for the upcoming overseed and that is the playability of the bunkers.  Given our sand type in our bunkers as the become dry they become increasingly more difficult to rake and in general maintain.  Even though we are still raking them daily the drier they get, the more uneven they become.

Finally Removing the Killed Tree on 18 From the Windstorm

Spraying Primo, Trimming Trees & Main Line

As the golf course slowly drys out and signs of overseed are already here.  Today we will continue the spraying of Primo (a growth regulator) on the tees and fairways.  Given the rate that we apply the chemical the goal is to have the bermudagrasses growth shut down during the overseed.  Other applications this week include a fungicide application on Friday to suppress the fairy ring and prevent (not eliminate) disease pressure in the first couple of weeks of overseeding.

16 Is Slowly Drying

Speaking of overseeding ... to further the enjoyment of our summer members, just like last year we will leave the golf course items such as ball washers, trash cans, markers, etc. on the golf course until we shut down for overseed prep.  This action slows down our overseeding prep process but keeps our membership happy which is our number one concern.  So we hope that this will be good news to our members.

The tree trimming will continue today with the goal of finishing by the week's end.  It is a lofty goal but still it is our goal.  Clean up of the small branches that fall out for days after these trimmings will continue until we close.

Scalped Roughs of 18

Speaking of closing, here is the closing schedule:
            - Weekend of Sept 29th & 30th  -- Extremely limited crew.
            - Oct 1 & 2nd - course open -- no crew, play wherever you desire.
            - Oct 3rd -- golf course closed.

Clean Up Is Finished, Scalping Continues

Last Sunday's wind storm reeked havoc on our golf course and sadly made several holes unsafe for our membership.  On last Monday with talking with two board members that were here at the time the decision was made to completely shut down the golf course until 12:00 for the general safety of crew and members, and only open the front nine that day.  Luckily we had the tree trimmers on property to trim trees as part of the overseeding process so we put almost the entire crew and their entire crew to address the safety hazards on the front nine ... which we did.

Trimming Tree Around 9's Green

The next couple of days we addressed the the back nine which was the harder hit on the golf course and had it safe to play on Wednesday by 9:30 am.  Of course clean up continued on the golf course until Friday ... which was completed, and over this past weekend we addressed the corner of Frank Sinatra and El Dorado, and also Country Club Drive.  CC Drive had the most debris and the final blowing will be done today to make it fully presentable.

Golf Course is Drying Down

Today we additionally will be continuing the lower of the HOC of the roughs, spraying of growth regulator on the tees and fairways and the tree trimming around the golf course and clubhouse.  A special thanks goes out to Mr. Cradduck for his generous donation of a lunch to the crew ... they very much enjoyed it.

In conjunction with the Pro Shop it was determined to deviate from the established summer plan and prep hole 18 in case there is a need for our summer members.  Our hope is that this will further enhance their enjoyment of the golf course.


The Citrus Tree in the Center of This Picture Has a Coyote Under It

A couple of end of the day notes:  on the fifth hole up near the lake we got a main line break that we will start repairing tomorrow ... we are draining the line right now.  And if you look closely at the picture above you will notice our coyote is back.

Are We Under Attack??

The Contrail Left Behing From the Missile

I am sure that this morning will not be as exciting as yesterday's missile launch.  I lived in Las Cruces for year as a child which is around a hour from White Sands Missile Range, and even have visited the Holloman AFB but never saw a spectacular missile launch like I saw yesterday morning here in Palm Desert some 700 miles away ... very impressive.

Trimming Has Begun

Also very impressive is the speed that my team with the help of Desert Sunshine Tree Trimming cleaned the golf course from one of the worst wind events in the Valley in years.  The windstorm is called a Chubasco, with winds originating from the southeast that occurred on Sunday evening but the debris left behind is just called a mess.  Well as of yesterday the golf course was almost 100% cleaned and ready for the weekend.

Desert Sunshine's Team Working on 4

The tree trimmers will continue the annual tree trimming today and most like will be here for the next week or so.  It is a big event but necessary to get the golf course ready for a successful overseed.

Grass Clipping Piles Starting on 9

Still Cleaning Up the Golf Course

Even though we are much cleaner than we were a couple of days ago we still have numerous areas that require attention to remove all of the smaller branches.  If everything goes right we should be finished today or tomorrow at the latest.  The good news is that as of yesterday the entire golf course was open again.

Now that we have our verticutter unit fixed again we are back to twice per week verticutting.  Hopefully this time without the hydraulic leak ... just kidding.  But speaking of the hydraulic leak, the greens that got affected by the leak have been treated with charcoal and will recover soon ... the charcoal makes it looks worse than it is at first.  I have been asked why wasn't the problem caught sooner ... well the answer is quite simple; it was a minor leak on dew covered greens which is difficult to see by the most experienced eye.  The person that was operating the machine at its occurrence was an 30+ year veteran and not someone who hasn't seen leaks before ... sadly these kind of things just happen.

The tree trimmers will be out in force today trimming the marked trees in preparation for the upcoming overseeding.  Thus between them and us there will be a flurry of activity on the course for a week or so.

The Clean Up Continues

Removed the Fallen Tree on 3

As of day's end yesterday, all of the safety hazards have been addressed but the general clean up continues.  Just thanks to the severity of the storm the debris haul off has been higher than I have ever seen ... so far, not including the major portion that the tree trimmers have taken, we have hauled four loads of debris with even more coming.  You just can't say it hasn't been a very interesting summer.


Last Fallen Tree Removal - On 7

The scalping of the roughs is in full swing and after the clean up of the golf course is complete the first round at one inch will be done.  By the even of September we will have the roughs down to 0.50 inches, and the fairways hopefully to 0.350 of an inch.

Today the tree trimmers will finish their part of the clean up from the wind storm on Sunday and will start the trimming of the trees in prep for the upcoming overseed.

Even the Protected Citrus Trees Were Damaged

The clean up from the storm on Sunday night still will continue today and at least in the morning the back nine will remain close for safety reasons.  We got most of the dangers on the front nine handled yesterday but I would still caution being careful until we can handle all of the dangerous branches.

Numerous Smaller Branches Were Snapped Around the Golf COurse

Since we got some rain along with the wind we also shut down the irrigation last night to dry the course slightly.  In total we lost six trees and had sever damage all around the golf course.  The clean up efforts most likely will continue all week until it is completed.

Some of the Branches Blocked the Fairways

Today we also will try to verticut the greens again.  Last week we had such issues with this process from the machine breaking one day to the hydraulic leak on four greens last Friday.  Today everything is fixed and we will attempt again hopefully with better results.

Baseball Game for Team & Winds Last Night

Heading Into the Baseball Game

On this last Friday I took the crew on our annual trip to Anaheim to see the Angels play the Detroit Tigers.  This is a chance for the crew to relax after a difficult summer such as this past one and get their batteries charged for the upcoming overseeding.

Our Team with Members of Marrakesh & Desert Falls

It was a beautiful evening and even the Angels won the game in the ninth inning.  For some members of the crew this is the very first time to see a professional baseball game in person and they always seem to have a great time.  Everyone seems to enjoy the hot dogs and beer.

Second Inning Under the Lights

This is also a time that the team gets to interact with other crews in the Valley as well as with teams from the LA region.  As one of my team members said when seeing the baseball maintenance team smoothing out the infield ... don't get any new ideas boss.

Fireworks After the Game

At the end of the evening the firework begin (or at least every year we have gone since the Angels have always won) and the long trip home begins. 

Looking Down the Edge of 9's Fairway

Branches Across the Path of 13

Last night we had a big storm blow through the Valley dropping some much needed rain but sadly damaging the golf course at the same time.  First glance this morning in the dark we have noticed several branches down along with at least one tree lost between 6 & 7's fairway.  The only good news is that today was also the first day of the tree trimming for the season so clean up should go very quickly.  Correction ... this was the worst I have ever seen at Avondale ... lost several trees, damaged many others, golf course was closed in the morning just to make it somewhat playable and most likely going to only open nine holes.

Between 6 and 7's Fairways

Tree Down on 11

15's Fairway Closed for Safety

Pine Snapped Just Before 7's Green

It's Friday -- Piles Start Today

Starting today we will be building grass clippings piles on 5 (near the tee and road), 9 (at the end of the arborvitaes just before the first house), and 14 (just after the last house near the road).  The reason for putting these grass clipping piles on the golf course is because it will save the golf course thousands of dollars in haul off fees.  If by any chance that your golf ball ends up in one of these piles, you get free relief as the area in considered GUR.

Today we will also be verticutting the greens since yesterday we were unable to perform this task due to mechanical issues.  On the greens front we are still "tweaking" the newly sodded greens and expect to continue this process until perfect.

Hydraulic Leak on 9's Green

Treating the Hydraulic Leak on 8's Green with Charcoal

Another hydraulic leak this year ... this time it is on the green.  The leak started on 5's green and wasn't caught until 9's green.  This means 5, 7, 8 & 9's greens experienced the leak.  We are treating the minor leak quickly with charcoal and expect a full recovery very soon.

Baby Bull Snake

PS ... watch out for little snakes.  This little bull snake was found on 4 and must be newly hatched ... thus where there is one others will be.  They are NOT venomous.

Lake Levels

If you are playing here at Avondale today you may notice that the lake level of the main irrigation lake is quite low.  This isn't because we have pumped out so much water, but instead is because the people doing our well pump PMs forgot to turn the well back on ... I fixed that this morning.

Additionally, today we are sand leveling the edges and newly sodded regions of several greens including 5, 7, 8, 10 - 13 and 15.  This will be an ongoing process until the are perfect and can be able to handle HOCs of 0.095 or even less. 

Hot spots:  As I cut back on the irrigation the formation of hot spots will occur.  Normally we would increase the irrigation in these areas but with overseeding just around the corner we will allow them to dry more than usual.

Gosh ... Will the Humidity Please Break?

In all of the years I have lived in the Valley, and from other discussions with superintendents that lived here even longer the monsoon season this summer is the longest by far and the worst that most have ever seen.  Bermudagrass indeed loves this kind of weather up to a point ... if long enough we will even experience issues with the bermudagrass in the form of disease and over growth ... not even addressing the insects that life cycles are extended and their populations are exploding during this time.  Just look at all of the issues with the mosquitoes this year and the West Nile virus just to see what this weather means to insect populations.

Clipping on the Practice After Just One Day of Growth

Mowing 7's Fairway -- Look at the Clippings Flying from the Reel

What are we doing?  We are addressing this issue especially on the greens by cutting back the water, increasing the verticutting of the greens, increasing the applications and the rates of growth regulators, and lowering the HOC of our mowers ... but we are still having issues gaining green speeds since the aerification.  To allow for quick recovery of the turf after the aerification (by the way we got) we pump up the fertilizer.  Normally, it isn't much of an issue to tone it back down but this year is a different story ... but trust me we are working extremely hard on them to get them from their current 8.0 to 8.5 back to 9.5 to 10 on the stimp. 

Yesterday towards the end of the day, one of our units blew a hydraulic line while crossing 7's approach.  We have repaired the unit and have treated the the enitre area ... recovery should be quite soon.

The Golden Light From the Sun



9's Green Under the Golden Light

8's Green on the Morning of it's Photo Shoot

The one good thing about the humidity is thanks to the daily formation of clouds, the filtered sun makes for beautiful pictures of the golf course.

Scalping Will Begin This Week

Yesterday I cut back on the irrigation of the golf course both to slightly dry it down for the scalping process and to save monies in water replenishment with the ever increasing cost of water in the Valley.  This drying down will result in the formation of hot spots, but it will also increase the ball roll on the fairways as they begin to firm up.

Later this week we will start the slow process of lowering the HOC of the roughs from their current 1.5 inches to their final HOC of 0.5 inches.  This lowering of the HOC of the roughs require about two to three weeks to get to the final because going any quicker will bind the machines as well as overheat them in this weather.  Thus it is a slow process.

This Form of Fungus is an Indicator of a Dying Tree

These are Those Trees

Starting next Monday the annual tree trimming for sunlight penetration will start along with a couple of removals of dying trees.  Between limited budget and the excessive heat only a few trees will be trimmed at this point.  But speaking of trees ... I have been hearing all summer about how the newly planted pines block the shot from 6's left fairway bunker ... below is a picture taken today from behind the bunker looking towards the green.

Standing Behind 6's Fairway Bunker Looking Towards the Green

Labor Day, and What Does It Mean

Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day.  Following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland reconciled with Reyes, leader of the labor movement. Fearing further conflict, the United States Congress unanimously voted to approve rush legislation that made Labor Day a national holiday; Cleveland signed it into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date originally chosen by the CLU of New York and observed by many of the nation's trade unions for the past several years was selected rather than the more widespread International Workers' Day because Cleveland was concerned that observance of the latter would be associated with the nascent Communist, Syndicalist and Anarchist movements that, though distinct from one another, had rallied to commemorate the Haymarket Affair in International Workers' Day

Looking Across 7's Fairway on this Labor Day Morning

Labor Day for the golf industry's maintenance departments, like most holidays, are never a day off for the team since there are always events such as shotguns scheduled on holidays since most companies do give their employees the day off.  This is just the industry we have chosen but we do reduce the working hours overall during this week for our team so they can enjoy some relaxation during a holiday that was created just for workers such as them.

9's Fairway is Ready to Get Mowed

Even though the team has been picking up their work load ... basically doing more with less during these times, never complaining (much) about the lack of compensation even though prices of goods such as food, fuel, etc continue to rise every year ... they have one goal in mind ... the success of Avondale Golf Club.  And to this end, thanks to their efforts of giving the members an excellent place to play, we have been able to sell memberships to allow Avondale to continue the thrive and and grow.  We will be a survivor during these tough economic times thanks in no small part to my team's efforts.

Sweetwater Without the Tamerisk

I am taking the team this upcoming Friday to an Angel's game over in LA to thank them for all of their outstanding work this year but I know they also enjoy hearing the thanks from you the members.  It has been a tough couple of years but this team strives daily for your success.