Jan 1st, Ropes & Stakes

On Jan 1st the pin positions will be the same as they were on Dec 31st since the entire maintenance staff will be given the day off due to the holiday. However, I will be coming to ensure the irrigation is off and to check for any frost. Please check in with the Pro Shop on the course status.

Starting today we are reducing the stakes and ropes on the golf course, however, this means that it is critical that you please scatter due reduce the wear pattern and protect the high quality of turf we currently have. On Jan 4th we will be bringing out the entrance and exit stakes (White stakes with blue tops) to direct you where the ideal entrance and exit points are on the course. Sometimes these will be further out in the rough than you expect in a effort to reduce wear. The good news is that most are in golf carts thus no additional walking is required.

Starting on Dec 31st we will be starting the wall-to-wall fertilization. Due to the holidays this will continue into next week before its completion.

Have a Happy & Safe New Year!! The 40th for Avondale Golf Club.

Christmas & Tree Trimming

Merry Christmas to Everyone!!

The tree trimming has been completed around the golf course and just after the wind storm on Wednesday we have been picking up little branches that fall out after the the trimming process.

Last weekend we lost about half a foot of green speed due to the flush of growth from the recent rains and the slightly warmer weather. To combat this loss of speed we double rolled the greens first with a light roller and then with a heavier rollers. This seems to have gotten the speed back to normal. In January we will be regularly topdressing the greens which will further speed up the greens.

Over these holidays the crew will be getting the holidays off, however, I will be in on the mornings to ensure that there is no frost to contend with. If you do not see me at the first tee all is well and go ahead and play to your heart's content. The crew also wanted to extent their thanks for everyone who contributed to the Christmas bonus. It was much needed for many and they thank you.

Tree Trimming & X-Mas

The tree trimming is in it's final weeks and should be completed just before Christmas. This year we have trimmed 34 large trees (not including the smaller trees) and will have removed one dead tree on 4 near the nursery. As with all tree trimming the first couple of winds will blow down trimmed small branches that did not fall out of the tree during the trimming, thus clean up of these branches will continue for a couple weeks after the trimming is completed.

On Christmas day as many of you are aware the Club will be closed, however, you are allowed to still play. I will be coming in to ensure there is not any frost and will be staged at the first tee. If there is no frost you will not see me since I will be spending time with my family. Until 9:00 am please check at the first tee to see if there is any frost before proceeding onto the golf course.

With the upcoming holidays we will be shorthanded due to vacations and keeping the budget in line. All tasks will be completed and the course will still be prepared.

Tree Trimming & Hydraulic Leak

Yesterday we started the tree trimming on the 10th hole and will continue over the upcoming week. In addition to trimming several large trees Union Tree Service will also be grinding a stump on 14 and removing a dead tree on 4 near the nursery.

Some of you may have noticed that there was a rough unit left overnight on 18. Several attempts were made to remove this unit before the end of the work day after a hydraulic line broke on the unit without much success. Today we will be bringing out the heavy equipment to remove it from the field so we can repair the unit. Good news is that the damage from the leak was minimal and has been already treated with activated charcoal, thus recovering soon.

Cold weather is still here until the weekend. This morning at 5:15 am the course temperature was 39 degrees and will drop dramatically by sunrise. The delay is expected to be about 2 to 2.5 hours.

FREEZE WARNING

Tomorrow is going to be the coldest day so far this year. The weather channel is projecting the temperature to be 38 degrees in the morning about at 7:00 am. So what does this mean ... well first it means that we might experience a delay in play of 2 - 3 hours depending on the temperature, and second if the freezing temperatures do occur most likely we will not be mowing greens to be able the golf course quickly.

Rain

It has been quite a long time since the Valley and Avondale GC have had rain. We are expecting close to 1/2 inch in total by tomorrow and have fertilized the greens today in anticipation of the rainfall.

Care needs to taken not to drive through low areas since the golf carts can led to rutting. Overall, this is exactly what we have needed.

Frost

The cooler weather is finally here and today we had the first frost delay of the new season. This time of year it is extremely important not to drive or even walk on the golf course in the morning without checking with the golf shop on the status of frost before entering the course.

Damage to the turf during these times can take up to a month or more to heal so please check daily at the golf shop in the mornings.

Cooler Weather

As the morning temperatures decrease the chances of frost in the mornings increases. Normally, the maintenance staff doesn't inform the golf shop or outside service about pocket of frost unless it will affect play or the practice area so as members you must assume there is frost around the golf course thus do not drive on the grass without checking with the golf shop.

If we are going to experience any frost delays the golf shop will be informed with a proximate time of the frost lifting. Driving on the golf course can potentially damage the turf for weeks if there is frost present and is extremely difficult to repair during this time of year. So please do not drive the course without checking in with the pro shop even if it is just driving from your home to the pro shop.

The Corner of Country Club & El Dorado

I heard after the HOA meeting there was some concern about the landscape on the corner of Country Club Drive and El Dorado. After working with the HOA landscape committee, the City of Palm Desert and of course me the plants that were selected and were approved by the City will have showy flowers and can withstand the heat of that area.

The City approved that drawings and the HOA signed off on the approval. The City of Palm Desert allowed us and permitted only 100 ft going along CC Drive and the corner as a test of design. Over the summer the plants were planted and a couple replacements for the ones that died were planted in October. This area will take a couple of years to fully develop but once it does we will look into continuing the pattern the remaining way down CC Drive (with City approval and permitting first).

Wear in the Fairways

I have noticed quite a bit of wear in the fairways of 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 & 18 due to cart traffic not scattering. Several more wear areas can be found near bunkers next to the fairways and right off the cart paths. We have re-seeded these areas, however, it will take a while with the cooler weather for these areas to recover. As members you can help slow down the wear by not driving in these areas. They are easy to see - they are the yellowing areas due to the ryegrass dying and the bermudagrass going dorimant.

Hydraulic Leak on 5 & Ballmarks

At the end of last week one of our rough units broken a hydraulic line causing a leak in the right rough from about the fairway bunker to the tee of the fifth hole. We have treated the leak with charcoal (to neutralize the oil) and seeded the line, however, it will take a couple of weeks to recover.

Ball Marks!! The greens are becoming covered with incorrectly repaired and non-repaired ball marks. A ball mark correctly repaired most likely will recover within 24 hours, while a ball mark not repaired or incorrectly repaired can take weeks to recover. If you are unsure on the correct way to repair a ball mark please contact the pro shop or GC maintenance for the correct way to fix these marks. Not only will this aide in increasing the playability of the greens it will also improve the aesthetics.

Roughs Again & Thanksgiving

Over the past week we have been putting all of our available assets to get the roughs back down to a manageable level. The process has been slowed due to equipment failures, however, we currently have most of the equipment back up and running and expect to have all pieces running by Friday. We are almost at the level we desire and will be there soon.

On the week of Thanksgiving the crew size will be limited due to the holiday and allowing the team time off for Thanksgiving. Our goal is to have all the detail work done the week before so there will be limited disruption to the golf course during that week.

Roughs

The roughs have been growing nicely and are deep (thus heavy ball loss). During this upcoming week we will be focusing a lot of effort in getting them back under control which we expect to have them completely finished at week's end. You may have noticed some clippings left behind in the fairways. There are two reasons for this ... first, the grass is growing great, and second due to un-germinated seed we cannot blow off the clippings as of yet without blowing the seed as well. Next week we can start blowing them again.

Avondale Golf Club Maintenance Updates

This site is set up for the members of Avondale Golf Club for information about the happenings on the golf course. Information included will be upcoming maintenance, occurances around the golf course, conditions, etc. I hope that everyone will enjoy this site.

Jeff Comer, CGCS
Superintendent