What the hail is up with this weather?

The three pictures to the right were taken about an hour apart.  The unpredictability of Oregon Coast weather strikes again.  Sandpines received 2.76 inches of rain yesterday.  It was the most rain in a single day since November 7, 2006 (4.55 inches).  We are now over eighty inches of precipitation for 2010, and we still have a few days to go.  Right now, it looks like we will top 2009 by about thirty inches. 

Last Sunday morning, a thunder and lightning storm was on display for a couple of hours (sorry, I wasn't feeling brave enough to get a picture).  That makes two weekends in a row with thunder and lightning.

We were just about to mow greens this morning when the hail started coming down.  Hopefully, the weather will be more cooperative tomorrow, so we can get the greens mowed.


Thankfully, dry conditions are in the forecast this coming weekend.  I am sure we will see some frost, but at least it is not supposed to rain.  It should be a great time for those of you who got new golf clubs for Christmas to come out and give them a try.

Jerry continues to make bunker repairs.  He finished removing trees and brush from the bunker islands on hole fourteen last week.  Currently he is adding sand to the left green side bunker on hole 10. 

The agronomy staff has spent more time than usual blowing tree debris off greens and repairing bunker washouts over the past couple of weeks.

Dean recently finished grinding the Triplex reels and installed new bed knives.  He will start grinding the fairway mower reels soon.

Strikes, Gutters, and Edging

Last week we began edging sprinkler heads and drainage catch basins.  It is much easier to find your yardage to the green once the sprinkler heads have been edged.  They are also much easier to service and repair when the entire top of the sprinkler head is exposed.  It has been especially important to keep drainage catch basins clear with all of the wet weather we have been experiencing.  The edging should be completed sometime next week.

Jim edging a sprinkler head

Steven edging a drainage catch basin

Jerry completed his latest bunker project on the right green side bunker on hole 17 this week. He repaired some turf damage located just outside the bunker.  He also added quite a bit of sand in order to restore the bunker to the proper depth.  The playability of the bunker is greatly improved.  It is also more maintenance friendly.

Last Thursday the Sandpines staff was treated to a holiday party at the local bowling alley.  It was a blast.  Everyone who attended had a great time.  Its hard to go wrong with pizza, beer, and bowling.  I don't think my bowling career is going to pan out, but I did put away a lot of pizza.

Jerry delivers a strike

On behalf of the Sandpines Agronomy staff, I would like to thank Michael and Nancy for a putting on a great holiday party.

Off Season Topdressing

The greens were topdressed today.  Sand topdressing is beneficial in many ways. Consistent sand topdressing keeps thatch diluted, which improves infiltration and keeps the surface firm.  It also smooths the surface by filling depressions and imperfections caused by the traffic of play and maintenance.  The sand also protects the crown of the grass plant, making the plant healthier.  Healthier plants are less susceptible to stress and require less inputs.

Approach topdressing was also started today, and should be completed soon.  We try to topdress greens and approaches monthly in the off season, but as with all plans this time of year, it depends upon the weather.

Last week was pretty wet until Friday.  A few traffic areas were getting sloppy, so traffic was re-routed in those areas.  This is most evident on hole 4, where some ropes were added for better traffic control.

I attended a pest management seminar in Portland last Thursday and Friday.  There were some great topics and speakers this year.  It was nice to learn a couple new things, refresh a few things, and network with industry contacts.

Sandpines received 12.02 inches of precipitation in the month of November.  That brings the total for 2010 to 71.01 inches so far.

Snow Day

The golf course is open for play today.  Most of the snow is gone, however we did have a frost delay this morning.  Check out the video and pictures below and see how much snow we had on Tuesday.

Snow Day 11/23/10

Video Captured by Assistant Superintendent Jerry Waite

       

Frost, Soil Samples, & Projects

It was 29 degrees (Fahrenheit) at 6:00 am this morning, so this video seemed appropriate.  The video quality is pretty rough, but the message in the audio is good.

Frost

The hole 3 bunker project should be completed next week.  The moss and tree roots have been removed from the east side of the bunker bank (right side in the photo below).  The entire area has also been re-shaped to match the original design.  Sand has been added to the bunker to bring it up to the proper level.  Aeration cores and seed will be used to re-establish turf.

Soil samples were collected for analysis this week.  They will be analyzed for pH, CEC (cation ion exchange capacity), organic matter, and various nutrients.  The results of the soil analysis will help shape the fertility planning in the future.  Samples were collected from various greens, tees, and fairways.

The use of traffic control stakes is critical this time of year.  This is mainly due to wet conditions combined with slower turf growth.  Ropes will be used in a few areas to keep cart traffic away, but in general the appearance and ease of moving our green stakes is the preferred method of traffic control.  The goal is to vary traffic enough so that turf will remain in all areas.

Brush and debris clearing between hole 3 and hole 4 was started this week.  Brush, low lying tree limbs, dead trees, and downed limbs will be removed in order to make the area more playable.  However, if you are looking for the best angle to the green, hit the ball in the fairway.

The weather during the last week has been less than desirable for golf.  There has been 3.74 inches of precipitation over the last week (11/14/10 - 11/20/10).  The daily high temperatures have dropped about 10 degrees.  The precipitation total for the year is up to 65.79 inches.

Unique Drainage Techniques

Many golf courses in Western Oregon and Western Washington will be working on drainage projects this winter. The approach to drainage depends largely upon the type of soil you are working with.  Soil conditions are generally unique to each golf course.  A typical drainage project would involve excavating a trench, while making sure there is proper fall. Depending on compaction and the amount of rock, this can be very time consuming and physically demanding, especially if its done manually.  Next, some type of subsurface piping surrounded by drain rock would be installed.  This is following by sand capping and replacing the sod.  Additionally, the project would require tapping into an existing drainage system, or draining it to a pond or some other acceptable place.

Since Sandpines sits on a sand dune,  consistent aeration and topdressing generally keep our drainage projects to a minimum.  Over time we do get areas that become soft and hold water.  When this happens our drainage techniques are quite unique.  Often, a cup cutter is used at maximum depth to make holes in the soft area on roughly 12 inch centers.  These holes are then back-filled with native dune sand, which we have plenty of on site.  Upon completion, the area usually dries up within a couple of days.  Along the same lines, sometimes a post hole digger is used to create the holes.  These holes are also back-filled with native dune sand.  There are times when a more traditional looking trench  is made, using a sod cutter.  After the sod is removed, organic matter and any layering are removed.  Then, native sand is back-filled in the trenches before replacing the sod.  No piping or drain rock is used.

These processes work because of the ease of digging in sand, but also due to the fact there is no subsurface drainage needed. Water drains freely once its through any organic matter accumulation or layering.  These drainage projects are completed rather quickly and cost little or nothing other than labor, since no piping, drain rock, or sand is purchased.

However, in years when the water table is high, there are a few places on the golf course where the ground water comes up and fills a couple of bunkers and lower lying areas. Thankfully, these areas are few, and this does not occur every year.

This week we are working on various small drainage projects throughout the course, using the unique drainage techniques previously discussed.

Jerry (assistant superintendent) is currently working on the bunker right of the green on hole 3.  He is removing the moss on the bunker bank and will use aeration cores and seed to reestablish grass in that area.  The project is similar to the one completed earlier this year on hole 6 fairway bunker.

The weather has been pretty unpredictable over the past week.  There has been beautiful days filled with brilliant sunshine.  Cloudy days with cold rain.  Then of course, we have had days mixed with both.  Last weeks (11/1/10 - 11/7/10) precipitation total was 2.99 inches.

Fairway Top Dressing

Fairway top dressing was started at the end of last week.  It should be finished this week barring any equipment problems.  Continued top dressing will keep thatch diluted and keep the surface firm.  Other benefits of top dressing fairways include reduced disease incidence and improved turf health.

The aeration of the driving range tee was completed last week.  This should provide a better surface to practice on next spring.  The tee has been in need of aeration, but has fallen off the "to do" list a few times in lieu of on course projects.

Last week, a drainage ditch was installed left of  7 green.  During periods of heavy rain, the left side of the green holds water.  The drain was installed just outside the collar to reduce the amount of water that runs onto the green.

Upon completion of the drain left of 7 green, the focus was shifted to the approach.  The approach on 7 has developed a wet soggy area.  A deep tine aerator (demonstration with a local equipment distributor) was used on this area a couple of years ago.  It worked well, but the results only last so long.  The area is located on the left side of the approach, and the project should be finished this week.

The greens are continuing to heal from aeration, and the weather has been great for it.  Unfortunately, the weather has also been great for Microdochium nivale, the pathogen responsible for the Microdochium patch disease.  This disease is also known as Fusarium patch and pink snow mold.  The pathogen thrives in wet conditions with temperatures in the mid 40's to low 60's (Fahrenheit).

Precipitation measured for the month of October was 6.07 inches.  This brings the total for the year to 57.71 inches.

Let The Healing Begin

I would like to thank the Sandpines Maintenance Staff for all of their hard work during the greens aeration process.  Their continued dedication to the golf course is greatly appreciated.

The weather cooperated nicely during the entire greens aeration process.  The forecast for the next few days is calling for rain, which should really help the healing process.

Despite a few equipment problems, the aeration of the approaches was also completed.  During the approach aeration, Jerry (the assistant superintendent at Sandpines) let me run the GA-60 aerator for a bit on Wednesday.  That went pretty for about ten minutes, then I hit a sprinkler head.  I don't think Jerry will be asking me to run "his" aerator again anytime soon.  I did have an enjoyable time repairing the damage.  Luckily, the sprinkler head was still in tact, and all that broke was a fitting on the swing arm.

Oops!

Aeration: A breath of fresh air for greens

This video does a great job explaining why greens aeration is important.  It's definitely worth a look.  I especially recommend it if you are a skeptic of aeration.

Greens aeration is right around the corner.  In fact, we aerated the practice greens today.  We like to aerate the practice greens before starting on the golf course in order to fine tune the process and make sure the equipment is operating properly.  Greens aeration will begin on the golf course this Sunday (October 17th) at noon.  The golf course will be closed while the process is finished on Monday and Tuesday (October 18th & 19th).

During greens aeration, 5/8" hollow core tines will be used.  Last year we experimented using 1/4" hollow core tines exclusively.  The healing time was much less with the smaller tines, but unfortunately, so were the benefits.  Last year the greens were aerated six times with 1/4" hollow core tines.  Yet, by January the greens were not infiltrating nearly as well as previous winters when more traditional 5/8" hollow core tines were used.  We used squeegees to get water off greens more last winter than the previous three winters combined.  The greens were also softer than previous winters.  Eventually, we ended up aerating with solid tines in order to get the greens to infiltrate until they could be core aerated in the spring.

I believe the downfall of the 1/4" tine experiment lies in the inability to fill the 1/4" holes with sand.  The holes are so small that it is nearly impossible to drag sand into the holes.  Consequently, there is no sand channel created.  When traditional 5/8" hollow core tines are used, the holes created are easily (given the right conditions) filled with sand.  This creates a sand channel, which greatly increases infiltration long after the aeration holes have grown over or healed.  Additionally, aerating monthly in the growing season with 1/4" hollow core tines had a negative impact on the integrity of the putting surface.  Essentially, we alleviated compaction too much.  There is a certain amount of compaction required to provide a quality putting surface.

This is not to say there is no value in 1/4" aeration.  I am sure there are instances where an aeration program similar to the one we implemented worked well in a different setting.  Perhaps using 1/4" hollow core aeration in conjunction with traditional 5/8" hollow core aeration would provide better results.

2010 Coast Open

It's a beautiful day for golf on the Oregon Coast!  The golf course is in excellent shape for our last big tournament of the year.  The Coast Open is a pro-am held at Sandpines every year in mid October.  This year the weather has cooperated nicely.  The greens were rolling true this morning after being groomed with walk mowers and rolled.  The fairways are also in excellent shape.  I would advise keeping the ball in the short grass though, because the rough is a little extra hairy this year.