It has been a cold start to 2011. My usual two minute commute to work has been taking closer to ten minutes due to defrosting. I definitely prefer defrosting over dodging rain drops, and I am sure many people would agree. Despite some frost delays, the golf course has opened for play every day of the new year so far prior to 11:00 am.
The weather forecast looks quite a bit wetter starting today. Speaking of wet weather, the final precipitation total for 2010 was 83.32 inches. A full thirty inches more than 2009 (53.03 inches).
The old Cushman deck mower used to mow brushy areas outside the primary rough has been utilized during our recent frost delays. It does not get around very well during wet conditions, so the frost delays are really the best time to catch-up on knocking down the salal and small pines that invade the areas adjacent to the primary rough. Mulching these areas before they get out of hand and require far more labor intensive means of removal is good utilization of frost delay time. There are plenty of these brushy areas to keep us busy for quite some time.
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| Love that blue sky! |
The green on hole four does not receive enough sun light to sustain healthy turf. This is notoriously our weakest green during the winter. We began removing trees in order to reduce the amount of shade cast on the green last winter. During the recent frost delays, we have been selectively removing trees in order to increase the amount and duration of sunlight the green receives. This project should be completed for this year over the next week or two. This project will likely be ongoing and will be evaluated each year.
Kelsey Meyers works in the golf shop at Sandpines when she is not busy taking college classes. Recently she had an opportunity to get some extra credit in her Psychology 215 class. The assignment basically consisted of researching and writing a short paper on the impact businesses were having on the environment. Kelsey chose to look deeper into the operation here at Sandpines, and more specifically at the effect golf course maintenance has on the environment.
Kelsey and I met and discussed how the golf course is managed with regards to fertilization and pest management strategies. We also went over how clippings are recycled back on to the course. I explained how tree and brush debris are utilized to create wildlife habitat. Kelsey was surprised to learn of the extensive water testing that had been recently completed, and that none of the fertilizer or pest control products used at Sandpines were detected.
Below are a few selections from Kelsey's paper.
"I knew from watching the maintenance crew that there are chemicals that are applied, frequent mowing, and other necessary work that is done to the course to ensure its playability. I had always assumed that these efforts were harmful to the environment in some or many ways, but after an interview with our superintendent, I realize I could not have been more wrong." - Kelsey Meyers
"Cultural practices are a very important part of pest management. We strive to keep the turf healthy. Healthy turf is less susceptible to pest (weeds, diseases, and insects) infestations, and therefore require less chemical control products. Cultural practices such as aeration, topdressing, and dew removal are important processes that help keep turf healthy, thereby reducing the incidence of pest infestations." - Eli McGallian
"After meeting with the superintendent of the golf course, I feel more at ease knowing that the company I am working for is not only not contaminating the water supply and surrounding areas, but it is actually working in the direction on being self sustaining. Whether it is the creation of new habitats for the animals on the course, using the grass clippings to fertilize the land, or the responsible practices of using and disposing of chemicals, these actions show Sandpines in not having the negative effect on the natural environment surrounding the course." - Kelsey Meyers
Great job Kelsey. Thank you for your interest in learning more about how the golf course in managed.
