7 green

It was another productive week for the agronomy staff. The greens, fairways, and one pass in the primary rough were fertilized. Localized dry spots (LDS) in the fairways were spot treated with wetting agent. All turf areas were mowed at our typical frequency for this time of year. The driving range tee was over seeded and top dressed. Hand watering of LDS was performed on greens, approaches, green surrounds, and some fairway areas. Bunker sand was redistributed in many bunkers. Irrigation system repairs were performed. Equipment was prepared for next weeks quad tine (1/4" inch) greens aeration. Golf carts and golf cart chargers were repaired and put back into service.

The agronomy "mascot" out for a stroll on hole 16

Over the last few weeks, a coyote has joined the agronomy staff's morning preparations. At first, we thought it was strange, but now it has just become part of our routine. Typically, "Wiley" (a near theft of Wile E. Coyote from Looney Tunes) joins our morning preparations on hole 7, then checks out holes 11, 12, 15, and 16. Wiley, is in no way threatening. Mostly, she (I think) just roams around hunting ground squirrels and the like. Andrew noticed that Wiley seemed to be using the noise from our equipment to distract her prey. While I have not personally noticed this, it makes good sense and provides an explanation as to why we see her every morning.

5 green closeup

I am continuing to receive numerous compliments on the condition of the golf course. My staff has been working hard to keep the golf course in good condition, and they deserve the credit. So here is my shout-out to you Sandpines Agronomy staff (Jerry Waite, Steven Cannaday, John Fleischer, Jim McClure, Bob McGallian, Clinton Waite, Andrew Fortin, and John Peterson). Thanks guys, I couldn't do it without you. I really appreciate your hard work and dedication. Keep up the good work.

Hole 7

Monday I received a phone call about a water bubble that had formed on the clubhouse putting green. Typically, irrigation lines are not run under greens, but in this case the lines were there long before the green was. There was really no other good spot for the green to be built. The green was constructed over a mainline, and sits between the clubhouse and a retaining wall. We have always known that if an irrigation problem occurred beneath the green, we would have to tear up part of the green in order to perform repairs. When I arrived to the green, I saw the scene pictured below.

Water bubble on the clubhouse putting green

Honestly, it could have been worse. A 6" mainline break could have resulted in much more damage. Jerry and I quickly began to shutdown valves in order to isolate the problem so that the cause could be located and repaired. The water kept running after the lateral valves in the area were closed, so we knew we had a problem with the mainline. After the mainline valves were closed, the water leaking out of the bubble began to subside. Then, it was time to investigate.

Jerry digging around the mainline

Water was leaking out of a connection between the main line and lateral line. The connection used in this case is commonly referred to as a saddle. The saddle was a bit loose, and the rubber seal between the saddle and mainline was damaged. A new saddle and section of 2" lateral line were installed. The hole was filled, and the sod was replaced.

Here is what green looks like today

Jerry top dressing 16 green with a Lely spreader

The greens were verticut and top dressed earlier this week. Our Tycrop top dresser was used to spread sand on the first 15 holes, then one of the hydraulic motors blew a seal. Jerry and I decided to try using our Lely spreader to top dress the last 3 greens in order to finish. It was a much slower process, but we were able to finish the top dressing. Verticutting and top dressing are performed in order to remove and dilute thatch and to firm and smooth the putting surface. The greens went from rolling good, to rolling great. I have been receiving compliments on the greens regularly, and have received even more compliments this week since the verticutting and top dressing were completed.

John Peterson, Equipment and Facilities Manager

John Peterson was recently hired as the Equipment and Facilities Manager at Sandpines. John is still getting to know the golf course, equipment, facilities, and staff. However, he has already been a breath of fresh air. He is easy to get along with, and has a wealth of knowledge. Before coming to Sandpines, he ran his own shop, where he specialized in working on vintage exotic race cars. His diverse background also includes stints at Honda, Porsche, and Jaguar. Even though he has only been at Sandpines for a couple of weeks, it is clear that John will excel in his new position.

Steven mowing 17 approach

I often hear people say the summer in Florence starts on the 5th of July. I think we got a bonus day this year because the 4th was also beautiful. The extended forecast  looks dry and sunny.  For all you fair weather golfers out there, blow the dust off your clubs and come out to Sandpines for a round.

Clinton watering localized dry spots on 12 approach

With the drier weather, we are beginning to see more areas with localized dry spots (LDS). In addition to performing cultural practices such as regualr aeration, wetting agents are an important tool to help minimize the occurrence of LDS. I have heard some courses are having good luck injecting wetting agents into the irrigation system. The theory is a little wetting agent consistently used throughout the course will greatly reduce the incidence of LDS. Since the irrigation system puts the wetting agent on the golf course, there is no labor required to put the product out. We were going to try injecting wetting agent into the irrigation system on a small scale to see how it went. Since our irrigation system already had an injection pump, the only cost involved was the wetting agent. Unfortunately, when we attempted a test run, we found that the injection pump was not functioning. Once the injection pump issue is solved, we hope to try again.  In the mean time, we will combat LDS by spot applying wetting agents and hand watering. Our order of priority is an obvious one: greens, collars, approaches, tees, fairways, and rough.

Cloudy, but still good golf weather

There was a couple of descent weather days this week, but there were also a couple of wet days. The average historical rainfall for June in Florence is around 2 inches. June of 2012 yielded just shy of 5 inches. The extended forecast looks great with plenty of sunshine. Hopefully it holds true.

Buck near 11 tee area

This week all turf areas were mowed at the normal height and frequency for this time of year. The greens were spiked and rolled. Greens and tees were fertilized. Bunker edges were trimmed. The driving range tee area was seeded and top dressed. In addition. the entire agronomy staff helped to keep the equipment running as smoothly as possible. We are all looking forward to seeing our new mechanic arrive tomorrow.