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.

View from behind 12 green

Sandpines had gorgeous weather during the middle of the week. Yesterday, the weather pattern changed to cloudy and wet. The weather forecast for next week looks better. I am continuing to receive frequent compliments on the condition of the golf course, and on the greens in particular. I was able to get out and enjoy the course with my son Dylan recently, and we had a great time. He is 12 years old, and is really starting to enjoy the game.

8 green

This is the first week in quite some time that we did not perform any aeration on the golf course.  It was a nice change to be able to focus on routine golf course maintenance.  We put our new cups and flagsticks out on the course this week. The greens, approaches, and fairways were all fertilized. The greens were spiked and rolled. All the turf areas were mowed at there usual frequency for this time of year.

It has been three weeks since we have been without a mechanic. The entire maintenance staff has been working diligently together to perform service work and repairs on our equipment. Dan Barnum, and Mike Poston have also been helping me out in the shop a couple of evening a week each. In that period, I have put in several days over 12 hours, and many closer to 16 hours. All the long hours and hard work have been paying off, as our equipment is in much better working order than it was three weeks ago. Our search for a new mechanic has yielded some great candidates. Jerry and I feel very good about selection that we have made. Our new mechanic will start July 2nd, and I am really looking forward to getting him on board.

A beautiful morning view of hole 16

The sun has been shining brilliantly the last few days at Sandpines. Yesterday, I had the golf bug pretty bad. Maybe it was because I got a new club (Adam's Idea a12 hybrid, 19 degree), or maybe its because the US Open is going on right now. Either way, I would have loved to play, but I was just to busy to get out (not to mention there was a tournament going on out on the course). I was able to sneak down to the driving range for a few minutes and try out my new toy. When I hit it good, I liked it. When I hit it bad, it didn't work so well. Looks like I better stick to my day job. Don't get the wrong idea about the club. I think that it may have something to do with my rusty swing. I need to get out soon and try it on the course, maybe this afternoon.

11 green

The tee aeration was completed Monday afternoon. Mowing of all turf areas was completed throughout the week. The greens were fertilized. The tall grass around the bunkers was trimmed. Tee markers were edged. Many of the core piles around the course were pushed out, which is still an ongoing process. Multiple interviews for the mechanic position were conducted. If you know anyone interested in the postion, here is a link to the job posting on Craigslist Sandpines Mechanic. We have had some good applicants, and hope to make our decision soon, so get me your resume ASAP if you are interested or know someone who is.

White circle on hole 11?

The tournament that took place yesterday (Eugene Area Radio Stations) requested a circle around the cup on hole 11. I used the same marking chalk that is used to mark the hitting area on the driving range tee. It will last for a week or so, but not nearly as long as regular marking paint. When the hole location is changed today, many people will likely be wondering what the circle in the front of the green is for. If anyone tries to take a drop onto the green from the valley of death left of the green, you can explain that the circle is not a drop zone, but its merely a circle leftover from a tournament.

View from behind 18 green

The weather at Sandpines has been a mixed bag so far this week. We saw everything from brilliant sunshine to heavy rain. We have had almost 2 inches of precipitation for the month already. Thankfully, the forecast is looking much better. I have been receiving a number of compliments about the condition of the the golf course, especially regarding the greens. Now that the weather is getting better again, its a great time to get out and play a round at Sandpines.

Jerry top dressing 15 green

It was another productive week for the maintenance staff. The greens were top dressed and brushed in on Monday. The greens and approaches were fertilized. All turf areas were mowed. Tee aeration was initiated and would have been finished if it were not for a couple of equipment issues. The tees on hole 5 are the only ones left, and will be finished early next week.

Jerry aerating, and Bob harvesting tees on hole 1

Jerry and I are continuing to put our mechanic skills to the test, and we are getting by. In the short term, we have some good mechanics helping us out. Dan Barnum has been helping us in the evenings a couple of days a week. Mike Poston will also be helping us out beginning next week. These guys both have full time jobs, and we really appreciate their assistance. With their help, we can get by for a bit until we find someone that is a good fit for the position. If you know of any good mechanics looking for an opportunity, please send them our way.

Hole cut in 18 fairway for the golf ball drop on 6/2/12

It was another busy week for the golf course maintenance staff. The fairway aeration was completed on Wednesday. The greens, tees, and fairways were fertilized. All turf areas were mowed. Several golf carts were serviced in preparation for tournaments this weekend.

Sandpines hosted a Boys and Girls Club fundraiser tournament yesterday. After the tournament was over, there was a helicopter golf ball drop. Numbered golf balls could be purchased prior to the drop for a chance to win some fabulous prizes. Click on the video below to see it for yourself.

We are looking for a golf course mechanic. Prior experience on a golf course is preferred, but not required. Knowledge of gasoline and diesel engines and hydraulics is a must. If you are interested in the position, get in touch with me by using the contact information on the upper right.