Week of April 8th: 2024 Golf Season Begins
- Michael Curtin
- Apr 12, 2024
- 3 min read
The golf course opened for the 2024 season this last Monday after some delays due to inclement weather conditions. Monday and Tuesday had beautiful spring afternoons before the later half of the week transitioned into rain. We hope the members that were able to get out on the course enjoyed their round. It was also a busy week for the agronomy team with contract work, continuation of in house projects, pesticide applications, and the start of regular course setup maintenance.
Project Right-side of 1:
Shapeworks Golf Course Construction and Remodeling started their portion of the work being conducted to the rough on the right-side of 1 this week. They will be pulling roots and rocks before grading the area in preparation for what will likely be a combination of sod and seeding work. Work to the drainage area to the right of the path coming down from the forward tee will also be performed. This will hopefully eliminate the large puddle that tends to form at the very bottom of that path following rain events. Below are a few pictures of the work conducted this week.
Irrigation Work:
Every year we contract Winterberry Irrigation to send a work crew for a few days of irrigation repairs. This is due to our ongoing struggle with the original saddles used during the system installation back in 2004/2005 failing. These saddles serve to attach the individual irrigation heads and snap valves to the HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe underground. Over the last five years almost 700 of these original saddles have been replaced to a better quality product. This year Winterberry replaced 40 of these saddles for us all of which were leaking. We still have a dozen or so known leaks across the course which our irrigation tech Marcelo is busy repairing while also helping with normal maintenance around the course. Roughly 500 of the original saddles remain to be replaced.
In House Projects:
Work to a number of bunkers around the course has continued this week. The righthand bunker of 7 was extensively edged, sand has been hauled, and is in the process of being spread out. Many of the crew members who were performing this work will now be tied up most mornings with course setup routines, mowing, and other necessary agronomic practices so bunker work will become a regular afternoon task for the next few weeks.
Now that the cart parking area for the 12th green has been paved work to the surrounding turf area can begin. This area has been sod cut so the existing weak turf can be removed and will be prepped for new sod. The agronomy team will be sodding this area as well as the two parking areas along the path of the 2nd hole where cobble stones previously were.
Other Work Completed:
Tees received a fungicide and fertility application
Pre-emergent applications to the rough have begun. These applications are crucial for the control of unwanted grasses like crabgrass.
The new range poles were installed. There is one in each target and a fourth behind the last target. Prisms are installed at the top of the poles allowing for the use of range finders. Thank you to crew member Jim Kindler for all the work he put in making and installing these poles.
Some edging work along the path near large practice
Additional exposed greens liner removed
Logs on right of 8 and behind 14 green removed
New staff members trained on various tasks like greens, tee, and approach mowing.
Some of the pieces from the fallen pine on 8 required the help of one our tractors to remove. Warning the video is a little loud.
Wildlife:
Here are some pictures of the local wildlife seen around the course this week. A vendor of the club and a homeowner also reported seeing a black bear briefly in the woods near the 4th hole.
