100 day war begins, day one

The day started off really well, no break downs or major issues through lunch.  However, right after lunch, off to the southeast, you could see it coming.  Calls went out over the radios, people were redeployed to tasks that required immediate attention, but all the efforts were in vain as the rain was not to be held back.  Right at about 1:30 the rain came down very hard for a short burst of a few minutes, just big enough to screw up part 2 of the day's plan...the clean up process. During aerification week you want the weather to be as hot and dry as you can get.  The heat and dry conditions allow all the materials extracted during the aerification process to thoroughly dry out and be easily cleaned up.  As of the posting of this update, all aerifying and verti-cutting has been stopped for the day (it's only 2 & we were planning on staying until 5).  Because of the weather, we will have completed about half of the days expected work load.

Driving around in circles

Circle cutting is a very effective way of attacking the grain of the grass in between fairway verti-cuttings. As the mower makes a turn it forces the cutting units to sink into the turf canopy a little bit. This extra down pressure is used to attack areas that have become puffy and thatchy. As the height of cut in the fairways is lowered throughout the summer, frequent circle cutting will be done to produce a well manicured surface. If you look at the picture you can see very small areas where the mowers forced the cutting units down into the turf and slightly scalped a puffy thatch area during today's fairway circle cut. 

First project of the summer, 2013

Today is the first course closure of the summer and the golf maintenance team is wasting no time in capitalizing on the course availability. Today we are prepping the ground left of the cart path on hole 7 just past the fairway bunker for sod. Ever since the course was rebuilt in 2009 this area has struggled with turf coverage and acceptable playing conditions. The new sod will be installed tomorrow and will be a great needed improvement to this area of high use and high visibility. 

Going vertical

Yesterday was the first of many vertical mowings to be done to the putting surfaces over the summer. The verti-cutting is a necessary practice to help maintain the high level of playability everyone has come to expect.

The process does two major things, removes thatch and controls grain. Thatch is the dead plant material that accumulates over time and if left unchecked will cause the surface to become puffy. Eventually this puffy nature leads to severe adverse agronomic impacts. Grain is caused by the plant laying over in a particular direction. To control this, the vertical mower makes a pass across the green and then reverses it's course along the same pass. This down and back on the same line pattern ensures that whatever grain is present is attacked and controlled. 

All of the dead plant material that is extracted out if the putting surfaces is cleaned off, the greens are mowed, and then sanded. Although the putting surfaces look as if they've been beat up a bit afterward, they still roll very true. In a few days the lines will disappear and hardly anyone will know otherwise. 

Rain, rain go away

If you think we had a lot of rain yesterday think again. We only receive .8" of rain. It rained for a long time, but not hard.

Check out the picture below of TPC Sawgrass's 17th hole. Not too far from going under water due to a hard, long duration rain.

Rain, rain go away

If you think we had a kit of rain yesterday think again. We only receive .8" of rain. It rained for a long time, but not hard.

Check out the picture below of TPC Sawgrass's 17th hole. Not to far from going under water due to a hard, long duration rain.

An interesting piece from the USGA on getting in some golf on a time budget

Time For Nine

Time For Nine

USGA partners with Golf Digest, PGA of America to encourage nine-hole play

By USGA, Golf Digest, PGA of America
April 22, 2013

Americans are spending an average of 500 to 1,400 more hours at the office per year than their parents did. Most people have seen time for leisure activities shrink to two hours per day, maximum. But even a two-hour window of free time can be a chance to play nine holes of golf. In its June 2013 issue, Golf Digest, the bible of the avid golfer, is launching a campaign to support and encourage more nine-hole rounds. Many golfers can play nine holes even when they are busy—and a little golf is always better than no golf at all.

With promotional support from the United States Golf Association and the PGA of America, Golf Digest will create a list of nine-hole-friendly golf courses that will appear at golfdigest.com. The Time for Nine list comprises courses that allow and promote nine-hole play for men, women, juniors and families on layouts that make it easy to do so. Golfers are encouraged to submit qualifying courses to editors@golfdigest.com or 9isfine@pga.com or Timefor9@usga.org and the list will be published at golfdigest.com.

“We think golfers will play a whole lot more if they join the growing number of golfers who have come to love nine-hole rounds,” says Golf Digest Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde. “The real message is, don’t let the inability to play 18 pull the game away from you. Eighteen is great. But nine is fine.”

In addition to serving as President of the PGA of America, Ted Bishop is the general manager and PGA director of golf at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, Ind. Thus, he understands the time constraints that many people are under and is a proponent of nine-hole rounds, both as an industry leader and a golf-facility operator.

“We are very pleased to support Golf Digest and the ‘Time for Nine’ initiative,” says Bishop. “Golf can be experienced in many different ways, and I’m proud that PGA Professionals across the country are encouraging people to have fun by playing nine holes. This new effort shows the commitment that Golf Digest has for the long-term well-being of the game, and I am confident that PGA Professionals will embrace it.”
       
The USGA’s support for the “Time for Nine” campaign is part of a multifaceted program that was announced in February to identify challenges and solutions regarding pace-of-play issues in the game of golf. This USGA-led set of initiatives includes: an analysis of key factors known to influence pace of play; the development of a pace-of-play model based on quantifiable data; improvements to the USGA Pace Rating System; on-site assistance at golf courses to help managers assess and improve pace of play; and the creation of player-education programs.

“Five-hour plus rounds of golf are incompatible with the compressed time that many of us have available for recreational activities,” said USGA President Glen D. Nager. “Time for Nine is a fun and creative start to promoting the nine-hole round of golf as a complete and enjoyable experience that is consistent with the traditions of playing the game.”

According to the USGA, nine-hole rounds of golf are fully compatible with both the Rules of Golf and the USGA Handicap System. For more information on how to calculate a nine-hole handicap, visit www.usga.org/play9.