Out with the Old, In with the New

A golf course irrigation system is comprised of multiple components that are all linked together in order to get water from point A (the lake) to point B (the turf). With the hilly topography of Shadow Glen and the massive size of the development,  it's crucial that each component must be in good working condition in order to achieve the desired conditioning and appearance of the golf course that the membership expects and demands.

Irrigation upgrades, repairs and improvements have been the focus for the summer of 2013.  Our  25 year old system is presenting the staff with multiple challenges. This post highlights  our new irrigation intake filter placed in Shadow Lake.

Prior to installation of the new filter, the divers had to cut and pull the old screen off the intake pipe. This work was performed  in twelve feet of water approximately thirty feet from the shoreline west of the regular tee on hole #1. When divers found the intake screen box last summer, the support legs and the bottom half of screen box were  sitting in  a bed of silt. Divers used a high pressure water hose to relocate the silt and expose the screen box for inspection. The picture illustrates the deterioration and collapsed sidewalls of our original intake screen box.

For 2013, a new intake filter was installed at the end of the concrete intake pipe that supplies water to the pump house. Divers secured the intake screen to concrete pipe in early August. The filter is 36 inches in diameter and 10 feet long. A non-corrosive composite materials (fiberglass) was used for the filter body. On the outside of the filter, an algae growth-inhibiting copper based material was used to coat all exposed surfaces.  The filter is suspended about two feet off the lake floor.  Hopefully, the new construction technology will allow the filter to last the next twenty five years.

 

One Extreme to the Other

As the summer days grow shorter, the golf course has experienced a variety of weather variables in the last three months. Snow covered turf in early May, to flooded greens and fairways in early June to drought conditions by mid-July.

Heavy rains on the last day of May flooded #13 and the turf stayed underwater for six to eight hours. The silt and tree debris left behind took four days to clean up (the date stamp is not correct).



By mid-July, the dry conditions easily identified poor performing sprinklers.

 

 

Nothing new........... water is crucial to the success of a golf course. Too much or too little influences the daily maintenance routine. Currently, the maintenance effort is focused on replacing broken lateral valves that are limiting the supply of water to the sprinklers in several parts of the golf course. The deterioration of our twenty-five year old irrigation system is keeping us on our toes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Digging up lateral valves is not a simple task. Most of the irrigation lines are three to five feet below ground. A rented mini-excavator, two employees, eight sheets of plywood and a lot of sweat are necessary as the old valves are uncovered and the new valves installed.  Currently, we have eleven isolation valves that have broken handles. Most of these valves are in the closed position so water flow  is only available from the opposite end of the lateral loop. We are one a mission to catch up with all the irrigation issues that are affecting the appearance of the golf course.



Spring is just around the corner....

 

Late May Snowfall

Extreme weather fluctuations continue to be routine occurrences as the course tries to wake up to a new golf season. On the greens, aerification holes are still visible with the surface about 70% grown-in. As normal average  temperatures prevail, the bentgrass should fill-in completely and  provide a very good putting surface soon. Not a great year to aerify in early April.

 Course maintenance activity for week of May 6th:

·         Prep course for Monday Outing and Ladies Eclectic on Tuesday and Wednesday

·         Work late on Tuesday in order to complete first round of rough mowing

·         Repair irrigation leak by bridge at #1 and 9

·         Repair irrigation leak in #3 right rough

·         Install new irrigation along Club Entrance and Cedar Creek Parkway
·         Build small rock wall across creek #6 for walkers
·         Remove old junipers from rock wall #14 and prep for new plant material.

Railroad tie steps from #15 green to #16 tee complete

 

Existing #14 rockwall with gaps in junipers

#14 rock wall with most of the junipers removed

 

 With the wet conditions on the golf course, maintenance activity has been focused on small projects close to cart paths. The rotten railroad tie steps from #15 to #16 were replaced and renovation of the junipers along the rockwall at #14 has started.

The forecast looks favorable for the next few days. If temperatures just reach annual averages, I believe the golf course will burst with new growth and excitement! Everyone is ready!

 

 

Slow Spring Recovery

 

First the late snows of March and now the cold temperatures of April have delayed the revival of the golf course.The picture below was taken after the bluegrass rough was mowed for the first time the week of April 8th.  The view shows promise and potential.  My staff and the memberhsip are anxious to get the season underway.

 Mid-April Transition

Greens were aerified on April 1st and 2nd. The weather forecast was not very promising as frosty mornings were predicted for the two days the course was closed. With the chilly forecast, I actually started on Sunday evening  by aerifying four greens before dark.  A greens aerification is very labor intensive and time consuming.  Multiple steps are involved as you  go from punching holes, removing soil cores,  to adding soil amendments and  topdressing the greens with sand prior to the finishing touches of dragging the new sand into the aerification holes.The frosty mornings did delay our start each day, but the crew worked hard and fast to finish all twenty-three greens prior to reopening the course at 11:00 am on Wednesday. Nice job guys!

Aerification of #13 Green

 

 Dragging topdrssing sand into aerification holes on Nursery

green with our new Greens Groomer Brush.

 

As the aerification effort neared completion and while the course was closed, the crew jumped  into #12 bunker to finish the installation of the liner material and firm up the  new sand prior to reopening of the golf course for play.

Finally, #12 greenside bunker is completed after starting the project in early January.Just in the nick of time, as the Board approved the next five bunkers to be renovated for 2013.

 

The slow transition of the golf course and minimal growth rate of the rough has allowed part of  the staff to be diverted  to  several small projects remaining on the 2012 wish list: replacing the railroad tie steps at #15 green and #16 tee; building a small rock weir across #6 creek to allow walkers to cross the creek with dry feet; and replacing twenty-five year old junipers above the rock wall on #14 with creeping junipers that cascade over the wall softening its presence. If the course stays dry, these small projects should be completed by the end of April just as the rough starts growing out of control. 

Moisture Recovery and Equipment Preservation

This winter season has been quite the teaser. January and February temperature fluctuations have allowed several mid-winter thaws and several opportunities to relieve cabin fever with some off-season golf. The early thaw in mid-February appeared to signal an end to the slumber of another benign winter. Yellow crocus flowering near the restroom facility at #7 tee were a promising sign. Over one hundred rounds of golf were recorded on Sunday, February 10th. The natives were getting restless and the excitement was building. Unfortunately, the weather patterns changed slightly and the pacific jet stream lifted from its normal southern track to finding a consistent path across the mid-section of the Country.  Local meteorologists were getting excited as western fronts at this time of year usually translate to moisture.  For the last sixteen months, the central plains has experienced snow free winters  and  parched summers. Throughout the mid-West, the water table of streams, ponds and lakes were at all-time lows.     In the last week, two snowfalls of ten plus inches each have begun the process of recharging the soil for the new year.

Deepest snowfall in last ten years

 

To calculate snow quantities to rainfall equivalents, I use seven inches of snow equals one inch of rain. So, the course has received the equivalent of three inches of rain in the last week. A slow snow melt allows the ground to absorb a very high percentage moisture as compared to a three inch rainfall over the same period.  So, snow's a good thing.......  For the first two months of the year, the average rainfall is 3.01 inches and currently the course has experienced 7.2 inches of precipatation. We are off to a good start to alleviate the drought pressures of the last year.

 

 

Being exposed to the elements each day shortens the life of our equipment. Hydraulic hoses, belts, batteries and most importantly seats deteriortate at an accellerated rate. The normal life expectancy of equipment is reduced. The opportunity for damage to the course is increased as a result of broken hydraulic hoses or those mysterious electrical failures. 

 

 

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Unfortunately, most of our equipment sits outside 24-7 due to limited covered storage. Each year, we replace about 12 seats on various pieces of equipment due to accelerated weathering from daily exposure to the elements at an annual cost in excess of $3,000. The lifespan of a mower seat on a piece of equipment sitting outside everyday is about one to two years at best. For pieces of equipment stored inside, the seat can last five years and beyond with no problems. For the price of one tractor seat ($400), a storage container can be rented for three months. Inside each container,  three to six pieces of equipment with a value of $150,000 or so are stored for the winter. Prior to locking up the equipment inside the box, the mechanic performs all the winter service required to ready the piece for the next season.When the new season arrives, very little surprises are found and the mower is ready to go.

 

For the last couple of years, I've rented the containers for the winter months for a cost of about $1,250. We have extended the life of the seats to three to four years and the life of the equipment as well. Best of all, the number of mishaps on the course are reduced and most importantly everyone's rear-end stays dry!