Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to FCCC membership and co workers.

Frost Delays

   It is that time of year again we need to discuss frost delays.  When temperatures dip down  to freezing and below frost forms on the grass blades.  If you walk on the turf the frozen turf will break much like an ice cube.  This will cause damage to the turf.  Please wait until the Maintenance staff opens the course to play.  That includes the putting green.  I have had some people in the past think it was ok to practice putting when we have a frost delay.  Please go into the Clubhouse and have some coffee or hot chocolate until the frost burns off.  The colder it is the longer it takes to burn frost off.  If we have cloudy skies it will delay the opening even longer.  Below is a video from the USGA on this topic.

New Equipment

     If you have been out playing golf you might of seen some new equipment maintaining our golf course.  We have a new seeder, topdresser, leaf collection system for our Ventrac and 2 new used utility carts.  Also in early 2019 we will be getting two new fans for greens 10 and 11.

     The  new seeder will helps keep our roughs in top condition.  The only seeder we had did not slit seed.  It was a aerator and dropped seed in aerification holes on 4''x5''  centers.  We now can lay seed in rows 1.5'' apart.  With all the new sod from the bunker construction and the new sod we are laying around our green perimeters this seeder will help keep our rough in top condition.

     Our old topdresser was 20 years old and very unreliable.  We must topdress greens to have good greens.  This machine is state of the art.  You program it to put down a certain amount of sand and no matter how fast or slow you go it puts out the amount you calibrated for. You get consistent topdressing from green to green.

     The leaf collection system is a great tool to help us eliminate leaves.  In the past we blew the leaves and mulched them.  Now we can pick them up and remove them.

    Last we purchase 2 used Utility carts.  Dan and I have been using 2 old golf carts to work out of.  Golf carts are not made to work out of.  They are made to play golf.

     The 2 new fans will be here in February/March.  These fans will help # 10 and 11 greens.  These two greens lack air movement.  Air movement is what helps turfgrass cool itself in the summer time.  In the summer the prevailing wind is from the southwest.  10 and 11 greens have no air movement when the wind blows from the southwest.  The new fans will be mounted on a pole and will oscillate to cover the entire green.  We had some portable fans we used on #10 green in the past.  These fans were not big enough and did not oscillate.  We need a minimum of 3 mph air movement over the entire green.  You will see a noticeable difference in these greens next summer.