Happy Thanksgiving

 

 



     On this day of Thanksgiving we pause and take a moment to be grateful for all our blessings: the freedom which this great country provides, the opportunity for growth and achievement, good health and the confidence and trust you have given to us. I can  speak for my entire staff, everyone here truly loves and cares for Franklin County Country Club. Our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Bunker update

     Drainage and pea gravel has been installed in 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, bunkers.  We have started to place liners into bunkers.  We have 10 and 11 finished.  Rain has stopped the liner installation.  We will pick back up on Friday.  Liners are important they keep subgrade from coming up into sand.  Bunkers will be completely enclosed with liner.  Sod line will come right down to 4 inch edge.  Sod will say over part of the liner.  This will keep our bunkers clean.  Here are a few pictures of my staff installing liner.  From a distance looks like we have white sand in our bunkers.  Sorry for the illusion. I would have loved to use white sand but that would have added $50,000 to the cost of the project.

# 11 before liner

Installing liner

Finished

 

 # 10 laying liner in right bunker

 For every 1,120 sq. ft. roll of liner you need to nail 1000  6 inch staples to hold liner in place.

 Right bunker # 10 completed

# 10 bunkers

 

12 green 13 tee's

    If you have been out playing golf this past week you have seen the clearing being done behind 12 green and around 13 tee's.  This is being done by the Villa's.  They are clearing the under brush and dead and soft wooded trees.  They also need to make some repairs to the lake dam.  All healthy hardwood trees on our property were flagged and saved.  They will fix the ditch that runs through the area.  When finished this will look much better.  The most important part of this is the prevailing summer southwest air flow will help 12 green. The prevailing wind was non existent.  If we can get enough air movement in the valley we might be able to stop using the fan on 12 green.  Even if we still need to use the fan the added air flow will improve one of our weakest greens.  The whole area will be seeded when finished.  The cost to the Club for them to do this clearing is $0.00.  For the Club to do what they did would have cost us a months worth of labor for 4 men or added expense to rent the proper equipment to do the job they did.  This is a win win for the both of us.

 Looking behind 12 green

 

Looking from 12 green over 13 blue and black tee.  The prevailing wind is in between the condos directly over lake.

 

Greens

     Greens have been rolling real nice lately.  We are mowing greens about 2 days per week. and rolling 3 days.  Last week we spiked and topdress all greens.  Spiking will help with some needed water movement into the green profile.  Yes we are still watering our greens.  Normally we are blowing out our irrigation system this time of year.  Not this season we will keep system charged until Mother Nature says close it.  Greens 10 - 12 are still filling in.  They have come a long way since mid July.  Seeding and plugging is working and they will be back to normal next spring.  Enjoy the warm weather while it last. 

 Top dressing greens

Picture of # 12 late July



Picture # 12 mid November

Bunker update

Schaefer-Meyer has made some great progress on the bunker construction.  Bunkers on 10, 11, 13, 14, and 16 all have drain lines installed and pea gravel covering them.  The  next step is to do some fine tune grading and install the bunker liner.  We are getting real close to getting these holes completed.  # 18 is almost ready to have drain lines cut in and they began to shape the right bunker on # 1.  The way it is looking now they are planning on finishing 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16 and then start to work on the cart paths on holes 9 and 10 before it get too cold. 

 Gravel blanket in 10

 Installing drain lines # 11

 # 13 gravel blanket

 # 14

Aerial view of # 18

 

     Here is 3 different aerial photos of 18 bunker from the air.  Love the way this bunker is shaping up.  It is ready for drains to be installed.

 

 

 

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Greens

     We have been busy getting greens ready for winter play.  Dan is cutting 3 cups locations in the greens.  This allows us to move holes to a new location.  The reason we do this is when ground freezes we can not cut a new cup in frozen ground.  Last season we moved our 3 cup locations three times.  We had enough warm time to be able to move cups to new location.  Our course receives quite a bit of winter play.  The cup location can be worn down if we were not able to move locations.  You will see green metal covers covering the extra cups.  Please do not move the cup location.  The Maintenance staff will take care of it.

Cup cover over cup

Bunker update

Schaefer-Meyer has cut in all trenches for bunker drains on holes 10, 11, 13, 14, and 16.  These holes are now ready for corrugated drain tile and pea gravel.  We are getting real close to having these holes full of sand and sodded.

Right bunker # 10 

 Left bunker #10

 # 11

 # 13

 # 14

Green side bunker # 16

Bunker update

Schaefer-Meyer is making some good progress.  Holes 11, 13, 14, and 16 are just about ready for the drainage to be installed.  # 18 bunker has been cut in and needs just a little bit of finish grading before it can have drainage installed.  We are not far off from having sand installed on these holes.  # 10 has been a little bit of challenge for them but they have it figured out and will have bunkers cut in tomorrow.  Here are a few pictures of 11, 13, 14, 16, and 18.

 # 11 green ready for drainage.

 # 13 minor grading in bottom ready for drainage

 # 14 bunker repositioned ready for drainage

 # 16 green side bunker has drain line cut need pipe and gravel.

 # 16 fairway bunker ready for drainage.

 # 18 bunker cut in needs final grading ready for drainage.

# 16 Aerial photo of construction

 

Here is a shot of hole 16.  The two bunkers are ready for drainage to be installed.  The fairway will be widened on both sides approaching the green.

 

Bunker update

     Schaefer-Meyer got rained out on Tuesday and could not work in the bunkers yesterday.  So they cut more sod on holes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6.  Sod has been left in place.  I have sprayed a white line around all areas that was cut.  Play as ground under repair.  Please be careful retrieving your ball on the cut sod.  This allows Schaefer-Meyer to get started on these areas sooner.  They still have a lot of work to get done on holes 10, 11, 13, 14, and 16.  Final shaping and installing bunker drainage still has to be done before they can fill bunkers with sand and lay sod around the bunkers.  Looks like that will not be accomplished until late next week.  Hopefully we can stay dry and they do not lose anymore time.

Fore The Golfer: Frost Delays and Turfgrass Health

Frost delays are a common occurrence this time of year. Here is a short video that the USGA has made to explain what frost can do if you play golf on frosted greens. Please obey all frost delays. You can cause considerable damage to our greens. If the frost delay sign is out that means no practicing on the putting green also. We will open the course as soon as we can.

9 white tee/nursey

 

     We are mowing our new 9 white tee/ nursery green at 3/8'' today.  We will keep front 1/3 at this height and slowly bring down back 2/3 to green height.  this will take several months to accomplish.  Tee looks better every day.

 

 

 

 

Bunker Update

     Bunker crew has been busy last couple of days working on some finish grading and cutting in some drain lines.  They had to quit at noon today because of the rain we got last night and today made it too muddy to work.  They are installing drain exits to get water out of bunker in case of rain.  They still have to come back and shape bottom and edges of bunkers and install drains lines and pea gravel in bottom of bunkers.  They have to get all edges and slopes around bunker to a slope we can mow.  This is Schaefer-Meyers 17th day on the job.

 # 10 bunkers has drain cut in and they covered rock bottom of the left bunker.

 

# 11 exit drain cut in to drain bunker.

Digging drain line to exit # 13 bunker

 Shaping # 14 bunker

#16 green side bunker exit drain line installed.

 

 

Bunker Update

     Bunker crew has been busy last couple of days working on some finish grading and cutting in some drain lines.  They had to quit at noon today because of the rain we got last night and today made it too muddy to work.  They are installing drain exits to get water out of bunker in case of rain.  They still have to come back and shape bottom and edges of bunkers and install drains lines and pea gravel in bottom of bunkers.  They have to get all edges and slopes around bunker to a slope we can mow.  This is Schaefer-Meyers 17th day on the job.

 # 10 bunkers has drain cut in and they covered rock bottom of the left bunker.

 

# 11 exit drain cut in to drain bunker.

Digging drain line to exit # 13 bunker

 Shaping # 14 bunker

#16 green side bunker exit drain line installed.

 

 

Bunker update

     Holes 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16 and 17 rough are ready for Art's inspection tomorrow.  If he gives the ok they can begin finish grading and start to install new drainage in bunkers.  Here are some new pictures of a few holes .  We are getting real close to having these holes completed.

 8 bunker removed. 

 11 bunker

 16 green side bunker

 17 right rough drainage 

Bunker update

#11 bunker is being edged and the down hill side is being compacted.  Art Schaupeter will be here on Thursday to review work and make any changes if needed.

Driving Range Tee

    The grass driving range tee is now closed.  Please use the mat for all practicing.  Please use a shorter tee to use your driver on the mat. The shorter tees will stand up and you are able to hit your driver off the mat.  Please do not step on the Zoysia grass tee to use your driver.  It does considerable damage to the tee.  The Zoysia grass cannot repair itself this time of year.  Our Driving range tee is already too small for the amount of play it receives.  By stepping off the mat we lose a good 10 feet of turf in front of the mat that takes up to 6 weeks to fill in after grass tee is opened.

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