Clogged Irrigation Filters

Thousands of tiny fish are intertwined in the filter pre-screen which blocked the flow of water , causing the  pump station to fault in early April.

Fresh water sponge has made a home in our irrigation pond and wet well and has wreaked havok on the filtration system. The photo above is of our filter pre-screen  in Fall 2012.  In 2013 we will install a chlorine drip system that will control the organism before it can attach and grow on our irrigation system components. 

Solid Tine Greens Aeration

This Spring the Greens will not be core aerated as they have in the past. The organic layer and compaction have been controlled with the lack of play that the course has received this last season. I made the decision to use Solid Cross Tines which will allow for air and water movement within the rootzone. This method will allow for a quick healing time. Following the aeration, a light rate if Calcium Ammoniun Nitrate will be applied to stimulate early season growth.

#2 Green directly after using 1/2" Solid Cross Tines.

#2 Solid Cross Tine followed by 2 passes of a greens mower mounted with an out-front Brush attachment.

#2 Green with Mowing and Brushing complete. The  sand topdressing that was applied last fall has been worked in to the aeration holes.

Off Color Appearance of Tees

Above is an image of #1 Forward Tee which has a mottled appearance.  This has been common throughout the Tees this Spring. The dryer and warmer than usual winter was very difficult for the bentgrass, and although we watered throughout the winter, the early spring appearance is a bit off color. Below is a close-up image which does show green growth within the straw-colored dormant turf. Soil temperatures on this day were 46 Degrees with air temperatures near 60 at 2:00PM. Not quite warm enough to expect active growth. These Tees will be aerated by the end of the week, just in time for more snow!

Pump Station Maintenance

View of Keyway on the back side of the impeller which remains in good condition.

Damaged Keyway on impeller.

Shaft of the pump has been worn due to the broken keyway.

 The pump station is the heart of the irrigation system and is monitored daily for proper operation. The station supplies water and controls pressures to 3 distinct elevation regions on the golf course.

We noticed a vibration in the booster pump which pressurizes the irrigation system on holes 2-5 as they are considerably higher in elevation than the rest of the golf course. Upon further investigation we found that a damaged keyway was causing wear on the motor shaft. The pump will be down for a couple of weeks while it is sent to a machine shop for repairs.

 Another function of the "Booster Zone" is to serve a means of fire protection in the event of a fire encroaching from the National Forest to the west. This pump supplies 750 Gallons per Minute which allows us to operate up to 25 sprinklers at normal operating pressures.

Removing Turf Covers

Turf covers were applied in early December to protect the bentgrass surface from the drying winds that can cause desiccation damage to mounds and edges of the Greens.  This year we are removing covers earlier previous years to allow the bentgrass to naturally break dormancy.

Below is an image of the members Tee on #9.  The left side of the tee was covered as it was weak heading in to winter. Due to the environmental exposure and temperatures under the cover, the soils never reached low enough temperatures which allow the turf to go dormant. A close up image would show active bentgrass starting to fill in weak areas which is very encouraging for complete coverage in the Spring.

Winter Watering

Bentgrass Greens and Tees growing in a sand-based rootzone require supplimental water throughout the dry periods of the winter.