Spiking Greens, Trimming Tree, Killing Poa ... On My

Grass is Looking Great

Even with all the challenges we experienced the season and during overseed everything has come together.  Last week we tilled the bunkers allowing better playability and now are getting the details all touched up.

Green Patch in Back is Poa Annua

With this year not overseeding the driving range floor we discovered just how much Poa Annua we really have.  Over the past couple of weeks we have been spray this areas in an attempt to reduce the population.  Tomorrow we will be spraying 4's nursery which will lead to that out of the normal play area to die including the ryegrass.

2 Minutes of Water - Yuck

The last couple of days we have also been spiking the greens to increase the water movement.  This is a normal process on push up greens such as what we have here at Avondale, but starting soon we also will be needle tining the greens to further improve the percolation.  This is why the greens appear to be wet in the morning even though we have had the irrigation off of them for days.

Trimming Trees to Allow Light Penetration

Also the last couple of days we have trimmed several trees around problematic greens that experience massive shade issues.  This will help now and in transition.

Founder's Cup on the Horizon

Practice Facility at Sunrise

The Founder's Cup, second of the season's events, kicks off tomorrow with the putting contest and events in the dining hall.  Along with the weather warming up you can feel the season going into full swing with the Eclectic last week and the Founder's this week.


7's Fairway on 1-20-14

Today, we are starting the wall-to-wall fertilization of the golf course.  Since this process is quite a large undertaking we will address it in pieces such as today we are only planning to fertilize the DR, 1, 5 - 7 and 9 ... maybe 8 if we can irrigate quickly.

One Down, Many to Go

9's Fairway Looking Towards the Green

The first event of the season is in the books and it seems everything went off without a hitch.  I did not hear one complaint so that in itself is fantastic!!

Sunrise Over 8's Green (1-17-14)

Working along side by side with the Golf Shop we have been able to continue the fertilizations much needed to maintain quality turf.  And over the upcoming week, of course without interfering with the Founder's, we will be performing the wall-to-wall fertilization starting tomorrow.  Since we do want to minimize any interference this will be a multiday project.

1-17-12 (Before) Growing in the Staging Area



1-17-14 (After) Growing in the Staging Area

Over the past couple of years we have been addressing the look of the staging area.  With this year's great weather and persistence we are almost gotten the desired look.

Spring Warm Up

Warm Up Brings Blooms

As the weather warms back up into the eighties from the frost delays we had in December, the flowers begin to bloom.

Lots of Blooms

As the flowers blooms this is the first step in the golf course green up where soon the Bermudagrass will come back into play along with the ryegrass.

Mowing 16's Green

This will improve even more the golf course condition but sadly will at first slow down our greens.  Not a biggie ... we are ready.

Another Beautiful Morning at Avondale

So enjoy!!!!

Sun Rises on Another Day

We have finished day one the first event of the of the 2014 season (ladies eclectic) which went off without a hitch.  The hydraulic leak damage is healing nicely, the flowers have warmed up and started to bloom, and the golf course is in fantastic shape.

Thursday will conclude that event and we will prep for the next one ... The Founder's Cup (formally the Bill Stevens).

Coots, Leaks & Poa - Oh My

Widgeons vs. Coots

We have applied for the coot permit with the State and are waiting the results.  But I will tell you it is the cuter widgeons that cause most of the damage and leave the feces.  If you want to help please stop feeding the ducks in general ... I promise they will do quite fine.

Hydraulic Leak on 3

Last week we had a massive hydraulic leak on holes 6, 1, 2 and 3.  We treated the areas immediately and sodded a couple smaller areas but as of today the healing is progressing as we expect.

Killing Poa Annua

As you well know we did not overseed the driving range this year which allowed us to address the Poa Annua.  Two weeks ago I sprayed the range and this week I will spray the areas missed and that require another pass.

Bringing Back the Roses

The bed next to 7's tee which had the lantanas never seemed to take off.  With the cold weather they went dominant, which the drying out the course for overseed they defoliated, basically were not doing well.  We reverted this back to the roses that thrived in this area before.

Happy New Year

This past year has been a year of change and we are headed into 2014 with our eyes wide open and ready to take on any challenges that befall us in the upcoming year.

Our hopes from the GCM department is that you have a safe and wonderful New Year.