Renovation Preparations

Nothing like a dry cut on turf.
Taken during the Wisconsin Cup.

Let me help bring you up to speed since my last post… Perfect weather, ample moisture, routine maintenance, small course projects (so far), new front lawn landscape (completed), new bathrooms under construction, repeat.  I could not ask for more ideal and enjoyable conditions to grow grass and maintain a golf course.  While your maintenance staff appreciates all the positive comments and remarks regarding course conditions (and we really do) the current product you play on is a combined effort between a hard working and dedicated staff and Mother Nature.  When this relationship is working well, life is good.

14 will have an approach connecting the fairway to green.
A bunker will be placed left of the approach.

Before you know it, we will be starting the course projects we have slated for this fall.  Bruce Hepner was on site about two weeks ago marking the new fairway lines.  We mowed these areas down this past week and I could not be happier with how they look.  Eventually, they will adapt to the new mowing height and look a little better than they currently do.  Converting these expansions to fairway will be done using several methods.  One option is to simply lower the mowing height slowly to fairway height and over seeding with bentgrass seed since there are of adequate amounts of existing bentgrass.  A second option is to strip the grass and replace with fairway sod from another area where we are shortening a fairway.  The third option involves stripping the sod, filling the area with aeration cores, and over seeding bentgrass.  Which method we use will be determined on a case by case scenario.  We did aerate and over seed the expansions on 4 and 5 fairway this week, so conditions will not be as they normally are for a short while.

Expansion over seeded
and Aerated

7 green will no longer have rough
surrounds. The mounding and short
grass will defend this hole nicely.

Once we really get going on these projects, Member involvement will be as important as the work we are doing to the course. We will really need Members to help us protect the investments we are making on your course.  Where we have stakes and ropes marking off areas under improvement or completed work, please do not drive carts through these areas.  When walking to retrieve a ball, bring a ball retriever with you or use the ones provided.  Please use these as much as possible.  The less time we spend repairing areas where people thought they could enter without damage, the more time we can spend working on other projects.  With your help and participation, these projects will heal and grow faster and look better because of your care.

Straightening out fairway lines on
13 (and 14) will help blend this hole
in with the rest of the course.

We have a lot to look forward to on the golf course.  I encourage you to come out and play this fall to see the progress we are making.  I also encourage you to get a lesson from one of the Golf Professionals for tips on shot making around greens from tight lies.  At the least, drop a couple balls, when time allows, on the course and start practicing different methods to prepare yourself for the years ahead!  Tightly mowed grass is one of the best defenses of the course and we will have a lot more of these areas in the future.

Big fairway expansions on 9 will make
more sense with tree removals from
inside the dogleg.

Bathrooms are nearing completion
and are looking great!