Ice Storm!

With the storm behind us and better weather ahead we are going to be working diligently on getting all downed limbs and trees picked up. We will then get to all the broken limbs in the trees. Through this process we appreciate everyone's patience and understanding. 

Thank you to all and have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year. 

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or concerns, or even if you just want to talk. I'm always here for you members. Cell# 918-671-3463. 

Rakes! Rakes!

I have had several of the members ask about bunker rakes. Well, we have started switching out all the old metal rake handles with new fiberglass handles and with these new handles, they have a protect coating for a cooler surface plus eliminates the splintering that happens to fiberglass handles after an extended period of time. As you can see in the photos the difference in the two rakes. Sorry for the inconvenience of old rakes. We are working forward and addressing all issues.  

Goose grass in the greens.

I'm sure all of you have noticed the weeds that are trying to take over some of our greens.  It is a grassy weed called "Goosegrass," it germinates from seed heads. So wind, foot traffic, mowing, etc. can move this pest very rapidly when it is in the seeding stage. I have had comments that it wasn't as bad last year.

Well this may be true but the seedlings were there last year and laid dormant and blew up this year as this year is a prime year for goose grass germination.   There are several courses within the metroplex that are having goose grass and crabgrass infestation problems. 

We have been attacking #5 green and have picked about 90% of it out and are going to be consistently top dressing these areas to get a quick recovery. 

If you are wondering why we don't just spray a chemical to eliminate it, well any herbicide that can eliminate the goose grass will also eliminate the Bentgrass greens. So hand picking it is the only solution. 

Going forward we will be on a very diligent pre-emergent program in the spring to help reduce the weed population. And eventually we will get it removed. 

PAR-TEE IN PARADISE!!

A big day for our wonderful ladies and guests. It's the ladies member guest and we went all out for these wonderful ladies.  We decorated all of the bathrooms and tee boxes. We sprayed out stencils on driving range tee, first tee of each nine, a couple of hill sides, and the big putter. We placed pink flamingo's all over and really took pride in spoiling our ladies. 

Is that a new mower??

Yes it is. We will be displaying our new rough mower outside the back of the clubhouse threw the weekend for all to see. Club corp. has generously purchased a brand new $56,000 rough mower for the maintenance to become more efficient and have a better cut. Please stop by and check it out.

Slow green up!!

For all who may be concerned with our slow green up. Well not to worry, especially with the changing in temps so drastically up and down. We will be fine. It's kinda a blessing in disguise, it's letting me know exactly where the issues were coming out of last summer so I know it's going to be one of two things. Either fertility problem or irrigation problem. These areas do take longer to green up in the spring time. It usually takes much hotter temps and much warmer soil temps to boost the plants availability to uptake and use its stored nutrients if any.

Also for the bare dirt areas I will be addressing these areas with time. I plan on doing some sod in several areas on the golf course this year, but priority number one is to put most of my focus on getting the irrigation system back to 100%. Until then it doesn't do any good to put out seed and sod if it can't be maintained properly.

Please bare with us, we are doing absolutely everything we can to get the best course conditions possible.

It's not all about the grass!!

Golf expo and family fun day at The Ranch Course on driving range tee. It was pretty cold and windy, but that didn't stop us from trying to have the best one yet.

Me and my Assistant setting up our wacky wedge course, just west of driving range.

Aerification #1-Spring

Greens aerification took place this past Tuesday. Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green's roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch. Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it's done by removing ½-inch cores from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand "topdressing" that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward. Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at 1/8-inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles. Over time, traffic from golfers' feet (as well as mowing equipment) will compact the soil under the putting green. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die. Finally, growing of turf adds to a layer of organic matter on the surface. This layer, called thatch, is an accumulation of dead stems, leaves and roots. A little organic matters makes for a resilient green, but too much invites diseases and insects. Aerification is one of the best ways to reduce an existing layer and prevent an excess of thatch from becoming established. It is important to remember that aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long-term benefits for the course.

The most frequently asked question is "Why do we choose to aerify greens when the are looking and playing the best?" Well the answer to that is, we want to aerify at this time because we want the greens in there ideal condition and as healthy as possible to be able to not only handle the mechanical and personnel traffic but to also be able to recover at a much faster rate so the greens are back to a 100% as soon as possible.

With the pictures I have attached you can see the process and steps we went threw on this aerification. We start by aerifying and all the cores are pulled to the edge of the greens and then picked up and hauled away. We then blow off the surface as well as try and open all the holes in the process. We do this so that we are removing as much old matter and also be able to add as much new material back into the profile as possible. We then put down our soil ammendmants top dress with USGA spec sand and brush it all in together and down into the holes. We then apply our nitrogen source and water it all into the profile.