Golf Course Report

November 2019

            November id the “unofficial” start of the Golf season.  We kick it off with Women’s and Men’s Opening Days and we welcome back most of our seasonal members.  The golf course is in as good of condition as it has ever been heading into the onslaught of play.  All our major projects are completed and most of the little ones will be wrapped up in short order.  My entire team has pitched in with their efforts and ideas to make the course enjoyable for everyone.  With that being said, let’s all be prepared for the changes that lie ahead of us. 

            We have received close to 100% approval rating for the course conditions at this point of the journey.  Let’s all be cognizant of these warm and fuzzy feelings as the deluge of traffic and the colder temperatures are right around the corner.  Our department is confident we can produce the best possible conditions throughout the season.  We have added some new products to our arsenal, and we will tighten the intervals of applications to produce maximum growth potential.  With the elimination of most of the problems that hindered our previous seasons, a lot will be hinging on the awareness of those that are playing golf.  Signs, barriers and newsletters are ineffective if the golfer does not believe they are an integral part of the process.  Realizing that there are more golfers following your lead, the importance of reducing wear, fixing ball marks and filling divots becomes paramount.  If we all remember to stay on the provided cart path as much as possible and exit and enter each path at a different point each and every time, we are on the golf course, we will greatly reduce the wear and tear in our most traveled areas.  This rule of thumb should be adhered to by all members, guests, maintenance staff and rangers.  In the past I have labeled this initiative as “Take the Road less Traveled”, this season I am aiming for a sense of “Personal Pride”.  Play your round as if Jack Nicklaus is in the group behind yours.  The goal is to enjoy your time on the golf course and leave it in the best possible conditions for those that follow. 

            I am unbelievably proud of my team for all their hard work during a very busy and distracting Summer.  The course has improved dramatically over the previous year.  My hope is that Mother Nature will be kind to us, and that Jack Frost has decided not to come this far South.  We will stay very busy through now and December 31^st, a few more tiny projects and improvements before the madness begins. 

Golf Course Report

October 2019

Procrastination has gotten the better of me and I have put off this report for long enough.  Truth be told, I have penned two previous editions but neither one seemed to capture the levity of where we were, how we got here and our commitment to improving Stonebridge beyond expectations.  One of my drafts included an extensive list of accomplishments that would make any team proud, then I was reminded of the projects that did not make it into our busy schedule this summer.  My second draft was a bit more poetic.  I tried to shed some light on the challenges of dealing with ever changing weather patterns, from the record heat to 28 days of rain in August to the driest September on record back to record heat in October.  These are the times when motivation and teamwork really come in handy.  That’s when I decided to scrap the second draft, I simply couldn’t convey the love and respect I have for my team in a report.

Third and final attempt.  Our goal is, has and always will be; to make the golf course better each year.  I am immensely proud of the work that our team has amassed in my time at Stonebridge.  We have changed soil structures; we have expanded playing surfaces where possible and we continue to explore ways to improve your experience on the course.  My goal was not to list past projects or goals achieved, our list going forward is always larger than the list that preceded.  With that in mind, we have a couple of more projects to squeeze in before Opening Day.  I have had two separate consulting Agronomist help with our new fertility program.  One program was focused on the greens, which has already started.  The other is a Nitrate based program for our fairways.  This is a more readily available nitrogen source that should produce better conditions throughout the season.  We are hoping that the projects completed will both be effective and appreciated, even if they go unnoticed.

As they say, “the Proof is in the Pudding” and I believe our Pudding will be better than ever this year.

In the Midst of a Very Busy Summer

As we approach the end of our second course closure, I feel it is a good time to bring everyone up to date on what we have accomplished so far, what we are in the process of and what we have on the schedule for the remainder of the summer months.  

During the July closure we tend to be a bit more aggressive with all of our cultural practices.  This includes bigger, deeper aerification holes on the greens, complete aerification of all playing surfaces, more aggressive verti-cutting on all short grass areas and a heavy topdressing on all tees, fairways and greens.  We have also lowered the height of cut to promote a more prostrate growth. This lower height will carry through to our last closure where we will gradually raise the height as we head into season.  As you can imagine, the byproduct of verti-cutting and a lower height of cut is a multitude of grass clippings.  This, coupled with the 25 truck loads of sand that was applied to the tees, fairways and greens, is quite a mess to clean up.  Now throw in the fact that it has rained nearly every day, it really becomes a chore.  My staff has done an admirable job of keeping the drains clear of washed down clippings and staying on tasks as much as possible.  All scheduled cultural practices will have been completed before our opening on Saturday, however the inclement weather has effected our recovery timetable.  The good news is, the greens are always the first to be worked on and they should be in good shape by Saturday.

As for the on going projects in and around the property.  The directive to correct the "bottleneck" exit points on holes #2, #3 and #4 are still on our agenda.  The work on #2 is well under way and should be near completion towards the first of August.  Some minor earth moving is required for #3 and #4 to accomplish the recommended solution.  I have met with our contractor and we are scheduled to reshape and re-sod these areas in our September closure.  All three of these areas were brought to the attention of our consulting Architect and we are closely following his recommendations.  We have a long list of on course improvements we would like to get to this summer and we will start from the top and work our way down.  Mother Nature willing, we will check all the boxes.

Two other projects that are currently being tended to.  The parking lot is open for business but not quite complete.  We have some minor landscaping left to install and a couple of lampposts to put back in place.  Once this is complete, the next step will occur during the September closure when our contractor will return to seal coat and re-stripe the entire parking lot.  The other project involves the landscaped area as you drive from the Airport entrance to the clubhouse.  The Master Association will soon assume the maintenance responsibility of this area.  In anticipation of this change over from the Condo Associations, it was decided that the entire hedge would be replaced and additional perennial and annual  color will be added to enhance the entry drive.  This project will be completed in stages.  Hedge removal, hedge installation, re-establish sod lines, create perennial beds and finally add annuals in the fall.

There is more to come to this non stop summer.  I want to thank you all for your patience and understanding.  Once the dust settles, I believe that you will all agree that the end result was worth seemingly endless summer. 

One more update before we "Grip it and Rip it"

 As we continue to heal up from a very aggressive closure, I just wanted to give those that want to be in the know, a heads up on what to expect as we release the golfers back onto the course.  

The right side of #2 continues to be "under construction", most of the material was removed over the last 2 weeks but we have a long way to go to shape and grade the new area for cart path and sod.  Our goal is to reduce the amount of traffic that effects the front half of the Fairway, widen the playable surface and provide a bit of color to the process.  

As for the turf conditions.  The greens have healed up nicely and we will continue to roll and tweak the height of cut to provide optimum playing conditions.  The fairways are still holding a lot of sand at the top of the canopy.  This is a good thing, agronomically speaking.  The more sand we have in this region, the more thatch we can breakdown.  We have a few areas that are showing signs of heat stress.  The addition of our all black compost material on some of the Tees and Fairways and the lack of irrigation and rain due to Mother Nature and a power surge from FPL, has led to some scorching of turf.  Rest assured that these areas will recover quickly and with the addition of our new programs they will be able to handle added stress in the future.  

Stay tune, in the next few days, for pictures of the multiple projects that are happening here at Stonebridge.  

I am a firm believer in the statement that "If you are not moving forward, you are moving backyards"  

A Flury of Activity

 Below you we find pictures of a few of the cultural practices that were performed during the first week of our closure.  All of these processes play a specific roll in improving the overall health and vigor of the golf course.  Vigor is a key word in our industry, with proper turgidity and plant vigor we will have a better chance of withstanding the abusive amount of traffic that our undersized course endures each season.  We have spent the better part of my tenure here focusing on reversing poor fertility and irrigation practices by altering the soil structure and introducing products that will reduce Sulfides and promote healthy turf.  Our greens profile looks to be on the mend and we are employing some new strategies on our Tees and Fairways that should enhance our year round receptiveness to our new nutrient program.  

Core aerification allows us to remove compacted Organic Matter that constricts the roots available Oxygen.  These open holes provide a adequate channel for fresh clean sand.  This Topdressing process has multiple benefits.  First and foremost, water infiltration through proper porosity and thatch reduction.  DryJect is another form of aerification that allows us to immediately inject the greens with a portal of Kiln dried sand.  Over the course of the summer, we will effectively remove and replace close to 30% of the putting surfaces.  This process in also being employed to the Tees and Fairways.  As the demand and expectations grow, so does the intensity of our cultural practices.  

Our goal is to improve the entire property each and every year.  This year we have added a "Soil Conditioner" to our arsenal of products.  This product is pack with beneficial microorganism that will help provide soil stability where we need it most.  As you can see from the photo included, we have applied this product to our most troublesome Fairways and Tees.  With this being a composted, all natural organic product, it surely came with a bit of odor.  Once this is incorporated into the canopy, I am assured that the aroma will subside.  This coarser material has also proven to help with compaction relief and water holding capacity.  I am intrigued to see the results of this first application.  

I have challenged myself to be more diligent on keeping everyone informed on our activities during the summer.  We have a lot of projects planned that will change the way you look at the golf course.  These two week closures are essential to our success and our Tuesdays play a very important role.  I know words, pictures and promises only go so far.  We will be better, we will gain your trust and we will turn your frown upside down.   

Core aerification

Tee and Fairway aerification

DryJect

Application of Command Soil Conditioner

Fairway Topdressing

Golf Course Report

April 2019

                This is my third re-write of this report.  I did not know what direction to take this “End of the Season Re-Cap”.  I am typically more of an optimist but I have received a few body blows over the last few weeks.  Either way, I have chosen to ignore the noise and proceed with our plan to continue to move this course forward to bigger and better places.  The best thing about being doubted is the opportunity to prove them wrong.  The worst thing is explaining to your staff that we must do more.  We are up for the challenge and I believe that our summer projects will have a lasting impact on a few of our most troublesome areas.

                The three most glaring weak areas were the cart path exits on #2, #3 and #4 which I explained in an earlier report, were in part my fault due to a fertilizer/irrigation malfunction.  We will be working with a Golf Course Construction contractor to do some minor re-shaping on the mounds at the exits of #3 and #4.  This will allow for the traffic to be dispersed in a wider area in the future.  As for #2, we will be removing the vegetation along the right side of the hole and relocating the cart path from its current position to the right side of the forward tee.  This will allow us to manage the entry point to the fairway to varying levels throughout the season.  The resulting clearing and sodded right side will also provide a bit more playable surface.  The fence line will be planted with a rapidly growing hedge and a few flowering trees.  It is quite evident that we have had great success with the remainder of our exit points, our goal is to have these 3 react in the same way. 

                Our team will also be embarking on a couple of tee leveling and expansion projects.  A couple of our teeing surfaces are crowned and can be much more versatile if the proper slope was restored.  We also have the opportunity to expand a couple of teeing areas to provide options for our members. 

                This is just the tip of the iceberg.  The usual aerification, topdressing, verti cutting and all the other cultural practices are going to be readjusted to reflect your dissatisfaction.  The kitchen sink is coming also.  I love a challenge; bring on that first Tuesday in May!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.......

Mid February is usually the point in the Season where we have acclimated to whatever the weather phenomenon is in place for the given year, we have also had the chance to witness the effectiveness of the programs put in place to enhance your experience on the golf course this year.  We have had a few bumps along the way and we are hard at work trying to correct those issues.  As always, high traffic and minimal space can be attributed to a lot of our eye sores.  We will continue explore options on compaction relief and traffic dispersion to aid in reducing this issue in the future.  Member awareness and education of the effects of cart traffic will be a key factor in reducing this impact.

Our "Guest" events are right around the corner.  We will be putting in that little extra effort to make you proud.  As always, our goal is to produce conditions that are worthy of company.  To that end, you will see me and some of my staff on the course at some odd hours over the week to ten days.  We have two products that cannot have traffic on following application.  We will accomplish this by spreading the product after the last tee time and before the night time watering.  One of of these products was said to handle foot traffic on dry turf so we tried to apply it around a few greens last week.  The picture below will show that we do have some people that do not keep their carts on the path on #5 and we also had some tracking from foot printing with this product. This tip burn will mow off in a couple of days.   

On a positive note, the putting surfaces are reacting well to the changing weather.  From hot and humid, to cold and dry, to cold and wet, to wet and seasonal and finally to seasonal.  The root structure and the soil profile is as good as it has ever been in my tenure.  We still have a couple of our shaded, low air-movement areas that will always give us issues.  I feel confident that we can provide optimum conditions throughout our guest events.  

We certainly look forward to helping you present your club for your guest but we also take a lot of pride in making you happy to be a member at Stonebridge.  If you haven't had the chance, come join us for a tour of the course to witness the abundant wildlife that calls Stonebridge home.  You have a very unique piece of property that offers a very diverse ecosystem.  Brian Beckner does a wonderful and entertaining job of explaining all the different creatures that live in your backyard.  I have included a few photos of our latest tour. 

I am always available for your questions or concerns.   Feel free to call or drop by at any time.  

Tip Burn from Cart and Foot Printing on #5

Tour 2/7/2019

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Great Blue Heron

Wood Ducks

Blue Winged Teals

Ospreys

#8 in the morning

Squirrel  

Bald Eagle