Change of Venue

Due to accessibility constraints, I have made the switch to a different website for my blog.  Please continue to follow my updates, quips and ramblings at: stonebridgegcm.com.   Thank you for your trust and support.  I look forward to more frequent and topical posts.

Golf Course Report

January 2020

                As we head into a new year and a new decade, we have renewed ambitions for a successful future of the golf course.  Pinpointing trouble areas and employing new and innovative, science-based practices to enhance the vigor of our playing surfaces.  Through “real world” experiences and peer driven research, a few fertility and other agronomic changes were made to our program.  The results, to this point, have been crowd pleasing.  With colder weather and more traffic on the horizon, we are hoping that the herd can self-disperse, and our upgraded turf programs will weather the storm.  Either way, we will diligently work to provide the best possible playing conditions and hope to make you proud of your course. 

                Sticking with my plan of not recapping the obvious, we are all aware of the major changes made to the course and property over the past “off-season”.  However, it makes me incredibly proud to give credit to a few members of my team for initiating the idea and installing the brick pavers around most of the ball washer stations.  They take great pride in the work they do here at Stonebridge and many of their inputs go unnoticed by the golfers.  They do not fall through the cracks with me, I have profound respect and love for everyone on my team. 

                Enough with the love song.  We are all excited for 2020, the upcoming cooler temps, the multitude of golf events and even the long hot summer to come.  We like where the course is at this point and we have creative and motivated team to make it better. 

               

               

New Year Resolution

      In the past, most of the postings on this blog were simply cut and pasted from my Golf Course Report to the Green Committee.  They tended to be a monthly recap or a detailed projection of course conditions.  My goal this year is to reverse this cycle.  Instead of long drawn out explanations on a monthly basis, I plan to post on this blog quite frequently.  Short, concise pertinent information.  Pictures will be included and I am hoping to figure out how to incorporate video clips.  Stay tuned for the new format!

     Goodbye 2019 and Hello 2020.  

p.s.  Spoiler alert! I will be introducing a new addition to our team in my next update.

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

Golf Course Report

December 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, I want to make sure we end on a good note.  December is always a busy month for our team on the golf course, it is our last real opportunity to get some projects done on the golf course before the onslaught of golf and “official” events begin in January.   We certainly have the team in place to handle the job. 

It all started with the Irrigation project, we had close to 20 contractors on site to perform the needed repairs and Bob, our Irrigation Manager, did an excellent job of directing traffic and cross-checking their work.  We are quite happy with the end product and should be well on our way to a more sustainable system.  As this was happening, our team was working hard on replenishing the sand in our bunkers.  This task is well overdue.  Thanks to Irma last year we had quite a few sand traps that were contaminated with native soil.  Timing, weather and Season pushed this work right into December.  This new sand has already provided a stark contrast aesthetically and will also provide consistency throughout the course. 

A couple of other projects that took place just off the beaten path were the removal of close to 16 dead pine trees and an extensive dredging of the waterway that feeds the Cocohatchee River.  I prefer to leave dead pines erect if I can for their natural resource, however most of the ones that we removed were either adjacent to in-play areas or structures.  We will continue to identify any potential risks and have them removed as they present themselves.  The dredging work will be an on-going project to ensure proper flow throughout the entire property.  I have been working with a site engineer to review past plans to determine the intended function of each area. 

A brief note about the health of the turf; we have had our fair share of good weather and for the most part the golf course is in good shape.  We do have a couple of unusually ugly areas for this time of year and they are completely my fault.  They are the result of a fertility application that was coated with a pre-emergent herbicide.  It is the same product I have applied for 25 years, 8 times here at Stonebridge.  It is the only product that I apply that needs to be watered in.  The application went well, the watering did not.  This resulted in fertilizer burn, which would recover nicely if it did not happen in the worst possible area, cart path exits.  The two most noticeable spots are Hole #2 and Hole #3 just as you exit the cart path from the tee.  We will continue to push these areas with supplemental fertility and some added cultural practices.  The remainder of the course is responding well to our new programs and we are looking forward to presenting a great playing surface for the entire 2019 season.

We do have a few other minor changes out there that are worth mentioning.  This first change is the removal of the green and white exit posts.  These were originally installed to remind our members and guests when/where to return to the cart path around the green.  Being that we eliminated most of our continuous paths over the last couple of years, it leaves only one option, return to the path as soon as it starts.  The second minor change goes hand in hand with the first.  Not being a big fan of traffic control measures and definitely not in favor of artificial signs, we have hand crafted some stained curbing material to help preserve the turf where we once used the small green and white plastic stakes.  This gives it more of a natural look and does not divert your eyes from the course.  Finally, the last upgrade we installed this month was a little more high tech.  It is a computerized pin placement program.  Our greens were measured via GPS and downloaded into this program.  The computer randomly generates pin placements on a daily basis.  This provides variety, accountability, a tracking ability and most importantly a program for planning for future events.  We have the ability to disable certain areas, such as slopes and/or wet/dry areas or for any other reason.  The program will not place a pin with 6-8 feet of a spot used within the last 7 days.  It keeps a record of every pin ever used on each green.  We are 3 weeks into working with this program and we are still finding more tools to use.  It does come with an App for the phone that our members/guests can download.  I look forward to hearing your feedback.

I hope everyone had a Happy and Safe Christmas Season.  I am really looking forward to 2019, I have a hunch there are some big changes coming right around the corner.  Happy New Year! 

Golf Course Report

November 2018

November’s Report tends to be one of my favorites to write.  We have finally made it through the summer and all the major projects.  The heat and humidity have or will be replaced by cooler drier air (we hope).  Our seasonal residents are filtering in for their first look at the course and grounds.  Most of our preparations were completed in the days leading up to Men’s Opening Day and Ladies Opening Day.  I would like to recognize the support of all our members, especially the year rounders, for their patience and understanding as we looked to make adjustments and improvements to the course during the summer months. 

Some final touches were completed in the last couple of weeks.  Our new winter annuals were installed just prior to opening day and a fresh coat of Pine Straw was applied.  Each year we monitor the success rate of each type of annual, this year we added a few new varieties in areas that are typically hard to maintain.  We work with the growers throughout the year to find site specific issues and plants that fit our needs.  The newly applied Pine Straw will help provide definition and contrast to the golf course and surrounding grounds.  This product also provides the proper acidity levels, moisture retention and weed barrier that will allow our bedding plants to thrive.  The last bit of pruning and trimming around the course will have the property in prim and proper shape as we head into season. 

I did state earlier that “we were through all the major projects” however we have one more to complete.  The irrigation system that was installed during our last renovation has some “kinks” that need to be ironed out.  Some of you may recall that 2 years after installation our fused fittings began to fail.  Our Irrigation Contractor returned to Stonebridge to replace these joints with a mechanical coupler, the manufacturer supplied the parts and our contractor covered the cost.  These first generation couplers have not performed well, leading to 2 to 4 leaks per week.  The good news is, the manufacturer has developed an upgraded coupler that has proven to hold up in the field.  We actually have quite a few of them throughout the course and have yet to have one fail.  The plan is to replace all of the effected connections with these 2^nd generation couplers.  To accomplish this, our contractor will be supplying the labor to dig up each joint and repair it correctly, again, at no cost to Stonebridge.  Here is the catch; to be the most efficient we need to tackle this project in December.  This allows the contractor to pull all of his available teams to our property in an effort to not prolong our agony.  Their staff is adept at working around golfers and we are in agreement that they will vacate the property before January.  We are not alone; at least 4 other clubs have recently gone through this conversion.  This necessary evil will be a short inconvenience for our club but a welcome sight to our Irrigation Team.  Bob and Lorgio have done a wonderful job of maintaining our system and they are looking forward to giving their shovels a bit of rest.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. 

Golf Course Report

October 2018

Well that was a busy summer!  A stark contrast to what we endured last year, but an eerie reminder of how fickle Mother Nature can be.  Our goal this summer was to enhance the golf course and restore the carnage left behind by Irma.  We still have a long journey to complete restoration but the amount of work and significance of its impact was impressive.

Let’s tackle the re-planting that affects the golf course.  #3 was clearly the hardest hit perimeter buffer.  In the planning process, it was determined that the best course of action would be to remove all non-native plant material and start over with a landscape plan that would be functional, presentable and maintainable.  We accomplished this by densely populating the apex of the berm with a plethora of native plants.  This also allowed us to recapture about a half an acre of playable surface along the right side of #3.  Our second major area of planting occurred along the fence line on #15.  A great deal of damage had opened up sight lines to our neighboring property.  After researching site plans and determining that this area is not a protected preserve, I devised a plan to plant a buffer on the fence line to create a more affective buffer.  This left us with close to ¾ acre of usable turf.  My goal during this restoration project, both accomplished and ongoing, is to enhance, simplify and protect the property’s integrity.  We still have plenty of re-planting to do but we are well on our way to complete recovery. 

We did get to work on the golf course this off season.  A few projects that may or may not be noticed include; new concrete paths on #11, the transition from #13 to #14 and the crossover from #15 to #16.  Our contractor did a wonderful job of coordinating and communicating every detail during the project.  We also incorporated a couple of new agronomic practices that will ensure a better playing surface throughout the season.  We topdressed the fairways 3 times this summer.  The goal is to minimize the effect of heavy traffic during the slow growing months that occur during Season. Our Tee, Fairway and Greens fertility program also experienced a significant change.  Without getting into scientific details, we have morphed into a more Organic product application.  These micro-organisms have a huge effect on the microbial activity in the soil.  This produces a heathier rooting medium and a more sustainable playing surface.  

We have a few environmental challenges with our property.  The goal is to eliminate all undesirable areas.  The trick is to make a grass species grow on a green that receives 4 hours of sunlight when the standard calls for 8 hours of sunlight.  We are slowly eliminating the worst of the worst, I am sure everyone remembers what #17 looked like a few years ago.  We will apply this determination to every issue presented.  My goal is and always has been: Perfection.  You deserve that effort.

#3 new trees

       A Busy August

Our focus every summer is to improve the golf course for all of our Members and Guests.  August always seems to be the month that we tackle the biggest projects of the growing season.  This year provided us with the challenge of replacing and re-landscaping areas that were heavily impacted by Hurricane Irma last year.  Part of this process included a "Risk Assessment" of all remaining plant material.  We spent the last few weeks focusing on two major perimeter buffers that effect both the golf course                                                               play-ability and sight and sound barriers for our residents.  #3                                                               and #15 required massive amounts of new plants that will                                                                       eventually mature into a solid landscape buffer designed to                                                                     accomplish our goals.  I have included a few pictures for those                                                               that have not seen the progress.  With both of these major                                                                       undertakings, my aim was to improve the buffer and to expand                                                               the playable area.  We installed over 150 trees and 700 smaller                                                               plants to create a landscape buffer that will be both maintainable                                                             and functional.  In addition to the foliage, we have planted close                                                             to an acre of new sod.  This new grass will come in handy for                                                                 those that hit the occasional wayward shot. 

#3 New Plantings

   This project will continue throughout the next few months as we pinpoint areas of concern.  We continue to plug in new plants in holes created by removal of plant material identified by our Risk Assessment.  I want to be as thorough  and patient as possible.  The safety and well being of our entire property is paramount in my decision making.  As we scour the golf course for assessed risks and on going removal and replacement, we will also be adding a few more Oak Trees along our "Common Strip" throughout the property.  We lost quite a few trees along Winding Oaks Way.  We will be focusing on key areas around the community to restore a continuous canopy  throughout the development.  

                                                     

#3 Landscape

#3 expanded surrounds

 I would like to throw in a few words about the golf course, where we were, where we are and where we are going.  We have pushed the envelope this year when it comes to cultural practices.  We saw increases in verti cutting, more aggressive aerification, a lot more topdressing and a return to normal timing of weed control.  For the most part, the weather was predictable this summer.  That allows us to increase our productivity by scheduling tasks around Mother Nature.  We have one more course closure to put the finishing touches on a fantastic summer.  I am excited about our progress and I believe it will pay dividends as we move through the busy golfing season.  Our goal is to have an impact everyday and every year.          This Season will be better than last and we are already making          plans for improvements next year. 
                                                       
     I would like to take a moment to thank our wonderful members for their support and patience during this busy time of the year.  My team has excelled this Summer and we will continue to push for perfection.  Exceeding your expectations is the driving force behind what we do.  We have a few more weeks to dot the I's and cross the T's but I am confident that the golf course will be ready.
  

#15 New sod

 dd caption

#3 additional room

#15 New sod

A Quick Update on the Last Stages of Recovery

   I have been hesitant to send out any pictures or updates on the re-planting project that we are in the midst of.  During Irma we lost a significant amount of trees and foliage.  It is my goal to REMOVE and replace these areas with more maintainable and more sustainable plant material.  The two parts of the property that will be re-landscaped extensively are #3 and #15.  We have preserved a buffer on most of the surrounding areas.  These two areas mentioned will receive an abundant amount of plantings that will eventually provide a sight and sound buffer for those residents effected by this project. 

     Thank you for understanding the intense nature of this project.  Me and my entire staff have sacrificed a lot of time to accommodate our contractors.  I will tell you something, I cannot make it without MY GUYS!  We are Family, we are supporters, we are go getters.  

I certainly hope that the entire membership understands and supports the efforts involved in changing the perimeter landscape on a few holes.  As we move into the future, this undertaking will be a thing of the past.  

New Landscape around PG

11 Days of Unbelievable Heat

and Amazing Effort!

As stated previously, our July closure is usually our most aggressive.  Larger tines are employed throughout the course to remove more Organic Matter, verti cutting all short grass areas to remove thatch and improve play-ability, followed by a heavy topdressing to improve porosity and wear tolerance, and finally a healthy dose of fertility to enhance recovery.  This is the "nuts and bolts" of our program and it seems quite simple when you put it on paper.  In reality it takes an Army of heat resistant, fatigue resistant soldiers to accomplish all of this in the proper time frame.  The TEAM we have assembled has once again showed me that they truly are the best in the business.  All of these processes require multiple ancillary tasks to prepare the work space and clean up the mess created, before we can move on to the next step.  On many occasions, our Battle Tested Team has completed the task at hand and voluntarily moved on to the ensuing assignment without command.   They know the importance of taking advantage of favorable weather even if it means staying until nightfall.  This gumption led us to overcome some equipment issues and a few added projects throughout this closure.  I couldn't be more PROUD of our team!

During this closure we added a "new to Stonebridge" cultural practice.  A common affliction with greens in SW Florida is Collar Damming.  This is the build up of years of topdressing and prevents surface run off.  These dams create standing water on the perimeters of greens. causing weak or declining turf.  Collar Stripping removes approximately 1/4 inch of material around the greens allowing proper surface drainage.  Below is a couple of pictures showing the first day post sod cutting and day 7 of recovery.  At first glance, the bare collars are nothing but soil.  However, there is a great population of stolons and rhizomes that eventually shoot up and produce fresh leaf growth.  It will take some time to fully restore a proper playing surface but the long term benefits far outweigh the short term inconvenience.  The other project completed in the last 10 days was the conversion of the cart path on #11 from asphalt to concrete.  This new path is much safer for all of our members and guests.  Our contractor did a wonderful job and will be returning during the last closure to replace the asphalt the connects #13 green to #14 tee.

Although the recovery will be a bit longer than the first closure, we will all reap the rewards of the War on Bermuda Grass.  Thank you all for your patience and understanding.  Great things lay ahead and these are all mere building blocks of a sustainable, maintainable golf course.

Form Boards on #11

Finished Product

Verti Cutting Fairways

Collar Stripping Day 1

Topdressing Fairways

Collar Recovery Day 7

Golf Course Report

July 2018

               

We are On Deck for another round of cultural practices that are aimed at improving the turf conditions throughout the golf course.  On July 17^th we will close down the course for 11 days and employ our most aggressive aerification and verti-cutting scheduled for the summer.  This will all be followed by a heavy dose of topdressing on all of our short grass playing surfaces.              We will begin this closure with another DryJect application to the greens.  This is one of the most effective ways to instantly alter the soil profile.  Dilution of built up Organic Matter is paramount to the long term health of any putting surface.  Following this process, a core aerification will take place with much larger tines than our previous closure.  Removing compressed soil and replacing it with a fresh channel of sand will improve the porosity of the soil, giving the roots a place to thrive. 

As intense as we are about creating and perfecting our greens program, we are also stepping up our approach to tee and fairway management.  This year we are attempting to triple our topdressing efforts on the tees and fairways.  We will also double our aerification totals as part of this plan.  All of these practices, coupled with a quality verti-cutting program, will produce a playing surface that will be more resilient to the rigors of environmental stresses and withstand the heavy traffic of the winter months. 

There are a couple of extra projects that will also take place during this closure.  We will be removing the asphalt on #11 and the transition from #13 to #14 and replacing it with concrete.  This should provide a more seamless, safer and comfortable ride through this area of the golf course.  The second project is a bit more invasive.  We will be stripping the collars around the greens to improve surface drainage.  Years of consistent topdressing tend to build up the collars surrounding the greens.  This creates a “damming” effect.  These dams prevent water from running off the green.  Too much water results in anaerobic soils.  If the soils have no air, the roots have no chance.  In an effort to correct our few remaining imperfections, we will remove the top layer around the greens and allow the regrowth from the residual stolons and rhizomes.  This process is quite aggressive and will take some time to recover.  We thank you for your patience and understanding.  When it comes to the rules of golf, I will defer to Erik.  I am assuming they will be treated as Ground under Repair until they are completely healed.  A good friend of mine wrote an article for the USGA Section Record addressing this issue.  Stuart Bothe, GCS at Vanderbilt Country Club has led this initiative and I am happy to have him as a sounding board.  I fully believe that this is one of the practices that we have been missing.  The first go around will not be the cure, but an annual program will eliminate those pesky weak areas around the edges of certain greens.  One more step in attaining perfection.  I do have plenty of progression pictures and a copy of the USGA article, but I am a farmer not an IT whiz.  I have tried to copy/paste and nothing would stick.  If there is a concerted interest in the project, I can certainly forward the information via e-mail. 

We are certainly enjoying a proper Summer time weather pattern.  High heat, high humidity and afternoon thunderstorms.  Our Bermuda grass is thriving, which means we can beat it up even more to prepare it for Season.  As we lower the height of cut on the tees, fairways and rough; we will be encouraging more prostrate growth.  We have a grand plan to be the best for all our members; the tricky part is to maintain excellence while tearing into the necessities of the summer.

If you have any questions or concerns, regarding anything happening on the property, please feel free to contact me. 

Following this closure, we will be attcking our “Re-planting initiave” throughout the golf course and Common areas.  No rest for the weary! 

  

Golf Course Report

May/June 2018

What a difference a year makes.  The first thing I always do when I write these reports is too re-read the ones from the previous year.  Last year our drought persisted until the last week of May, this year we have had the wettest May on record.  Last year it was dry every day until our closure, then it rain 11 inches in 11 days.  This year it rained 25 out of 31 days in May and was dry for all but one day of our closure.  In stark contrast to last year, I am quite happy with the work completed on the golf course.

Unfortunately I do not have any fancy pictures this year of the high tech machinery used to accomplish our goals, as I found myself on a tractor more often than behind a camera.  I am very excited about the new Fairway aerification process.  The rented machine will pull more material than our previous unit and is a lot more efficient.  We are also scheduled to topdress our fairways 3 times this summer. In previous years that number was always limited to one.  This new summer fairway program will enhance the playability and resiliency of our fairways throughout the entire year.  Close to 20 Dump Truck loads of sand were applied to the fairways during this closure.

The greens were Dryjected on the first day of the closure followed by a core aerification and heavy topdressing.  The ultimate goal with these combined practices is to remove Organic Matter and dilute the profile to create optimum pore space.  This was all followed by multiple application of Calcium based fertility to mediate the soil pH.  This allows the proper exchange of nutrients from soil to root to shoot to leaf.  

The tees underwent a similar battle, aerification, and topdressing and specialty fertility.  As we always try to perfect our putting surfaces sometimes we overlook how we get there.  Last year we added some new grass, this year we will be leveling and expanding some teeing areas.  I am not a status quo type of person, if you are not moving forward, you are getting passed by.  In this regard, I welcome and encourage Member input.  This is your course and I want nothing more than to provide you with the best possible test of your skills.  As a matter of fact, we made a slight change to #1 during this closure specifically because of member input.  I took the suggestion and analyzed the end result, a slight alteration to the original suggestion provided improved playability, traffic dispersion and hopefully member satisfaction.  I am sure we will all hear the good and the bad.

One more agronomic topic to touch on that will persist throughout the summer.  The lowering of the height of cut is a practice that helps reduce grain, improves the effectiveness of verticutting, improves the topressing program and dictates growth habits in the short grass.  The roughs were lowered this week from 1.5” to 1.25” we will hold steady there until we host the PGA Section Tournament on July 6.  Following the tournament we will incrementally lower the height until we reach .6”.  This should take us right into our last closure. From there we will slowly bring them back up to seasonal height.  The tees and Fairways will follow the same program.  They will go from .5” all the down to .25”.  At one point this summer our tees and fairway will be running like greens and our roughs will be sitting up like fairways.  This may be a good time to lower your handicap! 

With a full slate of cultural practices going on and many more tweaks to the course to come, I am looking forward to 2 more closures as successful as this one.  Perfection is only attainable if you are willing to grind. I am blessed with the most amazing team in all of golf maintenance.  I have literally challenged other clubs to a “Crew Olympics” knowing that we would take home all the Gold!  Stonebridge is lucky to have them and I am blessed to be able to call them my friends.  They have bought in to my vision and take a lot of pride in their work.  What they accomplished in the last 11 days is nothing short of miraculous.  My guys are the best guys!

P.S.  The next closure begins on July 17^th. It will encompass many of the same practices employed in this closure.  I will make it a goal to add photos to my next blog post.