Golf Course Report

August  2014

The month of August gives us a chance to give the golf course a rest in between aerifications.  The July closure was very intense.  A full double verti-cutting was performed on the fairways.  More than 200 cubic yards of thatch was removed from the fairways.  This was followed by 550 tons of topdressing.  This process will help remove the grain and lay the ground work for a more consistent playing surface throughout the course.  The added sand will provide for a more stress resistant stand of turf.   The fairways also received an aerification prior to topdressing.  The increased soil porosity will aid in drainage and compaction relief. 

The greens and tees were treated to the same aggressive practices.  The tees are responding well and the greens are poised to be better than ever for the winter season.  The eye test tends to misleading, what lies beneath is the most important improvement.  As the weak areas on our greens slowly grow in, the soil structure is light years ahead of the game.  I am encouraged by the progress and look forward to the long term benefits of our cultural practices. 

A couple of minor projects were also completed during the July closure.  We have extended the cart path ends on holes #4 and #15; this will give golfers more exit options and reduce wear through season.  It is important to remember to avoid wear areas and “Take the Road LESS traveled”.  We have also redesigned the Oak Tree bed on hole #1.  A couple of trees were removed and sod was installed to open up the playing surface.  This is a subtle change but may prove valuable for those who play the right side of this hole. 

As we look forward to the September closure, I feel confident that we can accomplish our goals in a shorter amount of time.  The original closure dates were September 9^th through the 19^th.  I have altered the dates to open on the 17^th.  This reflects the success of our first two closures and takes into consideration the timing of the clubhouse opening.  We will continue to work hard to provide the best possible conditions for our members and guests. 

                

 

Friendly Reminder

Thunderstorms in Southwest Florida can be very dangerous.  This picture is from a local club and shows the result of a lightning strike in the middle of their first fairway. These storms can be very unpredictable, please use caution when you are on the course. 

#1 Tee area

#1 Fairway

 Flashback to the Summer of 2013

These pictures were taken at the tail end of a 3 inch downpour that washed our our Monday afternoon.  Other parts of Naples received closer to 6 inches of rain during this storm.  The standing water receded overnight and the course has recovered nicely.  The extensive drainage that was added over the last two summers and the aggressive aerifications during our first two closures have aided in the quick turn-around.  Our goal is to absorb these weather events and have the course open and playable as soon as possible, with little to no restrictions.

#6 approaching Tee

#15 Fairway

Great Crested Flycatcher Box

Eastern Bluebird Box

 New Additions!

Just a quick note on a few "new additions" for the golf course.  Brian Beckner from Native Bird Boxes was here Monday to install 20 new bird boxes.  The variety of boxes are species specific for our environment.  We are now equipped to attract Eastern Bluebirds, Red Breasted Woodpeckers, Screech Owls, Carolina Wrens and Great Crested Flycatchers.  Our existing Purple Martin houses will be refurbished and relocated to enhance their population.  We have two Osprey poles located on #9 and #16, we will attempt to add some nesting material to enhance the habitat.  One surprising find during the visit was the activity in the Wood Duck box located in the lake left of #7 tee behind #8 green.  It is nice to be a part of a project that encourages our wildlife population.  All of the boxes were installed with nesting material to attract the proper species.  Brian will monitor the boxes and report the activity.  He is looking forward to giving guided tours this Fall that will encompass our role in wildlife management.

Below are a couple of pictures showing the cart path extensions on #4 and #15.  The additional cart path will provide for more exit points and reduce the wear and tear that was prevalent on these holes.   We are in the process of re-grading a few other cart path ends to improve wear resistance and functionality.   

Thank you for patience during these summertime closures.  The cultural practices being employed during this time will have a long lasting impact on the quality of our playing surfaces.  

#15 Cart Path addition

#4 Cart Path addition

Fairway aerificarion

Fairway verti-cutting

 Getting our Ducks in a row!

 After a couple of downpours to start the week, Mother Nature has given us clear skies to complete our work.  It all started on Tuesday.  The greens received a heavy vert-cutting followed by an ample amount of topdressing.  Once this was completed we aerified greens with 1/2 inch coring tines.  The cores that were removed are being re-used to fortify lake banks and grow in a new nursery green.  Our nursery green was over used in the past and had become contaminated with off type bermuda grass.  Over the last few weeks we have killed of the old grass, removed the top 4 inches, added fresh greens mix and incorporated the cores from our on-course greens.  This type of grow-in should take 3-5 weeks for a new green to appear.

Wednesday we brought our army to the tees.  Verti-cut followed by the process of removing the access thatch.  This process includes hand raking and a mechanical sweeper that acts as a vacuum to remove the debris.  This is followed by topdressing and aerification.

On to Thursday and the four day War with our Fairways.  Cricle cut, aerification, verti-cut in two directions, vacuum, topdress and drag.  One simple sentence to re-cap a mountain of work.  Close to 500 tons of sand was applied to the fairways and more than 250 yards (9 Dump trucks) of thatch was removed from the golf course.

I am unbelievably PROUD of the accomplishments of our team.  The ability to adapt to changing conditions, the dedication to completing the job and the pride they have in the product they are presenting makes my job a lot easier.

On tap for next week is recovery of the playing surfaces, collar re-grading, wall to wall fertility, cart path repair and some MINOR tree trimming.  

As you can see by the picture below, the ducks are in a row.

#13 Fairway Topdressed

#13 after dragging

New Nursery Green

Ducks in a row #12

Air2G2

Air2G2 Demo

 Space Age Equipment at Stonebridge

Today we had the pleasure to experience a  demonstration from the new Air2G2 air injection machine.  This service is designed to relieve compaction and infuse oxygen into the root zone.  This is accomplished by the three rods that insert an 8 inch tine into the ground where compressed air is injected into the soil profile.  The effective area for each tine is between 18 to 36 inches based on the soil conditions.  During our "demo" you could see the turf lift briefly as the air was injected below the surface. The benefits of this type of machine are catching on quickly, many courses are using this service in conjunction with normal aerification and some courses are purchasing this machine to use on a regular basis.  I was quite impressed with the process and I will monitor the results. 

Demo on #11

Air2G2 air injection tine

Fairway stripes

The photo above shows the "stripes" in the fairways that occurred during our last mowing on Monday.  The cause of theses stripes is the overwhelming amount of grain in our fairways.  The greener areas are produced when we are mowing with the grain.  The browner, more scalped, areas are the result of a cut against the grain.  Changing directions and circle cutting helps reduce this affect.  The most prudent way to reduce grain is to verti-cut, which we have schedule for our next closing.  The current process of an incremental lowering in the height of cut will aid in the effectiveness of the vertical mowing.  The appearance may not be ideal but the health of the turf and the playability remains our focus.  

Please feel free to e-mail with any questions or concerns at mmetzger@stonebridgecountryclub.com.  Happy 4th of July and I hope everyone is having a great summer.

Dry Turf #15

Lightning Strike #7

  "Wild Life"  

The one thing I love most about my responsibilities here at Stonebridge is there will never be a dull moment.  From the golf course to the common grounds, no two days are ever the same.  Thankfully, we have a great team in place that rises to each and every challenge.

As the golf course was healing from our first closure, we ran into a very odd stretch of weather.  An eight day span of high pressure from June 18 through June 25.  I can't remember the last time we had this pseudo cold front arrive during this time of year.  There are more advantageous than disadvantageous to this type of weather pattern.  There is plenty of sunlight to enhance carbohydrate production, lower disease pressure and no weather delays for golf or maintenance.  One of the drawbacks to this dry weather is that our underdeveloped areas of turf tend to lose moisture at a higher rate as evident by the sodded areas on the putting surface of #15.  This can and did happen overnight.  We have combated these areas with extra "hand watering" and a healthy dose of wetting agents.  They are quickly recovering and will continue to get stronger throughout the summer.

I also included is a picture of a lightning strike on #7 fairway.  We have returned to the usual pattern of hit or miss afternoon storms.  Our sea-breeze tends to keep the majority of the rain just East of Stonebridge, however, when a storm does reach our area it packs a punch.  Please use caution at all times, these storms can be very unpredictable.  

Finally, I have included a few pictures of our resident wildlife.  We just completed the steps necessary to maintain our certification with the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf Courses.  We take great pride in providing a healthy habitat for all of our residents, both indoor and outdoor.