Time for a haircut...

 With phragmites surrounding many of the 14 ponds on the golf course, we have begun cutting it back in an effort to restore the views.  When dealing with a job like this, having the right tools is important, and our Ventrac tractor gets the job done like nothing else.  

Removing 12' tall phragmites helps provide a cleaner look, and improved sight lines off the tee.

A good amount of the phragmites is growing in the water, so working from inside the pond would be helpful.  All we need is a nice cold winter with some ice!

Trust the Process

 Sorry Sixers fans, we're definitely not talking about "that" process.  No, we are referring to the aerification process we do each year on the fairways.   

As we continue to make adjustments, one common theme we've found is that in this case, bigger isn't better.  For example, while a tractor-mounted aerifier may seem to be more productive, the walking aerifiers are more maneuverable.

Yes, the way we go about the cleanup process, is definitely labor-intensive.  Again, could we use a tow behind or tractor-mounted blower?  We could, but those just don't provide the same quality of finished product that a team of 10 backpack blowers do.

While rain is not our friend during the actual hole-punching, afterwards we always seem to need one good rain event to get everything evenly wet.  To date, this summer has either been feast or famine when it comes to precipitation!                                                                                                             

The holes are missing

Hopefully everyone has had a chance to read the letter which was sent to the membership, explaining the change in our greens aerification protocol and timing, going forward. Still, if you've been on the course this past week, you may have been surprised to find that the greens don't look like Swiss Cheese covered in sand.  

While we did run the aerifiers across them on Monday, we used an extremely small tine.

It's tough to see a hole just four days post venting.

While aerification is an important and necessary cultural practice to maintain healthy greens, pulling a core in August--the month with the shortest roots of the entire year--can add stress to the turf in the short-term.  In contrast, the greens appeared to perk-up immediately after last week's "venting" process.

So, while the greens may be missing the traditional holes in August, it's unlikely that golfers will be missing the holes.  No longer losing a few weeks of good greens in May and August should be something everyone can appreciate.

You never know what you'll find...

 An irrigation controller can make a great home for any number of creatures.  There's no rain or snow inside, and the small transformer keeps it pretty comfy during periods of cold weather.

While we try to discourage animals from taking up residence in the controllers, it's not uncommon to find ants, wasps, mice, and even snakes.

However, this past week, while working on an irrigation issue, we came across one arachnid we've never encountered in the past:

If one Black Widow isn't enough for you, with two egg sacs, there's the potential for a couple of hundred residents.

Looks like we need to put some new No-Pest Strips inside this box!