Mowing by moonlight

 After a chilly week, the weather for the Men's Spring Member-Member event was spectacular.  However, one of the challenges with an 8:15 shotgun start this time of the year, is that we are prepping the golf course in the dark.  And while much of our equipment has lights, you definitely can't see as clearly as you do during daylight hours.

Unfortunately, when mowing one of the putting greens on Friday, a tiny twig went unseen, and got caught in the mower's grooved roller, leaving a line from one side of the green to the other.

While this was far from catastrophic, it does speak to the fact that it is a bit of a gamble anytime we head out before daylight.   As the saying goes, things could have been worse--everyone was safe, which is what really counts.

Paver Parking Pull-offs

We had some new paver parking areas installed this past week at #8, 11 and 15 greens.  We have kept the same paver pattern throughout the course and Clubhouse, and these are certainly more appealing than additional asphalt.  

 As you can see above, for those who tend to always do the old "two tires on and two tires off" the path park job, we have kept some of the not so subtle reminders in place.  These definitely help to encourage players to keep all four tires on the hard surface, and off the grass.

Better Bridge

The team tackled a good sized project this week on #8 bridge.  The first part of this was installing an anti-slip matting down the center of the bridge.  This material is held in place by screws and a whopping 36 tubes of adhesive. 

Once this was completed, Trex decking was added on the sides of the matting.  With close to 2,000 screws used to secure the decking in place, there were some sore backs after the guys got finished.  We were able to catch their "good side" in the picture below:

It is a bit of a balancing act to take on something like this with the amount of activity on the golf course right now.  Among other daily activities, we are mowing, raking, sweeping, filling divots, and watering sod.   The guys did an amazing job getting this banged out in two days.  The finished product provides a smoother and safer experience, whether you are riding or walking.

Helpful Holes

 We have kept our largest aerifier busy poking holes over the winter.  This machine is typically equipped with solid tines, so no core is pulled.  

What's the benefit of this process?  The solid tining has several functions:

• Relieves compaction 
• Creates channels for water to infiltrate
• Improves gas exchange in the soil
• Provides pore space for root growth

With the practice tee now open, the divots are flying, and it will need every advantage it can get to make it through the season.  Holes will help!