SAND, LOTS OF IT = FAST, FIRM, SMOOTH, HEALTHY BENTGRASS FAIRWAYS

Why sand the fairways? From a golfers perspective; longer drives, consistent ball reaction with bump and run approach shots, firm up-right turf for excellent club to ball striking performance, swing plane angle superior due to positive foot, leg and hip pivoting on the firmer surface, no plugged lies, less fatigue pushing a cart or caring your bag, use of golf cars more frequently after rains, no muddy core aeration or multitudes of earthworm casts to interfere with THE GAME.

From an agronomic perspective; less disease, better drainage, deeper rooting, superior wear tolerance, fewer earthworm poa planting casts, competitive advantage for bentgrass over poa annua means less winter-kill potential, fewer summer stress situations, organic matter control, less scalp potential, fewer chemical inputs, better drought avoidance means fewer irrigation events and the ability to use equipment much sooner after heavy rains and snow melts. All of this equates out to economic and quality sustainability.

To reap all of the above you need at least a 2" layer of sand and the maximum you can safely apply in the cooler spring and fall period is 1/4" per application and this is best done in two 1/8" applications with incorporation of the sand into the canopy between the 1/8" applications. During the summer months 1/20" to 1/16" should be the target so as to avoid the smothering of turf and tissue damage that would be caused by incorporation techniques of higher quantities.

Our goal is to apply 3/4" of sand per year with a ultimate target depth of 4". Once the 4" depth is attained our yearly total will be reduced to just over 1/4" for maintenance of the surface.

THREE PRONGED ATTACK SOLVES #6 DRAINAGE PROBLEMS

To solve any problem you first have to determine the causes. The causes, for the wet area left of the willow on #6 and to the left of the silver tee box on #9 were a corroded, leaking Water Level Control Device for #17 ponds, plugged 1930 era cement drain tile and a low area where the predominant soil is clay.

Last fall we replaced the corroded Water Level Control Device and a good stretch of pipe that carries that water to #5 pond, now the challenge was to locate the 1930 cement drain tile, no blueprints existed just a reference from our Westmoor History Book that in 1930 drain tile was installed. With Mark Mejchar at the controls of the Mini-Backhoe we located the tile and it gust water to the surface, we pumped the water out and inserted a tracer wire into the tile so we could locate it and dig it up again about 30 yards down grade, once again water gust to the surface and we continued down grade where we found, as you can see in the middle picture above, a mass of willow roots in a 4" cement tile. We cleaned the roots out and continued our tracing all the way to the pond. With the tile now functioning we placed vertical, clean out basins, over the drain tile about every 30 yards. With these clean outs in place locating the tile and cleaning it out is simple. Unfortunately, the 1930 drain tile is 4' deep and the lower 3' is in clay soil, so this drainage network, although functioning, would be slow due the water having to go through the clay to get to the tile. So to speed drainage in this area we added shallower trenches with solid, willow root proof, pipe and surface drain inlets as you can see in the last photo above.
Now we have a drainage network that will keep this area dry and playable all season long and will be easy to maintain in future. Playable and sustainable, a good combination.

DRIVING RANGE DRAINAGE WORK COMMENCES

Mark Mejchar, our Operations Manager, in the mini-backhoe, and Assistant Superintendent, Bryan Bergner, with rake in hand, start the first of four drainage pipe installs. The first, pictured here, is on the driving range just in front of the renovated practice tee. Mark and Bryan along with the help of Second Assistant Superintendent, Zac Houfek and Nick Narlock, Assistant Operations Manager, will install 6 catch basins, connect them with 4" drain pipe, all of which, will intercept and collect rain and irrigation runoff water from the tee and target green and transfer it underground, into the city storm water drainage network.

The second drainage install will be on hole #6 in the left rough near the willow tree about 170 yds off the tee. Third, will be a Water Level Control Device and connecting pipe install between #5 pond and #4 pond just in front of #5 tee.  The final install will be on hole #11 on the fence-line to the left of the green. With these all in place by May 6 we will enjoy a full season of golf on much drier turf.

MARCH 19, 2011 A LOOK AT CONDITIONS

# 7

#15

#12

#7 green looking to #15

#8

SNOW GONE! GREAT SHAPE! SUN HEADING NORTH!

Put another Wisconsin winter in the books, we came through in flying colors! No snow mold, no winter kill! Our snow mold fungicides worked great and they were applied flawlessly by our Operations Manager, Mark Mejchar and Assistant Superintendent, Bryan Bergner.  Yes, the course is still very wet and frost is still in the ground and it might snow alittle next week but it sure was nice to walk all 18 holes and see grass again.

Most likely, it will be about 2 weeks before we open the greens, so if you come out to play the course backwards, as it is set up now with cups and flags in the tees, please do not walk over the greens as you make your way to the next teeing area, located about 25 yards infront of the green at a blue 3 foot tall wooden stake. Our greens are very soft and wet and if you walk on them now your going to leave depressions behind that will play havoc with your putting 2 to 3 weeks from now.

Here are a few photo's from my walk today.

SKIN CANCER! MAN UP! BE A LEADER!

If your family, friends and employees love the outdoors like I do, than they, like me, have a destiny with skin cancer. The only difference between us is I'm 60 years old, and likely, most of the people you care about are younger. I've had more sun exposure time, which means, I have skin cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma and a precancer called Actinic Keratosis. The good news is, I was on top of it, have a great Dermatologist, Dr. David Crosby, and he removed the Basal Cell and treated the AK so it would not develop into cancer. I'm good to go.

So what am I saying when I say, Man Up, (term, not gender driven) Be a Leader, I'm saying your the person responsible for protecting your family, your friends and fellow employees and yourself. How do you do that? Here is one example; at Westmoor, protecting yourself from the sun is a part of our Safety Training Program and has been for 20 plus years, it's right up there with how to operate equipment safely. We explain what the sun does to your skin and that working and playing outdoors predisposes you to a number of skin problems and that protecting yourself early and daily prevents nearly all skin cancers. We supply sunscreen, a SPF 30 or higher, but most importantly, we the Fulltime Staff slop it on, yes we call it slop because we want to emphasize the amount, every morning and make it a point of doing it in front of our fellow employees. The fact that you, the Leader, are slopping on sunscreen in front of the people you are leading, has a profound effect on them doing the same. You, put a hat on, there is a good chance they will too.

Now you the father the mother the friend take that process home and start slopping on the sunscreen in front of them, family and friends, and you know what, they will do the same. You see, safety is contagious if ----, if you, The Leader, LEADS!!!

Of all the cancers that humans can get, skin cancer is the most common. In the US, skin cancer is increasing in all races.
How can we protect ourselves? Sun exposure is the most preventable risk factor for all skin cancers, including melanoma. You can have fun in the sun and decrease your risk of skin cancer.
Here is how to be Sun Smart:
1. Generously apply a broad-spectrum water-resistant sunscreen of a SPF of 30 or more. We say slop it on.
2. Wear protective clothing; hat, sunglasses, long sleeved shirt and pants if possible.
3. Use extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect damaging rays from the sun.
4. The suns rays are strongest between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm
5. Make sure you protect your children
6. Supplement your diet with vitamin D.
7. Avoid tanning beds.

To get the latest on sun-protective products that meet the criteria of the American Academy of Dermatology and to learn more about skin cancer go to http://www.aad.org/

15fwy 3/14. Will Mid-week 60dg melt it all? Most likely not but it will be nice to see grass.