It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Hopefully the lack of snow isn't putting a damper on the holiday's for anyone (depending on your perspective it might be a good thing!). On behalf of the Blackhawk ground's crew, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy finish to the holiday season and can't wait to ring in the New Year.

Venting Greens

On Tuesday (6/24) the greens recieved some much needed relief. The greens were vented with 3/8" solid tines, rolled, mowed, topdressed, and rolled again. Ideally, we would like to vent greens once a month through the summer. Venting the greens at this time will help improve air and gas exchange. By opening these small holes at the surface, the warm soil is allowed to cool when the fresh air moves into the openings. In addition, venting increases water infiltration by creating small channels for irrigation and rain water to move down into the soil profile. After last weeks severe weather and seemingly endless rain, the soil is completely saturated. Finally, venting stimulates new root initiation. By allowing the gas that builds up in the soil to escape and be replaced by fresh oxygen, in addition to the soil temperature cooling, the roots and soil can essentially breathe better which helps stimulate root growth.

The first step in the process is the actual venting. To accomplish this we use the same machines that we use for core aerification in the fall on greens. However, unlike the core aerification process which uses 1/2" hollow tines that removes a small core of thatch and soil, today we used 3/8" solid tines which create a much smaller and less disruptive hole. The healing time on core aerification can be a week or two with good weather whereas venting should fill in within a few days.

After the green gets vented, it then gets rolled using heavy rollers. When the holes on the green are made by the aerifier, the edges of the hole may get pulled up slightly from the action of the tine going in and coming out of the putting surface. The purpose of the rolling is to make sure any areas that get raised or uneven get smoothed out so it does not get scalped by the mowers.

Once the green has been rolled and is smooth then it gets mowed. After the greens have been mowed they can then be topdressed. Todressing is the process of putting a light layer of sand on the putting surface. The purpose of topdressing is two-fold. First, the sand helps smooth out any imperfections on the putting surface. Second, the sand helps prevent thatch production by reducing organic matter in the soil.

The sand then needs to be allowed to dry before the greens get rolled for the second time. The rolling after the topdressing is done to move the sand down further towards the soil surface.

Speaking of the weather...

The severe weather this week has been less then ideal for getting even routine maintenance done on the golf course. Fortunately, given that there was a tornado in Verona earlier in the week, the course did not suffer any major damage due to fallen trees or broken course accessories. We had a few large limbs fall but nothing too disruptive to play. The biggest headache from the strong winds is cleaning up the small and medium sized sticks that litter the course after storms like this one.

In addition to the strong winds, the course has also received over 3" of rain since Monday night. This has caused the bunkers to wash out, the greens and fairways to become soft and getting carts and maintenance vehicles around the course a challenge. When the course is so saturated, getting any mowing done becomes difficult.

Course Reminders

While playing the course, you may notice that some of our smaller trees have their bases wrapped with white covers. These trees and slightly larger trees also have a green or orange ribbon tied to them. Both of these measures are in place to help protect the trees while they are small to ensure that they grow as normal and healthy as possible. If you encounter one of these trees during the course of your round please remember that you get free relief so as not to hit the tree with your swing.

A few other things to remember while on the golf course; first, repair all divots. Please take the time to retrive and replace any divots that you take. Even if the divot breaks into several pieces, replace what you can because it will greatly reduce the amount of time needed to recover. Second, please remember to repair all ball marks on the greens. Repairing your ball mark and any others that you see will help ensure your putts roll as smooth as possible. To properly fix a ball mark, insert the repair tool along the edge of the indentation and push the sides in towards the middle. Then lightly step down or use your putter to smooth the mark. Do not push up the bottom of the indentation as this will tear the roots. Finally, please rake all footprints after playing from the bunker. To help us better maintain bunker faces, please enter and exit from the back side of the bunker where it is more flat. In addition, bunker rakes should be left at these flatter locations to help the next player and should be left outside the bunker.

Remembering to do these tasks during your round will help keep the course in the best possible condition and will make your round, and those playing after you, more enjoyable.

Spring Project Update

On Wednesday (4/23) if you were out on the golf course in the morning you may have seen smoke on the west side of the golf course. The smoke was caused by a controlled burn done to the native area next to #3 ladies tee. Good Oak ecological services performed the burn. Wednesday was a good day to burn the area because there was enough wind to keep the flame alive and moving but the wind was not strong enough to have the flame get out to hand.

There are several benefits to doing a controlled burn on a native area that does not get regularly mowed. First, burning removes unwanted species from the area that if left untreated would reduce the aesthetics and overall benefit of the ecosystem. Second, burning helps to recycle nutrients back into the soil. Finally, burning can help promote the growth of native grass, wildflowers, and other more beneficial species.

The controlled burn was just the first part of the project to be completed by Good Oak. In a few weeks they will return to spray the area with Roundup to kill any remaining unwanted plants. Following the spray, the area will be seeded with a mixture of fescue and wildflowers to give it a more natural and visually pleasing look.

Please be patient as this will not be an immediate change and this area will admittedly not look very good this year. However, by next summer the area should be more mature and be a big improvement to the overall beauty of the golf course.

Switching from fire to water, this week we also installed the intake pipes for our irrigation system in Lake Mendota. Each fall the pipes are removed before the lake freezes and must be installed in the spring before we can run irrigation on the golf course. This is a cold and dirty job but it has been part of the routine since 1939 when irrigation was first installed on the course so by now the process goes pretty smooth.

Once the pipes are in the lake the irrigation system can be pressurized which is always a bit tense. This is when we will see if any pipes or heads broke over the winter and what leaks need fixing. This year we discovered only one leak but it was a doosy. A valve that drains our main line under the rain garden failed and unfortunately for us it was about 10 feet deep. We now have the valve exposed, with the help of Olson-Toon's backhoe, and talked with the engineer about how to fix the problem. We are hopeful that the irrigation company can come out next week sometime to fix the valve. Once the valve is repaired we can fill in the hole and seed the affected area.

Looks like new but far from it

As the official start of spring is now behind us we are putting the finishing touches on our winter work for the year. As I mentioned in a previous post, each winter we work on making all the course accessories and equipment look like new again. The service on all the equipment includes a comprehensive wash, oil and filter changes, inspections of all belts, gaskets and tires, and all mower blades get sharpened. In addition, detailed records are kept on all pieces of equipment. These records track information such as the number of hours an item has been used and what parts need to be ordered for it. Based on this information we can know when to perform less routine tasks such as changing hydraulic hoses or bearings or seals. Once the equipment has been serviced, a fresh coat of polish is applied to get them looking shiny and new. Even with all the preventative maintenance we do, equipment can still break down during the season which is why we also keep an inventory of select parts to insure a quick turnaround after a breakdown. It is a testament to Dave, our equipment manager, that our equipment continues to look and operate so well even as many items are approaching or past its expected useful life. Speaking of Dave, April 1st will mark Dave's 40th year working at Blackhawk Country Club. I will have a more detailed story of Dave's history with the club in the May edition of the Divot.

The fairway mower seen in the photo below was purchased in 1999 but looks and runs very well for being 15 years old. The walking mower seen below was purchased in 1995 and continues to run great. Both of these pieces of equipment get used regularly and as do other items which are even older. Having reliable equipment is vital to providing great conditions and it is nice to know that even our older equipment is dependable.

 

Poplar removal by Wolfe

On Wednesday (2/19) Wolfe Tree Service came out to remove the large Poplar tree between number 6 mens tee and the restrooms. Because the tree was very large in size and located between the tee and restrooms, it was necessary to bring in an outside company to perform the removal. Wolfe has specialized equipment, such as the bucket truck seen below, and years of experience that allow them to safely remove the tree without damaging the restroom or the tee box.

The primary reason why this tree was chosen for removal is safety. The tree was in poor health and on the verge of being completely dead. Because of this, dead limbs could break off and pose a threat to golfers on the tee or using the restrooms. The removal of the Poplar eliminates that concern.

Not only did taking down this tree help protect members and staff, it also helped with turf health. First, the turf around the restrooms which gets a lot of traffic will now be able to get more light and will not have to compete with the tree for water and nutrients. Also, Poplar trees are notorious for being messy trees and this one was no exception. The Poplar made a mess of leaves and sticks on the tee and the surrounding area which was a nuisance for both golfers and the grounds staff.

The pictures and video below show how large the tree was and what goes into safely cutting it down.

Poplar by #6 being removed

after the tree is removed