Sandpines Golf Links

2012-02-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

Steven tidying up 4 green after spiking and rolling on 2/24/12

The weather earlier this week was awful. Thankfully, on Wednesday afternoon the rain stopped. Thursday was a beautiful day, and so far today is even better. We were able to get the fairways mowed this week despite the 3.4 inches of consecutive from from last Thursday and until Wednesday of this week. Being built on a sand dune definitely has its advantages.

Jerry mowing 15 fairway

This week, the tee yardage markers were edged, pot holes have been filled on gravel paths, tee marker restoration was initiated, height of a few sprinkler heads was adjusted, several wet areas were hand aerated with cup cutters and back filled with sand, the turf in the wet area between 5 green and the cart path was removed and capped with sand, and leveling of the area next to the cart path near 4 green was continued. In addition, the greens, collars, approaches, tees, and fairways were all mowed. The greens were also spiked and rolled. It was a pretty productive week considering the foul weather we started off with.

Jerry working on the wet area behind 5 green

Jerry worked on the wet area behind 5 green during our worst weather early in the week. He scraped off the soggy turf and capped the area with sand. Once we accumulate some aeration cores, we will put cores and seed on the sandy slope in order to establish turf.

Area behind 5 green capped with sand after turf was removed

2012-02-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

2 green basking in the sun on 2/15/12

The weather on Wednesday was spectacular. We started off with a frost delay, but it warmed up quickly and actually was close too tee shirt weather by noon. The blue sky and brilliant sunshine really has me itching to play some golf sometime soon.

7 green

I have received a number of compliments on how well the greens are rolling lately. The growth has picked up over the last couple weeks, so we have been mowing and rolling the greens a bit more frequently. The recent top dressings have also had an impact by filling depressions and imperfections helping to create a smoother surface.

Hawk enjoying a snack on 14 fairway

Earlier this week there was a hawk eating what appeared to be seagull on 14 fairway. On closer inspection, the prey turned out to be a kite instead of a seagull. The next day I spotted the hawk in a tree being pestered by a bunch of crows. I need to work on getting a fancy camera like David Phipps at Stone Creek so I can get better detail, but at least these give you the general idea. By the way David's blog just hit 40,000 page views. If you have not seen it yet, check it out (http://stonecreeksuper.blogspot.com/).

Hawk in a tree being annoyed by crows

It was a productive week for the maintenance staff. The greens, approaches and tees were all fertilized. So far, the greens have been mowed twice and rolled once since Monday. Other accomplishments included: tee divots were filled, sprinkler heads around the greens were edged, a couple more stumps were removed, pampas grass plants around the clubhouse were trimmed, fairway mower reels and bed knives were ground, and cleaning out of the clubhouse parking lot drains was initiated.

7 fairway wet spot renovation in progress

The wet spot on the left side of 7 fairway that is located about 60 yards from the green was also renovated this week. The organic layer that was impeding infiltration was removed and replaced with sand, and then seeded. It will take some time to recover, but the area should be vastly improved once the grass fills in.

Turf damage caused by cart traffic

There seems to be an increasing amount of turf damage caused by cart traffic occurring just off the cart paths next to tee boxes. The area pictured above is next to 10 white tee, but similar turf damage is popping up next to several other tee boxes as well. Please park fully on the path while teeing off. If another cart or mower should need to pass, they can go around your cart or wait until you are finished teeing off. If we do not correct these bad parking habits, we are going to be looking at mud holes next to tees for a long time.

2012-02-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

Jerry rolling 14 green, while Matt repairs ball marks and whips debris

The weather over the past week has been a bit warmer. The days have been mostly cloudy except for Wednesday, which yielded almost 9/10's of an inch of rain. While it has been nice not having any frost delays, I am starting to miss the sunshine.

Jim top dressing a tee box on hole 18

This week the tees were mowed and top dressed. The greens were mowed twice (so far) and rolled. The collars and approaches were mowed. The fairways were fertilized. The rough was spot mowed, mostly 1 to 2 passes around the greens and tees. Two of the large stumps left of 4 green were removed. Several areas were hand aerated with our unique cup cutter technique.

Dean preparing to grind the collar mower reel

Dean recently ground the greens mower and collar mower reels. He will begin grinding the approach mower and fairway mower reels soon. Dean also replaced batteries in multiple golf carts this week.

15 green with hydraulic oil spots from leak on 1/23/12

The hydraulic oil spots on 14, 15, and 16 greens appeared to be a little more evident this week. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see some strawed colored grass. At this point, I am still hoping we will not have to perform any turf repairs.

2012-02-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

Sailor's warning sunrise on 1/29/12

The weather at Sandpines has been decent so far this week. The rain we had this week came mostly on Tuesday night, so it did not impact our work on the golf course. The forecast for the next few days looks sunny and dry, so it would be a great time to come and play a round.

Jerry top dressing 7 green

The top dresser was repaired last week, and was put back into action on Monday. The greens and approaches were top dressed, and this time there were no leaks. The greens were groomed prior to topdressing, and the rain washed the sand in nicely. The greens are looking and putting pretty well. The growth on the greens has picked up a little over the past two weeks. So far, the oil spots on 14, 15, and 16 greens from last weeks hydraulic leak do not look any worse than they did last week.

Steven cleaning up debris in a bunker

The bunkers still had quite a bit of debris in them from our recent wind storms. Steven cleaned out the bunkers ahead of the sand pro on Wednesday. A couple of path areas and trees that we did not get to last week were also cleaned up. At this point, other than some new stumps, I think most of the cleanup from the wind storms has been taken care of.

New air hose reel in the shop

This winter we have been making an effort to get the maintenance shop cleaned up. With the economy being what it is, like most businesses we have been challenged to do more with less. In order to accomplish our goals on the golf course with fewer people and resources, the maintenance shop often takes a backseat. It is far easier to perform service and repairs on equipment in a shop that is clean and organized. Our strategy this winter has been to work on one area of the shop at a time when we get an opportunity. So far, we have accomplished quite a bit, but still have a ways to go. Our most recent accomplishment was adding two hose reels that keep our air hoses out of the way when not in use. We had a couple of air hoses that needed to be replaced. By shopping around, I was able to find a hose reel complete with the hose for not much more than the air hose itself. They were installed in strategic locations that allow us to cover the entire shop.

Siuslaw High School Golf Benefit Tournament Form

On February 25th, Sandpines will be hosting a benefit tournament for the Siuslaw High School Golf Program. The tournament is a 9 hole scramble with a 2 pm shotgun start. The cost is $45 per player with all proceeds going to the Siuslaw High School Golf Program. If you would like to participate, you can use the form above or get one from the golf shop.

2012-01-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

The weather is looking much better this week

Thankfully, the horrible weather from last week has moved on. Yesterday afternoon was sunny with mostly blue sky. It is pretty chilly this morning, but should be a great day for golf after the frost is gone. It definitely feels more like golf weather again.

Steven cleaning up tree debris behind 9 green

We lost an estimated 25-30 trees during last weeks wind storms. We spent the majority of our time this week working on clearing trees and picking up debris. Other than the mess that was created by the storm, the golf course did not suffer any major damage. After the mess was cleaned up, we were able to get the greens, collars, approaches, and tees mowed this week. The greens were also rolled.

Jerry used the forks on the tractor to get trees moved efficiently

We started to top dress the greens this week, but had to stop when one of the hydraulic motors on the top dresser blew a seal. Unfortunately, The motor is located on the very back of the top dresser and can't be seen by the operator. To make matters worse, spreading sand over the the hydraulic oil on the turf makes it almost impossible to see the leak unless you are using dry sand (which we do not have due to our recent wet weather). Consequently, we ended up with some hydraulic oil on 14, 15, and 16 greens. At this point, we are waiting to see how the turf will recover. Right now, it does not impact ball roll. However, if the turf dies in the areas where the leak occurred, we may have to due some turf repairs.

Hydraulic oil spots on 16 green two days after leak occurred

2012-01-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

View from the clubhouse green on 1/15/12

The great weather we were having took a turn for the worse this week. Over the past few days, we have seen snow, sleet, hail, ice, rain, and high winds. The snow is all gone at this point, but the rain and high winds are still present while I am writing this post.

This tree blew down near 7 tees

Several trees have blown down between yesterday and today. When safe to do so, we will begin working on removing the downed trees and tree debris.

Trees blown over on hole 3

On hole 14, sand blew out of the front green side bunker and onto the left half of the green. Once we can safely get to work on removing the excess sand, it shouldn't take to long to get the green in playable condition.

Sand on 14 green

The clubhouse also sustained some damage from the high winds. A small section of the shingle siding has blown off and ended up on 18 green and the clubhouse putting green.

Missing shingles on the clubhouse

From what I have seen so far, none of the damage to the golf course or clubhouse looks major. We will begin to get things cleaned up and repaired once it is safe to begin working.

2012-01-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day at Sandpines

The weather has been spectacular this week. There have been some frost delays, but once the sun comes up, the golf course is a beautiful place to be. I was able to get out and play a round last Friday. My game was a little rusty, but I had a great time.

Jerry planting dunegrass on the dune adjacent to hole 7

Jerry has been planting dunegrass on the dune adjacent to hole 7. Hopefully, the planted dunegrass will thrive and help stabilize the dune and help prevent further encroachment on to the 7th hole. We have been using the encroaching sand for top dressing and other projects, but as you can see from the picture, we have not been able to keep up.

View from the top of the dune looking towards 7 green

The wooded area on the southwest corner of the driving range has been a good hiding spot for range balls. During a couple of frost delays this week, the trees were limbed up, the tree debris was cleaned up, and the salal was mowed and weedeated. There was estimated to be 300-400 golf balls recovered during the time the work was completed.

Wooded area on the driving range before it was cleaned up

Wooded area on the driving range after most of the cleanup had taken place

On Monday, the tees, tee surrounds, and approaches were fertilized. The tee surrounds in particular were looking pretty hungry and already look much better since the application.

New signs are located near the first and tenth tees

A couple of weeks ago, I included a picture and some commentary with regards to the lack of bunker raking that was occurring by some players. In response, one of annual pass holders at Sandpines suggested that we put up some reminder signs. This morning, two signs (pictured above) were installed in two locations. One near the first tee, and one near the tenth tee.

2012-01-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

View from the clubhouse putting green

The weather took a turn for the worse during the last week of 2011. In December, Sandpines received 6.73 inches of precipitation. Amazingly, 6.53 inches came between the 25th and the 31st of the month. For the year, we ended up with 62.27 inches of precipitation. Check out the precipitation history page to see how 2011 compares to past years. Thankfully, the forecast is predicting drier weather with lots of sun.

Love that blue sky

A second pond bank repair was completed on hole 17 this week. This one is much smaller, and is located near the green. Both of the repaired areas on 17 should blend in nicely once the turf fills in.

17 pond bank repair in progress

Jerry has been working on the tee walk on area on hole 8. Over the years, sand has accumulated creating a raised edge next to the cart path. Quite a bit of material was removed in order to create a softer transition between the cart path and the tee walk on.

Jerry starting the tee walk on project on hole 8

2011-12-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

4 green

If the weather forecast holds true, it looks like the weather is going to shift to a more normal pattern for this time of year. Please use caution with the golf carts should any wet areas result from the change in weather.

Jerry top dressing the approach on hole 2

So far this week, the fairways were fertilized. The first 40 feet or so of rough around the greens and fairways was also fertilized. The approaches and tees have been mowed, and the approaches were top dressed. Dean continues to work on changing out golf cart batteries, which seems to be a never ending process. Jim has been working on getting the irrigation valves edged, which makes them much easier to find and shutoff when the need arises.

2011-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Jerry and his son Clinton after playing a round 12/21/11

The weather has been spectacular again this past week. Dealing with the morning frost delays has been well worth the dry and sunny playing conditions. Yesterday afternoon, a group of us from the maintenance staff played 9 holes after work. We had a great time, and really enjoyed the course.

One of many bunkers not being raked by players lately

The picture above is very frustrating to my staff and I. I wish I could say this the only bunker that looked like this, but there have been many more. For some reason, over the past two weeks, we have seen more bunkers not being raked than ever before. It would be understandable if the bunkers were too frozen to rake, but that has not been the case. I can't understand why this is happening. It only take about 30 seconds to perform a good rake job. I am sure there are still plenty of people raking their bunkers properly. To those folks, I thank you. If you happen to be one of the people not raking, please do so. If not for others, do it for yourself, you may be hitting from that spot again soon.

Pond bank sloughing off near 17 tee area

Jerry has been working on the pond bank near 17 tees. The bank has sloughed off, and has been needing repair. A couple of years ago, he repaired a similar area by 18 green, which has held up really well. We decided it would be a great time to perform the work since the pond level is so low right now. At this point, he has made a wall with cinder blocks and back filled with sand. Next, he will add aeration cores and seed, which will eventually establish turf over the back filled area.

Siuslaw Middle School

Last Thursday, I gave a presentation to MJ Church's 6th grade (5th period) class at Siuslaw Middle School. Her class (which includes my son Dylan) has been given an assignment to research and give a presentation on a career of their choosing. I was invited to talk about about what it is like to be a golf course superintendent. I had a great time, and enjoyed answering the questions the class had.

One of the things I shared with the class is how I got started on my path as a golf course superintendent. I told them that I had been given a similar assignment in high school, in which I had to write a paper on a career of my choosing. I had been working at Ocean Shores Golf Course, in Ocean Shores, WA during my summer vacations. I really enjoyed the work I was doing on the golf course, so I decided to write my paper about becoming a golf course superintendent. Through my research, I found I could make a descent living doing something I enjoyed. From that point on, my goal was to become a golf course superintendent. I completed the first major step towards achieving that goal in 1999 when I graduated from Washington State University (Go Cougs!) with a degree in turf management, and a minor in soil science. During my time at WSU, I interned at Sahalee Country Club during the 1998 PGA Championship. After that, I continued gaining experience working my way up through the ranks at the TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club, where I was the assistant superintendent for over 5 years. In 2006, I achieved the goal I had set for myself more than decade prior during my high school years. I had become a golf course superintendent. The course was none other than Sandpines Golf Links.

My son Dylan hitting a tee shot on hole 16

Update

2011-12-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

2 green

Another week of mostly great weather. The sun is shining brilliantly at the moment. Sandpines received its first rain of December on Wednesday evening. The dry weather looks like it will continue according the the extended forecast.

Jerry top dressing 5 green

Yesterday, we were able to get the greens mowed and top dressed. We also fertilized the tees. During this weeks frost delays, we were able to audit our material safety data sheets (MSDS) records. There were a few items that we did not have MSDS's for, which is the reason we conduct these audits when we get a chance. The records were obtained promptly. We have a computer in the break room that is dedicated for MSDS records, which makes it much easier to access the records.

Sick of fog? Play in the sun at Sandpines!

2011-12-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

Hole 18 basking in the sun

The weather at Sandpines has been spectacular again this week. I attended a seminar in Portland on Tuesday and Wednesday, and did not see the sun once during the trip. I did however see clouds and fog. If you like fog and 35 degrees head inland. If sunny and 50 degrees sounds better, head to Sandpines and play some golf. There have been some frost delays this week, but its well worth the wait to play in the sun.

Hole 11

During the frost delays, we were able to get quite a bit more brush mowing done this week. The brush clearing project in the drainage ditch between holes 6 and 7 was completed earlier in the week. The fairways were fertilized yesterday. Most of our time this week has been spent on routine golf course maintenance tasks (mowing, changing cups, raking bunkers).

View from clubhouse conference room

Having a hard time finding a gift for the golfer who seems to have everything? Consider a gift certificate to Sandpines.

2011-12-02T11:57:00.000-08:00

Hole 2

The weather has been fabulous this week. It is a great time to get out and enjoy the golf course. I am going to give it a try this afternoon in a 9 hole scramble here at Sandpines. I am a little rusty, but hope to contribute in some way. If it sounds fun, contact the golf shop, there may still be a spot or two open.

A unique shot of hole 17 with the dune in the background

Frost delays are common this time of year in the absence of cloud cover. There was a frost delay yesterday, but thankfully we did not have one this morning. I wanted to add a video to sum up why it is necessary to have frost delays, so I checked out You Tube. The video below is one of videos that was listed when I searched for frost delay, so I decided to check it out. The video makes fun of superintendents regarding frost delays. I found it hilarious. There are other videos with golf related topics you may also want to check out. Some of the videos should probably have an R rating for strong language.

Now that you had a good laugh (I hope), I wanted to include a video that was a bit more informative. Although its not as funny as the previous video, the video below does a good job explaining the importance of frost delays. Remember that no body likes frost delays, but they beat the heck out of pouring rain. So please keep that in mind next we have a delay.

The greens, collars, approaches, fairways, tees, and even the rough (where needed) were all mowed this week. We also continued to cleanup tree debris from last weeks wind storms. The portable toilet near the driving range was put back in its usual spot, and has been secured.

Hole 3 after most pine needles were blown off the fairway

The precipitation history page has been updated. So far this year, Sandpines has received just over 55 inches of rain. Through the same period last year, there was just shy of 70 inches. According to the extended forecast, the first half of December looks pretty good. Get out and enjoy the great weather while you can.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving day 2011

We had beautiful weather to start Thanksgiving at Sandpines. In fact, the weather was so nice in the morning that Jim and I decided to play a quick 5 holes (holes 14 -18) before we joined our families for the days festivities. Black Friday (today) started off even better, although the sun is currently playing peek-a-boo with a few clouds, but the temperature is 53 degrees.

Jim preparing to tee off on hole 14

This week, Jerry added the seasonal drain to the first green. The drain remains capped off about 8 inches below the surface of the green for a majority of the year. In times of heavy rain, the right portion of the green does not surface drain due to the shape of the green. The drain allows the green to drain quickly following heavy rain events. The drain is quite small, so it rarely impacts play.

1 green seasonal drain

Tuesday was pretty windy at Sandpines. We lost a few trees here and there, including a couple that blocked cart paths. The portable toilet on the driving range also blew over for the first time. Luckily, that was taken care of with a phone call to Buck's. The new portable toilet that was delivered was placed by the ball shack at the driving range, where it will remain until we get a chance to revamp the old spot a bit. Many of the greens were also covered with pine needles and had to be blown off. Wednesday was the wettest day of the month with 1.54 inches of rain recorded. The good news is, the extended forecast looks dry and sunny.

Tree blocking path near 12 green

2011-11-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

Twosome enjoying the scenery on hole 12

We are still having pretty good weather considering the time of year (one week away from Thanksgiving). We are 16 days through November and have only had 3 days so far this month that have totaled more than one third on an inch of rain. The high temperatures have been in the low to mid 50's so far this week.

Some type of animal damage on the 3rd green

On Wednesday morning, I received a call about a hole that some type of animal had dug in the third green. When I arrived, I saw the scene in the picture above. Judging from the tracks, the hole appeared to be made by a coyote. Sandpines has seen quite a bit of coyote activity this year. Prior to this, the worst damage made by a coyote on the golf course was some disturbed sand in some of the bunkers. Jim repaired the area rather quickly, but we are hoping to avoid any more damage like this.

Matt and Jerry repairing a bunker edge on hole 6

One of the projects we tackled this week was the repair of the right green side bunker on hole 6. The edge of the bunker had been damaged over time by the use of our mechanical bunker rake. The damaged area was removed and new sand and sod were installed to create a defined edge to the bunker. There are other bunkers on the golf course with this type of damage, but this was the worst of them. We hope to continue repairing these areas as time permits

Finished bunker repair

Update

2011-11-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

Jim mowing 18 fairway

The weather has been great this week, and the sun is shining again today. The high temperatures have been around 60 degrees the last couple of days. We we able to fertilize greens, approaches, fairways, and the rough (2 passes around greens and fairways) with the favorable weather. If the weather forecast holds, we hope to fertilize the tees next week.

Disease on 1 green

As you can see from the picture above, the aeration holes in the greens are healing up. However, as you can also see in the picture above, the greens also have some patches of disease. The disease on the greens is known as Microdochium patch, or Fusarium patch, or Pink Snow Mold. The name of the disease has changed over the years, but all are caused by the same fungus (Microdochium nivale). It is the most common turf disease that occurs on golf courses in the northwest. The disease came on towards the end of October. A fungicide was applied the week after aeration. The disease activity was halted and recovery started at the same time the aeration holes were healing. About ten days after application, the disease was again active, and came on even stronger this time. A fungicide was again applied and the disease was halted. Earlier this week, the disease appeared to be active yet again, and the greens were treated with a fungicide for the third straight week. Typically, fungicides control this particular disease for a range between 14 and 28 days depending on the fungicide used and conditions present. The disease spots appear to be inactive and have healed some since the beginning of the week. We will continue to monitor the greens on a daily basis and strive to get them healed as quickly as possible.

Buck chasing a doe

Our favorite buck came of out his hiding place this morning and was chasing a couple of does around. We were pretty happy to see that he survived hunting season. Hopefully, we will see some new fawns again next year.

Update

2011-11-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hole 17

We had a couple of beautiful days this week. Wednesday was about 60 degrees with blue sky and sunshine, which is not bad for November. The temperatures have definitely been a little cooler at night. Tuesday, we had our second frost delay of the fall (the first frost delay occurred last Tuesday). The grass growth has started to slow down a bit.

Matt working in the bunker on hole 15

The tees were top dressed earlier this week. We continued to mow down some of the brush and tall grass surrounding the primary rough, which will be an ongoing project as we have time. We also started redistributing sand in some of the bunkers.

Me on hole 3

Update

2011-10-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Jerry aerating a tee on hole 17

Tee aeration was completed this week. It took longer than usual due to a few equipment problems, but the last tee was cleaned up Thursday afternoon.

The golf course is pretty dry for this time of year. I have received a few comments this week about the extra ball roll in the fairways. With the exception of the greens, the rest of the golf course has not been irrigated in quite some time. The lake levels are also lower than normal. The golf course is a little drier than I would like it in a few areas, but I wanted to push the envelope a bit knowing that rain will be coming soon. In fact, we are supposed to get some precipitation this evening.

John mowing area adjacent to hole 3

We were able to get a little brush mowing done this week adjacent to holes 3, 4, and 5. We will continue this process throughout the course as time and weather permit.

Update

2011-10-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hole 7

Aeration of greens and approaches is complete. We really lucked out with great weather. The maintenance staff did an excellent job during our entire aeration process. Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the hard work and long hours each one of you put in this week.

Let the healing begin

Overall, the aeration process went pretty smoothly. There were a couple of equipment issues, but that is just par for the course. The biggest issue that came up was a drag mark on front edge of 7 green. This was caused by a tine that stuck in the turf and was just barely above the surface of the green. The core harvester operator could not see the tine because it blended in with the cores on the surface of the green. Consequently, the tine was dragged for a few feet before the problem was resolved. Below is a picture of the drag mark during repair.

Drag mark on 7 green being repaired

Update

2011-10-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

12 green

Sandpines hosted the Coast Open tournament on Wednesday and Thursday. The weather was pretty good, but not quite as good as last year. The golf course continues to be in great condition, and the maintenance staff is receiving frequent compliments, especially regarding the greens.

Bear damage on 3 green

Wednesday morning we found some bear damage on the 3rd and 12th greens. On the 3rd green, a bear played with the flagstick and ripped out some turf next to the cup. On the 12th green, the cup and flagstick were just pushed over.

Bear damage on 12 green

This morning, we found similar damage on the 6th green. We have seen this type of activity before, although it is usually rare. Who knows, maybe the last group out has been eating smoked salmon lately. Thankfully, the repairs are usually pretty easy to make.

Bear damage on 6 green

Speaking of wildlife, I have seen more coyotes on the course this year than in the past. I got a good picture of one on Thursday morning.

Coyote on hole 3

The practice greens were aerated yesterday. We will start aerating the rest of the greens on the golf course Sunday (October 16th) following play. The course will be closed on Monday (October 17th) and Tuesday (October 18th) to complete the process. If all goes well, we should be able to get the approaches aerated as well. At this point, the weather looks like it is going to cooperate, which will be a huge advantage.

Chipping green getting some fresh air

I know there are those out there that have a hard time understanding why the greens need to be aerated, and especially when they are in such good condition. It is best to aerate during times of active growth. The turf can better handle the stress associated with aeration, and recovery time is minimized. If anyone has any specific concerns, feel free to contact me directly. I am again including a video on the benefits of aeration. I encourage those that have not seen this video to check it out.

Update

2011-10-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hole 16

The greens were top dressed earlier this week. I have received a number of compliments on how true the greens are rolling. The greens were groomed frequently the week prior to top dressing. Grooming helps to reduce grain or lateral growth of the grass blades.

My voice recorder on a recently groomed green

The grass is really growing right now. We mowed the collars and approaches an extra time this week, and they are looking good. Most of our time this week was spent mowing all the turf areas on the golf course. The buffalo blower was also out on the course quite a bit this week tidying up clippings. Tuesday night it rained pretty hard, which led to some severe bunker washouts. Dean and Jerry did a great job repairing the bunkers Wednesday morning. The fairways were fertilized this week, and are looking really good. The course is in great playing condition for our upcoming tournaments. The Florence Classic tournament is this weekend (Sunday at Sandpines) and the Coast Open tournament is next Wednesday and Thursday.

2 bucks enjoying a round at Sandpines

Update

2011-10-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hole 12

We were really hoping to get the fairway aeration completed this week. The grass is growing pretty fast right now, so we knew it was going to be a challenge to keep everything mowed and finish the fairway aeration. Thanks to the hard work put in by the maintenance crew, we were able to finish up the fairway aeration Friday afternoon.

Update

2011-09-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Holes 17 and 18

It was another busy week for the Sandpines agronomy staff. We were able to get a little more fairway aeration completed earlier this week. So far, holes 1-3, 9, and 12-16 have been completed. That leaves holes 4, 6, 7, 10, and 18 (par 3's will be done with approaches) left to do. Our oldest core harvester and utility vehicle combination required quite a bit of service work this week. Hopefully, it will be ready to go again for next week. The majority of our time this week was spent on preparing the golf course for daily play and getting the course ready for the Club Championship this weekend. If you played on Thursday you may have noticed a couple of innovative tee markers used on holes 8 and 9. For those that are curious, the blacks were marked with tops of old sprinkler heads, the blue were marked with irrigation flags, and the whites were marked with 2" PVC tees. We actually had enough red markers, so no creativity was needed for those. All the tee markers on holes 7, 8, and 9 were stolen Wednesday night. We had some backups on hand, but not enough of each color, as there has been some theft of markers over the summer. Tee markers were back to normal as of this morning. I suspect the markers were probably "relocated" in the salal adjacent to the tees, but that is just a guess. If you happen to run across any tee markers in your travels, please turn them into the golf shop.

Two bucks for a blog topic

2011-09-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

2 bucks showing their stuff

One of the great things about working on a golf course is seeing wildlife on a daily basis. I was lucky enough to witness the scene above on Wednesday. The video below is the tail end of the show, but I thought is was worth sharing.

I have received a few of questions regarding bubbling in the pond located between holes 16, 17, and 18. The questions are usually followed by concern that there may be an irrigation break of some kind. I decided to give the issue some blog attention, as I am sure there are other folks that are curious about what is going on. The bubbling actually comes from our on course wells, which are used to fill the pond. The water is then pulled from the pond to irrigate the golf course as needed. There are five wells that have four distribution points in the pond. Well use is rotated between the wells as needed, so the bubbling is not always located in the same area, or may not be present at all. In case you have not seen or noticed the bubbling, check out the pictures below.

Update

2011-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

A Sandpines resident inspects the fairway aeration process

We made some more progress on fairway aeration this week. Holes 1, 2, 9, 13, 14, 15, and 16 have been completed. Our focus will shift away from fairway aeration for a bit while we focus on catching up with other necessary golf course maintenance tasks such as fertilization, top dressing, and mowing. Once we are caught up, we will continue with the fairway aeration.

Hanging out at the core pile

Update

2011-09-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

View from behind 5 green this morning

The weather has been fantastic at Sandpines over the past week. September and October often have the best weather of the year at Sandpines, which means the best may be yet to come. The greens are also rolling very nicely. So, if you are looking for a great time to play Sandpines, this is it.

Jerry aerating the fairway on hole 2

We started aerating fairways this week. Holes 1, 9, 13, 15, and all but a couple of passes on hole 2 have been completed. I am pretty happy with the progress so far. The growing conditions are great right now, and the aeration holes will heal up quickly.

These fairway aeration cores could be your new lawn

Have you been wanting a new lawn? Aeration cores are great way to establish a nice lawn. We now have some stock piled. They are $10 per tractor scoop. Most pickups will take between 2-4 tractor scoops depending on the size of the truck. For more information call the maintenance shop (541) 997-4530.

OGA Junior Tournament

2011-08-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Junior golfers practicing their putting strokes

On Wednesday, Sandpines hosted an OGA junior tournament. Many of the juniors were playing practice rounds on Tuesday when the temperature hit the 80 degree mark. There were quite a few of the talented young players that recorded rounds in the 70's. Gigi Stoll (girls flight, ages 15-17) won her flight, and had the low round of the tournament with a score of 70. Hannah Archuleta (girls flight, ages 12-14) won her flight with an 80. Benjamin Gruher (boys flight, ages 12-13) topped his flight with a 74. Dylan Wu and Michiel Eyre (boys flight, ages 14-15) both shot 73, Wu won in a playoff with a birdie on hole 1. Nigel Lett (boys, ages 16-17) won his flight with a 73. You can check out all the scores by visiting the OGA website (www.oga.org).

The first group of junior golfers preparing to tee off

Irrigation Problems? Check Your Answering Machine

2011-08-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

Hole 9

This week we discovered an irrigation issue that was causing 10 irrigation controllers to fail. There was still enough power in the irrigation controllers to manually turn on the solenoids, but the face plates were blank. At first, we thought it was just a bad face plate, but as we discovered more blank face plates, we knew there was a larger problem. Coincidentally, we had experienced a problem with our answering machine at the shop the week prior. The answering machine just quit working out of the blue. There were no lights on, no error messages, it seemed like there was no power. For some reason, I decided to plug it into a different outlet, and low and behold it worked. The outlet that the answering machine was originally plugged into also had a computer, monitor, printer, and modem plugged into it, and all were working fine. I thought it was kind of weird, but I had more important things to focus on than the answering machine. I decided to leave it plugged into the new location for the time being. This week, the printer did the same thing the answering machine did the week prior. I plugged the printer into the same outlet that the answering machine was now plugged into and presto the printer also came back to life. At this point, I knew we had a problem. We discovered the irrigation problem the same day the printer quit working. As Jerry and I began to troubleshoot, we decided to test the outlet were the answering machine and printer had quit working (which by the way, was still powering the computer, monitor, and modem just fine). We found that the outlet only had 94 volts instead of 110. The rest of the outlets in our office tested at 114 volts. Next, we tested one of the irrigation control boxes with a blank face plate and again, there was only 94 volts. Thinking we may have a bad breaker or breakers, we tested the entire fuse box. All the breakers tested at 114 volts. Next we decided to test the output of the power conditioner. As I understand it, a power conditioner is used to supply a constant and even amount of power. So, if the output is 110 volts, it is supposed to stay at 110. Without it, the voltage may fluctuate between say 110 - 114 (this is just an example, I do not know what the actual fluctuations in voltage are). Upon, testing the output of the power conditioner, there was 94 volts. At this point, we were pretty sure the problem was the power conditioner. However, we decided to call the electrician who originally installed the power conditioner to come do some further investigation, as the input power was hooked up inside the power conditioner. I starting pricing out a similar power conditioner to the one we had. I soon found out they were not cheap. I closest one to what we had was going to be around $4400.00. I decided to call our Toro irrigation specialist to see what he knew about power conditioners. I learned that not all golf course irrigation systems use power conditioners. I asked what the consequences of running irrigation controllers without a power conditioner were. Essentially, there are a few potential problems that may arise, but nothing substantial, all of which are far cheaper than $4400. Considering the power conditioner itself was responsible for the very type of problem it was meant to prevent, we were contemplating whether or not it made sense to replace it. When the electrician arrived, he confirmed the power conditioner was bad. After talking with the electrician, we had him bypass the power conditioner. I thought it was interesting that he had never seen one used in any other application. So far, the irrigation controllers are working normally, and we have no other related problems. In case you were wondering about the outlet in the office, it was run off the power conditioner to supply power to the irrigation central computer.

Faulty power conditioner

Update

2011-08-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hole 7

This week Jerry has been testing out our new rotary cutter (aka brush hog). We will be using the rotary cutter to control vegetation that is encroaching into playable areas of the golf course. Other than that we have been busy with general golf course maintenance.

Jerry testing out the new rotary cutter

Update

2011-08-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Early morning of hole 16

The golf course is in great playing condition. The weather has consistently been around 70 degrees. If you are looking for a good time to come play Sandpines, this is it. I performed a course evaluation on Wednesday (that's just a fancy way of saying I played golf). I don't get out and play as often as I would like, so it was fun to get out and see first hand how the course was playing. My game was not as rusty as I expected. In fact, I had my best round at Sandpines with a 74!

Sandpines wildlife

The greens were verticut and top dressed this week. Fairways were fertilized. We also spent some time draining wet areas using our unique cup cutter aeration technique. For more information on our unique drainage techniques, check out my November 9th, 2010 blog post.

Cup cutter aeration

Update

2011-07-28T12:40:00.000-07:00


View from the dune north of hole 7

The greens were spiked and rolled on Wednesday prior to the application of a wetting agent (Neptune). The greens were then deeply watered Wednesday night in order to move the wetting agent throughout the root zone. The goal is to provide more uniform soil moisture throughout the greens. Turf with uniform soil moisture requires less water (and hand watering) and has fewer localized dry spots (LDS) compared to turf with variable soil moisture. The use of wetting agents on greens allows us to provide more consistent putting conditions, while reducing the amount of irrigation water used.


John hand aerating localized dry spots

We experimented with Axis, a diatomaceous earth product this week. We hand aerated notorious localized dry spots (LDS) in the approaches on holes 5 and 6. Then, we cleaned up the cores and filled the holes with Axis. Hopefully, removing the hydrophobic soil, and replacing it with diatomaceous earth will allow these areas to hold more water and reduce the occurrence of LDS.

Aeration holes filled with Axis

Update

2011-07-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

18th hole

I know I keep bringing this up, but the weather at Sandpines has been fantastic lately. The golf course is also in excellent playing condition. In fact, we have been receiving a great deal of compliments on a daily basis. The maintenance staff it doing a great job, and people are taking notice. Thank you for all the feedback on course conditions latetly, we really appreciate it.


The maintenance staff

Mike and Dean worked together to create a golf shoe cleaning box near the club house practice putting green. Next time you need to clean your golf shoes give it a try.

The greens were verticut and top dressed this week. I decided to make a short video of the process for your viewing pleasure.

As you can see from the video, verticutting can make quite a mess. Mowing the greens immediately after verticutting gets rid of the majority of the mess, but a back pack blower works great for the final cleanup. In order to stay ahead of play, we typically top dress the day after verticutting. The greens are usually mowed with groomers prior to top dressing. Brushing the greens incorporates the sand into the turf canopy.

Update

2011-07-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

15th green

Wednesday afternoon was a gorgeous one at Sandpines. It was sunny with a temperature of 70 degrees and no wind to speak of. Last Sunday, was pretty much the same thing. Combine the good weather with great playing conditions, and it makes this a great time to play golf at Sandpines.

Green surrounds aeration

This week we focused on green surrounds aeration. The green surrounds get quite a bit of traffic within the first 10 feet or so surrounding the green. This is mostly attributed to foot traffic and greens mowing. This process has a minimal impact on play, but will greatly benefit the turf health. The aeration will significantly improve infiltration and gas exchange in these areas.

Orange flag marking a sprinkler that is turned off

If you have played Sandpines recently, you may have noticed some orange flags on the course near sprinkler heads. These flags are being used to mark sprinkler heads that have been turned off at the sprinkler. Why manually turn sprinklers off at the sprinkler location instead of in the controller or the computer program? This is performed when two (or more) sprinklers exists on a single station and there is a need to turn one sprinkler off while leaving one sprinkler on. Sprinklers are a often paired up or grouped together in order to use fewer controllers and less wire, thus reducing installation costs. However, there is a trade off. This does not allow for individual sprinkler control when running the irrigation system. Inevitably, there will be a station which has two sprinkler heads paired together that have different watering requirements (one sprinkler with dry areas and the sprinkler with wet areas).

In some irrigation systems, every sprinkler has a wire that is run into the control box. In this case, sprinklers that are on the same station and have different watering requirements, can be easily regrouped . For example, lets say there are two stations in the same controller, and each station has a sprinkler with a high water requirement (dry area) and a sprinkler with a low water requirement (wet area). In this configuration, it nearly impossible to irrigate without over watering some areas, and under watering others unless extensive hand watering is performed. However, the two sprinklers with high watering requirements can be grouped together on one station, and the two sprinklers with low watering requirements can be grouped together on the other station. In order to achieve these changes, the corresponding wires are re-grouped inside the controller. In this situation, the re-wring only takes a minute or two, and can be performed with a screw driver. There are a few other steps required within the irrigation computer, but these are relatively easy.

In other systems (like the one at Sandpines), there is only wire per station in the irrigation control boxes regardless of the number of sprinklers per station. That means all of the stations with more than one sprinkler are grouped together underground. To perform the re-grouping described above, it would take the better part of a week.. It would require the use of location equipment, extensive digging, and much more wire. The process would also be very invasive to the playing surfaces involved. In other words, this is not a viable option in this situation. In this case, there are some changes that can be made to help get the irrigation water where it needs to go, although they are not as convenient or effective as re-grouping sprinklers that have similar watering requirements. One change is to turn off the sprinkler in low water requirement area off until it is in need of water. That is what we are doing with the orange flags as mentioned above. Another change that can be made is to use part circle sprinklers, which can be adjusted to irrigate just a portion of the area around the sprinkler. In some situations, changing the nozzle sizes in one or both sprinklers that have varying water requirements within the same station can be beneficial. Hand watering dry areas is a very effective way to provide a more consistent playing surface, but it is also very labor intensive.

An excellent way to improve irrigation uniformity is to provide consistent infiltration. Aeration is performed routinely in order to provide good infiltration. At most golf courses, the greens, approaches, fairways, and tees get aerated more often than the rough. This is the main reason these areas have healthier turf with better infiltration. Any wet areas that appear during the growing season at Sandpines, almost always occur in the rough. We try to minimize these areas by making irrigation adjustments, hand watering dry spots, and aerating wet areas. In fact, recently we have aerated sections of the rough throughout the golf course in order to improve infiltration. As mentioned above, areas within the green surrounds were also aerated earlier this week. We will continue to use spot aeration throughout the year to improve infiltration.

All golf courses have areas with differing water requirements. However, no two golf courses are the same. Each course faces a different set of challenges. There are some courses that have all the resources that they need to implement every strategy they can come up with to combat the irrigation challenges they face (there are not many golf courses in this category). Some examples include: implementation of subair systems (underground moisture control systems used to conrol root zone moisture content), use of moisture sensors, irrigation system upgrades to improve control (installing separate greens and green surrounds sprinklers so each can be watered independently), irrigation systems equipped with weather stations that calculate daily evapotranspiration loss, use of multiple dedicated irrigation staff members to perform daily hand watering and irrigation adjustments, installation of new upgraded sprinkler nozzles that provide improved spray pattern uniformity, use wetting agents as needed, and consistent use of deep tine aeration (in addition to standard hollow core aeration). There are also those golf courses on the other end of the spectrum, who have extremely limited resources with almost no way to implement any strategy to improve the efficiency of the irrigation system. The truth is, Sandpines falls somewhere in the middle of those two extremes (as do most golf courses). We have a descent irrigation system, but there are not many upgrades that have been added that provide improved irrigation control or efficiency since the system was installed almost twenty years ago. We use wetting agents, but not in the quantity or frequency that we would like (they work great, but are expensive). We implement hand watering when we can, but we do not have a dedicated member of staff to hand water on a daily basis. Irrigation system adjustments are implemented daily at Sandpines as we strive for constant improvement. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, just attempting to put things in perspective. Most businesses, if not all, have implemented changes in order stay in business over the last couple of years. The golf course industry has been significantly impacted by the changing economy. Sandpines is no exception. We have had to make some changes in our operation. Yet, still we are able to turn out a product that we are proud of. We continue to receive compliments and praise on a daily basis for the condition and playability of the golf course. We will continue to strive to produce the best playing conditions possible.

Update

2011-07-07T14:15:00.000-07:00


View of the dunes from the 7th green

The temperatures have been great over the last week at Sandpines. The heat is on in the valley with 85 degrees plus (that is hot for western Oregon), but Florence remains near 70 degrees. So, if you are looking to beat the heat, come play a round at Sandpines.

Jerry top dressing the 5th green

The greens were groomed and top dressed with sand earlier this week, and are in great condition. The weak turf area on the left of hole 7 approach and collar area was aerated on Tuesday. The goal of this procedure is to provide better infiltration and gas exchange, which will result in healthier turf and better playing conditions. Sand was also added and re-positioned in a few bunkers to enhance playability.

Localized Dry Spots

2011-06-30T13:41:00.000-07:00


Jim has a gallery while mowing 16 fairway

Sandpines received about an inch and a quarter of rain this week. We used the wet weather to our advantage and spot treated localized dry spots with wetting agent on the tees, approaches, and fairways. Wetting agents work best when they are thoroughly watered in, so it was the perfect time for the application.

Localized dry spots can be very frustrating to golf course maintenance staff. In areas with localized dry spots, it can appear as if there is not enough water applied to sustain turf. However, this is often not the case. Areas of turf with localized dry spots often have plenty of water, except in the localized dry spots (hence the name). I have taken core samples with a soil probe in an area surrounding a localized dry spot, and have been able to squeeze water out of the core. However, in a localized dry spot just inches away, the core was powder dry.

Localized dry spots appear in areas with hydrophobic soil. Hydrophobic soil repels water. One way to check for hydrophobic soil is to conduct a water droplet test. When water contacts hydrophobic soil in a water droplet test, it beads up. Wetting agents reduce the surface tension of water, and when mixed with water at the proper concentration, will penetrate the hydrophobic soil instead of beading up.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I conducted a water droplet test complete with pictures to check for localized dry spot. Check out the results below. You may want to click on the pictures to enlarge them for more detailed viewing.

Turf area with localized dry spots.


One core pulled from a localized dry spot, the other core pulled from the surrounding area. Notice the core from the localized dry spot is powder dry, while the core from the surrounding area is moist.


This picture was taken about 5 minutes after the water droplets were applied. Water droplets only beaded up on the core from the localized dry spot. The water droplets added to the core from the surrounding area immediately penetrated the soil.

When the solution with wetting agent was added, the droplets immediately penetrated the hydrophobic soil.

Update

2011-06-23T13:43:00.000-07:00


17th green

The weather has been excellent for golf this week at Sandpines. It has been nice and sunny, but not too hot. Just right for golf. The course is in great condition. I have received a number of compliments on the condition of the greens. They are rolling very true.

Putting green after grooming

The greens were groomed, top dressed with sand, and brushed earlier this week. Why groom and top dress with sand? Greens that receive consistent grooming and top dressing tend to be much smoother and firmer than those that do not. Greens that are smoother and firmer putt much better than those that are bumpy and soft.


Putting green after grooming, sand top dressing, and brushing

One of our goals this week was to aerate a few wet areas on the driving range and in the rough throughout the course. We got started, but the aerator broke down before all the areas were completed. We hope to get the aerator repaired soon, so we can finish the targeted areas.

Wet area aeration

Update

2011-06-09T13:55:00.000-07:00


Early morning shot of 11 green

It is an excellent day for golf. The course is in great shape, and the weather is beautiful. If you get a chance, come out and play a round.

The greens were verticut and top dressed earlier in the week, and are rolling great. The tees were fertilized. Jerry has been working on drying up the wet area on the driving range. There are a few more clippings this week, so the Buffalo Blower will be out to tidy up today and tomorrow. Steven is pulling the last of the ropes today. However, we will continue to use green stakes to control traffic as needed throughout the growing season. Other than that, our time has been spent on routine golf course maintenance tasks such as mowing, setting up for play (changing hole locations and moving tee markers), and raking bunkers.

Mike preparing to blow clippings

Update

2011-06-02T13:07:00.000-07:00


View from the clubhouse

The weather continues to be hit and miss, but there have been more good days than bad over the last week. So far, the forecast for the weekend looks good. The precipitation history page has been updated with the monthly total from May.

With the grind of fairway aeration behind us, it was nice to be able to focus on mowing and daily preparations this week. You may have noticed the poll question on the right side of the blog page. If you have not seen it yet, check it out and cast your vote.

Not top ten nominee

Last Saturday someone took a hack out of the 12th green right next to the cup. The picture above shows what it looked like on Sunday morning before the hole location was changed. Hopefully, this was done by the last player of the day, so no one else had to putt through the divot.

Aeration cores spread next to the path on hole 12

You may have noticed that some of the fairway aeration cores have been spread out in various areas throughout the golf course. They were spread and leveled in areas where we wanted to improve turf conditions. As they grow in, they will begin to look more like grass, and less like piles of dirt.

Aeration cores

Speaking of aeration cores, we still have some for sale for those who are interested. For more information call the maintenance shop at (541) 997-4530. Aeration cores can easily be used to create a nice lawn for a cheap price.

Update

2011-05-27T12:34:00.000-07:00


Hole #11

Sandpines has received over two inches of rain since Monday. Despite the wet weather fairway aeration was completed on Thursday. The recent aeration of all the short grass areas (greens, tees, approaches, & fairways) has kept the course in very playable condition even though the rain has been heavy at times. The greens were top dressed early in the week. Needless to say, the rain has washed the sand in nicely. The golf course is in good shape and its a great time to get out and play some golf over the holiday weekend.

New fawn

The wildlife at Sandpines has been busy this spring. I took the picture above early in the week. The fawn was estimated to be about 1-2 days old at the time. There are a couple of sets of baby ducks around as well. One set has been hanging around the pond located between holes 16, 17, and 18. The other set can be seen around the pond on holes 4 and 5. The killdeer chicks are hard to tell from the adults at this point. They can be heard frequently around the course. These are just a few of the examples I have noticed this week while working around the course. If you keep an eye out while you are playing, you will surely see many more examples of wildlife spread throughout the golf course.

Baby ducks following mom around the pond

Update

2011-05-20T12:41:00.000-07:00


13 green enjoying a sunny day

The fairway aeration is coming along nicely. Holes 2, 3, 4, 7, and 14 were completed this week (holes 6 and 13 are also nearly finished). If the weather and equipment continue to cooperate, fairway aeration could be completed as early as next week

Fairway aeration on hole 3

The greens were verticut and top dressed early in the week. The greens are mostly healed from aeration and continue to improve daily. New cups, flagsticks, and flags were put out last Sunday. The new accessories are a real improvement. The sunshine and good conditions have me itching to get out and play some golf. Hopefully, I will get out there soon.

New flagstick and flag on 17 green

Update

2011-05-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Recently aerated green filling in nicely

The greens are healing up nicely from last weeks aeration. They are still a bit bumpy, but are improving daily. We lowered the height of cut this week. It will likely take another two to three weeks until we reach our peak season mowing height.

Jerry aerating hole 9 fairway

Tee aeration was completed earlier this week. We began aerating fairways on Thursday. Holes 1 and 9 were completed. The grass growth has really picked up. Between aeration and mowing, there has not been time for much else.

Large pile of aeration cores

I have received a few phone calls about the availability of aeration cores. We now have some stock piled. They are $10 per tractor scoop. Most pickups will take between 2-4 tractor scoops depending on the size of the truck. For more information call the maintenance shop (541) 997-4530.

Turn the aeration cores above into a nice lawn like this

Update

2011-05-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Dean pushing cores with a core hog

It has been a busy week for the maintenance staff at Sandpines. Aeration of greens was the main focus. The weather cooperated nicely, and despite a few equipment problems, we were also able to complete the aeration of approaches.

The precipitation total for April has been updated, and can be accessed by clicking on the precipitation history tab.

I put together a video below showing our greens aeration process. I have not made many videos, but hopefully it will give you the general idea of what goes on at Sandpines during greens aeration. There is a short clip in the video showing the TB 200 brush, which we were able demo during the greens aeration process. For more information on the TB 200 contact Mike Powers at A&L Supply.

I would like to thank the maintenance staff at Sandpines for their dedication, hard work, and long hours this week during greens aeration.

Update

2011-04-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Jerry mowing large tees with a fairway mower

In an effort to be as efficient as possible, we have been mowing the large tees on the golf course with a fairway mower. We started doing this last year when one of our triplex mowers died. We are actually able to mow about 65 percent of our tees with a fairway mower. About 20 percent continue to be mowed with a triplex, while about 15 percent require a walk behind mower. In addition to saving time, this also helps keep hours off our triplex mowers, which are both 1995 models and have 10,125 and 8,363 hours respectively.

Spring 2011 Killdeer chick

There are some new Killdeer chicks located located near the chipping green. They seem to spend most of their time around the cart path between the chipping green and hole 14 fairway. If you are traveling in that area keep an eye out, you may seen them, but be careful, they are not too savvy around vehicles. An adult Killdeer will likely try to get your attention by acting like it is hurt to draw your attention away from the chicks.

Fall 2010 greens aeration

We will begin greens aeration following play on Sunday (May 1st) at 12 noon. We will also be closed Monday (May 2nd), and Tuesday (May 3rd) to complete the process. With the cooperation of the weather and equipment, we should also be able to complete the aeration of approaches in that time period.

We need to aerate the greens regularly in order to keep them healthy and provide the best playing surface possible. We will be using 5/8" hollow core tines in order to remove thatch while alleviating compaction. The thatch will be replaced with sand. This will create a sand channel for gas exchange and water infiltration. I came across a video by Pace Turf, that does a nice job explaining the benefits of aeration. For those of you that were following my blog last October, its same video I put on the blog for the fall greens aeration. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend checking it out.

Update

2011-04-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

Jerry mowing the 18th green

Today could be the fifth consecutive day without measurable rain at Sandpines. There is a brief shower possible later this afternoon, so we will have to wait and see how it pans out. We had frost delays on Monday and Tuesday due to temperatures in the low 30's. Now that May is right around the corner, hopefully frost delays are behind us for a while. The course is drying out nicely with the good weather, but there are still some wet areas around, so be careful with those carts. The forecast for next week seems to change drastically with each day that passes, but it looks like there will be a couple of descent days and a couple of wet days.

Jerry mowing rough on hole 14

This week we spent most of our time performing routine golf maintenance tasks. Routine golf course maintenance tasks include: changing hole locations, mowing all areas of the golf course, raking bunkers, and maintaining equipment. It was nice to be able to get the fairways and rough mowed again this week. We were also able to get the fairways fertilized. We are scheduled to start greens aeration in 10 days, so our focus outside of routine maintenance tasks has been making sure the aeration equipment is ready. Dean made some modifications that should improve the reliability of our core harvesting equipment.

The driving range tee is now open. I saw a video on David Phipps blog (Stone Creek Golf Club) that showed a great way to utilize driving range tee space. In the video, Dan Meersman of Phily Cricket Club compares three divot patterns. I liked Dan's idea so much, I included his video below. It is definitely worth a look. Let's see if we can implement the preferred hitting pattern in the video at Sandpines.

Update

2011-04-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

Mowing fairways

I always enjoy watching the Masters. I was so inspired after television coverage ended Saturday that I decided to head for the golf course. It was a beautiful day, so I thought it would be nice to sneak in a few holes. Instead of grabbing my clubs, I opted for my work keys. Sure enough, I was able to get out and mow a few fairways. It was definitely worth it. Between Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning, I was able to get all the fairways mowed. Usually, I would not consider that a major accomplishment, but this year the weather has been so awful that finding a dry enough time to mow fairways has been a challenge. With the exception of tomorrow, the weather forecast for the next 10 days looks pretty decent in Florence. I really hope that forecast holds true.

Shrinking vinyl onto a flagstick with a heat gun

I am always looking for ways to be more efficient and utilize resources wisely. I had heard of a company called Vinyl Guard making some type of wrap that could be put onto flagsticks in order to reuse them. I got serious about the idea after seeing the flagsticks that David Phipps produced at Stone Creek Golf Club. After checking into the details involved, I decided we would give it a try at Sandpines. I finished the flag sticks this week. They turned out pretty nice. Before I fully endorse the product, I want to see how they look after a full season of use. In addition to the vinyl shrink wrap, new ferrules were also installed.

New Flag stick preview

With vinyl, ferrules, and paint, the cost to refurbish our flagsticks was about $6 each excluding labor. New flagsticks of a similar type sell for about $28 ($26-$30) each. We usually order 20 flagsticks due to theft and/or damage. That brings our usual flagstick total to about $560. Our 20 refurbished flagsticks cost about $120. The new flagsticks will most likely be put out after greens aeration, which is coming up soon (May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd).

Used pin sheet I found online

Recently, I needed a blank pin sheet for an upcoming tournament. After looking through my computer files, I came up empty. I decided to search for one online. I did not come across a blank one, but there was a used one I liked. I decided that would do. The pin sheet I found was in jpeg format. This made it relatively easy to modity. I was able to transform the used pin sheet above into the blank pin below using Microsoft Paint (MS Paint). If you ever want to modify a picture give MS Paint a try. The process is pretty easy. First, open MS Paint. Next, open the file you want to modify within MS Paint. Then, perform your modifications and save.

Blank pin sheet

Blue Sky Returns!

2011-04-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

14 green basking in the sun

Today the sun is shining at Sandpines. We had a brief frost delay this morning, but it was well worth the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine. Sandpines has received just under two inches of rain over the past week. Soil temperatures are beginning to increase, and so is turf growth.

Steven clearing brush next to cart path

Greens were rolled once, and mowed multiple times this week. Tees, approaches, and most areas of the rough were also mowed. Fairways were fertilized. Tee yardage markers were edged. Brush was cleared away from the cart path on the blind corner from 12 green to 13 tee. Collars will be mowed over the weekend barring any unforeseen circumstances.


Jim edging a tee yardage marker on hole 13

We continued to work on extending carth paths this week. A much needed extension to the cart path on hole 12 was completed. We also began refurbishing flagsticks this week. I will include more on the flagstick project in an upcoming post.

Jerry working on hole 12 cart path extension

Will It Ever Stop Raining?

2011-03-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

Flooded cart path on hole 7

Today the weather was supposed to be sunny. Unfortunately, we had constant light mist instead. Today marks the 27th day of the month with measurable precipitation. Hopefully, April will be a drier month.

Screen shot showing where to click for precipitation history

Speaking of precipitation, I added a new page called precipitation history. The page is located at the top of the blog. The home page contains blog posts, while the precipitation history page lists the precipitation measured at Sandpines. I will update it monthly to keep it current. The history goes back to June of 2006. You can check it out by clicking on the precipitation history tab at the top of the blog (see the picture above).

Jerry top dressing hole 5 green

Despite the wet weather, we were able to top dress greens on Monday. The approaches were also top dressed, but had to be spread over three days due to heavy rain on Tuesday. I usually like to lightly top dress greens and approaches monthly from November through March. But, that has not been possible with all of the rainfall over the last few months. As the weather gets warmer, we will be top dressing on a more regular basis to incorporate sand into the thatch layer and to smooth the surface of the greens

Hole 4 green side bunker holding a little water

As of this morning, we had 19 bunkers with a least some standing water. A couple of people have asked me if the water can be pumped the out of the bunkers. The standing water in the bunkers is from ground water. The water can be pumped out, but as soon as the water is gone and the pump is turned off, the water returns. The picture above of hole 4 green and bunker was taken this morning. The bunker was pumped out yesterday. We only received about a quarter of an inch of rain since the bunker was pumped and the water level is right back where it was yesterday. As the level of the ground water goes down, the bunkers will again become playable. It will most likely take a few months for the lowest bunkers, such as those on hole 4, to get to that point.

Can you tell which red stake has been painted recently?

Our red hazard stakes were in need of painting. We spent some time over the past week refurbishing and painting all of the red hazard stakes throughout the golf course. The difference is pretty dramatic. The yellow hazard stakes are not as noticeable, but they could also use a fresh coat of paint. Hopefully, we will get a chance to paint them soon.

Update

2011-03-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Steven tidying up pampus grass

The weather over the past week has been drier than the previous week. However, Sandpines still received 1.15 inches of rain. Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the week ahead looks wet. On a positive note, we were able to get the fairways mowed during our 40 hour stretch of nice weather earlier in the week.

Broken splice box

Jerry and I continued our quest to find the fault in the power wire which supplies power to 3 irrigation control boxes between the driving range and hole 2. We had it narrowed down to a two square foot area in short order. The problem was a broken splice box on the driving range fairway that was just inches below the surface. Since, there was no access box present on the surface, we had no idea the splice box even existed. Consequently, it had been aerated and destroyed over the years. There was a nick in the common wire that had caused the circuit breaker to trip. Typically, there would be a way to access the splice box from the surface, much like a valve box gives access to below ground irrigation valves. The wires were re-spliced and sealed in a new splice box. An access box was also installed flush with the ground. The addition of this box will provide convenient access to the splice box. Additionally, the access box will be visible from ground level, and therefore, will be avoided during aeration.

River rock 1-2 inches below the surface of the turf?

There have been many people that have worked at Sandpines over the years. These many people have had many ideas. Like all people, there were good ideas and bad ideas. Putting 6 inches of river rock just 1-2 inches below the surface of the turf 5 feet away from a green was a bad idea. Needless to say, aeration of this area has not been successful, unless you have a use for broken tines. Steven did a nice job digging up the first of two river rock "drains" next to the 18th green. Luckily, there are only a few more of these types of "drains" throughout the golf course.

For those of you out there looking to put drainage in a turf setting, please use pea gravel instead of river rock, it will be much easier to deal with in the future. Also, cap the pea gravel with 4-6 inches of sand. Additionally, if you are on top of a sand dune, start with improving infiltration (remove thatch), as sub surface drainage is likely to be pretty good.

Extremely wet area in hole 6 rough

The golf course is as wet as I have ever seen it. The last couple of winters, the ground water did not surface on the golf course. This winter its back with a vengeance. We had no choice but to implement the rope and stake traffic control strategy. I prefer using only green traffic control stakes, but there are simply to many large areas that must be avoided by all traffic. One area that has suffered greatly with the arrival of ground water is hole 6. The low spot in the fairway that is approximately 70 yards from the green must be roped off. This forces all the golf cart and maintenance equipment traffic to travel through the right rough until the gravel cart path is reached. Conditions in this area have gotten much worse this year than is previous years. Jerry is working on extending the gravel path in this area in order to keep cart use available.

There are many areas of the golf course which should be avoided that have been marked with a mixture of ropes and stakes and stakes alone. If you happen to be using a cart while golfing a Sandpines, please avoid these areas. During heavy rain squalls, there may be additional standing water on the course. All standing water should be avoided if at all possible. Every effort will be made to provide the use of carts, however, there are times when it is simply not possible.

Something that drives me crazy is seeing excessive cart use. An example of excessive cart use is 2 golfers using 2 carts (4 golfers using 3 carts and 4 golfers using 4 cars are also excessive cart use). The only time excessive cart use is tolerable, is when players have joined up on the course. That does happen now and then. However, there are many times this is not the case. Please consider the wear and tear on the golf course. Excessive cart use definitely has an impact on course conditions. Not to mention, wasting energy to charge an extra cart, and having to wash an extra cart. Joining up at the range? Please take a moment to drop any extra cart or carts off at the cart circle before you tee off. Join up on the front nine? Please drop your cart off at the cart circle before continuing to the back nine.

Rain, Aeration, and Irrigation?

2011-03-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

High water on hole 4

It has been another wet week at Sandpines. The golf course has received 3.36 inches of rain over the past week. The precipitation total for March is up to 8.25 inches. Next week looks better, but there is still some rain in the forecast. Like everyone else in the Pacific Northwest, I am ready for drier weather.

Solid tine aeration

The greens have been in good shape this winter. However, the seemingly constant rain has led to puddling of greens on many holes. The puddling subsides after the rain stops, but it seems to take longer after each rain storm. Since play was light due to the awful weather earlier in the week, we took the opportunity to aerate the greens with solid tines. The improvement in infiltration was immediate. The holes will be visible for a few days, but the positive impact on infiltration will last for a month or more.

Improved infiltration

I took the picture above during a heavy rain squall that occurred while I was aerating the ninth green. If you look closely, you should be able to see a difference between the left and right side of the picture. The left side had not yet been aerated, and there is water present on the surface of the green. The right side, which had been aerated had no surface water present. As I continued aerating the green after taking the picture, the remaining water on the surface of the green was gone within seconds of being aerated.

The video below is from the USGA. It gives a pretty good two minute explanation of why superintendents aerate greens.

Jerry and I (mostly Jerry) also worked locating a faulty power wire that provides power to 10 irrigation control boxes this week. We are still in the process of solving the problem, but we have narrowed it down to one wire and 3 control boxes. We are hoping to locate the fault in the wire next week. I don't think we will need to irrigate anytime soon, so in a way its not the worst time to have an irrigation problem. Far better timing than the hottest week of the year, which seems to be when many irrigation problems arise.

Jerry in problem solving mode

Update

2011-03-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hole 14

The tsunami warning siren sounded at 3 am this morning in Florence. We were fortunate to escape any tsunami damage, but the weather has been pretty wet the last couple of weeks. Sandpines received 4.65 inches of precipitation in the first ten days of March. The precipitation total for February was 6.16 inches. There is a little break in the wet weather today, but the rain is supposed to return tonight.

Wind blown tree debris

The rain has kept the course pretty wet. Windy days have kept us busy blowing debris off greens and approaches. Over the last two weeks, we have continued working on adjusting the height of sprinkler heads. We have also been working on draining wet areas with our unique drainage techniques (see November 9, 2010 post for more information).

Old debris pile under hole 4 fairway

The picture above was captured while I was using a post hole digger to drain an area at the start of hole 4 fairway. Apparently, this was a site for an organic debris pile prior to becoming a fairway. These types of areas are rare at Sandpines, but we do run into once in a while. There were several sticks in each drain hole that were removed. The hole were then filled with sand. This area should begin to dry up fairly quickly if the rain ever stops falling.

Weekly Update

2011-02-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

Hole 15

It was 28 degrees this morning. We had a light dusting of wet snow last night which then froze. However, we were able to open for a 12 noon shotgun today! Another beautiful day at Sandpines, despite being cold. The forecast for the next couple of days looks cold as well.

Jim raising a sprinkler head on hole 7

Jim has been adjusting the height of sprinkler heads this week. Over time sprinkler heads tend to settle or become too low due to accumulation of topdressing sand and/or thatch. Why adjust sprinkler heads? There are a few reasons for adjusting the height of sprinkler heads. The first deals with the performance of the sprinkler. When sprinklers are activated, they are designed to extend to a specific height above ground. When the heads become too far below grade, the performance of the nozzles is negatively impacted. This is especially true if the sprinkler head is located in turf that is taller than two inches. If the distribution pattern is disturbed by turf immediately around sprinkler head, irrigation coverage will be impacted. This can lead to the development of wet and dry spots. The second reason to edge heads is for playability. At times sprinkler heads will have an impact on play, but the impact can be minimized by keeping the heads at the proper height. Sprinkler heads that are too high or low will have a greater impact on ball roll than those that are closer to grade. The final reason for adjusting sprinkler head height is reduce them as a tripping hazard.

Wood donated to Kiwanis

Jerry has been stockpiling wood that has been donated to Kiwanis. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. The Florence branch of Kiwanis delivers firewood to families in need. The selective tree thinning on hole four over the past couple of winters has generated quite a bit of wood. This project is a truly a win-win. Number four green receives more sun, and local families can stay warm.

Blowing hail off hole 7 green

As luck would have it, Sandpines experienced another hail storm this week. Last week, we had hail during a tournament which caused a delay. We utilized back pack blowers to blow off hail that was mostly melted on a few of our coldest greens. This week's storm only dumped hail on a couple of greens. I took the opportunity to use the back pack blower to clear the greens. This time I made sure to get a picture. I definitely think this can be a useful way to clear hail on greens at the tail end of a delay, or after a small hail storm in which only a few greens are covered.

Green Golf USA Brochure

This week I have been working on an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan for Sandpines. Green Golf USA has streamlined the process of making an IPM plan. The entire process from start to finish took around six hours to complete. In order to create an IPM plan with the help Green Golf USA, go to greengolfusa.com and register. Once registration is complete, log in and start creating an IPM plan. If you are interested, but don't have a large block of time to work on an IPM plan, don't worry you can save as you go. There are also other useful tools at the Green Golf USA site, so check it out.

Weekly Update

2011-02-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

Jerry rolling #18 green

Sandpines hosted its annual Clam Bake pro-am tournament on Wednesday and Thursday. The two day tournament has been held around the middle of February for the last three years. In terms of weather, the tournament has seen a little bit of everything over the years. This year was no exception. It was mostly dry and chilly, but we did get some rain, and a hail storm suspended play on Wednesday for about an hour. The hail was mostly melted when played resumed, but Jerry and I blew hail off some of the most hail covered greens with backpack blowers. That was a first for both of us, but it actually worked pretty well once the hail was mostly melted. I would have loved to post a picture of the hail blowing, but unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me. We have received positive feedback about the condition of the golf course despite receiving about 2.1 inches of rain in the four days prior to the tournament. Chris Polski and Scott Erdmann tied for the top spot for the professionals, while Todd Erwin, Sam Barrick, Derek Barron, and Tom Brown took top honors for the team portion of the competition.

Homemade directional arrow

After the success of our in house ground under repair signs, I wanted to experiment with an idea I had for making some directional arrow signs. I wanted an arrow that could be used to point in any direction. Some signs read "carts go left" or "carts go right" but it seems like you always need the one you don't have with you, or you need more of one than the other. For now we are in the experimental stages of using the directional arrows without them reading "carts". It's hard to give an exact cost for these signs due to the fact we had all of the supplies to make the directional arrow signs on hand. We used some old salvaged Trex bender board we had left over from a bunker project to make the arrows. The stakes were made from 1/8 inch stainless steel rod that was donated by Jerry Waite. The arrows were painted with spray paint we use to paint tee markers. In addition to being cheap, they are also recycled, which makes them green friendly.

Freshly painted tee markers

If you have played Sandpines recently you may have noticed some freshly painted tee markers out on the course. If you look carefully, you may have also noticed some tee markers aren't freshly painted. Why is that? It's not an over sight. We try to work on projects like sandblasting and repainting tee markers during frost delays or busy afternoons, when getting out on the course is more difficult. Additionally, it takes a while to sandblast and paint 160 tee markers for the golf course, plus you need a few extra in case of theft and vandalism (sad, but true). We generally start some time in December with the markers that are in the worst shape. This year, it was the red followed by the the blue. We are currently working on the white, and ran out of paint (see directional arrows above, oops), so you might also see a few new gold markers out there as well. Another factor is the amount of tee markers we have to work on while still providing markers for play. We have about 15 markers in addition to those on the course, which is not quite a full set. So, now you know the mystery of the tee markers, they are not over-looked, just a work in progress.

Certificate of Appreciation

We were recently awarded a certificate of appreciation for our involvement in the Transition Program at Camp Florence. The program involves providing mentoring and training opportunities to youth who are being transitioned back into the community. William was the most recent person we worked with. He did a fantastic job for us at Sandpines. He took instruction well, was self motivated, and very polite. He was a great help to Dean in the maintenance shop. He kept the shop neat, tidy, and organized during his time at Sandpines. He also helped us out on the golf course with various maintenance tasks. He always met or exceeded out expectations. William got along well with the entire maintenance staff. He was truly a pleasure to have around. If you are ever approached to participate in this program, I would encourage you to embrace the opportunity.

Quick update

2011-02-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

View from the clubhouse practice green

The weather so far in February has been pretty nice. We have only had .67 inches of precipitation through the first nine days of the month. However, the forecast for next week looks pretty wet.

When there is a dry stretch of weather in the winter, we try to get some top dressing in. Jerry has been busy top dressing fairways and tees during the past week. The rain in the forecast should wash the sand in nicely. Approach top dressing should also be completed by the end of the this week.

Jerry top dressing #13 fairway

Shop Update

2011-02-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

Hole 5 basking in the sun

The weather continues to be gorgeous on the Oregon Coast. If you are looking to play some golf any time soon, I would highly recommend playing Sandpines within the next week. It is a little colder this week, but the high temperatures are still getting into the 50's.

The precipitation total for January was 7.41 inches. The first 18 days of the month yielded 7.29 inches, while the last 13 days yielded only 0.12 inches.

Dean grinding a fairway mower reel

Grinding fairway mower reels has been next on the agenda in the shop for about a month. After various other unexpected projects, the time has finally arrived. Dean has ground one set of fairway mower reels, and is currently working on the second set. We have two Toro Reelmaster 5210 fairway mowers. The reels and bedknives are made from harder steel compared to older models. They are supposed to last up to three times longer than traditional reels and bedknives. So far, I would say that is fairly accurate, as we were able to go more than twice as long before grinding. Dean has a few additional parts for the roller brushes, but the fairway mowers should be ready to go for the upcoming growing season by the end of the week.

One of the projects that postponed the fairway mower grinding was the break down of our Turfco LA-4 material handler. It is used for top dressing fairways, filling bunkers with sand, and supplying our smaller top dresser with sand during heavy sand applications. The five foot wide belt came apart at the lacing. A new belt would have cost more than $2000. With the exception of the spot were the belt ripped out at the lacing, the belt was in fair shape. We decided to attempt a repair on the existing belt for about $300. The repair required a special order lacing kit and a new section of belting. This was not an easy repair. It took quite a bit of time and effort to get the job done. Dean and Jerry did a great job working together to complete this project.


Jerry and Dean working on LA-4 belt repair

LA-4 belt repair

Jerry filling a bunker while testing out the LA-4 belt repair

Off with the raingear and on with the shorts

2011-01-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Jerry rolling #12 green

The weather has been spectacular lately. Yesterday (Thursday 1/27/11) the temperature was 67 degrees. The weather forecast for next week is also looking good, although it is supposed to get a bit colder.

It has been a productive week. With the exception of the rough, all turf areas were mowed this week. The tees and 2 passes in the rough were also fertilized. The greens, approaches, and fairways were fertilized last week. When we get a dry weather pattern in the winter, we try to get a light rate of fertilizer out so the turf can better sustain the traffic created by carts, play, and maintenance practices.


#18 fairway, 67 degrees on 1/27/11

Recently, I was in the market for some new ground under repair signs. As I began to mull over the options, I realized I did not care for any of them for one reason or another. I narrowed it down to two options. The recycled plastic ones looked great, but $30 per sign seemed like an awful lot to pay. Then there is the $20 per sign option, which looked cheap and flimsy, and did not seem like a good choice at any price in my opinion. I decided I would try and make a ground under repair sign that looked descent without costing a bundle. I really liked the recycled plastic look, so I went to the local lumber yard and found some Trex and TimberTech odds and ends they sold by the foot. I found a piece of TimberTech that I thought might make a good looking sign. The next task was figuring out how to get the words ground under repair on the board. I didn't want to take a lot of time, but I also wanted something that looked good. I contemplated using stencils and paint, but decided to look into using vinyl lettering. I went to Treehouse Signs and Decorative Arts to see if they could help out. Sam and Karen are the owners of Treehouse signs, and they fixed me right up with some vinyl lettering and background. All I needed now was the spikes. I decided on 7" gutter spikes.

The TimberTech lumber was $2 per foot. The vinyl background and lettering was $75 for enough to make 10 signs. The gutter spikes were 25 cents each. I was able to save some money by installing the vinyl myself. Sam and Karen showed how to install the vinyl on the recycled lumber. It was pretty easy to do, and I enjoyed learning how to do something new.

TimberTech Lumber $2.00

Vinyl background & lettering $7.50

7" gutter spikes (2) $0.50

Total for each sign $10.00

Custom ground under repair sign

I think the signs turned out really well. I made 10 of them and they did not take long to make. For the $100 spent on this project, I would have only been able to buy between 3 and 5 ready made ground under repair signs. The ground under repair sign project went so well, that I am now in the process of making some directional arrows at an even lower cost. Keep those creative juices flowing, you never know what you might come up with.

A River Runs Through It

2011-01-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Water running across hole 3 fairway

The picture above was taken last Sunday (1/16/11) on hole 3. Sandpines received 3.11 inches of rain on Saturday (1/15/11). The river running across hole 3 was due to a plugged drain. Jerry removed the debris that had accumulated away from the catch basin, and the river was gone after about 24 hours. On Sunday, the rain let up a bit, and the golf course only received 1.77 inches of rain (4.88" in 48 hours). The golf course was closed due to high water and unplayable conditions on Sunday. The back nine opened for play on Monday with carts. By Tuesday, all 18 holes were open for play with carts. There are still a few areas with standing water, including some bunkers, but overall the course is very playable, especially considering the amount of rain the golf course has received since November.

Water flowing onto Sandpines property from the north

As the ground gets saturated and the water table starts coming up, seasonal lakes and ponds can begin to form to the north of Sandpines. This usually happens to some degree every year. During years with low rainfall these lakes and ponds may not get high enough to flow onto the golf course. Last year was a fairly low precipitation year at Sandpines, but with the wet spring, water started to flow onto the golf course around June. It only lasted for a couple of weeks, and only flowed off of the golf course in one spot (near hole 2 lake), and even then it was just a trickle. In years with a wet fall, the water from the lakes and ponds usually starts flowing onto Sandpines around the start of January, give or take a few weeks. This year water started flowing onto the course from the north around January 8th. By Janurary 15th, the flowing water had worked its way through the course and started flowing off of the golf course in two locations ( near hole 2 and hole 5 lakes). It had been at least 2 years prior to this year since water flowed off of the golf course in the drain area near hole 5. During that time, a drain become clogged down stream. When the water began flowing recently, it began to backup, and made more than a couple of home owners nervous. Thankfully, the clogged drain was discovered and the clog was removed before any damage occurred.

This drain was clogged, but thankfully, property damage was avoided

The weather went from horrible to fantastic within a couple of days. Wednesday and Thursday this week were sunny with blue sky. The weather is looking good for the week ahead, so get your clubs out and go golfing.

Cold Weather, Brush Clearing, and Environmental Stewardship

2011-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

It has been a cold start to 2011. My usual two minute commute to work has been taking closer to ten minutes due to defrosting. I definitely prefer defrosting over dodging rain drops, and I am sure many people would agree. Despite some frost delays, the golf course has opened for play every day of the new year so far prior to 11:00 am.

The weather forecast looks quite a bit wetter starting today. Speaking of wet weather, the final precipitation total for 2010 was 83.32 inches. A full thirty inches more than 2009 (53.03 inches).

The old Cushman deck mower used to mow brushy areas outside the primary rough has been utilized during our recent frost delays. It does not get around very well during wet conditions, so the frost delays are really the best time to catch-up on knocking down the salal and small pines that invade the areas adjacent to the primary rough. Mulching these areas before they get out of hand and require far more labor intensive means of removal is good utilization of frost delay time. There are plenty of these brushy areas to keep us busy for quite some time.

Love that blue sky!

The green on hole four does not receive enough sun light to sustain healthy turf. This is notoriously our weakest green during the winter. We began removing trees in order to reduce the amount of shade cast on the green last winter. During the recent frost delays, we have been selectively removing trees in order to increase the amount and duration of sunlight the green receives. This project should be completed for this year over the next week or two. This project will likely be ongoing and will be evaluated each year.

Kelsey Meyers works in the golf shop at Sandpines when she is not busy taking college classes. Recently she had an opportunity to get some extra credit in her Psychology 215 class. The assignment basically consisted of researching and writing a short paper on the impact businesses were having on the environment. Kelsey chose to look deeper into the operation here at Sandpines, and more specifically at the effect golf course maintenance has on the environment.

Kelsey and I met and discussed how the golf course is managed with regards to fertilization and pest management strategies. We also went over how clippings are recycled back on to the course. I explained how tree and brush debris are utilized to create wildlife habitat. Kelsey was surprised to learn of the extensive water testing that had been recently completed, and that none of the fertilizer or pest control products used at Sandpines were detected.

Below are a few selections from Kelsey's paper.

"I knew from watching the maintenance crew that there are chemicals that are applied, frequent mowing, and other necessary work that is done to the course to ensure its playability. I had always assumed that these efforts were harmful to the environment in some or many ways, but after an interview with our superintendent, I realize I could not have been more wrong." - Kelsey Meyers

"Cultural practices are a very important part of pest management. We strive to keep the turf healthy. Healthy turf is less susceptible to pest (weeds, diseases, and insects) infestations, and therefore require less chemical control products. Cultural practices such as aeration, topdressing, and dew removal are important processes that help keep turf healthy, thereby reducing the incidence of pest infestations." - Eli McGallian

"After meeting with the superintendent of the golf course, I feel more at ease knowing that the company I am working for is not only not contaminating the water supply and surrounding areas, but it is actually working in the direction on being self sustaining. Whether it is the creation of new habitats for the animals on the course, using the grass clippings to fertilize the land, or the responsible practices of using and disposing of chemicals, these actions show Sandpines in not having the negative effect on the natural environment surrounding the course." - Kelsey Meyers

Great job Kelsey. Thank you for your interest in learning more about how the golf course in managed.

What the hail is up with this weather?

2010-12-29T14:11:00.000-08:00

The three pictures to the right were taken about an hour apart. The unpredictability of Oregon Coast weather strikes again. Sandpines received 2.76 inches of rain yesterday. It was the most rain in a single day since November 7, 2006 (4.55 inches). We are now over eighty inches of precipitation for 2010, and we still have a few days to go. Right now, it looks like we will top 2009 by about thirty inches.

Last Sunday morning, a thunder and lightning storm was on display for a couple of hours (sorry, I wasn't feeling brave enough to get a picture). That makes two weekends in a row with thunder and lightning.

We were just about to mow greens this morning when the hail started coming down. Hopefully, the weather will be more cooperative tomorrow, so we can get the greens mowed.

Thankfully, dry conditions are in the forecast this coming weekend. I am sure we will see some frost, but at least it is not supposed to rain. It should be a great time for those of you who got new golf clubs for Christmas to come out and give them a try.

Jerry continues to make bunker repairs. He finished removing trees and brush from the bunker islands on hole fourteen last week. Currently he is adding sand to the left green side bunker on hole 10.

The agronomy staff has spent more time than usual blowing tree debris off greens and repairing bunker washouts over the past couple of weeks.

Dean recently finished grinding the Triplex reels and installed new bed knives. He will start grinding the fairway mower reels soon.

Strikes, Gutters, and Edging

2010-12-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Last week we began edging sprinkler heads and drainage catch basins. It is much easier to find your yardage to the green once the sprinkler heads have been edged. They are also much easier to service and repair when the entire top of the sprinkler head is exposed. It has been especially important to keep drainage catch basins clear with all of the wet weather we have been experiencing. The edging should be completed sometime next week.

Jim edging a sprinkler head

Steven edging a drainage catch basin

Jerry completed his latest bunker project on the right green side bunker on hole 17 this week. He repaired some turf damage located just outside the bunker. He also added quite a bit of sand in order to restore the bunker to the proper depth. The playability of the bunker is greatly improved. It is also more maintenance friendly.

Last Thursday the Sandpines staff was treated to a holiday party at the local bowling alley. It was a blast. Everyone who attended had a great time. Its hard to go wrong with pizza, beer, and bowling. I don't think my bowling career is going to pan out, but I did put away a lot of pizza.

Jerry delivers a strike

On behalf of the Sandpines Agronomy staff, I would like to thank Michael and Nancy for a putting on a great holiday party.

Off Season Topdressing

2010-12-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

The greens were topdressed today. Sand topdressing is beneficial in many ways. Consistent sand topdressing keeps thatch diluted, which improves infiltration and keeps the surface firm. It also smooths the surface by filling depressions and imperfections caused by the traffic of play and maintenance. The sand also protects the crown of the grass plant, making the plant healthier. Healthier plants are less susceptible to stress and require less inputs.

Approach topdressing was also started today, and should be completed soon. We try to topdress greens and approaches monthly in the off season, but as with all plans this time of year, it depends upon the weather.

Last week was pretty wet until Friday. A few traffic areas were getting sloppy, so traffic was re-routed in those areas. This is most evident on hole 4, where some ropes were added for better traffic control.

I attended a pest management seminar in Portland last Thursday and Friday. There were some great topics and speakers this year. It was nice to learn a couple new things, refresh a few things, and network with industry contacts.

Sandpines received 12.02 inches of precipitation in the month of November. That brings the total for 2010 to 71.01 inches so far.

Snow Day

2010-11-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

The golf course is open for play today. Most of the snow is gone, however we did have a frost delay this morning. Check out the video and pictures below and see how much snow we had on Tuesday.

Snow Day 11/23/10

Video Captured by Assistant Superintendent Jerry Waite

Frost, Soil Samples, & Projects

2010-11-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

It was 29 degrees (Fahrenheit) at 6:00 am this morning, so this video seemed appropriate. The video quality is pretty rough, but the message in the audio is good.

Frost

The hole 3 bunker project should be completed next week. The moss and tree roots have been removed from the east side of the bunker bank (right side in the photo below). The entire area has also been re-shaped to match the original design. Sand has been added to the bunker to bring it up to the proper level. Aeration cores and seed will be used to re-establish turf.

Soil samples were collected for analysis this week. They will be analyzed for pH, CEC (cation ion exchange capacity), organic matter, and various nutrients. The results of the soil analysis will help shape the fertility planning in the future. Samples were collected from various greens, tees, and fairways.

The use of traffic control stakes is critical this time of year. This is mainly due to wet conditions combined with slower turf growth. Ropes will be used in a few areas to keep cart traffic away, but in general the appearance and ease of moving our green stakes is the preferred method of traffic control. The goal is to vary traffic enough so that turf will remain in all areas.

Brush and debris clearing between hole 3 and hole 4 was started this week. Brush, low lying tree limbs, dead trees, and downed limbs will be removed in order to make the area more playable. However, if you are looking for the best angle to the green, hit the ball in the fairway.

The weather during the last week has been less than desirable for golf. There has been 3.74 inches of precipitation over the last week (11/14/10 - 11/20/10). The daily high temperatures have dropped about 10 degrees. The precipitation total for the year is up to 65.79 inches.

Unique Drainage Techniques

2010-11-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

Many golf courses in Western Oregon and Western Washington will be working on drainage projects this winter. The approach to drainage depends largely upon the type of soil you are working with. Soil conditions are generally unique to each golf course. A typical drainage project would involve excavating a trench, while making sure there is proper fall. Depending on compaction and the amount of rock, this can be very time consuming and physically demanding, especially if its done manually. Next, some type of subsurface piping surrounded by drain rock would be installed. This is following by sand capping and replacing the sod. Additionally, the project would require tapping into an existing drainage system, or draining it to a pond or some other acceptable place.

Since Sandpines sits on a sand dune, consistent aeration and topdressing generally keep our drainage projects to a minimum. Over time we do get areas that become soft and hold water. When this happens our drainage techniques are quite unique. Often, a cup cutter is used at maximum depth to make holes in the soft area on roughly 12 inch centers. These holes are then back-filled with native dune sand, which we have plenty of on site. Upon completion, the area usually dries up within a couple of days. Along the same lines, sometimes a post hole digger is used to create the holes. These holes are also back-filled with native dune sand. There are times when a more traditional looking trench is made, using a sod cutter. After the sod is removed, organic matter and any layering are removed. Then, native sand is back-filled in the trenches before replacing the sod. No piping or drain rock is used.

These processes work because of the ease of digging in sand, but also due to the fact there is no subsurface drainage needed. Water drains freely once its through any organic matter accumulation or layering. These drainage projects are completed rather quickly and cost little or nothing other than labor, since no piping, drain rock, or sand is purchased.

However, in years when the water table is high, there are a few places on the golf course where the ground water comes up and fills a couple of bunkers and lower lying areas. Thankfully, these areas are few, and this does not occur every year.

This week we are working on various small drainage projects throughout the course, using the unique drainage techniques previously discussed.

Jerry (assistant superintendent) is currently working on the bunker right of the green on hole 3. He is removing the moss on the bunker bank and will use aeration cores and seed to reestablish grass in that area. The project is similar to the one completed earlier this year on hole 6 fairway bunker.

The weather has been pretty unpredictable over the past week. There has been beautiful days filled with brilliant sunshine. Cloudy days with cold rain. Then of course, we have had days mixed with both. Last weeks (11/1/10 - 11/7/10) precipitation total was 2.99 inches.

Fairway Top Dressing

2010-11-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Fairway top dressing was started at the end of last week. It should be finished this week barring any equipment problems. Continued top dressing will keep thatch diluted and keep the surface firm. Other benefits of top dressing fairways include reduced disease incidence and improved turf health.

The aeration of the driving range tee was completed last week. This should provide a better surface to practice on next spring. The tee has been in need of aeration, but has fallen off the "to do" list a few times in lieu of on course projects.

Last week, a drainage ditch was installed left of 7 green. During periods of heavy rain, the left side of the green holds water. The drain was installed just outside the collar to reduce the amount of water that runs onto the green.

Upon completion of the drain left of 7 green, the focus was shifted to the approach. The approach on 7 has developed a wet soggy area. A deep tine aerator (demonstration with a local equipment distributor) was used on this area a couple of years ago. It worked well, but the results only last so long. The area is located on the left side of the approach, and the project should be finished this week.

The greens are continuing to heal from aeration, and the weather has been great for it. Unfortunately, the weather has also been great for Microdochium nivale, the pathogen responsible for the Microdochium patch disease. This disease is also known as Fusarium patch and pink snow mold. The pathogen thrives in wet conditions with temperatures in the mid 40's to low 60's (Fahrenheit).

Precipitation measured for the month of October was 6.07 inches. This brings the total for the year to 57.71 inches.

Let The Healing Begin

2010-10-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank the Sandpines Maintenance Staff for all of their hard work during the greens aeration process. Their continued dedication to the golf course is greatly appreciated.

The weather cooperated nicely during the entire greens aeration process. The forecast for the next few days is calling for rain, which should really help the healing process.

Despite a few equipment problems, the aeration of the approaches was also completed. During the approach aeration, Jerry (the assistant superintendent at Sandpines) let me run the GA-60 aerator for a bit on Wednesday. That went pretty for about ten minutes, then I hit a sprinkler head. I don't think Jerry will be asking me to run "his" aerator again anytime soon. I did have an enjoyable time repairing the damage. Luckily, the sprinkler head was still in tact, and all that broke was a fitting on the swing arm.

Oops!

Aeration: A breath of fresh air for greens

2010-10-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

This video does a great job explaining why greens aeration is important. It's definitely worth a look. I especially recommend it if you are a skeptic of aeration.

Greens aeration is right around the corner. In fact, we aerated the practice greens today. We like to aerate the practice greens before starting on the golf course in order to fine tune the process and make sure the equipment is operating properly. Greens aeration will begin on the golf course this Sunday (October 17th) at noon. The golf course will be closed while the process is finished on Monday and Tuesday (October 18th & 19th).

During greens aeration, 5/8" hollow core tines will be used. Last year we experimented using 1/4" hollow core tines exclusively. The healing time was much less with the smaller tines, but unfortunately, so were the benefits. Last year the greens were aerated six times with 1/4" hollow core tines. Yet, by January the greens were not infiltrating nearly as well as previous winters when more traditional 5/8" hollow core tines were used. We used squeegees to get water off greens more last winter than the previous three winters combined. The greens were also softer than previous winters. Eventually, we ended up aerating with solid tines in order to get the greens to infiltrate until they could be core aerated in the spring.

I believe the downfall of the 1/4" tine experiment lies in the inability to fill the 1/4" holes with sand. The holes are so small that it is nearly impossible to drag sand into the holes. Consequently, there is no sand channel created. When traditional 5/8" hollow core tines are used, the holes created are easily (given the right conditions) filled with sand. This creates a sand channel, which greatly increases infiltration long after the aeration holes have grown over or healed. Additionally, aerating monthly in the growing season with 1/4" hollow core tines had a negative impact on the integrity of the putting surface. Essentially, we alleviated compaction too much. There is a certain amount of compaction required to provide a quality putting surface.

This is not to say there is no value in 1/4" aeration. I am sure there are instances where an aeration program similar to the one we implemented worked well in a different setting. Perhaps using 1/4" hollow core aeration in conjunction with traditional 5/8" hollow core aeration would provide better results.

2010 Coast Open

2010-10-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day for golf on the Oregon Coast! The golf course is in excellent shape for our last big tournament of the year. The Coast Open is a pro-am held at Sandpines every year in mid October. This year the weather has cooperated nicely. The greens were rolling true this morning after being groomed with walk mowers and rolled. The fairways are also in excellent shape. I would advise keeping the ball in the short grass though, because the rough is a little extra hairy this year.