Course Update

This time last year we had an early warm up and we are actually experiencing what a typical March would feel like. The staff has been busy repairing the bunkers and then circling back to start the process of edging, checking depths, adding sand and tamping the faces. We were held up a little this week because of the night temperatures freezing the ground but we managed to knock out a few. We will work hard on this so we can complete them in a timely fashion weather permitting. 

Our mulch program is in full swing, you may notice that there are mulch beds near the path that have been mulched but others away from the path have not. Because we cannot work on the grass when it is frozen or frosty we keep the guys moving in the morning mulching beds that are adjacent to the path. Our greens irrigation head leveling project is taking place with just a few more to go on the front. The fairways have already been top dressed but we made the decision that some of them needed a lot more sand to help smooth them out and aid in drainage. These fairways are typically our wettest ones throughout the year.

Leveling irrigation heads

Prepping the mulch beds for mulch with a crisp edge

Blowing the heavy top dressing application on
#10 Fairway.

Adding Bunker Sand 

Utilizing our new top dresser to add bunker sand.

Greens are Open

Today we opened the greens back up for the season. Yesterday we completed our aerification program for the spring and although it took a long time, I feel that it was well worth the extra effort aerifying them two times to get as much sand as possible into the top 2 inches. We also rolled them with an asphalt roller to smooth out any imperfections, this was most beneficial on 3,6 and 17 where we had to repair the drainage. 

Bunkers had been repaired this week but with the recent rains we are back to square one. They will be repaired next week and sand will be added for the season. We have a lot on our plate to prepare for the season so please bare with us and we look forward to seeing you out on the course. 

Sweeping in the top dressing

The roller we used to smooth out the green surface

16 fairway extension coming to life

Shop floor prep, filling in the cracks 

Mechanics shop almost complete with the floor paint

Snowquester

It was forecast-ed for the D.C. area to be hit hard with snow with accumulation close to a foot. The reality was it never really happened and we only saw about a couple of inches. This did slow our greens aerification process but we are back at. There are 5 greens left on the course and at this time we are working on the practice green. During the snow storm we took the opportunity to clear out the mechanics bay and prep the walls and floors for paint. 

Course Update

Our last green (#6) to work on for the winter has been completed. So just a recap on the work that was performed. 

1. We adjusted the main line to have positive fall

2. We widened the main line trench to the proper

3. The green was missing a drain line, this was installed

4. We added two more lines that are located in the low area of the green

5. A smile drain was added to help remove the water from the profile.

#6 green put backed together

As we finished this project we switched gears and rolled into aerifying the greens and at the same time putting bunkers back together from the winter storms. Our process is extensive but because the greens are closed, we can really up the quality control and make sure that we get as much sand into the green as possible. Below is a few shots of the process.

Pulling a core out

The staff blowing off the cores to be collected and removed.

On the right is after we top dressed and holes filled,
on the left is the second phase, solid tining. Which means we
are not pulling a core, just poking a hole. We will top dress
for a second time to fill in the solid tine holes.

This is a wider picture of the solid tine phase.

The end result, we pulled a core to relieve compaction
with the holes filled. Then we poked a hole and just added sand.
In the end its all about getting the sand into the top
2 inch's of the green.  Did we aerify twice? Absolutely!

Finished product