Course Update - December 3, 2012

We have been avoiding much of the forecasted rain the last couple days which has allowed the main playing areas of the golf course to dry out and firm up nicely.  Things are sure looking much better than they did on Friday!

November 30, 2012

The drier weather has also allowed us an opportunity to clean up and mulch many of the fallen leaves that litter the course this time of year.  This is not an easy task in wet conditions, but they need to be cleaned up and we really can't expect dry weather this time of year.  We have also been busy maintaining the cart paths to provide a smoother ride for those that take carts.  Please be patient with us as we work to keep the course clean throughout the winter as we are doing so with greatly reduced staff levels.  Our Turf Care Team has been reduced down to 4 crew members on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and only 2 crew members on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.  This does not include our mechanic and horticulturist.  

Speaking of our horticulturist, Jacqui has created a new blog that will provide detailed information on what she's up to and what she has planned for the landscaping around the Club.  On occasion, she will also be including some gardening tips to help you maintain your home gardens.  She is a great writer and I'm sure you'll find her blog to be a very enjoyable read!  Check it out here: Flora & Fauna

I'd like to clear up some confusion regarding our temp greens policy for extremely wet conditions.  In an effort to ensure the golf course remains open for play as much as possible, it was decided that temp greens would be used when the regular greens became too wet for play.  Before a temp greens policy was implemented for extremely wet conditions, the golf course would be completely closed for play, much like many other clubs in the lower mainland.  This new policy has allowed us to remain open even in the wettest conditions.

Much like with frost, traffic on saturated turf comes with serious consequences.  Compaction is inevitable which leads to severe agronomic issues that could and most likely will result in turf loss.  Again, I'm not overly concerned about foot traffic on wet fairways since the traffic pattern on them is much more scattered, unlike on the greens where traffic is highly concentrated.

We do not have any projects planned for this winter so it's going to be a quiet time of year for the Turf Care Department.  That being said, as we do every winter, we will be analyzing and tweaking our maintenance practices over the next couple months in an effort to continually improve the golf course.

We are already looking forward to what 2013 has to offer!  Hopefully a warmer and drier spring and a longer summer than we've experienced the last couple years!!!