Slit Seeding the Rough

During the past couple of weeks our staff has been overseeding the rough with improved varieties of turfgrass. Overseeding is the planting of grass seed directly into existing turf, without tearing up the turf or the soil. It's an effective way to fill in bare spots, improve the density of turf, and establish improved grass varieties.

 

Overseeding newer turfgrass varieties into the rough can help it better withstand insects, disease, drought, shady conditions, and heavy traffic. The investment in overseeding pays off by reducing the amount of fertilizer, water, and pesticides required. Additionally, the new varieties of turfgrass offer better playability along with improved aesthetics and plant health. 

 

Seeding with the Turfco TriWave

The method that we use to overseed is 'slit-seeding' with a mechanical seeder. This is the best method for overseeding established turf. Slit-seeders have verticutting blades that cut through the thatch layer and open up a slit or miniature furrow. While there is some disturbance to the existing turf, it is minimal and the benefits far out weigh the alternative of doing nothing at all. The seeder drops seed into the slit to ensure the seed gets into the soil where it can germinate. More seed-to-soil contact means a higher germination rate and a better stand of new grass.

In the Highlands area, late summer or early fall is the best time to overseed as soil and atmospheric temperatures are most favorable for optimum seed germination and growth. With adequate moisture, fertilizer and sunlight, the new seedlings will be well established before the cooler fall weather sets in. 

Germination after 1.5 weeks

Germination after 2.5 weeks

Germination after 3 weeks

We appreciate your patience while we work to improve the course and as always, thank you for your continued support. 

Davis "Bodell" Wilson Receives Scholarship

One of the great joys in my job is recommending a deserving staff member for the Highlands Falls Country Club Employee Scholarship Program.  This year I was fortunate to nominate Davis Wilson for this prestigious award.

Davis has been with HFCC for about 9 months and has proven to be a dedicated and loyal employee with a very positive attitude.  He starts the day with a smile and ends the day with a smile, no matter how challenging the day might be.  He has proven to be a quick study in course maintenance and has earned the respect of the entire staff for his hard work and honest character.  For these reasons and more, the scholarship committee has awarded Davis $500 for his continuing education.

Davis receiving his scholarship check from General Manager, Jason Macaulay

In October, Davis will be embarking on an intensive Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course with a specialization in wilderness medical training.  Davis hopes to use this training to become a world-class wilderness guide.

Davis "Bodell" Wilson

We all wish Davis the very best and know that he will be very successful.

A Diverse Staff at HFCC

The quality of the golf course and maintenance operations are the highest priority to the maintenance staff at HFCC. To achieve and maintain top conditions takes a lot of hard work and forward thinking by everyone on the staff. And what a staff we have!

Assistant Golf Course Superintendent Josh Cantrell has been with HFCC for almost 7 years.

Our crew comes from all over the country and throughout the world. We have staff members from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Mexico, and even Vietnam.

The staff perform a variety of jobs throughout the week.

Managing such a diverse work force has its challenges, but the rewards far outweigh those challenges. One of the biggest advantages has been a broader range of perspectives and solutions to various issues. I am continually amazed at how each employee looks at a situation, and through their own distinct cultural experiences, will make a unique suggestion that ultimately help us make
better decisions.

Always popular - hand raking bunkers.

Our staff is also very well educated. In addition to our management staff, who are all college graduates, all of our Vietnamese staff are in the process of acquiring various degrees in agriculture from Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture. As part of their work visa and continuing education here in the U.S. we are helping them learn more about turf management and agriculture. This visa program has been a huge success to our maintenance operations and I look forward to using it again in the future.

Hand watering is always necessary throughout the course.

Highlands Falls Country Club is a unique and exceptional place, due in part, to its unique and exceptional staff. We are all proud to serve the membership and look forward to many more successful years at Highlands Falls.

The A-TEAM!

 

Divot Party a Success!

I want to thank everyone who came out for our first divot party.  We had over 80 participants which helped make quick work of filling divots throughout the course.  A special thanks also to the Ladies Golf Association who put in the extra effort to make this event a success.

Fred giving instructions on how to repair ball marks and how to properly fix a divot

Filling divots

Enjoying a good time caring for the course

Sometimes it takes a team effort

I certainly hope that everyone has a renewed appreciation for basic golf etiquette.  During the hour of filling divots, over 10,000 divots were filled and 2 tons of sand were used.  Remember to continue to fix your divots and repair your ball marks while you are playing golf.  Other than being the right thing to do, it saves the club over $15,000 in labor per year!

Bodel loves a camera

Chris helping fill sand bottles

Dick Chitty came prepared for any work we had for him

Josh thanks Rick T. for his help on the course

The staff discusses the days fun

A little rest after hard work



Divots everywhere

New Bunker Rakes

Anytime we change course accessories such as divot boxes or ball washers, we must make sure we are purchasing a quality product.  Over the past month we have been sampling and testing various  styles of bunker rakes from different manufacturers.  We tested the rakes on their ability to perform in our style of bunkers and their build quality.  Price was not considered as all of the rakes are priced similarly.  Our testing revealed that not all bunker rakes are created equal, even though on the surface they may look equivalent.

Various style of bunker rakes

First an foremost a bunker rake must provide an even pattern of disturbed sand without deep furrows.  Our testing showed that all of bunkers rakes provided satisfactory results.  Next we tested the rakes ability to push sand up a hill.  This is important mostly for the maintenance crew so that we can push sand after a washout.  Four of the five did a satisfactory job at pushing sand but two stood out as being superior.

After testing the rakes on the course, we chose three rakes to determine their quality of construction and materials.  This is where it became obvious that not all rakes are created equal.  Two of the three rake heads had a shallow neck for the handle to attach.  We determined that this was a weak spot that would put added stress on the rake handle, especially when pushing sand. 

Different head styles.  Note that the teeth are similarly spaced, this provided similar results raking the sand.

Different rake head styles.

However, the most obvious inequality between the three rakes was the construction of the rake handle.  All three had different levels of build quality in their fiberglass handles.  Each handle had a different level of fiberglass thickness while two had the addition of a plastic honeycomb inside the handle to improve durability.

Obvious difference in fiberglass thickness of the handle.

So which one did we choose?  I am happy to report that we have chosen the Par Aide AccuCurv bunker rake.  This rake has the longer neck in the head and also the thicker rake handle.  Additionally, it performed flawlessly in the bunker.  As an added bonus, the rakes are made in the USA!  The new rakes should arrive in about two weeks after which we will put them together and distribute throughout the course.


The WINNER!  The Par Aide AccuCurve bunker rake.

New Antennas Improve Reception

The irrigation system is the lifeblood to every golf course, providing water when Mother Nature won't.  One of the main components is the field controller of which our course has 13.  The field controller receives information for watering from a central computer that is located in our maintenance department.  We type in how much we want something to water and the computer sends it to the controller. This is done using a two-way radio.  Each field controller has its own radio to receive commands from the central computer. 

3 element Yagi antenna

Over the years, we have had trouble communicating with some of the field controllers.  This has been mainly due to our hilly terrain, so its not a new problem, but we have managed through it.  For reasons unknown to me, the problem has been worse this year, with several controllers unable to receive the vital commands needed from the central computer to water the course.  When this happens, we have to go to each controller and manually input the nights watering schedule.

Davis preparing the antennas for installation

To solve the problem, we have installed Yagi antennas on almost all of the field controllers throughout the course.  These antennas are far superior to original built-in antennas that came with the controllers.  You will now notice a 10 foot pole next to the field controllers with an antenna at the top that looks like the old TV antennas that many houses use to have.   After testing the new antennas, I can confirm that we have excellent signal reception at every field controller.

New Yagi antenna installed next to a field controller

The American Flag at Highlands Falls

With July 4th just around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to educate everyone on what it takes to paint the American Flag on #17 and also give a brief history of the flag.

Painting the flag

For about 10 years now, the HFCC maintenance staff has been painting the American flag on #17 fairway.  17 was chosen as it provided a perfect position for the flag to be seen from the clubhouse.  The flag measures 100 feet across and takes over 1500 feet of twine to set up.  We use 10 gallons of red, 10 gallons of white, and 5 gallons of blue turf paint in addition to a case of white spray paint.  From start to finish, it takes approximately 4 hours to complete.

Painting the flag

Since we started painting the flag, it has become just as popular outside the club as it is inside.  It has been featured in several magazines and websites.  I have done speaking engagements on how we do it.  And last year several area Superintendents and vendors participated in painting it while also helping to raise money for The Wounded Warrior Program.

A view from the clubhouse

Local Superintendents and vendors

  

A Brief History of the American Flag

The current official U.S. flag is a 50 star flag, born of the need for a more practical design to accommodate new states entering the union. On April 4, 1818, Congress established the number of stripes at seven red and six white, and provided the addition of one star for each new state. The thirteen stripes represent the original 13 colonies. The 50 star flag has been in use since July 4, 1960 when Hawaii officially joined the union.

In the first years of the Revolutionary War, America fought under many flags. One of these flags, called the Grand Union, flew over George Washington's headquarters near Boston. It was the first American flag to be officially recognized by another country.

Grand Union Flag

On November 16, 1776, the American warship, Andrew Doria, saluted a Dutch fort in the West Indies and was saluted in return. This brought a measure of international recognition to the United Colonies.  A flag with thirteen stars and thirteen stripes received its first salute from another country on February 14, 1778, when French vessels in Quiberon Bay, France, saluted John Paul Jones and his ship, "The Ranger."

No one positively knows who designed the first Stars and Stripes, or who made the first flag. Soon after the flag was adopted by our new government, Congressman Francis Hopkinson claimed that he had designed it. Some historians believe that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first U.S. flag.

On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag of the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

13 Star American Flag

Today, that union consists of 50 stars representing all 50 states.