Asphalt Sealcoating on the Cart Paths

So long as the weather holds out this week, our staff will begin to apply asphalt sealcoat to the cart paths throughout the course.  Fresh sealcoat is essential to the preventative maintenance of the paths in addition to making the course look better.

One of the major benefits to sealcoating is when applied properly, it can extend the life of blacktop to well over 15 years by protecting it from UV degradation.  Also, the sealcoat fills in small cracks that if left unmaintained, would get larger and damage large sections of pavement.  And lastly, there is no question that it just makes the paths look better and maintained.

Sealcoat is applied by hand through a spray wand.

We will have to reroute cart traffic while we are applying the sealer.  Please be patient as there will be times that we need to reroute cart traffic around entire golf holes.  This will happen in areas that we have bridge crossings like on #10, #14, #16, #17, etc.  However, we will do these areas when it will least interfere with golf play.

300 gallon asphalt spray tank and pump.

I thank everyone for your patience while we work to improve your golf course.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at any time.

Vertical Mowing

Starting next Tuesday, we will begin to "verticut" all of the fairways, tees, and greens collars. Verticutting is the process of cutting the grass in a vertical direction as opposed to the horizontal position that we normally cut the grass.  A set of blades spaced about an inch to two inches apart spin at high speeds cutting slits into the grass.  Normally, the slit is no deeper than a quarter of an inch deep. 

Vertical mowing a fairway with a verticut mower.

Regular vertical mowing is one of the most beneficial maintenance practices we can perform to maintain desirable turf and playing conditions.  Verticutting stimulates the turf to grow more aggressively, denser, and tighter; all characteristics of quality playing surfaces.  While you will see the slits in the turf, playability will remain excellent.  The only downside to this process is that it must be done while the turf is actively growing, and the temporary aesthetic appearance of the slits.  With good growing conditions, the fairways, tees, and collars will all look normal after about two weeks.

Vertical mower for tees and collars.  Note the vertical blades.

As always, we appreciate your patience while we work to improve the golf course.

Lightning Safety on the Golf Course

    

     Recently I read an article in one of my trade magazines that dealt with lightning on the course.  It highlighted several cases from last year of golf course staff and golfers that were hit by lightning.  Some didn't survive.  With the season for rain and thunderstorms upon us, I feel it is a good time to reflect on some simple safety guidelines concerning lightning.

     Every year more people are killed or injured by lightning than by tornadoes, floods, or hurricanes.  In fact, it is estimated that in the United States, as many as 300 people are killed by lightning each year.

      Because golf courses are generally open areas with scattered individual trees, they can be a dangerous place to be during a thunderstorm.  A lightning bolt will take the shortest route between the cloud and the ground, which means that a golfer standing in the middle of the fairway or huddled under a tree is a prime target for a strike.

     However, there are several safety measures we can take to avoid being hit by lightning:

Ø  Use common sense

Ø  Seek shelter at the first sign of a thunderstorm

Ø  If possible, get off the course

Ø  Do not stand under a tree.  This is where most people are injured or killed

Ø  Stay away from water

Ø  Stay away from your golf clubs, these can act as lightning rods

Ø  If stranded in the open, go to a low place such as a ravine or valley

Ø  Listen for the safety alarm

Ø  Don’t take chances (you can play after the storm)

 

Tree damage after a lightning strike.

 

     These are just a few safety measures we can all take during a thunderstorm.  The storms here in the mountains can appear quickly, and many times do not show on the radar.  Because of this, we must act quickly and use our common sense. We all want to see our friends and neighbors on the course the following day.  Also, please remember that all members are responsible for using their own judgment in seeking safe refuge during a storm.



Lightning strike in the mountains.
 

Also, I want to thank all the members who have been following basic course etiquette in fixing ball marks, divots, and using the 90 degree rule.  It only makes the course better and after all, it is the rules of golf.  Lastly, thank you for your continued support.  If anyone has any questions about the course or any projects, please feel free to contact me.

Course Update 5/3/13

The season has begun and we are now open for play.  We are still wrapping up a few small projects that have been delayed by deliveries and the weather.

Rain has been the norm this Spring.

Cool temperatures and rain have been the norm this Spring.  As a result, the grass is growing slowly, most notably on the greens.  At this point the grass on the greens is only producing leaf tissue and not spreading like we would like.  This will change just as soon as the temperatures start to warm up.  What this means to you now is that the greens will putt slow.   This is because the turf is not growing through the sand that was applied after aerification of the greens.  Until the grass starts to grow through, we cannot lower the height of cut which in turn increases green speed.  

Installing new sod on #6.

A project we perform every Spring is sodding weak areas in the rough and fairways.  We have had several large areas ready for new sod for the past two weeks but only just now have we received the sod.  The reason for the delayed deliveries, rain.  Because of the regular rainfall this Spring, the sod fields have been too wet to cut, thus the delays.  However, with our latest delivery, we have been able to finish the last of the areas that needed sod and we are now able to focus on some of the finer details throughout the course.

Its Fish Time!

     Every year in late Winter through early Spring, I get calls and emails from all the fishermen at HFCC wondering when, where, and how many fish I'm stocking this year.  I am happy to say that we have just finished stocking the lakes for the upcoming season.

Stocking at #18 bridge.

    We had hoped to stock the lakes with a hybrid trout called a Tiger trout.  However the hatchery informed me that none of the fry made it past a couple months.  Hopefully next year they will have more luck, and we can try again.

Brown Trout

    Even though we could not stock the lakes with the Tiger, we did stock them with a combination of about 75% Rainbow and 25% Brown trout.  While we had no trouble getting Rainbows, Browns are harder to get so we bought all the Brown trout that the hatchery had.  We were lucky to get what we did since few hatcheries raise Browns because they grow much slower than the Rainbows.


Rainbow Trout

    This year is one of the largest fish orders we have had in some time.  With the lakes now stocked with some good sized trout, I expect this years fly fishing to be exceptional. 

    

#5 Fairway Drain Pipe Project

One of the problems with an older course is construction materials used 30+ years ago do not meet the construction standards used today.  Case in point, the corrugated steel drain pipe used throughout the course.  Today, courses use either concrete or plastic drain pipes throughout as they have a near unlimited life expectancy.

Discarded steel drain pipe.

Steel drain pipe completely rusted through.

While steel pipe is relatively inexpensive, it also has a relatively short life span in the mountains.  With the acidic soils found in Highlands, the steel corrodes and deteriorates quickly.  Replacing these pipes has been an ongoing project for some time and is part of the current 5-year improvement plan.

New HDPE drain pipe being installed under #5 fairway.

We are currently in the process of replacing a large drain pipe on #5 fairway.  This pipe had several sections completely rusted away, while the bottom of the entire pipe had corroded through.  We are replacing the steel pipe with double walled HDPE (plastic) pipe which has an expected life span of over 100 years.  This project should be completed within about 2 weeks.

Sometimes the install is slowed to avoid other infrastructure such as irrigation lines and power wires.

Leveling the Croquet Courts

  Its almost time for croquet and we are hard at work preparing the courts for this season.  Since the courts were built using fill dirt, there was some settling expected during the first year.  One area had settled 1.5 inches.  While that does not sound like much, it really shows up on an otherwise level court.  My staff has removed the sod in this particular area and used a laser to level it.  The sod is back down now and will take a few weeks to root in.  Barring any unforeseen problems, the courts will be ready when the Club opens on May 1st.  Here are a few pictures of the work on the courts.

Removing sod on the croquet courts.

Rolling up sod.

Adding mix to raise the courts.

After leveling the court, reinstalling the sod.