Hendersonville Country Club

A Little Room Please...

2012-02-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Over the winter we did some renovation work in our maintenance facility. For years, the equipment repair area was small and cramped. Equipment needing repair, from mowers to weed eaters, would stack up and give Luke limited space to even walk around. Usually he would have to work on a piece of equipment outside. With careful planning the work commenced and suddenly his work space doubled! The result has been fantastic. Luke is now more organized and less claustrophobic. He was even able to build himself a proper office.

The Process Continues

2012-02-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

The process continues of getting our new tee markers ready for the start of the season. The most difficult part was finding the best way to cut the circles into the tees. A router is the correct tool, but we quickly found out that doing it freehand looked pretty elementary. One of our staff members, Steve Keith, had the idea of fabricating a template to speed up the process and present a more professional look. Now we have about 200 tee makers cut and ready for painting and varnishing.

Back to #14

2012-02-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row we are back on the 14th hole doing some clearing and tree work. The result of the work performed last winter was a huge success, it has been great to hear all the positive comments. The tee area is now our target. The tee shot can feel very claustrophobic, and our goal now is to make this shot a bit less daunting. We are removing a number of high limbs and trees that have grown out and over into the flight path. It will also give the player a better look at the amount turf to the right of the fairway.

I remembering touring the maintenance facility during my interview process and noticing a bucket truck. I had no idea how handy this tool would become!

A little paint can do wonders...

2012-02-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

A golf course restroom is simply a place to... We have been spending some time sprucing up our facilities out on the course. Their were some unused accessories, non-functioning doors, and some lack of color co-ordination, that needed to be dealt with. This is a bit of updating that everyone will appreciate.

Signs of a Drought?

2012-02-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

We have had numerous comments on the level of the lake going down. First off, their will be no harm done to the fish, we're not draining it completely. The lake has been lowered to clean the intake for the irrigation pumps, clean the lake channel, repair the overflow pipe, and see what kind of "skeletons" are luring under the water. We are needing to finish our work quickly so that we can begin impounding water. The need for water on the course is right around the corner.

Repairing the overflow pipe.

Cleaning out the lake channel.

Tee Markers

2012-01-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

This spring the club will debut something new for the membership. The course was re-rated this past summer and the suggestion was made to add two additional sets of tees. This will be done to fill the yardage gap between the blue and white tees and the white and gold tees. The two new tee colors will be black and green. We will not be actually putting out new tee markers on each hole, our tees are small, and we don't have enough real estate. The black tees will play as a combination of the blue and white tees, and the green tees will play as a combination of the white and gold tees. To identify the tee color to be played the tee markers will have both colors on them.

This lead to an investigation in purchasing new tee markers. It has been decided that we will make our own, something I have done at previous clubs. We have begun this process and expect them to out on the course April 1.

To help speed up the drying process of the wood, we have been "cooking" them on the stove.

Redirection

2012-01-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

The creek that runs across holes 5 and 6 has been receiving some needed attention. The creek has naturally begun to meander, and in doing so the water was backing up prior to going through the culverts at the three bridges. This was causing some significant erosion at the base of the bridges. We were able to dig out the stream bed and force it to come into the culverts on a more direct path. We then reinforced the base of the bridges with bags of concrete. This should increase their structural integrity and extend their life. In the process some of the staff members were able to collect about 350 golf balls!

And the award goes to...

2012-01-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

I am finally getting around to posting some topics for 2012. We have received outstanding feedback from this blog. It is great to hear member feedback and get some turf industry exposure. We recently won the award of "Best Fabricated Gadget 2011" from TurfNet. TurfNet was founded in 1994 as a place for golf course superintendents to share experiences and opinions, avoid problems, save money, help others, get help when needed and have a little fun in the process.

Congratulations to Luke Sweeterman, our Equipment Technician, and our entire staff!! Below is the original post.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Some New Sand

A few of the bunkers have received additional sand. Luke Sweeterman, our Equipment Technician, fabricated us a tool to measure the depth of the sand in all of the bunkers. It was used to show us where we were less than 5" deep. Four bunkers were identified as needing additional sand. (Greenside bunker on #1, greenside bunker on #6, left greenside bunker #15 and the right greenside bunker at the practice area.) We used a mechanical rake and water to help the sand settle and firm up. It will take a few good rain events for the consistency to equal the other bunkers on the course.

Our depth tool.

Adding sand.

Applying water to help firm up the sand.

Final product.

Water Movement

2011-12-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

For a long time the fairway bunker on #18 has always washed out, deposited silt into the sand, and created a pond for days after a rain event. We began to fix the situation by checking to see if the internal drainage was still functioning properly, which it was. Next we removed the contaminated sand and replaced it with new sand. The final, and most important component, was diverting the surface water around the bunker. We did this by removing the sod above the bunker, grading in a swale bringing the surface water to the right and left of the bunker, and replacing the existing sod. The final product looks great. Now we'll let mother nature put it to the test.

Indoor Rain Gauge

2011-11-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

We are in the middle of a substantial rain event in Western North Carolina. I am still impressed how weather systems can get "stuck" here. Three inches have fallen since last night, and when that much rain occurs our offices and buildings take on water. The main reasons are the broken gutters and the way our buildings sit into a hill side. This winter we will be fixing these issues. We do not need Luke, our Mechanic, working on equipment in a pool of water.

No Step

2011-11-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

In the two photos below a common phrase should be used, "no step." Many of our bunker edges have fallen apart due to players exiting the bunkers incorrectly. Please do not exit a bunker by walking up these steep faces. Not only does it cause damage to the bunker face, but it is also a safety issue. The proper way to exit the bunker is at the low end and walk around to the green.

Spring Dead Spot Control

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Friday was cold and rainy. A perfect day for spraying fairways with a fungicide for Spring Dead Spot, since the fungicide needs to be watered in. This concluded all of our fertility, cultural, and chemical processes to help eliminate our exposure to the disease next spring. Now we wait, and hope for favorable weather conditions throughout the winter.

The view from inside the sprayer.

The season is winding down.

2011-10-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were able to finish aerifying and topdressing the tees. This project is one that takes us some time to do, so we just pick away at it for a couple of weeks. It also marks the end of our major cultural practices for the season. A sigh of relief.

Raining Leaves

2011-10-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

I took last week off and headed to Idaho and Oregon for some fly fishing. Nice to get away, especially when there are vast amounts of trout to catch.

Upon returning, the western part of the state is in its full fall beauty. The mountains are alive with color and the weather is perfect. While this is an ideal time of the year, we have the job of dealing with copious amounts of leaves each morning and throughout the day. I guess that is why it's called "leaf season."

No light at the end of this tunnel

2011-10-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Moles have been tearing around the course in search of grubs and molecrickets. Fortunately, they have been staying in the rough, not disturbing playing areas. When they decide to come onto a green...that is a different story!

This guy would be labeled "cute" by my kids.

Wildlife

2011-10-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

This past spring we created some native/natural areas around the course, primarily near our water sources. These areas have been meet with positive comments from the membership, and shows our commitment to the environment. It has been great to see these areas come alive with different species of animals enjoying a new home.

"It's to dark." is no longer an excuse.

2011-09-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

A new tradition started at the Golf Course and Grounds Department. Since the days are getting shorter, we were loosing time between enough daylight to work and the first tee time of the day. The solution, work in the dark. We were able to outfit our mowing equipment with lights and provide our employees with headlamps. Their has been a bit of a learning curve, but so far it is working out great.

Summer Recovery

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

Some seed has been put out this week. During the summer our cool season areas can take a lick and we need to help them recover. You will notice areas that are roped off and/or painted as Ground Under Repair. Please play the ball accordingly.

Even the "pit" on #10 got some help. Although this is not a pernament solution, our goal is to help provide better playing conditions during the off season.

"Did you aerify about three weeks ago?"

2011-09-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Six days ago we aerified the greens. Our recovery has been outstanding! A combination of perfect weather conditions and utilizing some new tips, techniques, and fertility products has put us a few days ahead of schedule. Ironically tomorrow we will begin to slow them down.

2011-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we performed the last major cultural practice of the year to our greens. The weather was perfect, the staff did an outstanding job, and we completed the job early. Our goal now is to reach full recovery ahead of the Fall Member/Member.

Pulling Cores

Blowing off extra debris.

Smoothing them out.

Overseeding Driving Range Tee

2011-09-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

To start, we dodged a bullet from tropical storm Lee. We were in the forecasted path of potentially receiving 6-10" of rain. We only received 2.1" and a small amount of debris from the wind. Today we jumped right back on our scheduled maintenance activities. Overseeding the driving range tee was the task at hand. To prepare we scalped the tee decks opening up the canopy of turf allowing the seed good contact with the ground. Seed was then applied and drug in. We will now begin to apply water daily as the seed begins to germinate. Until we achieve a mature stand of turf , members will be asked to hit off the mats.

Scapling the tee deck

Irritation

2011-09-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

It always seems to happen at the very end of the day. An irrigation head next to the 9th tee malfunctioned sending water and debris everywhere. A lot of the irrigation work we do requires us to manually turn off valves, stopping the flow of water to the problem area. Doing this eliminates water to different sections of the course. In this case 12 holes were shut down to fix one head. It took us about an hour and a half to be back up and running. The majority of the time was spent locating the valves, shutting them off, waiting for the water to drain out, then re-pressurising the system. The actual replacement of the irrigation head took only 10 minutes. Fortunately, we have some great staff members who were willing to stay late, roll up their selves, and get the job done

Redirecting Water

2011-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Due to the topography of the golf course and the surrounding area, we receive high volumes of water during rain events. One area where this is most noticeable is near the 13th tee. Below you can see a photo of the typical amount of debris we get even during a moderate rain event. We decided to put a swale in near the tee deck and redirect the water towards a creek. The project is completed, now we just wait and see how successful it is.

The debris field.

Completion

The Cycle of Life

2011-08-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

We have seen an increase in insect activity on the golf course, primarily grubs and cutworms. Cutworms have been showing signs of damage on our greens, and we have begun to add insecticides to our spray applications. We do not add an insecticide unless we have reached our threshold of damage. The next morning, after our most recent application, I noticed a wasp enjoying a tasty cutworm for breakfast. A pest for us and food for another.

Awesome Growing Conditions

2011-08-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Not many blog posts recently. Our staff has been lean for various reasons, and we have been primarily just maintaining turf. Fortunately, a week with reduced staff numbers also brought us excellent weather. Cool and sunny with timely rainfall at night. We are in the period of our season where weather conditions are ideal for all the types of turf found on the golf course.

Wasps

2011-08-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

I believe that each of my employees has been stung by a wasp this summer working on the golf course. They have become a nuisance and we've received many calls from the golf shop reporting another nest. A policy is in place that if someone notices a nest, we put up a black and yellow stake. The next morning we will eliminate the nest while the wasps are least active.

Carpet Stain

2011-08-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Once in a great while our equipment malfunctions. All of our staff members are taught how to react when a piece of equipment experiences a problem. Fortunately, this does not happen to often. However, it happened a few days ago when one of our fairway units sprung a hydraulic leak. Despite the fact that a fairway is burnt from the hot hydraulic oil, all parties involved responded perfectly. The operator was paying attention and quickly pulled off the fairway and onto the cart path. Our equipment technician got the unit back to the shop, had a new hydraulic hose fabricated and installed, and we were back in business in about three hours. Great teamwork!

Class Photo

2011-07-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Even though we are in the middle of the golf season, a couple of our seasonal staff members will be leaving us soon, returning to high school and college. So, yesterday was a perfect opportunity for our class photo to be taken.

DryJect

2011-07-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

Immediately after the Member/Guest tournament, we contracted DryJect Carolinas to dryject our greens. The DryJect utilizes a high-speed, water based injection of sand into the subsurface of the greens. On the surface of the green one only sees a hole the size of a finger, but underneath the sand channel opens up and penetrates up to 5” deep. This process allows us to incorporate a large amount of sand, 25 tons into the green. The middle of the summer is a great time for this process as it provides relief during summer heat and traffic by reducing compaction and amending the soil. For the golfer, the putting surface is almost immediately ready for play.

Profile of the sand injected into the green

The final product

Member/Guest

2011-07-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Men's Member/Guest was a great success. We heard nothing but positive comments from the players about the club's ability to put on a great event. Each department did an outstanding job.

For the Golf Course and Grounds Department, our staff did a great job of getting the course ready. The aesthetics and playability we almost perfect. The weather played some tricks on us the first day of competition, Friday. Unfortunately, rain delayed the first round for almost 5 hours and our staff had to break out the squeeges to get the greens playable again.

Putting contest

Electricity in the Air

2011-07-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

We have had a few trees fall victim to the recent lightening. These trees may or may not survive, time will tell. Lightening also may do damage to our irrigation system. The system has numerous lightening protection components, but when a strike is close enough we can still experience some damage. We have been fortunate that only a small amount of repair work has been needed this season.

A Breth of Fresh Air

2011-07-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

Our weather pattern and the stresses of the summer can take a toll on the performance and health of putting greens. Periodically, we will aerify the greens with 1/4" solid tines that penetrate the greens surface opening up an avenue for air and water. This is a non-invasive process and many players do not even notice the holes.

I was given the analogy once by a good friend. Imagine putting a bag on your head and trying to breath. Poke a hole in it and you can breath a little easier. Greens are similar. They can suffocate and by adding some holes, no matter the size or method, they can begin to breath a bit easier.

Fungus Amongus

2011-07-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

The recent weather has been warm and moist, perfect conditions for disease development. We have been applying fungicides to our greens and tees almost weekly. There are numerous diseases that we keep a close watch for and most behave differently. Turf diseases are funguses that produce spores that spread by wind, water, and mechanically (mowers.) In moist conditions, spores germinate and grow by producing hyphae. A mass of hyphae is known as mycelium, which is seen in the photo below. This photo was taken in the rough which only gets a fungicide application once a month.

Spring Dead Spot Recovery

2011-06-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Finally, we are seeing some recovery on the fairways where Spring Dead Spot took its toll. Spring Dead Spot affected our bermudagrass severely in some areas and in others it was sporadic. We started our recovery this spring by deeply penetrating the soil and alleviating compaction with our new Earthquake. Recently, temperatures have been favorable for bermudagrass to sent out healthy stolons and fill the void left by the disease. The recovery has been accelerated by our applications of extra fertility. We have mapped out all the areas where the disease was present, and this fall we plan on applying a fungicide, for the disease, in hopes of reducing its severity next spring.

Stolons gathering momentum.

Some New Sand

2011-06-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

A few of the bunkers have received additional sand. Luke Sweeterman, our Equipment Technician, fabricated us a tool to measure the depth of the sand in all of the bunkers. It was used to show us where we were less than 5" deep. Four bunkers were indentified as needing additional sand. (Greenside bunker on #1, greenside bunker on #6, left greenside bunker #15 and the right greenside bunker at the practice area.) We used a mechanical rake and water to help the sand settle and firm up. It will take a few good rain events for the consistency to equal the other bunkers on the course.

Our depth tool.

Adding sand.

Applying water to help firm up the sand.

Final product.

Greens Committee Meeting

2011-06-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

About 6-8 times a year I meet with the Greens Committee and the General Manager. This gives us an opportunity to discuss happenings on the course and for me to give an update on the activities of our department. We also discuss various topics, and if needed bring our recommendations to the Board of Directors.

Typically we meet at the clubhouse. For our most recent meeting we decided to meet down at our Golf Course Maintenance Facility. This allowed me to give a tour of our facility to the committee members and give them a peak inside our area and everything involved with maintaining a golf course. We also went on to the golf course and looked at a few areas for discussion.

If you would like to come and take a tour of our facility, let me know, it would be great to show you around.

You Never Know

2011-06-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Every day on the golf course can be different. We do our best to put a plan in place the day before knowing that it could change multiple times. Mother Nature tends to throw the most curve balls. Saturday morning we had the top of a pine tree fall on the blue/white tee on #4. Typically our staff is off the course by 9:30am on weekends. Saturday we had to rally up and remove the tree prior to leaving. I have said before that I have a great staff and it showed Saturday. Everyone pitch in to get the job done without hesitation.

Finishing Touches

2011-06-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we put the put the finishing touches on our project on #14. We were able to prep and seed the area along the creek and do a final clean up of the area. We have received a lot of positive feedback on the tree removal and the exposure of the creek. Many golf shots, once not an option, are now being played.

Bi-Monthly Greens Maintenance

2011-06-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

During the golf season we try our best to verticut and topdress the greens every two weeks. Poa annua can regenerate new leaf tissue quickly and become puffy. Putting speed and smoothness can be adversely affected during this time. Verticutting increases putting speed and overall quality. We lightly topdress to aid with the smoothness and help dilute our organic material. This is a great cultural practice to keep our greens in excellent condition.

View of the Verticutting reels.

The shallow grooves left behind.

Light topdressing application.

Driving Range Tee Update

2011-06-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

A quick update on the status of the driving range tee. In a recent post, I explained that due to the size of our teeing space and the excessive wear on the turf, we had two options for maintaining quality turf. Our options were to sod the tees or grow them back in, both requiring a period of time for players to hit exclusively off the mats. We have made the decision to grow them back in.

During this period of time our staff will be applying sand to smooth out old divots and applying extra fertility to accelerate recovery. The first step in this process was to eliminate the ryegrass that the tees were overseeded with. We used a selective herbicide that would not harm the bermudagrass. We also applied the herbicide to the areas surrounding the tees that were contaminated with clumps of ryegrass, poa annua, and a few weeds. So far, we are happy with the results we are seeing.

House Relocation

2011-06-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Today we relocated a wood duck house to a better environment on the edge of the lake. It was cleaned out and the vacancy sign lite up. Hopefully some wood ducks will find the accommodations inviting.

Fairway Growth

2011-06-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

We typically mow the fairways in a circular pattern going from the tee to the green and vise versa. This is a real time saver to stay ahead of play. The downside is that the turf is constantly being pushed in the same direction, flattening out, and mechanically being trained to grow more laterally. We were noticing that the club head was getting caught and lifting up laterally growing turf. By mowing different directions we are promoting the turf to grow more vertically. With doing this we have had some scalping in the fairways, which we assumed would happen. This should heal up very soon and the end result be better ball lie and playability.

A new direction of mowing creates excessive amounts of grass.

Cart Path Repairs

2011-06-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

Today we made some necessary repairs to our cartpaths. We were able to get the worst areas and make some significant improvements to this areas of the course.

Great Growing Conditions

2011-05-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we applied our fertility for the growing season to the main playing areas of the golf course. The weather has been ideal to activate it and aggressively grow some turfgrass. In some areas we have fallen behind, but our mowers and staff have been working hard to keep up with the growth.

One positve aspect is that our definition lines between the different heights of cut are really beginning to show. This is great to highlight our new shapes and sizes of the greens.

Volunteering

2011-05-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

This past week I volunteered at the Nationwide Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am at Bright's Creek Golf Club. I worked two evening shifts helping the golf course maintenance staff prepare for the event. The golf course superintendent, Doug Walter, is a good friend of mine and a former co-worker at Forest Creek Golf Club. Doug and his staff did an outstanding job getting the course ready. Having volunteered at major championships, and PGA Tour events, I have always found the time rewarding. It is great to network with others in the golf course industry, and I am able to come back with some good ideas for our own operation.

I Spoke to Soon

2011-05-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Days after bragging that our geese population was dwindling, I came upon goslings. The parents are tough and willing to protect their family. Best to leave them along for now.

A New Family in Town

2011-05-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

We are slowly getting rid of our geese. Fortunately, they have been replaced by a few families of ducks. They seem to enjoy being here and and are a welcome change from the numerous geese that damage the golf course in various ways.

Spring Member/Member

2011-04-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend we have our first big tournament of the season, the Spring member/member. The golf course is looking and playing great. We were a bit disappointed by the storms that come through during the week as they slowed down our preparations. We cannot dwell on that since so many people throughout the Southeast have gone through so much more; tornadoes, flooding, property damage and loss of life. A little more work on our part does not compare to what others are experiencing right now.

Spring Dead Spot

2011-04-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

Each spring plants bloom, birds sing and Spring Dead Spot appears in Bermudagrass. The fairways here are no exception to the number one disease of bermudagrass. This disease attacks the roots of the plant in the fall and weakens the turf without any visual symptoms. In the spring varying sizes of dead circular areas appear. Late fall applications of nitrogen, wet fall/winter, and excessive compaction and thatch are all predispositions for disease development. Right now we are mapping the areas where the disease is evident for a fall application of a fungicide to aid in lessening the severity next spring. The earthquake de-compaction unit were are currently using will help out also. We will apply extra fertilizer to aid in the recovery.

Golf Club Atlas

2011-04-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

We all know that the Hendersonville Country Club is a special place. For the most part, the golf course has stayed true to the day it was built by Donald Ross. One of our members, who follows this blog, sent me some quotes put on the discussion board from Golf Club Atlas. http://www.golfclubatlas.com/ With the work we have put into restoring some of our greens, this is perfect timing.

Hendersonville is by the way one of Ross' best sets of preserved greens I have ever seen along side OH on Cape Cod.

The greens are some of the best original Ross greens in NC, all 18 are still nin existance The topography has great variety with some heavy contour and articulation in the landing areas. Most of the bunkers are still intact, I remember seeing remnants of filled in bunkers and a few added bunkers. The greens are very special and the course is definitely worth a look.

Earthquake at HCC

2011-04-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

Actually their were two small earthquakes recorded about a month ago, both with the epicenter near the golf course. But, we have another type of earthquake happening at the club. Over the winter the club purchased at Earthquake decompaction unit after renting one for the past two years. This will be a huge benefit to us agronomically. The main playing areas suffer from compaction. This tool will allow us to relieve the compaction, improve soil structure and improve drainage. It is a slow process as we make our way around. Below is a link that highlights some of its unique benefits.

http://www.saviskyproturf.com/doc/RotaryDecompaction.pdf

Lunch Is Served

2011-04-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today Mr. Ransley stopped by to cook lunch for our staff. The rain stopped just in time for him to fire up the grill for sausages and hamburgers. This has been a tradition for him throughout the year. I forgot to tell the staff this morning so it was a pleasant surprise for them to see the grill when they came in for lunch.

Happy Birthday Mr. Chastain!!

2011-04-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a special day at the Hendersonville Country Club. One of our longtime members, Mr. Balus Chastain, was on his annual mission to play as many holes of golf as his age. His 77th birthday was in March and today he decided to attempt to play 77 holes of golf, walking! He started this tradition on his 62nd birthday. While walking a few holes with him he shared with me his love for the game and his many fond memories of belonging to the club. Congrats sir!!

The Last Three

2011-04-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

At the end of last week we took down the final three trees of our spring project. These three pines were located to the left of the 7th green. They were beautiful trees but they posed huge agronomic problems for the green. With the green being only 25' from the trees the roots were taking water and nutrients meant for the green. We would actually hit roots when aerifying the green. Also, the trees blocked a lot of morning and midday sun. The removal of these trees will provide us with better growing conditions and lessen the likelihood of thinning on the green in the summer.

Driving Range Tee

2011-04-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

One hot topic this spring has been the driving range tee. Our range tee is about 8500 sq ft, each tee deck being 2800 sq ft. When the course was built, practicing on the range was not as popular as it is today. We simply have a small range tee with no room for expansion. Today's range tees are usually built to be around an acre, 43,650sq ft. Our goal is to provide the best hitting conditions on the range tee and at times that means hitting on the mats. The bermudagrass on the tees only has the ability to recover 5-6 months out of the year. During the other months the scars left behind do not heal. We do overseed the tees in the fall with ryegrass. This gives us a better appearance during the winter and spring. However, ryegrass does not give us recovery as does the bermudagrass. Right now we are analyzing the condition of the tee decks and deciding our next move. Our current options are to re-sod them or grow them back in. Both options require us to close and hit off mats for a few weeks.

A New Look to the Greens

2011-03-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Another project for us this spring is to bring the greens back to thier orginal size and shape. Over the years they have become circles and ovals. Donald Ross put some great visual interest into the greens when designing them. Thanks to the Tuffs Archives in Pinehurst, NC, the club was able to obtain copies of the original drawings for the golf course. We are using the drawings to re-create the greens as best we can. Instead of rushing into the project, we are taking our time and will not get them all completed this year. So far, greens 5,7,13,14,15, and 17 have been done.

The original drawing of the 17th green.

Flagging the edges.

New look, back left corner of 17 green

Getting a Little Green

2011-03-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been unseasonably warm. Temperatures have sored into the low 70's and nighttime lows in the 40's. For March, these are great conditions for the bermuda to wake up. I am not about to say that we are in the clear for winter kill injury, but I am getting more optimistic.

More Removal

2011-03-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

We have moved away from the 14th hole on our tree removal project. We are now going through the course removing the trees that pose a safety hazard. The weather allowed for a very productive week. Check out this short video.

Timber!

2011-03-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today we began the task of removing large trees from the 14th hole. This complements all the work that we did over the winter. The trees being removed are the ones that we could not safely take down on our own. Professionals have been called in to do the task. This process will really add shot value and a better growing environment for turf. Many thanks to the Board of Directors for giving us the green light on this task.

Aerification

2011-03-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

Today we started the first aerification of the greens in 2011. We consider this our "official" start of the season. We had a very successful day especially since the forecasted rain held off and we actually saw a good bit of sunshine.

A few quick facts for the day. In 12 hours we aerified 110,000sqft, punched 2,160,000 holes, and applied 40 tons of sand. Tomorrow we will begin to blow all of the extra sand, making sure that all the holes are completely filled, and begin our application of amendments.

Punching Holes

Picking up cores

Topdressing

Brushing in sand

What's Dying

2011-03-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

You may be noticing areas in the fairways with yellow looking turf. These are areas of cool season turf, poa annua, ryegrass, etc, that we have sprayed with round-up. This is in a effort to clean up and bring the fairways back to a pure stand of bermudagrass. For many years the club overseeded the fairways in the winter. Since then numerous areas that have become contaminated. A program of "cleaning up" was stated two years ago, and we are continuing the efforts.

This spring there will be numerous areas where the turf appears thin due to this practice. But, we will be pushing the turf with fertilizer and growing it back in.

After the Rain

2011-03-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

The only thing we did not see after the rain ended was a dove.

Cats and Dogs

2011-03-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

The weather man says that we are below normal rainfall for the year. Since Sunday we have gotten close to 8" of rain which should help the drought monitor. With any course in the mountains water moves in rivers around here. I took some photos that are "typical" of a large rain event here.

In some areas we need to help move the water appropriately. In due time.

# 13 tee

#5 fairway

#6 fairway

#7 green

It's That Time Again

2011-03-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

On Monday March 14 we will aerify the greens. Our goal is for the greens to be healthy and growing vigorously prior to the aerification. This will help them withstand this cultural practice and aid in their recovery. The USGA sent out a wonderful article related to the necessity of aerification. Please check out the following link.

http://turf.lib.msu.edu/gsr/article/bevard-putting-3-4-11.pdf

Also, here is a video.

Combating Weeds

2011-03-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we began our annual application of a pre-emergence herbicide to the golf course. We are applying the product as a granular application that does not have any fertility. Our goal is to have the product on the ground and activated prior to weed germination. The product becomes active once it is adequately watered into the soil either by rainfall or irrigation. We use soil temperatures as a baseline for timing. A soil temperature between 50-60 degrees is our target.

We bulk spread the majority of the product using a tractor and a large spreader. Areas around tees and greens will be done with push spreaders where a large vehicle would do damage and more accurate applications are needed.

The foam that you see on the course comes from a device mounted on the front of the tractor to help us identify where the product has been applied, reducing the chances of overlaps and skips.

Science Class Update

2011-02-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks under artificial light and slowly raising the soil temps, we finally are seeing our bermudagrass plugs begin to green up. We added a heating pad under the tray of pots to help warm the soil which is now around 70 degrees. This is a very un-scientific experiment which I will not offer any predictions to be held to. But, it is encouraging, and we are hoping that extremely cold temperature are not in the forecast.

Breakfast

2011-02-22T08:41:00.000-08:00

Nice to see some wildlife early in the morning. This guy was enjoying the sunshine near the golf shop. Reminds me of my days at Forest Creek Golf Club.

Additional Progress

2011-02-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

Our work on #14 continues to go very well. I am extremely happy with the amount of work that we have been able to accomplish this winter. Recently, we limbed up a few of the trees that we are going to keep. This gave us a cleaner look to the project. Fortunately for us we have a bucket truck at our disposal.

We are getting the area cleaned up to the point where we can begin to see the end result. If you have noticed the pink ribbons on #14, and around the course, we have marked the trees that need to be removed that are to large for our staff to safely take down.

New Employees

2011-02-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

Each spring we bring in some additional staff members, Wookiee's and Droids.

Creative

2011-02-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

We recently finished painting all the tee markers and putting them back out onto the golf course. I continue to be amazed at some of the unique ideas the staff has developed. One being a way to transport freshly painted tee markers back on to the course with out them getting dinged up in the process. Below is the carrier that they came up. Very nice.

Needed Repairs

2011-02-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Winter weather can bring more than one bargained for. For us the meling snow and heavy rains left us looking at some exposed drainage in a few bunkers. A number of the bunkers on the course need attention in some form or another. But, when drainlines are visibaly exposed something needs to be done quick. We recently repaired drainage and added sand to three different bunkers. The left greenside bunker on #5, the left greenside bunker on #14, and the left greenside bunker on #18.

Loot in a Sea of Vegetation

2011-02-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

We are continuing our project on #14 by working the biggest corner of vegetation and trees that comes into play. This is the area where the creek enters the approach near the walk bridge. We pushed back this "wall" 20-30 yards and in the process found 105 golf balls and counting. Finding them gave us additional clarity to the benefits of working on this project.

You can now see the entire green from the tee.

Our Science Experiment

2011-02-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

We started an experiment today designed to forecast the possibility of any turf damage this spring. We took samples from areas that has the most winter kill damage last year. Our goal is to use artificial light and heat to prematurely break dormancy on the turf. Hopefully, the samples will green up and be indicative of our turf health this spring.

Getting More Efficient

2011-01-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we began to remove some of the larger trees associated with our project on #14. There are quite a few trees that we will take down, and we will be generating large volumes of debris. Our goal is to chip the debris and use the wood chips as mulch throughout the golf course. Since the ground conditions vary so much on the 14th hole we have had a hard time running loads in and out without tearing up the turf. We made the decision today to put a box on the back of our dump truck and aim the chipper into it. This will allow us to load a great deal of material into the truck, in one central staging area, reducing our frequency of driving in and out and potential damage to the turf.

Removing the Ice Rink

2011-01-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

The 14th green had a good layer of ice on it despite our efforts to remove it. Today we caught a weather break with some rain in the morning and sunshine in the afternoon. We were able to remove the remaining ice, which was about 1-3" thick. We also used squeegees to remove the remaining water of the 14th green and a few others so that we would not have new ice form over night.

The weather forecast for the weekend looks pretty good, and we're hoping for some golf to be played.

Another Disappearing Act

2011-01-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the temperature climbed into the upper 40's allowing the majority of the snow to quickly rip off the golf course. I have been asked numerous times if the snow is good or bad for the turf. It can be good when it is dry and acts as an insulator. When it becomes slushy and turns to ice over an extended period of time it can be dangerous. Noticing that cold temperatures are forecasted for the remainder of the week and weekend, we decided today to remove the remaining snow off of the greens. This will keep it from re-freezing and turning to ice.

In the photo below you can still make out the holes left behind from vertidraining the greens late in the season. Vertidraining is when we mechanically poke a long (8") soild tine into the green. This is a great cultural practice, especially on our push up greens. We did this late in the season to help the 5th, 7th, 13th, 14th, and 15th greens that run on the southern boarder of the property. These greens sit in the shade the longest and have historically been the slowest to recover from winter in the spring. The vertidraining is allowing the water to escape faster as the snow is melting.

Melting Snow Leaves Behind...

2011-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

When the snow begins to melt you never know what you will find, especially at the Hendersonville Country Club. Since sledding is a popular activity on the golf course we often find beer cans, broken sleds, and clothing. But a coconut and a shredded life vest?!

The snow is not slowing us down

2011-01-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

A lot of days of golf have been lost recently due to the snow. As much as we can, we are not letting the snow slow us down. Even though conditions are not ideal, we are being creative and finding ways to continue working on projects. Below, the push continues on our project on #14.

A Little Fresh Paint

2011-01-18T06:41:00.000-08:00

For the past two weeks the main clubhouse has been closed. During this time, club staff have been able to make necessary repairs, clean, and do some painting. Our department helped out with a lot of the painting that needed to be done. The timing of the most recent snow storm allowed us to dedicate most of our staff to the cause.

Snow Removal

2011-01-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

Sunday night we were blessed again with 8" of light, fluffy snow. Our staff was out early Monday morning beginning to remove it. Our department is responsible for the snow removal around the club, parking lots and sidewalks. We begin by clearing the fitness center then moving the golf shop and grill area. Once those areas are completed we move to the clubhouse. Depending on the amount of snow, it can be a time consuming process. Our main goal is provide safely for members and guests coming to the club.

The start of a big project

2011-01-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

Just before the end of the year we began a big project on the 14th hole. The overgrowth along the right side of the hole has been a topic for years. Shot selection has been greatly reduced, many golf balls lost, and turf quality has declined. This area stays in the shade and has very little air movement. The quality of the turf along the right side of the fairway and on the green has been compromised for years. By eliminating and trimming this area the quality of the turf will improve and the original shot selection Donald Ross intended will be restored. We will be working here for the majority of the winter. Some of the larger trees that we cannot take down safely will need to be removed by a professional tree service.

December Weather Data

2011-01-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

2010 is quickly becoming a memory. Weather extremes were common place throughout the country and North Carolina was no exception. I recently attended a conference where a meteorologist from the State Climate Office was a speaker. Everyone was curious to the forecast for this winter . We were basically all told that we have as good of a chance of a warmer than normal winter as we do a colder winter, the same for precipitation. Bottom line, we just roll with the punches.

Here is a re-cap of our weather data for December

Lowest temp: 10 degrees on the 14th

Highest temp: 50 degrees on the 31st

Rain: 4.8"

Snow: 10"

The Golf Course as a Playground

2010-12-17T07:22:00.000-08:00

As a child I thought the golf course was the perfect place to sled and play in the snow. For years, Hendersonville Country Club has been that for members and residents. We do not want to discourage sledding on the course but ask that the course be respected. Please stay clear of the greens, tees and bunkers. This is where most of the damage can occur and it could take well in the next growing season to repair.

Bike rack from the pool now in a bunker.

Vanishing Act

2010-12-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

Almost overnight, the snow covering the golf course disappeared. Just yesterday we were trudging through the snow while removing snow from a few greens that stay in the shade. Today we will be able to open the golf course. Holes 13, 14, and 15 will stay closed. Not all the snow melted on these greens even with our attempt to help them out. A few greens will have snow piled up around them.

Unexpected Surprise

2010-12-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the area awoke to 3"-4" of early season snow. It caught everyone by surprise, even myself. My staff and I came in a made sure that all the parking lots and walkways were cleared in time for the lunch crowd. This was a good for us to again review the clubs protocol for snow removal. Along the way we were able to snap a few good photos.

Still Frozen

2010-12-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

After our 7" of rain, the weather immediately turned cold. Lows in the lower teens and highs struggling to get above freezing has left the ground completely frozen. This includes the bunkers. We were able to get the majority of them raked after the rain event, but a few we could not because they were holding water. Now they are a frozen mess. Once we get some relief from the temperatures we'll be able to finish them.

Copious amounts of rain

2010-12-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

Early this week we experienced 7" of rain over a 24 hour period. This being my first big rain event living in the mountains, it was interesting to see how all of the water moved down and through hills and valleys. It was also amazing to see how the water moved through the golf course. I have a new respect for how important drainage is here. Fortunately, the golf course held up very well. The lake went over the emergency spillway and the creeks were moving swiftly.

A new look

2010-11-24T12:26:00.000-08:00

The removal of the diseased Hemlocks between the first and tenth tees has been done. This area had been an eyesore for quite some time. A landscaping proposal was passed to beautify this area. The staff of Southwinds Landscape Company, have been on site to bring this area back to life. The detailed rock work and the introduction of great plant material has really made and immediate impact.

Some of the plant material used:

Arborvitae

Crytomeria

Laurel

Holly

Azalea

Rhodedendron

Mole Damage

2010-11-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

Almost each day we find evidence of moles making burrows throughout the golf course. For the most part they tend to stay out of the playing areas, but occasionally they make their way on to some tees. Since moles and voles are endangered species in North Carolina, bait cannot be used to eliminate them. We can only rely on setting traps, which usually does not work.

Lime Application

2010-11-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we applied lime to all the fairways and weak turf areas on the golf course. Lime contains calcium and is most commonly used to raise the pH of soil. pH is a scale to measure the acidity and alkalinity of soil. The scale goes from 1-14. A pH of 7 is neutral. Soil with a pH below 7 is acidic, and pH above 7 is alkaline. The pH level we are attempting to achieve here is between 6 and 7. The soils here are very low, between 4 and 5. The pH of the soil needs to be adequate in order for plant nutrient availability, effectiveness of pesticides and herbicides, microbiological activity, and over all plant health. Changing the pH of soil does not happen over night, it takes time and repeated applications to reach the level. We made an effort to apply the lime yet this fall to allow for it to work into the soil and begin to raise the pH level.

Riding on the back to help the lime move through.

Welcome

2010-11-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Hendersonville Country Club's Golf Course and Grounds Department blog. The purpose of the blog is to highlight and answer questions related to the golf course and club grounds. This will allow member and guests a peek into what our department does.

At my former club, The Hasentree Club in Raleigh, North Carolina, I created a web site for members to view. It was met with many positive comments, that is my intention for this one. If you would like to view the site for The Hasentree Club, it can be viewed at:
http://www.thcgcm.blogspot.com/