December Update

December Update

 

While we are currently waiting for the winter weather to show up, I wanted to update everyone on our progress over the early part of the winter project list. 

We are pleased to announce that Clubcorp has committed to re-surfacing the greens in 2013.  Per the letter that was sent out to the membership,  we plan to close in mid-June and reopen as quickly as possible.  this improvement to the course will make Laurel Springs one of the best conditioned golf courses in our area.  We are very excited as we embark on this new era for our club.

We are currently making our way through the golf course removing dead trees that were marked this fall.  Although the project is a huge undertaking for our staff,  we hope to get this project knocked out over the course of the next few months.  Warmer weather impedes us from performing this task, so as the weather gets cooler, more progress will be seen

This week we started a project to redistribute the sand in the bunkers.  While our new way of raking the bunkers (we actually brush the bunkers now to help compact the sand) is working well,  we have found that too much sand has congregated in the lip.  Our staff is pulling sand from the lips of the bunkers to aid in the ball rolling down to the flat to decrease the chance of an unwanted lie.

Thank you for all of the positive comments I have received while riding through the course.  See you out there!

Wesley Michielsen
Golf Course Superintendent

November News

November Course News

We have been very busy preparing the course for the upcoming winter months.  Winterizer fertilizer has to be applied to all of the Bermuda grass in the fairways and rough.  This will ensure a great transition going into the spring. 

As you drive through the course, you will notice many trees that have been marked for removal.  They have either been painted with an "X" or a ribbon tied around them.  We marked these dead trees during the growing season so we could identify them clearly during dormancy.  These trees are ones that our staff can remove during the winter or mornings we have frost.  It may take us some time but we will get them all down.

Throughout the course,  we will be limbing up all of the trees that either come into play or impede our maintenance pratices.  Over the years the course landscaping has grown substantially.  It is our plan to improve views of the holes from the tees and approaches to the greens throughout the course.

In other course related news, Paige, our goose dog, is back from her training session in Virginia.  She is back to chasing geese and seems very happy to be back at home.  Her golf ball obsession has been diverted and she is doing extremely well now.  If you see her on the course be sure to stop and give her a pat on the back.  She loves the attention.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at wesley.michielsen@ourclub.com

Hope to see you all on the course

Wesley Michielsen
Golf Course Superintendent

Fall 2012

Now that Fall has returned to Georgia, the weather is providing some beautiful playing conditions and soon, some amazing views of the golf course.  These past two months gave us many quality tournaments at the club and many of you rose to the occasion to claim your new crown in many of these events. 

As we continue towards Fall and Winter we will be posting our plans for our yearly projects we perform during this time.  Stay tuned for a detailed assessment of the golf course and what we plan to accomplish this Winter!

Fall Aerification 2012

Everything went well with our fall greens aerification and we couldn't have asked for better weather.  Every year we aerify the greens in the spring and fall to reduce compaction, promote new root growth, and to get much needed oxygen and nutrients back into the soil profile.  With the rain that is on its way from Issac, we should see the sand wash in well and get the greens back in shape quickly. 

This picture is one of our star operators Luiz Aramas topdressing #2 green.  We apply two coatings of sand and then drag the greens in, forcing the sand into the aerification holes.  The sand we use is the same sand used in the original soil profile of the green, with the organic matter removed.  This "straight sand" mix allows the roots to adhere to the sand particles and create a new mass of healthy and young roots for the upcoming year.

Paige, our Goose Dog

All great golf clubs have a talented supporting staff.  Our maintenance crew at Laurel Springs is pleased to have one of the most highly trained goose removal tools in the industry, Paige.  Paige came to us about 6 years ago from a farm in northwestern Virginia.  Her mother won the Seclusival Sheep Herding Trials in Scotland. 

Paige is in the shape of a marathon runner.  She runs the golf course every morning without stopping.  All 7 miles of cartpath at full speed. Over the years, Paige has become very attached to not only the staff here at Laurel Springs but also golf balls!  She loves them.  If I ever need a ProV1, I just take Paige to the wetlands at number 10 and I will have a 1/2 dozen in just a few minutes.  Of course this has become a huge problem for us because we can't allow Paige on the course during member play.  She thinks all golfers are there to play fetch with her!

This past weekend, I drove Paige back to her home for some much needed refocusing work.  She will begin her refresher this week and I will return in a month to bring her back to us.  Below are some photos of the farm and Paige.  We can't wait to get her back!

The sign for the farm.  Not only do they raise cattle and sheep, their main source of revenue is Border Collie Training.

The training grounds for Paige and the sheep. 

Paige after a hard days work.  Flat wore out!  This dog is a machine!

Summer Cultural Practices

Toro Hydroject and Topdressing

  Another tool that we use during the summer months is called a Hydroject.  This machine increases the pressure of our irrigation lines to inject a stream of water into the greens sub-surface much like a traditional aerator would do using a metal spike.  The water makes a small penetrating mark in the surface of the green then expands out and down to create a shattering effect to the root system.  This stimulates the roots of the plant by providing new avenues for growth and much needed oxygen to the root system.  By using water instead of the shattering effect of a metal spike, this approach is a much more delicate practice to employee during the heat of the summer.

We also apply a layer of topdressing sand during this process to help repair the small marks on the green and to simulate the top growth of the plant. This practice helps to keep the crown of the plant more protected.  The topdressing also provides a smoother surface for players putting on the greens in the coming weeks.

New Greens in 2013

Dear Members,

We are pleased to announce that ClubCorp has committed to resurfacing the greens at Laurel Springs in 2013.

As of this blog posting, we have not determined what type of grass will be used during the resurfacing.

Core samples of the greens profile have been taken to determine the greens structure is still healthy and sound.  We are also conducting shade surveys to help us finalize the type of grass that will be used and to give us a better idea in regards to the scope of  the project.

Below is a photo of just one of the tools we use in determining sun patterns on the green.  The Solar Pathfinder is a device that normally would be used to find the best location for solar panels in residential and industrial applications.  This technology was adapted in for the golf industry a few years ago. 

The device is placed in the center of the green and a photo is taken of the tree line reflection.  This photograph is then transferred into a software program that can provide daily and monthly sunlight totals, in real time.  This give us the capability to understand what turf grass works best in our surroundings and what trees, if any, need to be removed from the green surround. 

We are continuing our research on grass selection and will update you as soon as a firm commitment is in place.



Summer Stress

During the summer months, you will see us watering the greens throughout the day. We do this because the surface of the green exceeds the air temperature by at least 10-20 degrees.  This temperature fluctuation  causes extreme stress to the turf, placing it in a state of degradation that potentially could lead to detrimental wilt.  There is a fine line to walk between too much water and not enough.  If we apply to much water we can choke the grass blade and cause it to wilt also.  This fine line is what keep us constantly running throughout the course during your round of golf.  Please be aware that there is a very small window for us to apply the water and we will get out of your way as soon as we can.

The tool we use to gauge the temperature of the greens surface is an industrial tool used to read the temperature of metals during fabrication.  This "temperature gun"  fires a laser at the greens surface and relays the information back to us so we can effectively monitor "in real time" what we are accomplishing.

Temperature of Number 2 green after we applied water/misting of the surface on Saturday.

Temperature of Number 2 green 10 minutes after the application of water 

As you can see from the photos the temperature of the greens surface rises dramatically throughout the day.  It is critical that we move quickly and efficiently around the course to ensure the putting quality of all of our greens stays on par. 

2012 Men's Member/Guest

Congratulations to all of the flight winners of the the 2012 Men's Member/Guest.  

Overall Champions Mark Hancher and Marcel Leroux fought hard to come out on top against some of the best players at Laurel Springs.  During the Final hole of the shootout, Hancher and Leroux, stood victorious over runners up Mike Lamb and Paul Smith.  Thank you to all of the player for your kind words over the course conditions during the event.

Stimpmeter

The Stimpmeter

The art of measuring the greens consistency dates back to 1935. During the US Open that year a spectator, named Edward Stimpson, wanted to create a device that could be used to measure the speed of a green.  The original device was made of wood, but in 1976 it was recast in aluminum and the USGA started using it during events.  The Stimpmeter became available to Golf Course Superintendents in 1978.  

The device is always surrounded by controversy due to the use of the word "speed"  in its definition.  "Speed" of a green is a relative term and varies from course to course and green to green.  The Stimpmeter reading has always been used by me to measure the consistency between our greens at Laurel Springs,  therefore creating a better product for you to enjoy.  There is nothing worse than playing a golf course and putting on one green that is slow then on the next green, rolling the ball 15 feet past the hole. 

As we continue into our golf season,  we track the progress of the greens consistency and alter the speed based on the event taking place.  Double mowing, rolling and light topdressings are just a few of the cultural practices we employ to ensure our greens fit the needs of our members and guests.

For further reading about the Stimpmeter, check out the Wikipedia link.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stimpmeter

Senior Member/Guest

Senior Member/Guest was a huge success.  I would like to congratulate Overall and Individual Flight winners.

This week is a busy week for us.  We have received close to 4 inches of rain since the close of the event.  Bunkers are once again being repaired and we are topdressing greens again today.  

We hope everyone is enjoying the current conditions!

Senior Member/Guest 2012

Our staff is readily preparing the course for our Senior Member/Guest tournament.  Although we needed the rain we received Sunday, we were delayed with our mowing and bunker preparation.  We are diligently working to put the golf course back together to provide everyone with the conditions expected for this event.  I hope that everyone enjoys the golf tournament, conditions, and the camaraderie that golf is all about.  Can't wait to see you on the course!

Wesley Michielsen

Golf course Superintendent

Welcome to the season

Well it looks like we are behind the threat of cooler temperatures and the golf course is responding well to the warmer soil temperatures.  There are three things Bermuda needs to grow.  Water, nutrients, and warm soil.  Now that we have all three elements in place the fairways will start to thicken and provide a better lie for the ball.

The golf season is upon us and we can't wait to see you out on the course.

Wesley

Wildlife Series: Green Heron

Early on the course one morning,  I discovered this Green Heron stalking something at #17 lake.  I was able to get close enough to fire off a series of shots and record him catching his breakfast.

I personally feel the best thing about these photos is they are simply taken on the course. An area that we pass daily during our rounds, yet we seldom stop to think about the ecosystem that the course completes.  I truly believe I will never have the opportunity to capture a moment like this again.  The locking eyes of captive and captor is priceless.

Fertilizing Fairways 5-2-12

We are out fertilizing the fairways, tees, and rough this week in order to push the turf and take advantage of the early summer-like temperatures.  With this type of weather, it will be just a few days before the place greens up.  This picture was taken on Monday during the fertilization process.  The course is already a few shades greener and it is only Wednesday.

What are all the brown places in the fairways?

Each year we aerify the golf course fairways. Most years we wait until July to perform this task but with the extreme temps and lack of rain throughout the early part of the year, we made the decision to go early. Compaction of the fairways is a battle we face due to the cart traffic the golf hole receives. In essence, our aerator slices the fairway to reduce compaction and allow for better water infiltration through the clay soil profile.

The slicer cuts through the Bermuda and penetrates to a level of about 6 inches. During the day these "slits" will dry out and the turf will turn brown at the point of entry. In years past we haven't seen this trend due to the quick recovery time in July.

We thought we were finished with cool temps when we performed this task. The week after aeration, our area was hit with temps in the 30's and the fairway growth slowed dramatically. Temps are back on the rise and fertilizer will go down Monday to speed the recovery process along.

#5 Gold tee sod

You will notice #5 Gold tee is half new sod and half existing turf.  This was a planned decision based on the fact that the right half of the tee was in good health.  This will also allow us to utilize this existing turf through the transition phase of  growing in the tees again.  Players will rotate between this space and the players tee once the sod roots and requires less water.

Sod Work: Week of April 23rd

 

This week, we are sodding the Blue and Gold tees on number 16 and number 5 tee complexes.  The tees at number 16 will be sodded with Zeon Zoysia.  Zeon is the most shade tolerant Zoysia on the market.  As you can see from the above photo, the shade on the Blue and Gold tee at #16, during mid day, has always posed a problem for this complex.  We began removing the old sod Monday and will be laying the new sod on Thursday.  The tees at number 5 will be sodded with 419 Bemuda and both tee complexes will be open soon for play.

Heavy Winds and Frost April 24th

 What a crazy year for weather.  Near 90 degrees in early March and now heavy winds, 36 degrees, and frost in low areas during late April!  This tree fell on Monday afternoon directly behind #4 green due to the high winds and lack of spring rain.  It could not have fallen in a more perfect place.  Just between the green and cartpath!

Course Snakes

Just a reminder that snakes are out already this year.  The prominent species on the course is the common water snake.  These snakes are usually mistaken for copperheads.  Common Water Snakes are non venomous yet are agitated easily and will defend themselves.  If you see one, just step aside.  As you can see from the picture, its most likely just looking for lunch.

Tee Update

Most of you know about the lightning strike that damaged our irrigation system. With new control panels, purchased and installed, the tees are recovering rapidly and look better everyday.

The exception to this is number 5 tee.  This past fall, due to the amount of play the tee receives and its small size, the Bermuda on number five was thin when we overseeded the tees. As the ryegrass checked out the Bermuda base wasn't as established as prior years.  We will be sodding the Blue and Gold tee this week in order to re-establish the Bermuda.

At this same time, we will be leveling and sodding the Blue and Gold tee on number 16 with a new shade tolerant Zoysia.

Welcome

Welcome to our blog.  Despite some early problems with the site we are back up and running.  Thank you for your patience as we work toward re-posting the last few updates that were lost.  Over the course of the next few days we will reprint these postings.

 This blog is to serve as an informational stopping place for our members and guests to view past, present, and future projects and news about our course.

The blog will be updated weekly with pictures, course maintenance schedules, and general news from our department.

We appreciate you stopping by and please subscribe to the page so you can stay connected to us!

Thank you,

Wesley Michielsen
Golf Course Superintendent
wesley.michielsen@ourclub.com

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Winter Update

Spraying weeds daily to eradicate unsightly winter weeds and develop stronger weed free turf for the spring. As of today we have sprayed 60 acres of turf.