Spring Forward

Spring Forward

 

 



Winter Weed Update:

As we move toward Spring, there are cultural practices we must perform on the golf course every Winter.  These practices set us us to have a wonderful Winter to Spring transition with our turf grass.  Every year, around the first of January, we spray the entire golf course, except greens, with a pre-emergent/ post emergent mix of chemicals.  This weed prevent/kill application has to be performed when the Bermuda grass is dormant and temperatures are close to freezing.  The application of these chemicals ensures us a weed free year going forward.  As of this post, we only have about 20 acres left to spray on the course.  The visible weeds are dying and future weeds are being held at bay.

Tree Removal Update:

We were making great progress with our dead tree removal around tee complexes until all of the rain settled in.  We basically have stalled out because of the huge mess we would make.  Our crew is continuing with other projects on the course that are less of an impact on playing conditions. 

Water Cooler Renovation:

We are in the middle of reconstructing our Water Cooler stands on the golf course.  Every year, these coolers receive a new coat of paint but this year we noticed many had rotting wood throughout the structure.  The first cooler to get a makeover will be the largest one at the putting green.   We should have it back on the course with in the next week.



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.