Showing posts with label Newsletter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newsletter. Show all posts
Friday, February 20, 2026
Monday, July 22, 2019
Dog Days of Summer
July Course Update
The ole saying... "Dog Days of Summer"... How did they get me resting in those nicely groomed bunkers on #8.
Early in July, we had a few windstorms that were pretty intense. We lost a few giant tree limbs. The top picture fell within 30 minutes of a Monday golf outing on #1. Oh boy...
Wow, most of July has been a test for a lot of us Wisconsin turf nerds. Daily temperatures nearing record highs for almost 2 weeks straight with mid 90's and high humidity levels = pull hair out = stressful time for us... I must take a hint from these construction workers next time...
Luckily, the course fared reasonably well throughout the intense stretch of weather we had through the beginning to mid July. Generally, when humidity goes up, green speeds go down slightly due to higher water contents absorbed in the leaf tissues and those plant tissues not being able to "respire" (retaining water inside the leaf blades). Thankfully, on July 18th we finally got some much overdue rainfall. Our last good rainfall was on July 1st. We were due! Overall, the course held up well and we were able to control the main diseases that affect the turf during these high stressful times.
This is the bad thing with rainstorms. NOOOO. The bunkers here at OGC are a known problem with inconsistencies with their construction, design, and composition. We hope to fix these items in a much larger scale restoration/renovation. Yuck...
We did see a few isolated spots throughout the course whether it be from irrigation sprinkler heads or irrigation controllers not working correctly and a few diseases on the banks of the #10 forward tee. On Sunday of the Ross Cup, Mike and I were out troubleshooting an irrigation controller between each group. There were 18 sprinkler heads not working. Sorry for those on #6 tee that had to dodge a sprinkler when hitting. This was another problem with that controller that day. The most affected area on the course happened to be on the #9 forward tee. We believe the irrigation controller wasn't working properly on the forward tee which caused the tee to become predominantly "moisture stressed" and turn the top of the tee stark brown. We plan to hand water that tee for the next few weeks to see if we can get it to rebound. You can even see some small footprints from that.. :)
Odds and Ends...
One item we will be looking at in the foreseeable future is to verticut fairways at OGC. A sales person from Georgia was in town (beating the heat, I guess) and had his verticutter implement to show off. We ended up trying it on the range chipping fairway. Works great but debris collection would be the next concern. Overall, verticutting helps condition the plants to grow healthier and ultimately firm up playing surfaces. It removes the unwanted "soft, spongy" thatch/organic matter under the turf's surface.
Thanks to our handy mechanic, Smokey, he was able to update the #12 counter to a more presentable surface.
Our team began auditing our irrigation system and turning on sprinklers to see if they needed repairs, what types of parts were in them, and troubleshoot any not working correctly. The added bonus for Joel, our assistant, was on those hot days he didn't mind getting close to those sprinklers getting him wet as if he spent his day at Noah's Ark.
Our team did have a few course tee marker setup mistakes but have since been able to correct those quickly by painting some tee blocks half red/half gold and on #9 half white/gold.
One focus in July was to begin squaring the tee boxes on the course. We noticed coming out of the winter tee edges were a little wavy and wanted to see if we could straighten them out. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do this in the Spring, given the condition of the irrigation system and lack of an assistant, but we are starting to work on these detail items now.
Another item completed in July, was bringing in an Arborist for a tree review. Almost every year, OGC has brought this consultant in to take a look at the trees. The focus in the past was on infected Imprelis trees. The Greens and Grounds Committee wanted to get a tree assessment specifically the ash trees. Unfortunately, all of the ash trees are showing signs of Emerald Ash Borer Infection (~30 trees). The Arborist recommended these trees could not be saved given the infection of EAB. We've known about Emerald Ash Borers for at least 6-8 years, but even treated trees are starting to show signs of infection.
Starting in July, we have had a team member begin to prune some much needed trees on the property. We will be pruning some limbs that our team cannot cut safely in August by hiring a contractor to come in for a day. Stay tuned for those. :)
New's Flash... Don't leave your moon roofs open or windows for that matter. :)
The ole saying... "Dog Days of Summer"... How did they get me resting in those nicely groomed bunkers on #8.
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| https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224054 |
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| There are 2 "rough" maple trees that fell from high winds and weak tree limbs. Unfortunately, these will have to come out for safety reasons. |
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| https://funlexia.com/2013/06/07/too-hot-to-work/ |
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| Normal Bunker Washouts with Rainstorms = Soil/Rock/Sand Contamination |
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| Irrigation controller not working correctly on #9 forward tee |
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| Never seen this before... Usually I see cart tracking when moisture stressed, but never from walking. :( |
Odds and Ends...
One item we will be looking at in the foreseeable future is to verticut fairways at OGC. A sales person from Georgia was in town (beating the heat, I guess) and had his verticutter implement to show off. We ended up trying it on the range chipping fairway. Works great but debris collection would be the next concern. Overall, verticutting helps condition the plants to grow healthier and ultimately firm up playing surfaces. It removes the unwanted "soft, spongy" thatch/organic matter under the turf's surface.
 |
| Nearest Lines = blown off turf from vertuctting. No impact to play on fairways when blown off. |
Thanks to our handy mechanic, Smokey, he was able to update the #12 counter to a more presentable surface.
Our team began auditing our irrigation system and turning on sprinklers to see if they needed repairs, what types of parts were in them, and troubleshoot any not working correctly. The added bonus for Joel, our assistant, was on those hot days he didn't mind getting close to those sprinklers getting him wet as if he spent his day at Noah's Ark.
Our team did have a few course tee marker setup mistakes but have since been able to correct those quickly by painting some tee blocks half red/half gold and on #9 half white/gold.
One focus in July was to begin squaring the tee boxes on the course. We noticed coming out of the winter tee edges were a little wavy and wanted to see if we could straighten them out. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do this in the Spring, given the condition of the irrigation system and lack of an assistant, but we are starting to work on these detail items now.
Another item completed in July, was bringing in an Arborist for a tree review. Almost every year, OGC has brought this consultant in to take a look at the trees. The focus in the past was on infected Imprelis trees. The Greens and Grounds Committee wanted to get a tree assessment specifically the ash trees. Unfortunately, all of the ash trees are showing signs of Emerald Ash Borer Infection (~30 trees). The Arborist recommended these trees could not be saved given the infection of EAB. We've known about Emerald Ash Borers for at least 6-8 years, but even treated trees are starting to show signs of infection.
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| Emerald Ash Borer Infection - Left of #15 - were treated here before my tenure. Didn't work. |
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| Pruning to be done in August - Bring on the Tree Climbers |
New's Flash... Don't leave your moon roofs open or windows for that matter. :)
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| I've seen it all now. A duck on top of a Car! Must have been checking out the Moon Roof. |
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
June Course Update
June is in full swing and which is a good time to give some updates.
Wildlife in Full Bloom...
Try attempting to fix an irrigation satellite to almost have a heart attack as you almost stepped on a baby fawn. Fixing the satellite didn't mean much after seeing the joys of our wildlife here at OGC. In addition, we have seen so many fury critters all around this season from the Turkey Trotters, the monarch butterfly caterpillars are abundant, to the deer herd/population, to the turtles laying their eggs in fresh sod on #13 (thanks!), the red tail hawks, and i didn't forget you, to the hundreds of frogs in the pond on #13. We even had our famous cranes strolling the property this Spring too. Here at OGC, you are never alone with the wildlife that uses the property as their home and sanctuary!
#10 Landscaping...
Early in June, a landscape company was able to complete the project on #10 which will mature as the plants establish and flourish for years to come. The crane sculptures will also continue to be accented in this perennial bed. The outcropping of stones too add a dynamic touch, I just couldn't figure out where the waterfall should have went (Sorry the Legends Clubs...)
Sodding of Tree Areas...
After the first few weeks of June, our team worked hard laying down the rest of the sod and repairing the remaining tree areas and miscellaneous spots to improve the quality of grass in the rough. In total, we purchased 24 pallets of sod which is around 12,000 sq. ft. The weather wasn't fully cooperative as our second batch of sod came during a dry spell with very little rain. With all the sodded areas scattered throughout the course and not concentrated in one area, it has been a challenge to keep these areas wet to allow for the sod to establish smoothly. Some areas that don't survive, I plan to swap out with some new sod rolls in late June or early July. Soon, we will be taking off the ropes and stakes and be able to use these areas for normal play. With some extra rolls of sod, we were also able to fix up the fairway bentgrass areas that needed a few adjustments by utilizing the front part of the 17th fairway.
Range Bushes...
In May's newsletter, I discussed the bushes between the parking lot and the range tee. With no better reason other than that some survived the brutal winter and some didn't. Our team held out hope for a few more weeks that the bushes would decide to fill in, but unfortunately, they did not, so we ended up cutting these bushes down to where the growth was and see what will happen with the re-growth. If the re-growth isn't favorable, we will know what to do towards the end of the season or early next year.
Bunker Work
Here in June, the Greens and Grounds Team has been working on some of the bunkers. Some members have been edging the bunker faces to give them a crisp clean detailed look while some of the other team members have been working on fixing some of the troublesome bunkers that had a poor liner material or minimal sand amounts. The most noticeable bunker will be the left green side bunker on #8 where the team carefully removed the white liner from the entire bunker and then added fresh sand to increase the amount of material there and provide better playing conditions. Right after adding sand to this bunker, it may play a little differently to the other bunkers but will settle down more as the season draws on.
Pumpstation/Satellite/Irrigation Work
This Spring and early Summer we have really worked hard on repairing the irrigation system to replace sprinklers that were damaged towards the end of last year and also replacing certain components that have been worn out. In total, I have replaced around 20 entire sprinklers, 75 internal sprinkler bodies, and about 125 or more retainer rings that are a part of the fairway sprinkler system. In total, the irrigation system has ~807 sprinkler heads. Also, I've had a veteran contractor help me from time to time to work on an aging irrigation system that is 25+ years old. We are starting to see more wear on the entire system and will need to plan accordingly in the future to address this key "heart and artery" infrastructure that keeps this course what we all call OGC.
Remember, when laying sod, the green side goes up!
Wildlife in Full Bloom...
Try attempting to fix an irrigation satellite to almost have a heart attack as you almost stepped on a baby fawn. Fixing the satellite didn't mean much after seeing the joys of our wildlife here at OGC. In addition, we have seen so many fury critters all around this season from the Turkey Trotters, the monarch butterfly caterpillars are abundant, to the deer herd/population, to the turtles laying their eggs in fresh sod on #13 (thanks!), the red tail hawks, and i didn't forget you, to the hundreds of frogs in the pond on #13. We even had our famous cranes strolling the property this Spring too. Here at OGC, you are never alone with the wildlife that uses the property as their home and sanctuary!
#10 Landscaping...
Early in June, a landscape company was able to complete the project on #10 which will mature as the plants establish and flourish for years to come. The crane sculptures will also continue to be accented in this perennial bed. The outcropping of stones too add a dynamic touch, I just couldn't figure out where the waterfall should have went (Sorry the Legends Clubs...)
Sodding of Tree Areas...
After the first few weeks of June, our team worked hard laying down the rest of the sod and repairing the remaining tree areas and miscellaneous spots to improve the quality of grass in the rough. In total, we purchased 24 pallets of sod which is around 12,000 sq. ft. The weather wasn't fully cooperative as our second batch of sod came during a dry spell with very little rain. With all the sodded areas scattered throughout the course and not concentrated in one area, it has been a challenge to keep these areas wet to allow for the sod to establish smoothly. Some areas that don't survive, I plan to swap out with some new sod rolls in late June or early July. Soon, we will be taking off the ropes and stakes and be able to use these areas for normal play. With some extra rolls of sod, we were also able to fix up the fairway bentgrass areas that needed a few adjustments by utilizing the front part of the 17th fairway.
 |
| Look at that completed hillside right of the Green (w/a Magnifying Glass)!! |
In May's newsletter, I discussed the bushes between the parking lot and the range tee. With no better reason other than that some survived the brutal winter and some didn't. Our team held out hope for a few more weeks that the bushes would decide to fill in, but unfortunately, they did not, so we ended up cutting these bushes down to where the growth was and see what will happen with the re-growth. If the re-growth isn't favorable, we will know what to do towards the end of the season or early next year.
Bunker Work
Here in June, the Greens and Grounds Team has been working on some of the bunkers. Some members have been edging the bunker faces to give them a crisp clean detailed look while some of the other team members have been working on fixing some of the troublesome bunkers that had a poor liner material or minimal sand amounts. The most noticeable bunker will be the left green side bunker on #8 where the team carefully removed the white liner from the entire bunker and then added fresh sand to increase the amount of material there and provide better playing conditions. Right after adding sand to this bunker, it may play a little differently to the other bunkers but will settle down more as the season draws on.
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| Nice new Edge on the Bunker! |
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| Nice work Sam! |
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| Jake, Jacob, and Sam Working on Peeling the Bad Liner Out. |
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| Jake, Jacob, and Sam Working on Liner Peeling |
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| Removed Bunker Liner Material from #8 Left Green Bunker |
Pumpstation/Satellite/Irrigation Work
This Spring and early Summer we have really worked hard on repairing the irrigation system to replace sprinklers that were damaged towards the end of last year and also replacing certain components that have been worn out. In total, I have replaced around 20 entire sprinklers, 75 internal sprinkler bodies, and about 125 or more retainer rings that are a part of the fairway sprinkler system. In total, the irrigation system has ~807 sprinkler heads. Also, I've had a veteran contractor help me from time to time to work on an aging irrigation system that is 25+ years old. We are starting to see more wear on the entire system and will need to plan accordingly in the future to address this key "heart and artery" infrastructure that keeps this course what we all call OGC.
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| Those Ugly Green Boxes in the Rough.. This is what the insides look. ~25yrs ago these were state of art. Things obviously changed since then.... The pieces inside are not readily available and make watering a challenge without working properly (I brought the only available parts from the company which they call "Refurbished" parts and the part that was supposed to be good was actually worse than the part that needed to be replaced in the satellite). Sigh |
Remember, when laying sod, the green side goes up!
Thursday, March 28, 2019
April Newsletter
Ready, Set, Go…
Looking ahead, the course seems to have fared well over the Winter months. Currently, I don’t suspect any issues with the turf stands. We’ll be watching closely as mild temperatures continue. We’ve seen a few isolated rough spots that may need some attention and I’ve noticed several areas with frost heave from the Spring thaw. As this is new to me, I hope that these areas will subside early on. I’ve been told, that most of these are normal, and will update you as I learn more.
Spring will be a busy time, as noted above, with learning the property, teaching a new assistant, and all its intricacies, in addition, we have a few repair items to address. The irrigation system and the bathrooms on #12 had some issues in the winterization (blowout) in early November. I will be repairing these components as we charge the system for the year and open the #12 bathroom. The #12 bathroom will be closed until the repairs have been made, which I hope will be early May. Also, the landscape bed by the 10th tee will be refreshed with some new plantings to supplement the open vistas created by the removal of a few dying trees. Lastly, we will have turfgrass sod repairs for those tree stumps removed during the sunshine enhancement program around the course.
Our Spring staff has recently begun cleaning up the course. The team has been busy raking, blowing, and preparing the surfaces for play. We have also begun to clean up tree stumps from the sunshine enhancement program. The pictures below show an impressive stump grinder and contractor that came in recently. He was able to efficiently grind up all the stumps in a day. That’s impressive given it usually took 3-4 full days from our previous contractor.
The Board has approved a single one-color pin flag system which will really showcase the classic course OGC is and improve the efficiency of the grounds crew. Stay tuned for more information as we roll out this change and highlight some indicator markers on select holes to aid in determining the area of the flagstick. Please continue to follow the turfgrass blog for OGC for updates to timelines and projects (www.ocongolfclub.blogspot.com).
Welcome to another great year here at Oconomowoc Golf Club,
where I will be the new resident “Turf Doc” that will attempt to entertain you
with insightful logic from the golf course’s perspective.
Recently, our Assistant Superintendent, Eric Schmitt,
accepted a Course Superintendent position at Bass Lake Golf Club near Antigo
and started April 1st. Eric
has worked for OGC for a little over 2 full seasons and will be missed in my
transition here at OGC. Nonetheless, I
will be searching for a new assistant and will just have to train myself and
the newest assistant too. A big
challenge, but I’m up for it. Luckily, I’ve had a head start since November,
but I ask for your patience as we ramp up the course this Spring season and
learn the ins and outs about the property throughout the golf season.Looking ahead, the course seems to have fared well over the Winter months. Currently, I don’t suspect any issues with the turf stands. We’ll be watching closely as mild temperatures continue. We’ve seen a few isolated rough spots that may need some attention and I’ve noticed several areas with frost heave from the Spring thaw. As this is new to me, I hope that these areas will subside early on. I’ve been told, that most of these are normal, and will update you as I learn more.
Spring will be a busy time, as noted above, with learning the property, teaching a new assistant, and all its intricacies, in addition, we have a few repair items to address. The irrigation system and the bathrooms on #12 had some issues in the winterization (blowout) in early November. I will be repairing these components as we charge the system for the year and open the #12 bathroom. The #12 bathroom will be closed until the repairs have been made, which I hope will be early May. Also, the landscape bed by the 10th tee will be refreshed with some new plantings to supplement the open vistas created by the removal of a few dying trees. Lastly, we will have turfgrass sod repairs for those tree stumps removed during the sunshine enhancement program around the course.
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| Vol Damage Between Greenside Bunkers on #8 (happening underneath the snow cover this Winter) |
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| Stump Grinding on #10 (Beautiful vista has opened) |
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| Stumping on #9 (Slicers beware of thicker turf :) ) |
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| Stumping on #13 Green Bank (Grass density should improve to the right of #13 green) |
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| Stumping on #15 Hillside (Who said we couldn't grind on the steep hill) |
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| Frost Heave on #1 Fairway (Normal heaving?) |
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| Bathroom Repairs (Water pipe exposing for fixes) |
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| Bathroom Repairs (More water pipe fixing) |
Our Spring staff has recently begun cleaning up the course. The team has been busy raking, blowing, and preparing the surfaces for play. We have also begun to clean up tree stumps from the sunshine enhancement program. The pictures below show an impressive stump grinder and contractor that came in recently. He was able to efficiently grind up all the stumps in a day. That’s impressive given it usually took 3-4 full days from our previous contractor.
The Board has approved a single one-color pin flag system which will really showcase the classic course OGC is and improve the efficiency of the grounds crew. Stay tuned for more information as we roll out this change and highlight some indicator markers on select holes to aid in determining the area of the flagstick. Please continue to follow the turfgrass blog for OGC for updates to timelines and projects (www.ocongolfclub.blogspot.com).
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It's Invitational Week... Here's a (quick) note... What's different about this picture? a. the fountains are not on b. n...
