Up Tp Par - Another Arctic Blast

Another Arctic Blast

The Polar Vortex has revisited the southeast this week, bearing unseasonably cold weather conditions. Temperatures are forecasted to be very cold tonight and not to exceed 39 degrees until Saturday morning. It's crucial to take precautions to ensure the low temperatures won't have a negative impact on the turf, particularly the putting surfaces. We expect a short relief from the cold weather by Saturday afternoon before cooler temperatures return next week.

We don't foresee any issues as long as we take the necessary precautions to protect the putting surfaces during the cold temperatures. The most effective way we can protect the turf is to restrict all traffic from the golf course until the weather warms up. Another step we are taking is to make sure the soil has adequate soil moisture, keeping the temperatures higher and grass healthier. Staff will be taking steps today to hand water dry areas and ridges to prevent the turf from drying out during the windy conditions we will experience.

Based upon the current forecast, it is our expectation that the golf courses and the practice facilities will be closed tomorrow. High temperatures are expected to barely get above freezing, with a wind chill ranging from 15-32 degrees. Additionally, we expect the weather to remain cold Saturday morning and will likely have a weather delay on the courses and practice facilities until mid-day.

To coincide with the courses being closed, Franklin Creek Café, Oakridge Steak & Pub and Deer Creek - A Coastal Grill will be closed for lunch on Friday. The Marshwood and Plantation Clubhouses will be open with normal hours of operation.

As always, please check the Rain Line (598-3450) for the most current update on the status of our courses and practice facilities.

Soil Nutrient Testing

This week we completed our annual soil sampling review on all 6 golf courses.  This information helps us to form our agronomic plan for the golf course for the entire year, particularly the fertility inputs needed to maintain a healthy turf.

 Overall our soils are in good condition, however we identified some areas for improvement as we continue to focus on progressing from good turf to great turf.  By testing the soil we enable ourselves to be good stewards of the property by developing a program to only add back the nutrients that are needed, without providing excess of those elements that are already present.  This is both environmentally friendly and financially efficient.

Ever get that sinking feeling?

I am sure some of you have noticed the unsightly, uneven ground next to the bulkhead on 12 Palmetto.  With all the rain we have recieved this past year, this area has grown more problematic.  Over time the runoff has caused excessive erosion and created open voids under the turf.  Some of these voids have reached the surface and created open holes next to the bulkhead.  As these areas became evident we would fill them in and level the surface as best we could.  This resulted in a bumpy, uneven, and unsafe area adjacent to the bulkhead.  The area became an eyesore and was very unsafe for golfers as well as workers.  This week we began work to repair the area.  We began by stripping the turf along the bulkhead to expose the dirt.  With the area exposed, we used soil probes to find the cavities below the surface.  Once the cavities were identified, the crew then collapsed them to create a solid base.  Some of these areas were rather large and 2 to 3 feet below the turf.  After all the cavities were collapsed, we then back filled the area with soil and used tamps to pack it down.  With the area filled in and leveled off we regrassed the area with sod.  The area will remain marked "Ground Under Repair" until the turf has time to establish itself; with the weather we have had this could take a while.  The finished product is definitely a huge improvment. 

Here you can see one of the voids being exposed, the shovel is resting on the bottom.  The first foot or two of soil was solid, but once we were past it there was just an open cavity. 

This is a good example of how deep the voids are once you get beyond the top layer.

This is how the bulkhead looked once we collapsed all the open cavities.  As you can see they were quite extensive.

We used our Tycrop materical handler to add fill dirt along the bulkhead.

Here a worker used a hand tamp along the edge of the bulkhead to pack the soil.

The mechanical tamp was used to ensure the area was packed down to recieve the sod.

There was quite an improvement in looks, playability, and most importantly safety once the project was completed.