Weekend Observations

After playing the course last weekend, I wanted to share a few observations.

The first thing I noticed was that the greens were still a bit bumpy and slow as a result of the aerification process that took place May14-16. The greens were on pace to be healed by Memorial Day, however, last week's heat wave sent the grass into survival mode as opposed to a growth and recovery mode.

The weather on tap for this week should help speed up the recovery process. To combat the delayed recovery, we were forced to increase our fertility rates going into the weekend. The increase in fertility expressed itself through an increase in growth over the weekend. The faster the greens grow, the faster they will heal, but this will slow down your ball roll. Once we have achieved a complete recovery,  I can begin to spoon-feed the greens at a maintenance level and avoid the growth flushes we are currently seeing.

Please keep in mind that most of our greens are young and it is important to find a balance between firm, fast, and healthy. The high number of rounds run through the course puts a lot of stress on a mature putting surface, let alone one- and two-year old putting surfaces. As with any greens renovation, the most valuable tool is patience and time.  To avoid some of the issues we encountered last summer,  we need to make agronomic decisions based not only on the playability but also the health of the golf course. There is a balance out there and I am charged with finding it.

Another issue I came across are the grooves left behind in the bunkers after our hand raking. This is the result of two problems. The first is the softness of the new bunker sand. It takes time for bunkers to settle and become firm. Precipitation plays a large role in this process and we have been very dry since last fall. The lack of winter and spring precipitation has slowed this process quite a bit. The second issue is trying to find the proper bunker rakes and routines. This may sound simple, but we have had issues finding a rake that doesn't leave a deep groove while still being aggressive enough to do its job. I have ordered two new bunker rakes and we hope to give them a shot next weekend. I would love to say "its just a bunker, its supposed to be penalizing" but we all know that is not the case anymore.

Take a look at the above photo. A research group tracked the steps that JUST ONE FOURSOME of golfers took while playing out their balls on a green. Multiply the number of steps by 50 and you have an average Saturday on the golf course. A golfer has a ground pressure of 8-12 pounds per square inch, which is 2-3 times that of our greens rollers. Please tread lightly.

We had a busy Memorial Weekend at the course and we all appreciate your patronage.

Memorial Weekend Rain

We had .8" of rain early this morning. The fairways will take awhile to dry out. This video illustrates why it is important to stay on the paths until the course has a chance to dry. Thanks for your patience and cooperation.

Rain!!!

We received 1" of rain last night and we needed every bit of it. Our record high temperatures and low precipitation rates have really dried out our soil profile. Some timely rains and cooler temps are more important now than ever.

Cart Traffic

Golfers play a huge role in preventing cart related soil compaction. While it is very convenient to take the shortest route to an area, diverting your cart just a little bit will make a big difference in the fight against compaction. You can help by using the cart paths as much as possible and by keeping your cart fully on the path around greens and tees. Please use the 90 degree rule and follow the cart direction signs whenever possible. We can't solve this problem without your help. Thanks everyone.

Red Feather Preview: Hole #1

We started rebuilding Red Feather #1 by making the black teebox larger and elevating it to provide a better view of the hole.

The most noticeable change will be the new fairway bunker on the left side of the dogleg. This bunker sits 292 yards from the blue teebox and really protects the left side of the fairway.

We removed the cart path that previously ran through the fairway and directed the new path around the back of the green. This dramatically cleans up the appearance of the hole and provides a safe place to layup.

The two bunkers near the green were rebuilt and really enhance the appearance of the hole. The right bunker hides a collection area that connects to the green.

View this hole at 5:30 a.m. as the sun comes up and it is quite impressive.

May 19th Rain

We received well over 1/2" of rain last night and it was very much needed. We have a very dry soil profile out there and its going to take quite a bit of rain to replenish it.
The rain forced us to the cart paths for morning play, but we should be off of them by the afternoon. To everyone that was inconvenienced by the the cart rules we appreciate your patience.

Drawing Winner!!!!

Mark Neill has been randomly chosen as the winner of an 18- hole round of golf and $10 gift card to the Indian Creek Golf Shop. Congrats. I will inform the golf shop so you can swing in and redeem your prize.  Thanks to everyone who has joined the site, and stayed tuned for more drawings like this throughout the year.

Aerification Process

The following videos feature footage from each of the steps in the aerification process.

Step1. We pull a 4"core that is 5/8" in diameter. These cores are pulled at a 2.5" spacing.

Step 2. A crew of 6 push these plugs to the greens edge.

Step 3. A crew of 6 shovels and loads the plugs for disposal.

Step 4. Once the the plugs are removed we apply a kiln dried topdressing sand to the greens.

Step 5. We use a ground driven brush to direct the sand into the open holes. Assuring that every hole is completely filled.

Step 6. We run a 30 minute water cycle to push the sand into the holes and turf canopy. This also provides relief to the stressed turfgrass.

This video shows a a green after the entire process is complete.

Thanks to my entire crew and the employees from Job Source for working hard to complete this process. Couldn't have done it without each and every one of you.

A Dog's Life

A typical day at work for Gus (Labrador) and Max (Schnauzer).

Greens Aerification

Today marked the first day of the springtime aerification process on the greens. This process is tedious, labor-intensive, and not very enjoyable for my staff or the golfers. It is, however, one of the more important agronomic processes we perform on the course.

Over the years, the greens have accumulated multiple layers of organic matter. These organic matter layers have a dramatic impact on the performance of a green during the stressful summer months. These layers prevent water from percolating through the soil profile which leaves the greens soft and spongy. These spongy conditions not only make for a poor putting surface but also make the greens more prone to mower scalping. If you scalp your turf shoots, you will lose your roots system. The layers also compromise the soil's ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere. Plants, like people, need to breathe so the soils ability to exchange proper gasses with the atmosphere is vital to root health.

Core aerification is one of the most effective ways to battle the effects of these layers. We pull and harvest a 5/8" core to the depth of 4" and then fill these voids with a fine-textured, kiln-dried topdressing sand. This creates a clean and porous channel that allows for improved water movement and gas exchange through the root zone. The photo below shows a cross section of our greens profile eight months after the last aerification process. As you can see, this sand channel will act as a corridor through the root zone for both water and gas.

We understand that this is not the most enjoyable process for the golfers but please understand that it is very important. We hope to have the greens healed up and putting normal very soon . Thank you for your patience.

Red Feather Tweaks

Today we added a low mow collection area to the right side of the green on #2 Red Feather.

Granular Feeding

Today, we applied two granular products to the greens. The first product was a 7-14-14 fertilizer. These three numbers represent the "by weight" percentage of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium contained in the product. By applying 5lbs of product per 1000 square feet, we applied .35lbs of actual Nitrogen per 1000 square feet. The majority of the Nitrogen is in the Ammoniacal, or Urea form, which will allow for quicker uptake by the plant.

The second product we applied was 0-0-12 Mag-tec, 24% magnesium (Mg) product. Mg is a vital constituent of the chlorophyll molecule, which is the molecule responsible for the absorption of light. A lack of Mg will result in a yellowing of the plant known as chlorosis. An Mg deficiency is not a major concern in heavier soils such as clay, but on a sand-based green it can become an issue. The science behind this is better saved for a future post.

All this is being done in preparation for aerification next week. The healthier the turf is at the time of aerification, the faster the green heals.

Red Feather Preview: Hole #9

The new bunkering on this hole puts a premium on a straight tee shot.

The left fairway bunker sits 240 yards from the blue tee and provides a nice frame for the fairway. The far right fairway bunker sits 180 yards from the blue tee. If you find yourself against the greenside face of this bunker, your odds of hitting the green in regulation are pretty slim.

The other right fairway bunker sits 212 yards from the tee. If you are able to carry the ball 240 yards uphill, you can fly this bunker and you'll be rewarded with a kick towards the green. A new greenside bunker hugs the left side of the green and provides protection for a left pin placement. This bunker is fairly deep and will demand a challenging lofted bunker shot.

Summer Mowing Heights for the Home Lawn

iNfo for the North Central US | University of Nebraska – Lincoln turf.unl.edu Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension education programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Homelawns: Adjusting summer mowing heights (?), current seedhead production April 30, 2012

We get countless mowing height questions at this time of the year. Mowing at 3" or higher is the best way to maintain a healthy lawn. On a concrete surface, measure from the concrete to the actual blade tip (not the housing). Or simply use the highest setting for most mowers.

Unlike in some earlier recommendations, mow at the same height all year-long. Some adjust the mower higher in the summer months with the hope of improving rooting and thus improving heat and drought tolerance. Raising mowing heights after June 1 is too late because it is after the period of greatest root growth for cool-season grasses. Raising the mowing height at this time does not encourage deeper rooting and thus the plant has to support more leaf material with a proportionally smaller root system. This compromises the plant and will actually require more watering compared to leaving the mowing height at the spring setting. The bottom line is set the mower at 3.0 to 3.5 inches in the spring, and leave it there all year.

Now that Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass are producing seedheads, it is especially important to maintain sharp blades sharp. Seedheads detract from the appearance of a turf because they grow quickly and unevenly and the tough seed stalks do not cut cleanly except with the sharpest of mower blades. After mowing, the grass may appear a lighter green to even white because of the frayed seed stalks. The most effective way to control seedheads is through mowing frequently with a sharp mower blade. Do not set the mower lower during seedhead production as some recommend. Seed production only lasts about a month, so the problem should subside quickly. More on seedheads in the lawn can be found here.

Zac Reicher, Professor of Turfgrass Science, zreicher2@unl.edu

May 6th Rainstorm

The course had 1" of rain as of 7:15 a.m. this morning. Below is a picture of #1 Gray Hawk fairway.

The new grading and drainage on the fairway on #6 Red Feather seems to be working very well.

Thank You Nancy

Nancy Maiers, Indian Creek Banquet Manager and Event Specialist, announced yesterday that she will be resigning at the end of the summer to spend more time with her family. Nancy has played a leading role in event coordination at Indian Creek for nearly a decade. The success of hundreds of golf outings, weddings, and business meetings were in large part due to her abilities as a coordinator. She will be with us until August and will play a large role in finding and training her successor. Between now and then, please take the time to thank her for her time and dedication to Indian Creek.

Red Feather Preview: Hole #7

As you step onto the tee, the first thing you will notice is the new bunkering. Although the locations haven’t changed much, the size, shape, orientation, and visual impact definitely have.

The orientation of the left fairway bunker has changed completely and fits the hole much better. The bunker sits 190 yards from the blue tee and a shot with 220-yards of carry will have no problem flying it. Be aware, however, that there are only 30 yards of fairway between the bunker and lake. If you find yourself in the right lobe of this bunker, you will discover that hitting the green in regulation becomes quite a challenge.

The far fairway bunker sits 220 yards from the blue tee and is larger and much more visible, providing the conservative (smart) player an excellent aiming point from the tee. A tee shot just short of this bunker will leave you with an excellent shot at the green.

The most noticeable changes on Hole #7 might be on and around the green. We have added 1000 square feet of putting surface to the back of the green which provides us with more cupping space. This allows us to take advantage of the upper left tier of the green that was once too severe to cup. We also have the ability to bury a pin back and right directly behind the new greenside bunker. The water is no longer the only obstacle on your approach shot.

Check back soon for a preview of Hole #9!