Fall 2013

Fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. We had a successful golf season and now it is important we get a few major projects done before the snow flies. I was reviewing our greens management program today and was pleased to realize that we completed 13 topdressings on the greens between May and October. This is the most consistent topdressing season we have had since I started working at Indian Creek. Frequent topdressing takes a lot of work, especially on a 27-hole course. My mechanic and assistants worked very hard to help us get the job done. I hope to fit a few more topdressings in this fall and will aim to complete closer to 20 next season.

#3 Red Feather

Fairway aerification and over seeding were completed in the past couple weeks. This year's aerification process was by far the most thorough and aggressive since I started. We pulled 1/2"-1" cores to a depth of 4"-5". Every square foot of fairway was over seeded and aerified.

#4 Black Bird

#7 Black Bird

The next week will be spent fertilizing 120 acres of rough. We will also be spraying all the rough for broad leaf weeds. We also hope to finish up mowing our 50+ acres of natural areas. We are focusing on cleaning these areas up over the winter and throughout next playing season. It will be nice to treat these areas as an aesthetic element of the course as opposed to unmowed waste areas. It may take a season to get a real grasp on the weed control but I think we can take a big step in the right direction over the next 12 months.

 #2 Gray Hawk

Fall color on a Red Oak

Leaf cleanup always becomes a focus as the weather turns and many hours will be spent mulching what we can.

#5 Black Bird

Dividing Perennials



Time is running out to divide your perennials before the ground freezes. Perennials often benefit from division every 3-5 years and it's is a great way to get the most out of your plants. Please enjoy the how to video below.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuYW2Vj5JZ4&feature=youtu.be

Interesting Course Photos

Former Indian Creek Superintendent Bob Hall brought in some photos that he has collected over the years. In his collection was one that was taken of #2 Black Bird in early spring prior to the grand opening of Indian Creek Golf Course. Strangely enough, I had taken a photo of the exact same hole from nearly the same spot in the spring right before we reopened Black Bird after the renovation. My photo was taken without knowing the old photo existed. It gives us a great insight into how far the course has come over the years. I apologize for the poor picture quality, these are actually photos of photos taken with my phone.