Parking Lot Repair

Last week we finished up removing and replacing 1/5th of our parking lot. While its not a glamorous renovation project it certainly needed to be done. Considering are parking lot is 5 acres we chose to do the work in sections. We focused on finishing the main drive into the facility this year and will  likely continue into the main parking area next fall. In total we removed 30,000 square feet of 6" concrete and replaced it with 8". With fingers crossed we hope this slab will last until I have retired?

We were definitely concerned starting this process so late in the year. If the weather turned on us it was possible the project could have been halted, but mother nature provided excellent weather and the process was finished in very short order.  

 

Projects like this don't stir up excitement like bunker renovations but they are very important. Thanks to the crew at B and B Concrete and Construction for the hard work and a job well done.

Fall Has Arrived

The NGA recently published their fall edition of Nebraska Golfer Magazine. Its is always very well done and this issue does a nice job of highlighting this past years NGA events. Its a nice read and if you make it all the way the very end you'll find my contribution. The link to the online version is below.

http://www.nebgolf.org/nebraska_golfer/fall_2015/edition8/index.html

Also please take the time to read my article from the spring edition of Nebraska Golfer Magazine.
It was written about a very important topic facing our industry. The link below will direct to the online version below.


http://www.nebgolf.org/nebraska_golfer/spring_2015/ngaedition7/index.html


As we get ready to put a bow on the season ( weather should be good for a while though so get out and play!!!) we want to take the time to get some customer feedback. We had a good season but can always get better. Our goal is to provide a product that our customer can appreciate and your honest feedback is extremely important to us. We would appreciate you taking the time to respond the following questions.

1. From the perspective of the golf course, what are some of the things that you would like to see done differently?

2. Are your expectations being met?  Why or why not?

3. From the perspective of the snack bar, what are some of the things that you see at other facilities that you would like to see us do differently?

4. From the perspective of customer service, are your expectations being met?  Why or why not?

Please feel free to email your comments to me: jimn@golfatindiancreek.com

Fall Goings On:

Greens aerification and recovery is complete

 

Fairway overseeding is complete (great germination rates too)

Fairway aerification is complete

 

Tee aerification is underway

 Natural area mowing/cleanup is almost complete.

  

 Indian Creek took second at the NTA fundraiser scramble

Fall foliage is beautiful this time of year

  

 

Leaf cleanup is underway

USGA Report

 

 

Once a year we get the opportunity to host a team of USGA agronomists at Indian Creek. This visit is something I really enjoy and the time we spend together is always very productive. Its nice to have another set of experienced eyes on the course to help us sort through any issues or to bring new ideas to the table. These guys travel the country and visit a number of other facilities so they bring with them a real wealth of knowledge. These visits are just another tool we use as we try and continue  giving you the best product we can. Below is the USGA report we received following this years visit. I thought some of you may have some interest in its contents. Enjoy

Indian Creek hosts 107th Nebraska Amateur

 

 



Indian Creek is honored to be chosen as the host course for 2015 Nebraska Amateur. This annual event begins July 27^th and runs through July 30^th. This is an honor that isn’t bestowed to just anyone and we are extremely grateful and excited about the opportunity.

An event of this level brings with it a set of expectations and challenges, not only for the staff at Indian Creek, but also for our customer. In order to provide the conditions required to identify the state’s best player, we will need to make modifications to the way we maintain the course now and through the event’s completion on July 30^th. Most changes will be minor and many will be appreciated by the customer, but some will make the course play more difficult for the time being.

In particular, increased rough heights, although temporary, may be an unwelcome change. “Why make the adjustment 3 weeks in advance?” This is a valid question and there are multiple reasons. The simplest, and maybe most important, reason is related directly to weather. The unseasonably cool, wet weather has allowed us the ability to manipulate mowing heights in real time through this first week of July, which is very uncommon. If weather patterns remained unchanged we could get away with making height changes a week out. Unfortunately, Mother Nature is unpredictable. Although today’s weather would allow for height increases to occur closer to the event, odds are, we will get hotter and drier and lose the ability to grow the rough out in short order. We are trying to get ahead of that by establishing tournaments heights while possible.

 

In regards to this issue, I cannot stress enough that this is temporary. Every effort, including bringing in extra mowers from off-site on the 30th, will go into reestablishing our normal mowing heights as soon as the event concludes. Please understand that no one at our facility trivializes the effect that long rough has on playability for any caliber of golfer. Our goal, everyday, is to provide high-end playing surfaces that challenge the low handicappers, yet allow the high handicappers an opportunity to enjoy a fun and fair round.

Trying to manage a facility for both daily fee golf and high level tournament play is difficult. We have a responsibility to you, our customer, as well as the NGA and its event. We will do everything in our power to try and find a balance in regards to course set up and we also ask for your patience in the process.

For our most loyal and consistent customers, look at this as an opportunity to show the state of Nebraska that Indian Creek deserves a seat alongside the best facilities in the Midwest. Take pride in your course as we prepare it for its biggest test to date.

Thank you all for your loyalty and understanding as we prepare for this event.

Spot Topdressing Fairways

Today we are continuing to spot topdress low areas in fairways. If the time allows we will do this on a 1-2 week schedule for the remainder of the growing season.

 

 

Although not nearly as effective as re-grading and adding drainage the addition of sand should, overtime, provide a drier medium for the crown of the plant. Hopefully, this will help us during any long wet stretches and winters melt and freeze cycles. 

Your Morning Motivation and Course Update

I thought these photos turned out pretty well so I posted them hoping it gets you motivated to play some golf as we approach Memorial Weekend. These photos were taken from a teebox Shawn Tordrup rebuilt last fall that sits on the east side of the creek. This tee most likely wont be in play this year, but it provides a nice new perspective to the hole.

 



 9 Black Bird before morning prep

 

9 Blackbird after morning prep.

 

 

Greens are recovering from aerification at a pretty good pace, especially considering the cool temperatures we have dealt with. Had the temperatures been closer to average recovery would, without a doubt, be a few days further along. We raised the height of cut while the sand worked itself into the canopy and we are working that back down to our regular season height.  Even though the signs of aerification are still evident there is little to no effect on ball roll anymore. As the greens continue to heal we will shift our focus towards getting green speeds back to where we want them for the year.

 

 Day 1

 

Day 10

 



Aerification is always a hassle for golfers so I want to again express how much we appreciate your patience during the process. It is the most important cultural practice we perform on the greens all year.

 

Mother Nature might throw a few rain showers our way this weekend but by no means is a rain out guaranteed. Get your tee times booked now and enjoy the first official weekend of summer at Indian Creek.



There is a Reason for Cart Restrictions

There is no decision a golf course makes that is less popular than deciding to restrict carts to paths. I understand the frustration and burden this places on the golfer, which is why this decision is never made without a lot of thought. It must be understood that when conditions are wet, the impact from just a few careless golfers or employees can be felt for a long time.


In the photos below, you see the ruts from traffic navigating through a wet area near a drain basin that was staked off. The percent slope to this basin was very low to begin with and now the ruts from the vehicle have created an area with no positive slope which is preventing water from reaching the drain. This is unfortunate because on this particular day we may have had 200 golfers on the course and the actions of one cart created an issue that, if not fixed ASAP, will create long term problems in this fairway. Fixing this issue will require some time and resources, but the biggest challenge will be allowing the damaged area time to recover while the rest of the fairway is in full use and under a regular management schedule.

 

If areas like these aren't fixed and given time to heal, they will hold water and the turf will be unable to survive.



The unfortunate reality is most golfers are aware and care enough to navigate a course correctly and with thought, but we have to manage for the minority that can't or don't care. Again, remember that a decision to place carts on paths is well thought out and is done to preserve the course  conditions for you. We appreciate your understanding and patience. Also, please remember its not the proshop staff's fault, so give them a break.

Here is a UNL Extension Aricle on this very topic:

Turf iNfo for the North Central US | University of Nebraska – Lincoln                       turf.unl.edu

Limit maintenance and golf cart traffic on wet soil May 5, 2015

 The weather forecast continues to look wet across much of southern and eastern Nebraska. This is a reminder to limit unnecessary vehicular and equipment traffic on wet soils. One quick decision to drive across an excessively wet area of turf can have season-long impacts on turfgrass quality. Damage can include soil compaction, which typically isn’t visible until summer heat and drought stress, and wheel ruts that immediately impact turf health and recovery. Area damaged by wheel ruts can typically be fixed with sod, but compaction is much more difficult to quickly fix. Aeration and topdressing can help reduce compaction but aren’t as effective as freeze-thaw cycles during the winter. Communicate the risk of compaction with your employees, proshop, and golfers. Limit cart traffic whenever soils become saturated. It only takes one poor driving decision to cause serious long-term damage to the turf.

Bill Kreuser, Extension Turfgrass Specialist, wkreuser2@unl.edu

             

Figure 1. It’s easy to quickly cause long-term damage to turf when the soils are wet. Avoid unnecessary maintenance traffic and golf cart traffic that can result in season-long damage.

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.

We Must Change the Perception

It is no secret that there are multiple issues currently affecting the perception and viability of the game we love. Issues dealing with slow play, dwindling participation, and the increase in cost to maintain and operate facilities are some of the more pressing ones. Another issue, or narrative, that is growing in momentum is the idea that golf courses, more specifically golf course superintendents, are bad for the environment. Movements to chastise and dramatically curtail the tools superintendents have at their disposal are growing in momentum.

On the surface this is a very easy argument to make. By nature, maintaining turfgrass at unnatural heights and under intense pressure from play requires the use of inputs. Be it water, fertilizers, control products, etc…, a superintendent must supplement the needs of the plant. In this vein, I suppose we are adding something to the environment that might not otherwise be there. I can’t argue that fact. Where this narrative jumps off the tracks is when it suggests that these inputs are applied in excess and with no regard to their effects on the environment. This opinion, which is more widespread than we want to believe, is born from a simple lack of knowledge. Can I sit here and say with certainty that EVERY superintendent manages their inputs with 100% efficiency? Or that EVERY superintendent’s top priority is to mitigate their properties impact on the environment? No, I cannot. What I can tell you with certainty is that all GOOD superintendents genuinely take their impact on the environment into account in anything they do. In this regard, there are significantly more GOOD superintendents than there are bad and the bad are being weeded out faster than ever.

By nature, all GOOD superintendents value the environment as much or more than anyone. Our viability and successes hinge on healthy ecosystems and the processes that ensure environmental sustainability. Do you believe an abundant source of clean water is not a valuable resource to a superintendent? How about a soil system that is healthy and teaming with the microorganisms necessary for the conversion of nitrogen? An unhealthy, out of balance ecosystem is a death sentence for a GOOD superintendent.

In addition, I have yet to visit a property that has the resources to apply inputs at excessive levels. All superintendents run a cost center and usually operate within a budget that allows for very little waste. This alone prevents the irresponsible use of inputs.

This topic is approaching the forefront of our industries challenges. Stats and data can be created to defend both sides of the argument. This is a complex issue that warrants open and thoughtful conversation and this article is not the forum for this debate. I simply wanted to plant the seed that starts to dispel the notion that superintendents are wanton offenders of the environment. I, along with many of my industry colleagues, am passionate about our care for the environment and strive daily to not compromise in my stewardship of it.

Reason for the Frost Delay

Its pretty apparent spring is here and this years golf season is going to get off to an early start. Early spring weather brings with it dramatic temperature fluctuations and night time temperatures will most likely remain low through the near future. Morning frost delays are a given this time year and it is not uncommon for "frost season" to linger into May. I get the impression that not alot is understood about frost and its effect on turf so I hope the information below sheds some light on the subject.

Turfgrass relies on it’s elasticity to withstand the wear and tear of mechanical stress, i.e., golfer traffic. When the leaf blade is frozen, the turfgrass becomes rigid and its ability to withstand mechanical stress is dramatically compromised. Freezing temperatures can lead to ice crystals forming within the intercellular spaces of the leaf blade. Intercellular spaces are the spaces that exist between the plants cells.

When mechanical pressure is placed upon the leaf blade, the sharp edges of these crystals pierce the plants cell walls resulting in cell colapse and turf damage. Imagine what happens when you peirce a water ballon with a needle and that is, essentially, what happens when ice crytals protrude the a cell wall. Once the plant loses the rigidity provided by the cells turgor pressure the plant will colapse. This is the primary reason we delay play on the golf course until we are frost free.

It is important to note that temperatures do not have to reach 32°F to experience frost. Also, keep in mind the golf course has a number of different micro-climates, the warmest of which is the one surrounding the clubhouse. It is quite common to be frost-free on the range and #1 Gray Hawk yet have frost on the holes in our low lying creek lines. For example there is a pretty consistnet 5-7 degree temperature difference bewteen the teebox and the green on #1 of Black Bird.

Here are a couple examples of frost damage:

Cart damage on frosty turf

Damage from foot traffic on frosty turf

No one likes frost delays. It puts pressure on the pro shop staff, prevents the grounds crew from prepping the course, and it throws off the golfer’s schedule. Unfortunately, it is a reality so please be patient and understand it is out of our control. We will have you on the course as soon as Mother Nature allows.

We appreciate your patience.

The Importance of a Mentor

Through my years in the industry I have had the opportunity to work with and alongside some of the best in business. What I have learned form these men/women is priceless and not found in any book or classroom.

The GCSAA understands the importance of a mentor too and put this video together in hopes of touching on that. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to add some input and hopefully make my mentor's proud. Hope you enjoy it and take the time to thank those who took the time to teach and inspire you.

http://www.gcsaa.tv/view.php?id=2530

Before and After

Todd Quitno of Lohmann Golf Design sent me some before and after photos from our renovation that he used for a recent presentation. It's going on five years since the project started and I had forgotten what the old layout was like andjust how much the design improved the course. I am sure you have seen some of these before but there were a few new ones I wanted to share:

#1 Black Bird Before

#1 Black Bird After 

 #2 Black Bird Before

#2 Black Bird After

#7 Black Bird Before

#7 Black Bird After

#8 Black Bird Before

#8 Black Bird After

#2 Red Feather Before

#2 Red Feather After

#7 Red Feather Before



#7 Red Feather After

On an unrelated note: 



I am always looking to bridge the communication gap that exists between the golfer, the golf professional and the superintendent. Fortunately, in doing that, I have had the privilege of contributing to the NGA's "Nebraska Golfer" publications this year. It was a lot of fun and I really appreciated the opportunity. With any luck I will be able to continue this next season. The link below will take you to the third and final installment of the year.

http://www.nebgolf.org/nebraska_golfer/winter2014/winter2014/index.html.

If you love the game and want to further it's advancement, please think about joining and/or supporting the NGA. At the very least get busy on your game and support the NGA by participating in their 2015 Nebraska State Amateur Event at Indian Creek. The event is slated for the end of July and, as always, will showcase the best players from the area.

Join the NGA: http://www.nebgolf.org/membership.html