First 'Short Grass' Mowing

Charging The Irrigation System

 

The most important process of the new season is charging up the irrigation system. Fortunately it appears everything overwintered well and is holding tight, so far. Now its a matter of avoiding any major malfunctions for the next 9 months. Our fingers are crossed.

 

 



Need More Melting and Drying Out

2016 Golf Season Employment Opportunity

The Grounds department at Indian Creek Golf Course is currently hiring individuals for the 2016 golf season. We offer some flexible scheduling and will try and coordinate with your extracurricular summer activities. If you love the game of golf or enjoy working outdoors this job is a great fit. Starting pay is $9.00/hour and benefits include discounted golf, food, and golf shop merchandise. If you are a hardworking, responsible individual looking for a fun and unique work experience we would love to have you on our team.

Contact head superintendent Jim Nedrow at 4026697275 or jimn@golfatindiancreek.com

Nebraska Golfer: Winter Edition

Below is my article for the winter edition of the Nebraska Golfer Magazine. This magazine is presented by the NGA and they always do a fine job. Here is a link to the winter edition. Take some time to read through it.

 

http://www.nebgolf.org/nebraska_golfer/Winter_2015/edition9/files/1.html

 

What a fall we have had up to this point in the year! In my time in the industry, I can’t recall a better scenario for our golf course as we enter the winter months.

Temperatures were consistently above normal, but not so warm that they prevented the dormancy process. We have experienced some cooler stretches, but avoided the extreme cold snaps and fluctuations that could cause damage to the turf before it was completely dormant. The warmer than normal weather was enjoyable and with any luck this will be the overall trend this winter.

Soil moisture levels are also in good shape. Our recent precipitation events have been timely, consistently spaced apart and long in duration. We had a number of day long rain/snow events. Drawn out precipitation events allow for maximum moisture absorption into the soil profile. This absorption process had added value as most came after everyone had blown out their irrigation systems.

As winter sets in, superintendents prepare to deal with the unique set of challenges the season presents. Drought, wind exposure, extreme temperatures, and ice are a few of the most obvious challenges. One of the most difficult, however, might be making the decision of whether or not to allow winter play.

The golfer and superintendent often find themselves in disagreement on this topic. It can become a highly charged conversation with course owners and board members as well.This is understandable though as the effect of winter play is rarely visible in real time. The effects of winter play are subtle, accumulating, and long lasting. Often times the damage incurred over the winter doesn’t become obvious until the next growing season.

The turf plant is actually quite tough and capable of recovery from significant injury when actively growing. During the growing season, the plant has the ability to regenerate tissue and recovery from damage in relatively short order. This recuperative ability is lacking, however, when the turf is dormant. The damage caused during winter play will persist until the next growing season. Repeated damage accumulates over time and can severely thin a stand of turf.

Soil compaction caused from winter play is even more difficult to visualize or quantify but the effects are real. If soil moisture levels are high, compaction becomes a real issue. Soils rely on a number of processes for drying out during the summer months. Evaporation, evapotranspiration, and water movement through the soil profile are processes that dry soils. All of these processes are significantly hindered in the winter. Cool temperatures slow evaporation, dormant turf has less need for evapotranspiration and frozen soil profiles prevent water movement and drainage. This leaves partially thawed and saturated soils prone to severe compaction. Again, this is a cumulative problem and one that won’t show its symptoms until the next growing season.

Finally, if play is allowed on a partially thawed soil profile, the potential for root shearing becomes greater. When soils are thawed they are, for lack of a better term, flexible. As you walk, the plant and its root zone shifts under your weight. The soil “flexibility” cushions the root and allows it to shift with the soil. When a soil is partially frozen the interface between the frozen and thawed soils becomes a shear point. As the thawed soil moves under the weight of a golfer, the frozen soil, which contains the bottom portion of the root system, remains static. This can cause roots to tear at this interface. Once again, this is another issue that isn’t visible and doesn’t show its symptoms until the growing season.

It is easy to assume that superintendents are simply being over protective when they are trying to curtail winter play, but understand that in most cases, there are legitimate reasons that these decisions are made. Do we sometimes err on the side of caution when deciding whether or not to allow winter play? Probably, but that is because it is very difficult to assess its effects on turf health. We must strike a balance between appeasing the customer, generating revenue, and protecting the course during in its most vulnerable time. We weigh all these factors, then try and make the best decision for everyone involved.

We all appreciate your patience regarding the decision making process and always invite any questions.

I have had a great time contributing to the publication this year. I appreciate the opportunity and hope to continue next year. Have a great holiday season.

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