Course Washrooms, Halfway House and Irrigation Blowout

With the impending arrival of winter, the course and Halfway House washrooms will close for the season at the completion of play Wednesday. It is imperative that all moisture is blown out of the water lines before temperatures dip consistently below the freezing mark.

The irrigation system blowout started today and will continue through Thursday. During this process water vapour is likely to be emitted from sprinklers throughout the golf course at random intervals with a significant amount of noise as well. Thank you for your patience and understanding as the colder weather arrives.

Aerification

Course aerification wrapped up mid-October and there has been a significant level of recovery since completion. All processes were completed to continue providing health turf conditions through the 2020 golf season and beyond. Aerification is also an important cultural practice to promote turf health through the upcoming winter months.

It is crucial that aerification be completed at the end of September and first two weeks of October. This is important because of how quickly conditions and potential growth can change. If this process was completed later in the year there would not have been suitable recovery to complete the process safely again before opening next spring.

Irrigation Pumphouse Mainlines

The irrigation pumphouse is adjacent to blue deck beside the 10th tee. At the outlet of the building there are two steel ‘Z pipes’ feeding the irrigation system.

Recently, both of these lines developed leaks approximately a week apart with a failure in the fabricated steel. These pipes are what allow the water to transition underground with less pressure and flow loss than pipes with 90 degree bends would allow.

With these lines having failed in a short period of time, it has necessitated replacement of the steel. It is fortunate that these problems have developed during the fall, when irrigation requirements are limited.

They will be exposed through excavation, measured and the replacement pipes ordered. They will be then welded into place and operational prior to next season.

This pipe replacement is independent of a new irrigation system and will remain as constructed in the event of a new irrigation system installation.

8 Tee Protection

Through feedback this season it has become evident that there is concern about safety and protection from the 17th tee when in the vicinity of 8 tee. Discussions have been held in Greens and Grounds Committee meetings regarding possible solutions and options to increase safety in the area. Through the off season these options will be assessed, and a decision made about what is the best outcome moving forward.

7 and 8 Trees

There has been a decline in a stand of maple trees between the 7th and 8th tee. For safety and aesthetic reasons, these trees will be removed this week with a planting plan already approved for replacement. There are 9 trees which will be removed with 13 being planted for replacement.

There are some healthy trees that will remain in place and will help maintain a buffer between the two holes while the new stems mature. The planting plan has a variety of species to mitigate the risk of another significant loss.