Despite the early blast of winter weather in November, the greens and grounds staff have been busy completing a variety of projects and tasks before the end of the year.

Irrigation Pumphouse Main Lines

The ‘Z pipes’ which leave the pumphouse beside the 10th tees and carry water to the golf course have been replaced over the last two weeks. This project involved excavation of the area to expose the pipes, which dive approximately 10’ below the ground level. Once the area was exposed the old pipes and concrete thrust block were removed to create appropriate space for the new pipes.

With the new pipes in place we will be creating a new thrust block; this prevents water hammer from shifting the pipes out of place. If ground conditions permit, this will be completed before the end of the year. The new pipes are stainless steel which has a longer life expectancy.

Final clean up, including sod and asphalt repair, will be completed in the spring.

Tree Work

The late fall and winter are a busy time of year for tree work on the golf course. With less play there is minimal impact on players and creates a safer approach to the work. We have been busy this year pruning for tree health and playability. The removal of deadwood is a crucial aspect of safety for players, and therefore a key area of focus.

The nine deceased trees between 7 tee and 8 fairway, were removed in November. The planting plan was completed in the area with 13 new trees. The replacements are a variety of white pines, red maples and sugar maples, which will give a great appearance and buffer for the future. These newly planted trees will be updated in the tree master plan.

Sodding

Through cart traffic, foot traffic and turf maintenance equipment traffic, certain areas of the golf course experience a thinning of turf. Through the use of cart arrows and stakes, fertility inputs and aeration, every effort is made to maintain these areas to suitable playing conditions.

This fall the areas that required turf replacement were stripped of the thin turf and sodded with new turf. A large portion of where the sod was stripped and replaced has had a product called TraQmatz installed. This product helps to alleviate the effects that traffic has in a narrow area and keeps the turf healthier. Although initially visible, once the soil temperatures warm up in the spring and the turf begins to grow, the mats will soon be hidden.