Winter Weather?

I know I am starting to feel like everyone else, I am ready for some spring weather!  It was unfortunate that last Saturday we had to keep the course closed due to the snow just not melting fast enough, and Sunday we opened but it was by all means not your typical golfing weather! 

We had quite a few holes that had quite a bit of snow up through the day on Saturday, most of that snow was from the one prior to the last 5.5" snow.  The greens on 4 and 6 just sit back in a pocket where sun and heat doesnt allow for quick melting.  Those 2 greens definietely have different climates throughout the year that can cause headaches.  Along with the snow melt brought a ton of moisture for us, but it was also a sloppy mess on fairways and greens.

Still today (Monday) a portion of #9 green still had snow cover on it.  I do know of a few courses that were able to open, but those courses might not have the open terrain to catch the drifting like we have had this year.  Lets hope that the snowfall has ended, and we just recieve the moisture in rain the rest of the spring!!  Looking at the 10 day forecast, Thursday looks like a day to get out and enjoy the weather, and then a little dip and steady in the 40's after that!

Thanks for checking in!  

Question

If you check this blog, could you post a comment, a simple Hi, or send an email saying "checked" so I do know members are looking at the blog?  Would a facebook page be easier?  I have been pondering the facebook addition?  Thanks again

Sorry for the Delay's

Boy am I sorry I have totally dropped the ball on the ol blogger!  When I started my counter I kept checking to see if anyone was looking it over, and the counter just started adding up from me checking it!  Also I have been too busy chasing fun-seekers off of Mt. Terradyne on the new range!

Here we go, Mother Nature sure doesnt want us to play any golf lately.  After another 5 inch snowstorm, and brutal cold temperatures, I really dont see the meltdown coming before the weekend.  Be sure to check with the proshop before making any golfing plans.

We will be hoping to open the new short game area on the old range in the coming weeks, this will be used only for 100 yd shots and in.  I hope all of our members and guests will enjoy another addition to our great practice portfolio.  Along with that some of our new additions have started to roll in, examples would be new yardage stands for the range and new flags for the range that will be color-coded to each yardage.

Again sorry for the bogey on not updating so much!!

2010 Here we come!

Well we start the year off with Mother Nature bearing down on us, brrr its fridged out there!!  As you all know the course has been covered up for a period now, with no warming temperatures in sight.  I was glad to see the greens get a little snow cover though, with the cold, brutal winds we have been getting could possible do more harm to the plant than anything, but the snow performs a layer of insulation and the white snow actually warms the soil a little bit. 
Although snow cover may or may not be good for the grass, we can actually fight diseases this time of year.  Snow molds can be devestating to Northern climates, here we usually are not covered by snow for more than 60 days, but who knows these days.  We however applied a late season fungicide to hopefully prevent any snow molds from forming.
I will be working on the blog alot more this year, hopefully giving the members a deeper look into the things we do and the items we face.  So continue checking for any updates especially during golf season!!

Turkey Day

Its hard to believe that we are already looking at the end of November, where has the year gone?  Sorry its been a while since I last posted, I have been up to my ears with year end work and budgeting along with early order programs.  I promise to get back on track through the next few months. 

Well the weather has been mildly warm the last few weeks, leaving the door open for us to work on some of our winter maintenance outside, we have started prepping areas in the natives that will either be burnt or mowed down this year.  I stated in the newsletter, if anyone has contact information to anyone that might be interested in swathing and bailing the native grass this year, to please get into contact with me.  We used a few areas last year to see if burning helped or not?  Our conclusion was that burning the natives definitely cleaned up all of the dead material, it allowed open voids in the soil for weed seed germination.  Areas we did not get burnt last year rarely needed any maintenance besides the woody growth, but it also seemed to thin itself out a little.  So this early spring we will be burning areas we have been fighting, but in the same time alowwing other areas to be mowed.  Some might wonder why we dont continue burning?  The burning definitely helps the grasses, it may cause to much thickening and we have seen the diversity of species that were once in the native get to be a minimal stand of plants.  I guess you could look at it like the "survival of the fittest"  I will keep you updated on the process when the time arrives.

I would like wish everyone a Happy and Safe Turkey Day!!

Finally Fall!

Well Happy Halloween Members and Guests, I finally believe MotherNature is finally giving us a beautiful fall for this weekend and for next week, if you havent been out golfing, I am thinking Sunday is going to be great!!  Well Course conditions is getting better, the previous rainfall brought us 1.5" of rain and it just never seemed to stop on Thursday, causing us to be extremely wet on Friday and most of Saturday.  I have had to limit carts on paths for a few days, but this time of year is where we definitely can not afford any damage to the turf, mainly because is has slowed down to halt, so any damage we have now, will definitely be here in the spring. 

The driving range and practice holes have been heavily seeded once again, hopefully we will get a great stand of turf to give to you all this spring.  I would ask everyone to stay limited to cart paths only on the practice holes, it will definitely help out with the germination of the new grass, which I have seen alot of seed popping, but I know with the temps we are going to get next week it should be "just what the doctor ordered"!!

Well I hope November stays the same, but if not I am sure I will see ya out and about!!

Ryan

Brrrrrrrrr!

      Well all be, the weather just doesnt know what to do!!  This week we actually got pretty lucky and had a few nice days at the start of ther week to get some work completed, then the forecast on Wednesday looked gloomy and rainy, which turned out to be semi correct but the rain held off until we had gotten #5 cart path sodded in!!  2 more holes to go, with 18 being the next!!  The range and practice holes have been heavily overseeded, so I am anxious to seem the outcome come spring, I would ask though if you are playing the 3 practice holes, if you could keep the carts on the paths, there may be many times through the fall that it might become a little muddy. 
      Saturday the weather looks like another frosty morning, but warming up nicely, but please call ahead of your scheduled tee time to find out course conditions. Sunday the clouds and chances of rain roll back in??  I hope you all have a great weekend, and it worked last week-"Go Cats!!"