Course Notes, 4/19/2024

Typical April Hoosier weather has arrived here at Elcona, as the blooming tulips and daffodils have shown. Temperatures now range from the 30’s to near 70. Frost delays are still a possibility (like this weekend!), so please check in with the golf shop if you have an early morning tee time, we will also do our best to send push notifications of any changes or delays as soon as we know of them. The April weather has allowed the golf course to blossom, green up and begin its growing season. While we are a couple weeks away from utilizing our typical mowing frequencies on everything, the staff has done a tremendous job on the golf course this year with what Mother Nature has thrown our way. Below is an update on what we have been up to and what we have been seeing:

On windy days where the blossoms and seeds blow off of the trees, we will be placing a couple hand blowers out in areas where debris becomes a problem on putting greens. I have seen many of you bring your own out in the fall, so we are trying this to help everyone during times of the day where our staff cannot get to the green to blow that debris as quickly as we would like. Hopefully this is a value added service that will be a positive for everyone that comes out, please let me know your thoughts on how we can improve upon this!

While the course has taken to Spring rather nicely, we do have a few opportunities. 9 green is one of them. The renovated portion of the green on the right side is continually struggling with pushing roots deeper than 1.5″. The above pictures show what we are seeing right now, with the left side of the green having roots 4″ deep, while the right side is barely at 1.5″. This is typical of any renovation areas re-using the existing sod, where a compaction layer forms after the final shaping is completed on the soil before sod is laid back down. If you recall, 18 green and the large practice green struggled with these same issues the first few years after their renovation.

Our plan of attack to help establish better rooting on this green is to solid tine the right side every 3 weeks with 1/4″ tines to help break through this construction layer and encourage rooting through the layer. These small tines are the same as what we use through the summer to vent greens monthly. Topdressing sand is applied before we solid tine to allow the aerifier to punch sand to the construction layer to help dilute it, as well as afterwards to smooth the surface for play. Areas that were struggling to grow were overseeded with bentgrass. To encourage better turf conditions, we will be mowing this green a bit higher than the others on the course (.14″ vs. .115″), though rolling will be on the same schedule as the rest of the greens. To limit foot traffic on the struggling areas, the pin will be on the left for the time being as well. I am anticipating being on this schedule for the next 3 weeks or so, and will communicate any changes. While this may bring a short term difference in putting speeds compared to the others, this is the best plan of action for the short and long term health of 9 green. If you have any questions, please reach out to me.

The irrigation upgrade is in its final stages. Wissco has completed all 1329 sprinklers and is in the punch list phase of the project where they fix any issues that have shone themselves after install. Automatic Supply has finished install of new pump controls on all 3 irrigation wells and will be doing a final tune up on Monday to ensure their are running efficiently with each other. Our staff is working on better grounding capabilities and will be doing so for the next couple of months. All in all, this has been a great project that will provide long term success of its operation and allow our team to work on other details of the system instead of simply repairing it so that it runs.

The forward tees on 4 and 14 have been constructed and sodded. The first mowing on them will occur in the next week, and further smoothing of the playing surfaces continuing throughout the month. I am still anticipating 4 tee being available in mid-May, with 14 tee being available for play towards Memorial Day or early June. Stay tuned!

Finally, whether I observe it directly or you have expressed your frustration to me, there continually is simple golf course etiquette being ignored by members and guests on the course. Page 3 of the new membership handbook that everyone receives annually is a review of the Elcona Member Code of Conduct. #6 on that list reminds all of us “to take care of and be proud of your facility”. Whether it is keeping golf carts 30 feet away from greens and keeping them on the paths where available, repairing ball marks (which are becoming easier to see with the greener turf conditions), raking and smoothing bunkers after hitting shots out of them, or replacing divots after a shot, it is everyone’s responsibility to take care of all of these while enjoying the golf course. It goes a long way in maintaining the high level of aesthetics and playability of the course that you all demand. Thank you!

As always, if you have any questions on the golf course, or how to properly repair divots, ballmarks, or raking bunkers, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at ryan@elconacc.com. Have a great weekend and I hope to see you out on the golf course!

Ryan

Course Notes, 3/26/2024

The term “March Madness” is one that brings lots of joy (for those who can accurately predict brackets) and at a minimum good times watching a game that all of us in the Boilermaker Hoosier state enjoy. The term also can accurately describe our activities on the golf course as well, with both the golf course waking up from the colder winter season and project season beginning to wrap up. Below are a few brief updates on both points:

Looking at the longer term forecast, there are many more good days than bad for golf. Please continue to call the golf shop for the latest availability. Golf course mowing/maintenance is still temperature dependent, and on an “as needed” basis. As temperatures moderate, rounds played increase, and more of our seasonal staff return, mowing and raking frequencies will increase. It has been nice to see many of you enjoy your course on warm days!

Starting Tuesday, the Practice Facility will be open for you to hone your game on. Elcona is blessed to have a wonderful Practice Facility, including a second to none Short Game area. It has many areas that provide creative lies for you to hone your game on. This is a club amenity that few, if any, have in our area and is a tremendous asset to your membership here at Elcona, and saves the golf course from excessive wear from practicing on it. There are 3 bunkers for dialing in your sand game too. The Practice Tee will be set up on the very front tee for the first couple of weeks to allow the main tee a little extra time to warm up and begin growing.

I will continue to remind you all of simple golf course etiquette that is a major part of your responsibility as a member of Elcona. Above is what I found driving to 2 green on March 16th, where someone apparently walked in, played their shot, and walked out the front of the bunker. The rakes have been out and available for use since March 9th. Please be considerate of your fellow member and replace divots, rake bunkers after use, and fix at least 2 ball marks each green!

The arrival of early season golf serves as a good reminder why we delay tee times when there is frost. On mornings where the temperature will be below 40 degrees (like this weekend!!!), it is always best to call the pro shop for the latest availability of the course. The Clubhouse Online app will also communicate to you this information via push notifications.

Frost is essentially frozen dew. It can form when the temperature approaches near freezing. The ice crystals that form on the outside of the plant can also harden or freeze the cellular structure of the plant. When frost is present, the normally resilient plant cells become brittle and can be easily crushed internally or pierced like a knife from the outside ice crystals. When these cell membranes are damaged, the plant loses its ability to function normally. Think of this like cracking an egg: once the shell is broken, it cannot be put back together. Although damage will not be immediate, the proof will emerge within 48-72 hours as leaves turn brown and die. For more information on frost delays, click here for a great USGA video explaining them.

The irrigation upgrade project is nearing its completion. Over the winter, North American Pump cleaned one our our wells and rebuilt the pump for that well. Wissco has around 150 sprinklers left to convert old decoders to the new style of controllers. There is also troubleshooting that they will help with once we begin filling the system, which will happen this Wednesday. Don Stevens from Automatic Supply has been installing upgraded pump controls that were needed, mainly because parts were becoming obsolete and unavailable for us to make repairs. While this type of investment is not a sexy one, the irrigation system is the heartbeat of any golf course and makes or breaks our ability to provide you great course conditions!

The new green tees on 4 and 14 continue to make progress. Our staff is finalizing grade work on 14, with sod install planned for late this week/early next week. We will be taking bentgrass for this new tee from the beginning of 14 fairway, and replacing the fairway sod with bluegrass from our local sod farm. The tee on 4 has been rolled a couple times, and next week will be aerified and topdressed. Both of these tees should be open by late April or early May as long as the weather continues to cooperate.

We have a few other seed and sod projects to work on in April too. All the stump holes from our winter tree work will be either seeded or sodded based on their proximately to major in play areas. We will also be lining the edge of 3 pond with tall fescue sod. Erosion of the soil/seed was a major challenge in growing in that area last year, so we will be placing sod along that edge to blend in with the fescue that has established. Continued seeding of the entire pond surround will continue with finer leaf fescues. Fine fescue was selected for that area to provide a low maintenance buffer that would protect the pond from runoff contamination, while also making it easier to find errant shots off the tee and a playable shot to the green. This variety of turf does however take a couple years to fully mature into a complete stand and patience is needed. We will continue to work on making this area better!

While many of you will be enjoying next week on a beach, we will be starting aerification on all playing surfaces. We will be doing aerification on greens Monday (Front 9) and Tuesday (Back 9), weather permitting. The solid tines I am using this year are 5/8″ in diameter, which are slightly larger than in previous springs, by a 1/8″. The reasoning is to better incorporate a higher amount of sand into the soil profile and reduce organic matter. This will better firm up the surfaces over time and maintain a healthy soil profile for proper root growth and surface drainage. While we are closed entirely Monday, if we miss the rain that is forecasted, the Front 9 will be open and available for play on Tuesday. Our goal is to have all 18 holes completed and open on Wednesday. If the weather does not cooperate, we will close and complete this process on the next best day to do so. The video above is from last fall’s aerification and is the same process we are using next week.

Fairways will be aerified using solid 5/8″ tines the rest of the week while the course is open. If you encounter our staff while you are playing on the course, PLEASE give them a couple minutes to acknowledge you are playing the hole and move out of your way. Sometimes they will have their back to you and will not see you while they are concentrating on performing the job assigned to them. My staff and their families thank you for looking out for their safety. We will be aerifying tees Monday, April 8th. All of these dates are weather permitting, and any changes to this schedule will be communicated to you via email/push notification.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out at ryan@elconacc.com. Have a safe and enjoyable Spring Break and I hope to see you out on the course soon!

Ryan

Course Notes, 3/1/2024

The golf course will be open for play beginning this Saturday, 3/2/2024, with tee times starting at 12 noon. Sunday tee times will begin at 10 am. This March 2 opening is a little over 2 weeks earlier than our average opening day of March 17. All of us at Elcona are looking forward to a great 2024 golf season!

When you do enjoy that first round of the year, we have a couple reminders for you. First, a general etiquette reminder to please fix your ball marks, replace your divots, and keep your carts 30 feet from greens. The turf this time of year is not readily growing at a high rate and takes a lot longer to heal from damage, even if it is repaired properly. A little bit of help maintaining your golf course now will provide great conditions on the greens, fairways, and rough surrounds throughout the golf season. Thank you!

Secondly, we still are in the process of grinding and filling stump holes from the trees removed over the last couple of months. The areas that have been ground but have not yet been filled will have green and white stakes marking their location, please heed caution in these areas for your safety and the safety of our cart fleet. I anticipate all of these holes will be filled and ready for seed/sod by the end of next week. Our staff has done a wonderful job so far cleaning up all the winter sticks and debris that came down, and we have turned our attention to preparing turf and landscape areas for the 2024 golf season. Our debris sweeper will be out when ground conditions allow it to further clean up leaves and sticks in the rough.

Given the unpredictability of Indiana Spring weather, the availability of the golf course continues to be on a day by day basis. Zach and I look at forecasted lows to set first tee times each week to give you an idea on frost delays and how to best plan your tee times. On the days that low temperatures dip well below freezing, we sometimes cannot open the golf course due to frozen conditions, even if the air temperatures are well above freezing and the sun is out in the afternoon. Pictured above is a large reason why. In the early/late months of the golf season (February, March, November), the angle of the sun is much lower in the horizon. There are a few high traffic areas on the golf course, like this path going to 15 green, that do not receive much, if any, sunlight on these days due to the lower sun angle and trees blocking that sun angle. The above picture was taken at 2:20 pm yesterday, when the air temp was 39 degrees. It takes a much higher air temperature to thaw out an area like this that does not get any solar radiation whatsoever. Other areas like these on the course include the short game area, the entire left side of 2, hole 7 (near 16 green), 4 and 13 green, 12 green, and the small practice green next to the clubhouse. If a monsoonal rain comes, it may close the course for a few hours or even a day given the slower drainage properties the soil has when it is colder. If you haven’t yet, please download the Clubhouse Online app, which will allow you to receive push notifications instantly if course availability changes.

One question I get a lot when opening the course each year is how often are you mowing greens and other playing surfaces? The simple answer is “as needed”. Nighttime temperatures are dipping into the upper 20’s on many occasions, and combined with soil temperatures in the upper 30’s/low 40’s, growth is quite slow this time of year. Playing surfaces will be mowed or rolled as the weather and growth dictates, with increased frequencies as more consistent warmth arrives to our area. More than likely, we will be rolling more often than mowing to smooth the green surfaces for play while the grass acclimates to spring time weather. Other practices, such as raking bunkers, will be done on an as needed basis. Bunker rakes will be put out over the next week along with all other course signage plaques. Ropes and stakes are also out, please heed them to protect the turf in those areas for the entire golfing season!

If you have any questions about the course, please reach out to me at ryan@elconacc.com. I am excited to say for the first time in 2024, I look forward to seeing you out on the golf course!!!

Ryan

Course Notes, 2/22/2024

The thought most common in my head this winter has been “Where the hell is it?” Except for a bit of snow in December and January, it has been mainly cloudy and moderate temperatures compared to the averages. The warmer rains we have received in the last few weeks have eliminated any frost there was in the ground, but have made the course very sloppy and soft in areas.

With a warmer than usual roller coaster temperature wise, many of you have checked in to see what the availability of the golf course is. The answer Zach and I always give is when proper turf and soil conditions allow, we will immediately open. We do our very best to get you out enjoying your golf course as soon as we can while preventing damage to the course that lasts well into the golf season. I understand that other courses are open in our area, but I can only speak for the turf and soil conditions that we manage here at Elcona.  The course is very close to opening, so keep an eye out in the next week or so for opening announcements. As is usual in March, the course availability is on a day by day basis, so it is important to check with the pro shop before making those tee times!

Why is it so important for us to decide when to open? One simple reason is for playability. During mornings where the temperature dips well below freezing, it can take almost all day to thaw our the top 3″ of soil that freezes overnight. We cannot get a cup cutter in the ground to move hole locations, and you certainly would not like the feeling when your wedge impacts a frozen area of sand hitting out of a bunker, although Zach may like the possibility of increased wedge sales. Another important reason is root shear. Increased cart and foot traffic on turf that has thawed near the surface but is still frozen a bit below can rip roots to quite shallow depths, and while the damage may not be evident immediately, the impact of opening too early can last well into the meat of the golf season. The USGA Green Section has an awesome video demonstrating root shear below.

The staff has done a wonderful job with course clean up over the last 2 weeks. While this winter did not bring as much snow to our area as it normally would, we experienced several days where the winds were over 30 MPH sustained. As you can imagine, there was a higher amount of tree and leaf litter on the course than in a normal winter. We will finish this work up over the next week or so.  We also are removing stumps and filling those holes from this winter’s tree work over the next week or so. Please heed caution when the course opens in these areas, as they will be staked and marked ground under repair. All stump holes will be filled in with top soil in the next 2 weeks, and then be sodded or seeded when more consistent growing conditions arrive to our area.

As mentioned above, our annual tree maintenance is about completed for the year. Every month of the year as a staff, in Committee, and in my weekly travels around the golf course with Tom, tree maintenance and removals are discussed. The aggressive tree work that began in 2006, while unpopular with some, has paid major dividends with improved turf density and playability. The great result of this program is that there is much less focus on removals, and more on winter trimming, to highlight the beauty of each tree that lines the fairways of Elcona. Each year to accomplish this we rent a 45 foot boom lift that raises me up to the heights necessary to accomplish what is needed on the course.

The few removals needed this winter included trees between 9 and 10, along the driveway, and the right side of 18, where the goal is to increase sunlight and grow a much denser stand of grass in those areas. Removals also were necessary on 2 and 14, where maples had developed much rot in the main trunk, leading to major limbs splitting and creating safety concerns. Trimming focused on holes 4,5,6,14, and 15.

Late January and early February also brings annual conferences that the staff and I are fortunate to attend to build our knowledge base, learn new tips and tricks, and network with our peers.  The GCSAA Conference and Show was in Phoenix this year, and I sat in on seminars discussing topics on Business Management, robot and drone technology, playability, and data-driven irrigation management.  The trade show was spread out over the last two days, and I saw many new technologies such as autonomous mowers, soil sensors, and infrared scanners that detect struggling turf before the naked eye can see it.  Some of these make sense for our operation and I look forward to incorporating them when able to!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at ryan@elconacc.com.  I look forward to seeing you out on the golf course very soon!!

Ryan

Course Notes, 12/28/2023

Here’s hoping that each and every one of you has had a Joyous holiday season thus far. I know it has been extremely nice to spend a good amount of time with my family after a long, but highly rewarding season here at Elcona. Scenes like the one above have been few and far between so far, but the first snow fall on the course makes the property really pop!

On behalf of our full time staff, I would like to say thank you for your gifts to us from the Holiday Bonus Fund. They are truly appreciated by everyone and is one of the many ways that make Elcona a great place to work.  We all appreciate your support throughout the year in helping us achieve our goals, both professionally and personally, and allowing us to keep Elcona a special place for all of us to enjoy. 

Above is a link to my annual “Elcona in Pictures” video compilation I enjoy producing. One of the absolute perks of this profession is seeing this property each day grown and change, with wildlife abound. While my camera skills do not do it justice, this place has some spectacular scenery each day we are all out here. Hope you enjoy this 6 minute compilation. 

December brought much in the way of warmth with little to no signs of precipitation, wintry or otherwise. Many of you even got to enjoy golf in December! The long term forecast suggests that this weather pattern will flip soon, so while I am not seeing any golf days in January, it will allow our staff to shift focuses to spreading the final layer of sand (that I write about here) on greens and getting the meat of our annual tree work plans accomplished. 

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Those tree work plans have been slowed by softer ground, so I am very happy to see high temps in the 30’s the next 16 days. Our annual plans do not include the high numbers of removals that previous years have seen, but allow us to focus on renting a man lift to trim and maintain the beautiful trees that we want to have on the course. The lift also allows us to remove trees that in the past we have had to call in professionals to remove for us. While those professionals will still be needed on occasion, we are happy to be confident in our abilities to complete what needs to be done as a staff given the proper tools. We will be completing this lift work in February. 

The irrigation upgrade made steady progress through the months of November and December. Wissco Irrigation, much like the grounds operation here at Elcona, loses many of their staff in October and November until spring time. At this time, a bit over 50% of the sprinklers have been upgraded to modern decoders, and all have passed their tests. When the weather allows throughout the winter, they will be out here to keep plugging away at completion, which is still on schedule to be well before the system is truly needed for the 2024 season. 

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Our staff did a wonderful job building a new green tee on hole #4. With great input from the Golf/Greens Committee, we have been taking a look at where it makes sense to bring the green tee yardage to a more manageable number and make the game more enjoyable for those who play that set of tees, all while keeping the integrity of the design and strategy of the hole as it was intended to be. This tee’s new sod has already grown new roots with the warmer December and after some rolling and topdressing, will be in play for the 2024 season given normal weather!

In the spring of 2024, we will be breaking ground and constructing a new green tee on hole #14, and with approval from the Committee and Board of Directors, will enact a plan to build new green tees on holes 3,6,9,13, and 15 over the next 2 years. At this time, the plan is for the existing green tees that are being replaced to remain as alternate tees to help manage the increased wear and tear the white tees have received due to the higher amount of rounds that are being played from them, which is a great thing! 

As always, if you have any questions, please email me at ryan@elconacc.com. I am more than happy to discuss what is happening outside at Elcona! Have a great rest of your week, and here’s to everyone having a blessed and Happy New Year in 2024!

Ryan

Course Notes, 10/30/2023

It was nice to see many of you enjoying 80’s in October, and trust me we all as a staff enjoyed working in it! Reality hit this past weekend, and deep freezes are forecasted for the majority of this week. This serves as a great reminder about frost/freeze delays and how it is important to use the Clubhouse Online app to check for push notifications regarding activity here at Elcona. If you want more info on why we delay during frosts/freezes and how damaging it can be if we don’t, I wrote a blog that you can read here.

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Wissco Irrigation began work replacing decoders last week, and has about 400 replaced as of today’s blog. Our staff has been busy changing our grounding and surge equipment, finding many bare wires that had corroded to the point of break down in the soil. These corroded wires and broken grounding rods do not always show themselves as an obvious issue right away, and are a main cause of the major decoder failures we have seen here at the club. Wissco will be here well into the month of November working on this project, so please continue to heed signage on what hole is closed for play so they (and our staff) can work safely. I appreciate your patience and cooperation while we continue this much needed course improvement!

While golf activity on the course begins to dwindle down, many jobs will need to be accomplished by our staff before the real cold air shuffles its way here. Leaf clean up consumes most of our time in the next 3 weeks. The native areas are currently being mown down for the year, herbicides are applied to take care of any weeds on the course, and other course features such as bunker rakes are pulled inside for the year. Another major job ahead for us is winterizing the irrigation system, which will take place November 6-8th. If you are out on the course these days, please heed caution as sprinklers are automatically turned on and off during this process.

The greens will have their annual deep tine aerification performed on November 13th-14th as well. These 1/2″ holes, penetrating the soil profile about 10″, create three advantages: additional channels for spring root growth, aid in relieving any deeper compaction within the rootzone soil profile, and extra drainage capabilities for ice/snow melt to prevent ice formation on the plant surfaces. The greens are rolled immediately after being aerified, and these holes do remain open throughout the winter for the above mentioned reasons.

We also have begun other activities that will maximize turf health and protection from the severe winters that can visit our area. For the greens, that entails the following:

Raising mower heights. The height of cut on greens has been slowly raised starting in early October, from the normal height of .110″ to .145″ currently. Raising height of cut allows more leaf surface for the turf to maximize their photosynthetic capabilities and carbohydrate storage. Raising height will also lessen stress to the plant and create a deeper root system going into winter. While raising heights may not create the speeds that summer brings, it is best for the long term health of the greens going into winter. Normal maintenance will be mowing as needed, while rolling on the other days.

Fertility and Plant Protectants. While we limit nutrients on finely maintained turf during the season to provide great playing conditions, the fall is the best time to feed the turf to maximize carbohydrate storage going into winter. The more carbs the plant stores, the quicker it will break dormancy when temperatures warm up in the spring. When the grass stops growing, a final granular fertilizer application will take place that will aid in spring green up and plant health. Winter can also bring the threat of snow mold to all varieties of turf on the golf course, and our sprayers will be out applying plant protectants to help prevent infection from those fungal diseases.

Topdressing. When growth has ceased for the year, we will apply a thick coating of sand topdressing to bury the crowns and as much leaf tissue as possible. This sand helps protect and insulate the crown of the plant from any extreme cold temperatures. This practice is very effective in protecting the turf from any potential ice damage and helps maintain a smooth surface when the course opens next year. This application will take place before the forecast calls for the first heavier snow.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me at ryan@elconacc.com. Thanks and enjoy the beautiful colors before they all come crashing down!

Ryan

Course Notes, 10/3/2023

The calendar has flipped over to October, but the weather forecast has been anything but these last few days. Even with this weekend’s dip in temperatures, there is still plenty of great days for you to come out and enjoy your golf course. Nothing like fall golf!

As a reminder, greens aerification will begin on October 10th, with the front 9 being closed. October 11th will have the back closed for play so we can aerify. If the weather cooperates, all 18 holes will be open on the 12th, when we will begin poking holes on fairways. Both greens and fairways will be aerified with 5/8″ solid tines, with sand added to greens holes, which is the same process we’ve used for the past 3 years, depicted in the video below. All aerification activities should be completed by October 20th. Please check with the golf shop each day you visit Elcona for the latest updates on our aerification schedule and facility availability.

Many of you have mentioned why we seem to not drain as well as we do in the springtime, or even why we do not drain as well as in the past. The answer to those questions are explained by total maintenance and golfer activities. While our sandy loam soils are a blessing to manage turf on and often allow us to reopen the course much earlier than other facilities after heavy rains, drainage rates still slow down as the season progresses, beginning from the day after Spring aerification takes place. Daily/weekly maintenance on playing surfaces creates traffic compaction, as does the foot and cart traffic from the 18,000 rounds of golf that are estimated to be played on the course this year. All of that wear and compaction, combined with the lower angle of the sun, increased rolling and expectation for firm/fast conditions, can “seal off” the playing surface and make water percolation rates much slower. This continues until fall aerification takes place, in which compaction is relieved and drainage rates increase with the addition of fresh sand in the surface below.

One project we have begun is the repairs to the settling that has occurred on the north end of the practice tee. For those who do not remember, this area was where a bunker and collection area for water were located prior to the bunker renovation of 2020. Since this area was filled and seeded, much settling has occurred in the last 3 years making this area sub-prime for a practice area. We have stripped the bentgrass area behind the main hitting tee, and will be raising the grade to that area back to where it was when the new tee was constructed. Bentgrass and bluegrass sod will be installed after grading has been completed, and this area should be ready for use beginning in 2024. I look forward to completing this within the next 2 weeks in between greens and fairway aerification.

Another project that will begin in mid to late October is a technology upgrade to our irrigation system. For years, we have battled countless shorts, ground faults, and lightning strikes to the irrigation infrastructure and buildings, and these issues have severely increased in frequency over the last couple of years. In 2023, there have been a few instances of over 400 sprinklers scheduled to run overnight and none actually did due to one decoder shorting out, causing an entire wire path to shut down. The useful life of these electrical components are 15 years, which is how old the system is (2008 was date of installation!). As decoders are replaced, more burn out and need replacement depending on the necessity of system usage.

In meeting with both the Golf/Greens Committee and the Board of Directors, a plan was developed and approved to replace all 1340 decoders on the property with ones designed with upgraded technology, replace much of the grounding system that has become compromised due to 15 years of electrical faults and lightning, and the pump controls, in which have also become obsolete and would be catastrophic to course conditions if they failed and prevented water from being pumped our of sprinklers in the first place! At the end of the day, all of these much needed upgrades will allow our staff to focus fine tuning the efficiency of the irrigation system, rather than repairing it so it runs. These upgrades will also allow us to troubleshoot any future electrical problem on a wire path within a matter of seconds, not hours as is the case currently. Wissco Irrigation has been selected as the contractor that will perform 90% of this work beginning in mid to late October, with our staff performing some of the work as well.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to me at ryan@elconacc.com. I look forward to sharing the progress of this and all other fall projects with you as the season winds down. I hope you have a great rest of your week, and I hope to see you all out on the golf course!

Ryan

Course Notes, 9/11/2023

Before I begin with on course activities, a reminder of the solemn events on this day 22 years ago, and the heroic actions of those who gave their lives saving their fellow Americans. We will never forget……

With summer on its last legs, the staff and I are beginning to switch maintenance gears to projects, reduced mowing on playing surfaces, and debris removal. The rough is growing at a rapid pace, given the perfect temperatures for Kentucky bluegrass, so our blowers are out almost daily eliminating clippings. I keep staring at the leaves knowing that while their beauty will begin showing in a few weeks, they all will drop down and take up the bulk of our October and November time to mulch and clean up. A few quick updates on my observations on course as well as what we’ll be up to in the next few weeks:

I have slightly raised greens heights from .110″ to .115″ to both allow the turf some recovery from the stresses of a hectic summer playing schedule, as well as to begin the process of building carbohydrates for the winter. Raising height of cut allows more leaf surface for the turf to maximize their photosynthetic capabilities and carbohydrate storage, and also help create a deeper root system going into winter. This height of cut raising is something I do every year at this time, and will continue throughout the fall season until turf dormancy in November.

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We have also decided to raise the height of cut on #9 green to .120″, to allow the right side to recover from summer’s stresses. This is a common issue with re-utilizing existing sod for a greens project, as the major compaction necessary to change the grades on the green creates a layer that is difficult for turf roots to penetrate deeply for the first couple of years post project. While the green has matured better than other green reconstruction projects we have done in house, the Poa annua sod really struggled to maintain rooting deeper than 1-2″ throughout the summer season. As was the case with #18 and the Large practice green, we will continue to aerify and topdress this green more frequently than the others to help the turf rooting get past this layer so that it builds strength as the years pass on. While this will in the short term create speeds slower than the other greens, this is the best long term play for the health of this green. Thank you for your understanding!

September also brings the possibility of damage caused by critters (raccoons, groundhogs, skunks) searching for a tasty meal of grubs in the rough, like the picture above of 11. We treat a perimeter of the rough in the early summer with an insecticide to prevent grubs from damaging turf, but not every acre of rough. We treat these areas with another insecticide to take care of the food source, and seed the damaged areas for recovery. These areas are ground under repair until the seed takes.

A few of you have asked why the pond surround on hole 3 is more unsightly than normal. The delays we had in completing the liner led to late seeding of fescue in that area, which allowed other grassy weeds, suck as crabgrass and foxtail, to take hold and prevent the fine fescue seed from filling in totally. These areas have been treated with a herbicide to eliminate the weeds, and we will be slit seeding additional fescue to create a more uniform stand of fescue. Additional wildflowers will also be planted to add depth visually along the edges. This area over time will continue to mature and better meet your expectations for what it should look like.

Something else I am continually asked is why the club does not supply sand bottles on the carts. Whenever possible, you should always replace your divot. Most of the time, even the tiny divots will root back down and recover. At a minimum, replacing all your divots keeps the fairway looking clean and helps minimize any shot from having to be played out of a divot. If you experience an exploding divot, replace what grass you can and please step down onto the divot to minimize its size of impact. Not replacing divots can really upset someone behind you whose ball lands in one, and can also provide an avenue for weeds to germinate. Sand bottles are also not supplied to help keep the course cleaner. Many times it is easier to reach for the sand bottle than walk a few yards to retrieve a divot, leaving the fairway looking littered. Adding soil could potentially introduce weed seeds to the fairway. Many people can also overfill the divot with sand, leaving an unsightly pile of soil, which leads to dull mower blades during the next mowing. The grounds staff periodically fills all fairway divots during the golf season. Finally, replacing your divot allows that area to heal within a day or two, however long it takes for that grass to create new roots in the ground. Sand from a bottle takes about 10-14 days for the existing bentgrass to fill in that area with new growth. If you have any questions about this, please contact me. I am more than willing to discuss further with anyone!

Our turf nursery received a much needed renovation in August. It was rototilled, and seeded with many different new turf varieties that I can judge their usefulness for any future projects we may have at Elcona. The video above shows our Bermudagrass trial we planted, but we also planted an additional area with new bentgrass varieties that we will maintain at greens height.

This low area on 12 will be receiving drainage to make it more playable after a large rain.

Finally, we have a few fall projects we will be accomplishing over the next 2-3 months. In September, we will be stripping the back half of the north end of the practice tee and repairing the settling that has occurred since it was constructed in 2021. Later on in the fall, we will be constructing a new forward tee on hole 4. Finally, we will be installing new drainage in the valley on hole 12, allwing that fairway area to stay dryer after a large rain.

Thank you everyone for their compliments on the golf course this year, we have had a great year as a staff and will finish the 4th quarter of the year strong and create a great starting point for a successful 2024 season. If you have any questions, please email me at ryan@elconacc.com. Have a great week and I hope to see you on the golf course!

Ryan

Course Notes, 8/14/2023

Its been quite the active last 4 weeks here at Elcona, between preparing for and hosting the annual Walter O. Wells Invitational, dealing with all the fun that Mother Nature threw at the golf course, and beginning to think about Club Championships and our fall projects we would like to accomplish. One thing that is consistent, the sunrises continue to impress!

I would like to again thank my staff for all of their hard work throughout the year, especially through the last 4 weeks. They are the reason for the great golf course that you all get to enjoy. The last month has presented some challenges to our operation, and they have delivered in spades. I am very proud to work alongside these teammates of mine.

Unraked bunker in the middle, with a rake not too far away. We can do better!!

One of the best times I get to enjoy the game of golf is early evening, but unfortunately I am continually seeing unraked bunkers and divots not being replaced, some larger than dollar bills. Many of you continue to let me know you see it too. Please remind everyone in your family or group of buddies that play to help all of us take care of the course and think about the member behind you playing.

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The 10 days after the Walter O. Wells Invitational brought over 9″ of rain to the golf course. This created new ponds on the golf course, some I thought could be nice new features on the course, others not so much. Our maintenance shop flooded twice, the ponds between 3 and 15 flowed into one huge pond, and even though our staff had water to pump water and push sand back into place, the bunker commitment all of you made 3 years ago also proved itself quite a worthy investment again. The sand was protected from soil contamination and many of you commented that its playability that day was great.

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On August 4th, we had an unfortunate hydraulic leak on our greens mower that was quite hard to detect in the early morning until many of the greens were affected. While we never want to have this to happen, especially on putting surfaces, we are always prepared to respond in case it does happen. Where the true damage of any hydraulic leak comes from is the temperature of the oil when it hits the grass, not simply coating the grass with the oil. We were very lucky that the hose that leaked was a secondary hose that only sprayed hot oil out when the cutting units were in the raised position, not when the mower was cutting grass. We immediately tried to wash all oil off with a surfactant tab (glorified soap) and utilized some humic acid to further break down the oil, and if you have played, you know that these treatments worked to minimize further damage. We will finish plugging out the remaining dead turf along the edges of 9 and 18 and reseed some of the smaller damage this week.

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One final project we completed today was reseeding our turf nursery. Having a nursery is critical for any golf facility to have, in cases of accidents like the hydraulic leak mentioned above, or for future projects. This year we are testing the newest varieties of creeping bentgrass at greens and fairway heights of cut, as well as bermudagrass at a fairway height of cut. Bermudagrass you ask, isn’t that only a grass that lives down south? While the answer is yes, more and more northern facilities are utilizing it as a practice tee surface, as far north currently as Indianapolis. While I am not sure if it will survive some of the more brutal winters we experience in Elkhart County, it doesn’t hurt to find out. If it does, it potentially has a place here as a practice tee surface that heals much quicker from the heavy usage our current tee gets. Stay tuned!

As always, if you have any questions, please reach to me at ryan@elconacc.com. Congratulations to Pat Mohan and all of the Senior Club flight champions, and best of luck for all that are competing in this weeks Ladies Club Championship, as well as next weekend’s Men’s Club Championship. Hope to see you all on the golf course!

Ryan

Course Notes, 7/25/2023

Summer has definitely returned, but not before a highly successful Walter O. Wells Invitational occurred last week. I also would like to give a special thanks to our staff. I am very proud of the product they have produced for throughout the year, and can only think of one word to describe them: Awesome! Throughout the next few weeks most of them will be leaving us for the season and will be missed until they return in April 2024. So a huge thank you/muchas gracias to Adam, Ron, Tevin, Jim, Paul, Larry, Dave, Matt, Jack, Donis, Mitch, Yony, Issac, Aryton, Andrew, Ethan, and Dylan for all your hard work this year. Also a special thanks to Tom Thome and Tom Zimmerman for their help mowing fairways last week. Very much appreciated!

The popular motto “defense wins championships” rings true, not just in sports, but in turf management as well. It’s not necessarily what we do when the heat and humidity arrives, but more about what we don’t do.  For example, for a majority of the year we have experienced cooler to average weather.  This, combined with some changes I have made in our maintenance and agronomic practices, has allowed for some spectacular playing conditions.

So, what does defense mean in agronomic terms? The height of cut on greens has been raised slightly (from .11″ to .115″) to increase the amount of leaf tissue on the plant giving it a better opportunity to generate the necessary energy to survive.  If necessary, a mowing day may be skipped and replaced by rolling to reduce stress.  Irrigation is kept to a minimum as well. The need to minimize the amount of irrigation may sound counter-intuitive because of the heat, but we need to reduce the possibility of various types of diseases from developing.  Moist soils, thatch and leaf blades make an ideal environment for pathogens to grow and create harm to the turf. By reducing the irrigation, we reduce the moisture available to the pathogen. On days when we don’t mow fairways the dew is mechanically removed by two carts dragging a long hose across the playing surface to knock the dew off of the leaf blades allowing them to dry more quickly. In periods like this, every little trick helps.

Plant protectants and growth regulators are helping us as well, although they are not as effective during periods of high temperatures and humidity.  The humidity combined with these defensive measures listed above will lead to some decreased green speed, with the added moisture in the air being taken up by the plant, creating larger leaf blade surfaces.

Many afternoons have the staff and I syringing the greens turf to help cool it down.  When temperatures get above 85 degrees, Poa annua has difficulty photosynthesizing (making energy), and uses more energy then it can produce, causing stress damage.  By applying a fine amount of water, the turf is temporarily cooled off to relieve some of that stress.  This syringing creates the same effect as your skin feels if you ran quickly through a sprinkler.

The dark green is healthy Bentgrass. The yellowish-green is Poa annua, struggling in the summer heat!!

The picture below is 15 green taken with a thermal camera, and notice that the higher heights of turf are 10-20 degrees cooler than the green, and that the 100 degree canopy temperature on the greens turf is only cooler than the metal on my cart, which measured at 114 degrees.  The lower height of cut on the turf, the higher the canopy temperatures can be and the need for our syringing.

The great news is that the heat wave and humidity is expected to return to more manageable levels by the start of next week.  Please keep in mind that these changes are only intended to be temporary and that the ultimate goal is to provide you with a golf course that you can be proud of year round.  With that being said, until the heat and humidity begin to drop, we will continue to play defense.  As always, I encourage all of you to please contact me with any questions or concerns at ryan@elconacc.com.  Thanks, and have a great rest of your week!

Ryan