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