Tee Project - Week 2 Update

 

The tee box renovation project is progressing along better than expected on this second week and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, with construction nearing the final few tee box locations. Weather has been fantastic this past week and the crew made huge progress with the dry and cool temperatures. We now have 14 tee boxes completed and seeded with only 7 left to complete. The construction crew is doing a fantastic job on all the many details related to the scope of the project and leaving behind virtually no damage to the course.

#3 Back Tee

#2 Forward Tee

#1 Forward Tee

#10 Forward Tee

#8 Forward Tee

#8 Back Tee

#17 Forward Tee

#18 Back, Middle, Senior (New), Forward

#16 Forward Tee

Tee Project - Week 1 Update

With a very productive first week of construction in the books, things are really starting to take shape on the first 10 tee boxes of the tee renovation project. The weather has created several challenges already, haulting work on two days and delaying work on two others with heavy rainfall and wet conditions. The construction crew is doing a fantastic job and making huge progress, working sun up to sun down 7 days a week and leaving behind very minimal disruption to the golf course.

#7 Forward Tee

#12 Forward Tee (New)

#14 Back Tee

#9 Back, Middle, Senior (New), Forward Tees

#11 Forward Tee

Construction Equipment Arrives On Site

Tree Removal At #9 Back & Middle Tees

Tree Removal At #18 Back & Middle Tees

Proper Driving Range Divot Patterns

When practicing from the driving range tee, it is important to remember the proper divot patterns that are recommended. Spreading divots around or taking divots in strips with undisterbed turf between, is the preferred method we ask that you use. 

Leaving small areas of turf between divots, will provide a much faster recovery time to the teeing area. When a large hole of concentrated divots is created, this requires a much longer recovery time with no remaining turfgrass plants within the area, to aid in recovery from the inside out. This situation requires the damaged area to only recover from the grass seed/sand that's applied by the grounds staff, while the single divots or strips are immediately filling in from the sides and healed much faster. 

Large hole divots suffer from erosion and heavy rainfall, washing the seed/sand out with no remaining turf to stabilize area or help it re-establish. Mowing equipment will also essentially push or scoop sand from the large holes as the cutting units pass over the uneven surface, ultimately delaying recovery of that particular teeing location.

We appreciate your help when it comes to the health of the practice area turf and keeping the driving range tee/shortgame area in good condition. Continuing to educate members and your peers on the proper divot taking methods will keep the turf recovering consistantly throughout the golfing season, always providing a quality surface to practice from.

Tee Project Planning Meeting

Today we had our pre project planning meeting for our upcoming tee box renovations. This was a great opportunity to meet again with architect Chris Wilczynski and Contactor Chris Furness with Great Lakes Golf & Site Development, Inc. Both of these guys are fantastic and so very creative when it comes to golf course design and construction. We are all getting excited as the project starts in just 6 days now!

We finalized the plans for the 10 new forward tees and laid out the new tee box locations with paint and flags. The new forward tees will be a wonderful addition to the golf course and a much needed addition for the women, seniors and higher handycappers. 

We also laid out the 8 existing middle and back tees that will be expanded and leveled. The new renovated tees will provide more teeing ground with better alignment with the hole and more variation in yardage for golfers of all skill levels. 

Finalizing Plans, Equipment, Irrigation and Material Staging Areas

 

Laying Out New Forward Tee On #1

 

Marking Correct Tee Box Locations From Site Plans

#7 Forward Tee Laid Out For Expansion

 

Laying Out New Forward Tee On #17

How-To Divot Repair

With the busy golfing season in full swing, this is a good opportunity to discuss divot repair and how we can all do our part daily to keep Gull Lake C.C. in pristine condition. Filling divots in fairways and tees is very simple and only takes a couple seconds, with very minimal impact on your round of golf. The grounds team spends a fair amount of time each week filling divots in fairways, while divots on tees are repaired everyday throughout the golfing season. We have provided some tips below on getting your divots filled properly depending on the extent of the damage to the turf and what condition the divot piece remains in.

(1)

Large Divot With Soil Still Attached- 

When a divot is taken from a fairway or a tee box and the soil is still attached like the picture above, the divot should be placed back into the hole and in the same shape it was removed from. When soil remains attached with some root structure in tact, the divot will continue to grow without drying out. When there is minimal soil attached or it's blown apart like the picture below, the divot will simply not survive and will ultimately be removed and re-filled by the grounds staff... Delaying its recovery tremendously!

(2)

Small Divot Blown Apart In Pieces-

When your divot is small or maybe blown apart into a bunch of small pieces, this is when you grab the provided green sand bottle for repair. The small pieces, even replaced very neatly will not survive, due to the lack of root structure and ability to stay moist for reestablishment. When repairing your divot with green sand, please fill the damaged area completely so that the sand is flush with the surrounding turf and tap down with your shoe. The pictures below show divots that were repaired with green sand and recovering very nicely from the outside edges in, while plants also establish inside the damaged area for full recovery of the divot location.

Take Home Message

Properly repaired divots will heal up much faster than a divot that's either left unreparied, or simply sprinkled with green sand like salt on a steak. We have provided extra green sand bottles for you at the Pro Shop and by #10 tee, for those that need to reload at the turn. By all doing our part to repair divots and ball marks properly, the course will remain in better shape and the damaged areas will be repaired sooner.

Greens Rooting & Needle Tine Benifits

The greens have been in fantastic condition and very healthy this summer, despite the challenging environmental conditions Mother Nature has dealt us. Overall, this summer has been normal or below average temperature wise, and we have only recorded a few days over 90 degrees at the club so far this season. The main challenges for the turf this summer has been heavy rainfall events with hot and humid weather conditions following for a week at a time. The greens have battled through the stressful periods of this summer season in fine fashion so far, with the help of routine needle tine venting and our aggressive cultural practices. Opening up channels for roots to breath and allowing the rootzone to rid itself of harmful gasses, makes all the difference in the world. Getting oxygen to the root system through needle tine venting, allows us to keep the greens in championship form throughout the stressful summer season.

Members ask from time to time... "Why do we punch small holes into the greens periodically during the summer?" Routine needle tine venting greens throughout the summer months has some wonderful benefits and there is a perfect example pictured above. The beautiful, white, healthy roots headed south into the rootzone, thriving in an oxygen rich environment and loving life.

Step by Step Greens Needle Tine Aerification Process

For more information on the needle tine process. Click Here

Topdressing & Needle Tine Venting

This morning the grounds team was very busy at the club before the normal Monday outing, mowing the entire golf course, filling divots on driving range tee/short game practice area, topdressed greens, needle tine vented greens, blew sand into open holes and rolled greens two times. With a busy club championship week behind us now for the golf course and the turf, this very productive morning has the course back in fantastic condition and ready for league tomorrow. 

Applying sand to the greens prior to venting.

After topdressing and needle tine venting.

After sand is blow into holes and double rolled.

Driving range tee dialed up and ready for action.

Today the grounds team did a fantastic job mowing and completing a bunch of detail jobs on a beautiful maintenance Monday. The remainder of the open needle tine holes will be closed after a double cut and roll tomorrow morning, leaving behind virtually no sign and a healthy putting surface that will be rolling firm and true.

For more information and the health benefits of needle tine venting. Click Here