Sanding Divots

It must be too cold to sand divots this time of year.

This picture was taken from the Ball Drop on hole #15 at 8:45 am on Thursday 12/29/2011. I would like to explain the importance of sanding divots. I know there are a few misconceptions floating around on "why" we fill divots. The first is usually that there is seed in the sand mixture; at St Ives we have Bermuda fairways and Zoysia tee boxes, neither of these two grasses are propagated by seed.  We would also risk cross-contamination of the grasses if we did put seed in the sand containers. The second misconception, the sand will make the turf grow back faster. This would only work if we added fertilizer to the sand mixture.   

The reason for sanding divots is to provide the membership with uniform playing surfaces. When you properly fill and smooth a divot, your ball should come to rest on an even lie. When the new turf fills into a properly sanded divot, it creates a uniform surface. When you do not fill a divot and the turf fills in, it will create a depression. No one wants to hit their shot out of a “hole” in the middle of the fairway.  It is the player’s responsibility to leave the course in better condition than they found it; after all it is your course.  We have sand buckets located throughout the golf course and two sand bottles on all golf carts. Please help us fill divots as you play.

Thanks and enjoy your round.

Ball Marks

Ball mark repair in the 21st century.
By Larry Gilhuly

In the early '90s, a revolution hit the golf industry that changed how a golf ball rolled on putting greens - the introduction of spikeless alternatives that replaced "traditional" metal spikes. While ridiculed early by many players who assumed that metal spikes must be retained for traction, this slow-to-catch-on idea began to snowball as players found the combination of comfort and improving traction with various models made a real difference on creeping bentgrass, bermudagrass, and Poa annua dominated surfaces. The idea was simple - just remove "traditional" metal spikes from golf shoes, replace them with a good spikeless alternative, institute a metal spikes ban, and presto - your greens were significantly improved. There were no spike marks and not nearly the amount of wear noted around the holes due to foot traffic. Not perfect, but good enough to produce surfaces so much better that today the vast majority of players wear spikeless alternatives, and this issue is now virtually non-existent.

Enter the 21st century, and another way golfers negatively impact greens (ball marks) is undergoing a potential revolution with a myriad of manufacturers making claims that golf tees and "traditional" two-pronged tools need to be eliminated and only their type of new tool is the "answer" for all ball marks. While some of these tools have potential or have improved greens and are being marketed as the only answer, is it really the tool or simply the toolee?

As opposed to the spikeless alternative tsunami that washed over golf in the '90s, when golfers simply walked on the greens and improvement occurred, ball mark repair involves actual human thought - of which most players are either not educated or untrainable! The second problem is that all ball marks are not the same and all grasses are not the same when repaired. Let's look at the first problem - most golfers simply do not know how to fix ball marks properly.

Other than the new types of ball mark repair tools that either have shortened prongs or use a pinching action, the real problem with tees and two-pronged ball mark repair tools is that they are simply too long. When extended into the ground and lifted or twisted harshly, exposed soil is left behind with damaged plants on the ball mark perimeter. If nothing else, please remember this - push your ball marks back toward the center; do not lift or twist harshly . Ball marks can be fixed just as expertly with a two-pronged tool or tee by following these three simple rules:

1. Shorten the tee/prong length to no more than ¹ /2" to ³ /4". This can be accomplished easily where the forefinger acts as a base, with the thumb providing the pushing action.

2. Push the ball mark from the back side first. As a golf ball lands on a green, the "back" side of the ball mark will have the most turf displacement. This is where the most pushing should occur, and with some ball marks this is all that is needed.

3. Push the ball mark from the sides. The two sides of the ball mark can also be slightly displaced, so the second and third areas to push back are the sides. In some cases a small amount of twisting may be necessary, but under no circumstances should the turf be ripped toward the center. Also, the leading edge of the ball mark generally requires no pushing, as the turf has not been affected.

The second problem with some of the new ball mark repair tools is their short prongs or pinching action that simply cannot get to the center of deep Poa annua and creeping bentgrass ball marks, which can occur on many golf courses in cooler climates. This is especially true where Poa annua dominates, such as the Pacific Northwest, the California coast, and much of the northern Midwest and Northeast. These deep ball marks cannot be fixed with anything but a longer pronged device, and Poa annua does not respond as negatively as creeping bentgrass and hybrid bermudagrass when it is slightly twisted in an effort to level the ball marks in a cooler climate.

Bottom line - any player can fix every ball mark properly with a tee or two-pronged device, just as he or she can with some of the new repair tools, with the exception of deep ball marks. It is not the tool, but the toolee that truly determines how well a ball mark is repaired!

Larry Gilhuly is director of the Green Section's Northwest Region. (http://www.usga.org/Content.aspx?id=26208)

I took this photo on the 1st green at St Ives after weekend play. Each golf ball represents an unrepaired ball mark (it's 11, my blackberry did not produce the best picture).  Help us provide you with the best playing conditions and repair ball marks and fill divots. Remember, do not twist when repairing a ball mark, push all edges gently towards the center. I will be more than happy to show anyone how to properly repair a ball mark. You are more than welcome to email kmacdonald@valleycrest.com or flag me down on the golf course.

A Winter Project

One of the jobs that the maintenance staff does during the winter is leaf removal. Here is a picture of all the leaves that have accumulated at the bottom of #1. This is an extremely slow process as there is no quick way to remove the leaves. We will be selling all the Pro V's we have found for $2 per ball!

How fast are your greens???

What is a Stimpmeter?

The Stimpmeter is an extruded aluminum bar, 36 inches long, with a V-shaped groove extending along its entire length. It has a precisely milled ball-release notch 30" from the tapered end (the end that rests on the ground). The underside of the tapered end is milled away to reduce bounce as a rolling ball makes contact with the green.

Known as the father of the Stimpmeter, Edward S. Stimpson, left, was an accomplished golfer. (USGA Photo Archives)

The V-shaped groove has an included angle of 145 degrees, thereby supporting a golf ball at two points ½" apart. A ball rolling down the groove has a slight overspin, which is thoroughly consistent and has no deleterious effect on the ensuing measurments.

The ball-release notch is designed so that a ball will always be released and start to roll when the Stimpmeter is raised to an angle of approximately 20 degrees. This feature ensures that the velocity of the ball will always be the same when it reaches the tapered end.

Although the Stimpmeter is sturdily built, it is a precision instrument and should be protected from damage. When not in use, it should be stored in a plastic tube or case. Even relatively slight damage to the release notch or to the groove may cause errors.



How to Use a Stimpmeter

Equipment Required:

• Stimpmeter
• Three golf balls
• Three tees
• One 10- or 12-foot measuring tape
• One Data Sheet

Step 1 Select a level area on the green, approximately 10 feet by 10 feet. (A simple means of checking for al evel area is to lay the stimpmeter on the green and place a ball in the V-shaped groove - the movement of the ball will indicate whether or not the area is reasonably level).

Step 2 Insert a tee in the green, near the edge of the area selected, to serve as a starting point. Holding the Stimpmeter by the notched end, rest the tapered end on the ground beside the tee, and aim it in the direction you intend to roll the ball. Put the ball in the notch and slowly raise the end until the ball starts to roll down the groove. Once the ball starts to roll, Hold the Stimpmeter steady until the ball reaches the putting surface.

Repeat the same procedure with two more balls, keeping the tapered end on the same spot.

Step 3 All three balls should come to rest not more than 8 inches apart. (Should they be farther apart than that, the Stimpmeter may have moved too much during the series, the balls may be damaged or of inferior quality, or unusual conditions may exist. In any event, a pattern larger than 8 inches is of dubious accuracy, and the three-roll series should be repeated.)

Assuming the balls stop within the prescribed 8- inch limit, insert a second tee in the green at their average stopping point. The distance between the two tees is the length of the first series of rolls.

Step 4 Repeat Step 2, using the second tee as a starting point and the first tee as an aiming point. (In other words, roll a series of three balls along the same line, but in the opposite direction.)

 

Step 5 Repeat Step 3, thereby establishing the length of the second series of rolls. Step 6 Measure the two distances - for the first series and the second series - and calculate their average. Record this as the speed of the green.

Note: Should the difference in length between the first and second series be greater than 18 inches, the accuracy of the resulting average may be questionable. The area selected for the test may not have been sufficiently level - or sufficiently representative of the green - in which case it is advisable to select another area and repeat the test. Sometimes a green may be so severely undulating or sloping that a level area is simply not available (which the data record should indicate).

 

(http://www.usga.org/course_care/articles/management/greens/Stimpmeter-Instruction-Booklet/)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We measure the green speeds at St Ives Country Club three to five times a week . This is done to help the maintenance staff maintain speed uniformity through the week.  There are a lot of factors that play into a stimpmeter reading, including but not limited to: height of cut, variety of grass, soil moisture content, humidity, sunlight, leaf texture, time of year, smoothness of surface, quality of turf, topdressing and rolling.  Depending on any of one of these variables the speed can increase or decrease significantly. Therefore, multiple reading during the week is a must in trying to maintain consistent speeds.

 

We also have to find the right range of speeds that will appease the majority of the golfers. There will always be golfers who want them to roll a 14 and then you will have a set of golfers who like them at 9.5.  We can't accommodate both sets so we try and keep our speeds between 11-12. When the greens are rolling in the 11-12 range we seem to keep the membership in good spirits.

 

Hopefully, you learned a little bit about green speeds without falling asleep! If you want to know more details on the stimpmeter or green speeds, please email me kmacdonald@valleycrest.com

 

Raising Low Spots

One of our winter projects this year will be to level low spots in our fairways. There are old drain lines that have "sunken" over time. These areas create dips (low spots) in the fairways, which can lead to awkward lies and stances for the golfer.

                                              (Jamie and Hugo leveling low spots)




The staff will remove the sod, add greens mix underneath, level the area and place the sod back. Then the areas are tamped and topdressed. The sod work will visible for most of the winter but by spring it will knit/blend in perfectly. This will not only help playability but it should create less areas for water to puddle during rain events. Which in turn could lead to quicker turn around on cart path only days.

Weekend Tee Times.....

Due to the drop in night time temperatures we are expecting a

"Frost Delay" both Saturday and Sunday morning. As of Friday (12/9/2011) at 12:30pm we have backed up all tee times for this weekend 30 minutes.  

Frost Delays... Who to blame?

    In our region of the country, golfers occasionally face frost delays in the fall and winter, thus pushing back starting tee times. When frost is present golf course superintendents delay play until the frost has melted. This is done to prevent damage that affects the quality of the playing surface and could potentially be very expensive to repair.

Frost is frozen dew that has crystallized on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass plant is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes. Because of the short mowing height (as low as 1/10 inch) and fragile nature of the turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally. When the membrane is broken, much like an egg, it cannot be put back together. Golfers who ignore frost delays will not see immediate damage. The proof generally comes 48-72 hours later as the plant leaves turn brown and die. The result is a thinning of the putting surface and a weakening of the plant.

The maintenance staff is out monitoring for frost, our goal is to have you out as soon as possible. 

Thank you for your patience!

We spend more time in the sand than David Hasslehoff

If you play golf over the next week you will notice small green pin flags in some of the bunkers. These flags mark shallow areas in the bunkers.

We will have two crews working on the bunkers: One crew will probe the bunkers and find thin areas of sand and mark them. The second crew will follow behind and add/move sand as necessary to provide the proper depth. If you are in one of the bunkers with a small green flag, please do not remove the flag from the bunker. I want to caution everyone that this will be a slow process but we should make significant strides over the following week.

Thank you for your patience. As always please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about the golf course, kmacdonald@vallycrest.com

Rain, Wind and Snow?

It is a rainy day in Johns Creek (already had 8/10" of an inch), the temperature is predicted to drop all the way into the 20's tonight and we are under a wind advisory until 8pm tonight. I believe Kirk Mellish gave today a "2" on the Mellish Meter as I drove into work today. Definitely a raw day!  The maintenance staff will work a shorter day today to hold on to our extra hours to clean up the course tomorrow from all the wind today.

On days like this we take the opportunity to do a little "spring cleaning" on the shop area, equipment and fertilizer/chemical rooms. I personally use days like this to continue to find ways to improve our productivity and agronomic plans from last season.


"December 7 is dedicated as a day to remember those who died in the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1941"

How do you cut that grass so short?

That's a good question. We have specialized mowers for the entire golf course but none are as important as the greens mowers. We mow the greens between 1/10th (.100) - 1/8th (.125) of an inch, the height and frequency depends on the time of year. In the fall and spring we mow lower and more often because the bent grass is actively growing, however, in the heat of the summer we raise the heights up a little and mow less often.

                       

                  "The blades on Reel Mowers work just like a pair of scissors; they have sharp edges that snick together to lift and cut individual blades of grass. This style creates clean, even looking cuts across the top of your lawn. With a reel mower, you can easily duplicate the striped pattern found at ballparks and manicured gardens.

There are several rotating blades on a reel mower, paired up with a single back blade. The back blade is usually fixed at the base of the rotating cylinder, in-between the wheels. As the wheels spin, they turn the rotating blades. The rotating blades rotate towards the back blade, gathering up loose stalks of grass as they turn through their arc. When the back blade brushes against the spinning blades, it cleanly cuts any grass or weeds caught in between.

Grass that is cut cleanly is also healthy grass. Since reel mowers cut the grass with interlocking blades, they do not tear or shred plants as they cut. Grass heals quickly from these clean cuts and is less likely to suffer from diseases and insect attacks than grass with ragged edges. When plants spend less time fighting disease, they have more energy to use developing deep, drought resistant roots" (http://www.reelmowers.org/)

(Juilo mowing #10 green with Jacobsen set at .100)

At St Ives we are lucky enough have 2 types of Greens Mowers (Toro and Jacobsen). This give us a lot of flexibility; for a couple of reasons. When we aerifiy the sand dulls the bed knife and reels; having 2 sets of mowers allows the mechanic to have fresh mowers daily. Also, one type of mower is a little more aggressive (it has the ability to mow lower) while the other is less aggressive for mowing during times of stress.  Our Mechanic Carlos Hernandez does a great job of setting up the mowers correctly, there is no room for error when you mow at 1/10th of an inch. 

                                              (Acaiso checking the quality of cut after mowing)

Hydroject

Jamie at work on the HydroJect 3000!

 The HydroJect blasts a high pressured stream of water (about the size of coat hanger wire) into the green. This stream of water opens a hole about 6-8 inches deep into the soil, which provides many benefits. These include increased water infiltration, gas exchange and opening channels for root development.  One of the great benefits of the HydroJect is that has zero disruption to playability!

FIrst attempt

I have decided to start a blog for the maintenance department to keep members updated on course conditions. Please feel free to provide feedback. I will try and provide as much information as I can on the day to day operations at our facility. I want to keep the information short and sweet, so let me know if I get off track.