SUNDAY NOV 24

Due to the expected heavy frost Sunday morning the Tee Sheet is moving to a 12:30 pm Shotgun. Please call the Proshop with any questions.

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

November 21, 2013

We have finalized the protocol for pulling the covers on the greens, I posted it on Twitter and the Blog last week, but I will include it on the Weekly Update so everyone is up to speed. It is as follows: 25 degrees or cooler for two consecutive nights with soil temps less than 40 degrees and expected highs the next day less than 50 degrees. Clear as mud?

The maintenance staff is busy continuing to repair shallow bunkers and exposed fabric, this is a tedious and seemingly never ending process.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kmacdonald@valleycrest.com and for more information follow us on Twitter @stivescc_vcsup and the Blog: http://vcgmstivescountryclub.blogspot.com/

  17 green (looking down the fairway)

See y’all on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A

When we pull covers....

This will be our guideline on pulling covers over the greens, I will monitor the forecast and communicate with the membership when the time arises. So, please follow the Blog and Twitter!

25 degrees or cooler for two consecutive nights

Soil temps less than 40 degrees

Highs less than 50 degrees. 

As always when dealing with Mother Nature there will need to be some flexibility.

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

November 13, 2013

We had our first cold snap of the year this week and the Agronomy Department pulled the turf covers over the greens.  If we had someone with a video camera we could have been on “America’s Funniest Home Videos” because the combination of 25 mph winds and tarps tend to drag people around. It took 8 employees 4.5 hours to do our 1^st greens covering; I believe we will become more efficient with practice. This morning I checked the soil temps of the tee boxes vs greens, it was 12 degrees warmer underneath the tarps and that is scientific proof of why we need to cover the greens.  We are still finalizing our protocol on covering greens in regards to temperature and play.  Next week, I will have finalized information, once presented to the Golf and Grounds Committee.  Just for your basic information we look for 25 degrees F or colder.

Medalist has started grading in the landscape area on 7, 8, 15, 16 and sod installation will start on Thursday.  Pricing is almost complete for the plant material that will be installed after the sod is laid.  

We are also working on a basin washout on the left hand side of #3 cart path, so please be careful, as we will have it roped off.     

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kmacdonald@valleycrest.com and for more information follow us on Twitter @stivescc_vcsup and the Blog: http://vcgmstivescountryclub.blogspot.com/

See y’all on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A

THIS IS MY OFFICE.... GEORGIA GCSA

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO THE GEORGIA GCSA PRODUCED (http://vimeo.com/78408239) WHICH CONTINUES TO PROMOTE THE PROFESSION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF GOLF IN GEORGIA.

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

November 6^{th, 2013}

You’ll know autumn is here when you see us sending out 2 tractor blowers, 2 pull-behind blowers daily and the course is still covered in leaves and pine straw.  The staff has been hard at work with daily maintenance of the golf course: mowing, blowing, edging, spraying weeds and repairing irrigation/drainage.  You will notice the wet spot in the 18^th fairway has been repaired this week and a new drain basin installed.  We have also hired Medalist Golf to do all of the grading and sodding work in the areas left from tree removal and thus will allow our staff to continue to focus on the smaller details around the course.  Once Medalist has completed the work, we will install the trees, shrubs and plant fine fescue.  A fertilizer and fungicide were applied to the greens today. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kmacdonald@valleycrest.com and for more information follow us on Twitter @stivescc_vcsup and the Blog: http://vcgmstivescountryclub.blogspot.com/

See y’all on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A

Last weeks update....

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

October 31^th, 2013

Happy Halloween!

The disease from last week has been controlled and the greens are starting the recovery process.  The cooler temperatures coupled with the fact that MiniVerde is a warm season turfgrass means the recovery will be slow, however, the damage will only be cosmetic/aesthetic.  A fertilizer tank was applied to the greens on the 30^th, which will promote new growth.  Last week we applied a pigment to the tee boxes and fairways, which will help the turf hold its color longer into the fall and winter. The goal is to have a sharp contrast between the fairways and the roughs. A second application is scheduled for next week.

The pump station is back online after the pressure reducing valve was installed last week.

 The Maintenance staff is working on detailing beds around the course and increasing bunker maintenance.  The Driving Range Tees (DRT) were also sprayed with a foliar fertilizer tank on the 29^th to encourage a vigorous stand of ryegrass before the cold weather sets in.  Next week we will re-seed the entire tee box to increase our seed bed. Please follow the “mats only” signage so that we can utilize the turf as far into the winter as possible.  I have also attached a few photos of the proper way to take a divot on the DRT.

Preferred Divot Pattern

 This picture is the average divot pattern at St Ives.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kmacdonald@valleycrest.com and for more information follow us on Twitter @stivescc_vcsup and the Blog: http://vcgmstivescountryclub.blogspot.com/

See y’all on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A