Agronomy Update

October 18, 2016

Greens:

            The weather continues to fluctuate and the greens aren’t quite sure how to respond. Over the last 20 days, we prepped the greens for winter/fall by slowly raising our HOC (height of cut) and increasing fertilization to promote root growth. Our program was working great, as we were achieving green speeds around 11.25 consistently without a lot of inputs (extra mowing/rolling). Approximately 7 days ago, the weather warmed up significantly (we will even see record highs over the next few days). During this time, the greens flushed a lot of new growth and it caused a dramatic decrease in green speeds. However, the forecast is calling for 40 degree nights this weekend.  These low temperatures will slow the growth of the greens and we will see our speeds pick back up.                          

Drought:

            Atlanta is in an extreme drought and we are not expecting any significant rainfall over the next 10-14 days. The positive side is that we have not been Cart Path Only for weeks!

Bunkers:

            The sand installation is under way. We have completed the following areas:  #18 greensides, 1 pot bunker on #10, #13 fairways and are starting #14 greenside. We are anticipating working on this project into the spring, so we ask for your patience. You will see GUR signs in any/all bunkers that are under repair, please take relief from these bunkers.

#11 Red Tee:

            Back in the spring, we hydro seeded the hill side in front of the red tee on #11 with Weeping Love grass. Unfortunately, we had a poor germination and did not achieve the look we desired. Therefore, we started installing Pink Muhley Grass, this grass has been used on the hillside behind #13 green and it has a great look. It will take a year for the grasses to mature but the area will be much improved.   

Annual Flowers:

The beds will be prepped next week and new flowers will be installed on the 1^st and 2^nd of November.

             

Agronomy Update

May 10, 2016

Bunker Renovation Update:

            The 2016 phase of the bunker renovation has been completed and in doing so it completes 50% of the total project. This summer we will be working with Medalist on bidding the 2017 phase. Medalist is also finishing up a few drainage projects on the driving range and #18 tees, expect completion by Thursday afternoon.

           

Spring Sodding:

            The next two weeks we will be working on painting, cutting, prepping and laying sod in areas that did not transition from winter.  A majority of the damage is typical cart path edges and high traffic walkways. Overall, the course did well considering the extremely wet fall (50+ inches) and the wild temperature swings during the winter (75F on 12/26/16).

Greens:

            The greens lost a good bit of color this past weekend; the morning lows dipped into the low 40’s and the greens went off color. Warmer temperatures and abundant sunshine over the next few days will have everything greening back up. As always, evaluating our programs is critical and there was drastic improvement from the spring of 2015. However, critical analysis both internally and externally is a must. One of the unique ways of analyzation in BrightView, is by inviting Dr. Todd Bunnell Ph. D, to visit and review our processes. Dr. Bunnell oversees the agronomic programs of over 80+ courses throughout the county, so his information is a great tool for our course.

 

Agronomy Update

April 27, 2016

Bunker Renovation Update:

            Medalist finished shaping and grassing the bunkers on #6, during the next few days will be installing gravel, glue and new sand. Currently, Medalist has started demo on the 8^th hole. They will be reshaping the green side bunker and softening the landing area at the greens entry. This will allow players to hit a shorter iron and bounce the ball onto the green.  #8 will be closed all day Wednesday, until 1:30 pm Thursday and all day Friday. The closure is needed to complete the scope in a few days. Once completed, Medalist has been contracted to complete drainage work on the Driving Range.   

Annual flower installation:

             The Summer Annual Flowers are being installed this week at the Clubhouse/Front Entrance and Tennis Center. We expect to complete everything over the next few days.  We spent last week preparing the beds, so install will go smoothly.

Zeon Tee Boxes:

            A few weeks ago I briefly discussed the tee boxes and I am circling back with our progress. Since I last wrote, we have applied a few extra fertilizer/fungicide tanks and coupled with temperatures reaching the “140 rule” we have seen drastic improvement over a majority of the tee boxes. There still are a few tee boxes, however, that are lagging and slow to transition. A majority of these ”slow” tees are in heavy afternoon shade. Warm season grass is at its best when it gets full sun in the afternoon. We have taken samples into the shop and there is a lot of green grass down deep. We are aerifying and adding another shot of fertilizer to these “slow” tees and expect to see recovery over the next few weeks. If and when, it is necessary, we will re-sod any spots that do not transition and we anticipate the sodding to be minimal.   

Green Speed:

            During the last 10-14 days, we have pushed the greens for growth/recovery.This spring we have seen fewer weak areas on the edges compared to last year. Our goal is to have these areas filled in before we hit our tournament stretch. Therefore, we have taken a “grow-in” approach to the greens this spring. We are seeing the results in our density, but the downside, we have seen green speeds fall under our target. Please be patient as this is only temporary and once we are grown in we will do what is necessary to hit our target speeds consistently.

Agronomy Update

April 20, 2016

Bunker Renovation Update:

            Medalist is finishing rough shaping the new bunkers on the 6^th hole today. We have a site visit scheduled with Billy Fuller tomorrow to review the changes. Billy will make any necessary changes and give his approval to begin installing drainage. Once approved, Medalist will move a crew to the 8^th hole and begin demolition of the current greenside bunkers.  At that point, Medalist, will be working on #6 and #8 simultaneously which will expedite the final stages of the project.   

Annual flower installation:

            We will take delivery of the summer annuals on Monday, April 25^th. It typically takes approximately 2 days to complete the installation at Clubhouse, Tennis facility and Front entrance.  We are looking forward to putting summer color back into the beds, since the deer and Mother Nature were hard on winter annuals.

Cart Path Repair:

            Wall to Wall Golf finished the cart path repairs over the weekend. The repairs are much easier on the carts and will make your round more enjoyable.  The Maintenance Team is backfilling the edges, leveling and re sodding along the repaired areas and expected to finish this task by early next week.   

Topdressing Greens:

            The weather is finally turning towards growing Bermuda grass (140 rule). Yesterday in the “maintenance gap”, we applied light topdressing to the greens. This weekly application is critical in maintaining the thatch level in the greens. The sand dilutes the thatch build up in the greens cavity which in turn increases firmness. The topdressing also smooths the putting surface and increases ball roll (speed). The goal is to find the perfect amount of sand each week; typically we aim to reduce visual signs of sand 3 day after application. We will continue with this weekly application until the weather is consistently dips below the “140 rule”.   

Tree removal #16:

            We removed a section of trees on the 16^th hole that was providing too much shade to grow Bermuda grass. We have the scheduled the stump grinder for this coming Monday and then we will begin removing the dead turf and resodding the area. After removing the trees, it really opens up the right side of #16 and does not appear to be quite as narrow.

Agronomy Update

Bunker Renovation Update:

            Medalist has completed the 16^th and 17^th holes and will lay new bermuda sod along the creek bank on Thursday.  Medalist is currently working on the 6^th hole we are waiting on the new PDF rendering of #6, which will show the improvements from Billy Fuller. Once completed, Medalist will be moving to the 8^th hole and we have requested the PDF rendering of #8 as well.  

Tee Box color and density:

            The Zeon tee boxes are currently showing a semi dormant look. We applied a fungicide application based on soil temperatures for, Zoysia Patch and Fairy Ring, in late February. The fungicide applied can cause a slight growth regulation effect on warm season turf. Shortly after the application, we also had a light frost on property. The frost coupled with the PGR effect has delayed green up. We are confident the tee boxes will green up nicely once we get into 80/60 degree temperatures.

Cart Path Repair:

            The contractor is on property and beginning to repair areas that were marked as “Urgent” this will cost approx. 40k. The work will be done on #2, #3, #6, #11, #18 and we are getting a bid on #15/#16 spillway.

Greens/Weak Areas:

            We have a few weak transitioning areas on the greens ( #11, #12 and #13) this is typical with UD’s transitioning in the spring, especially after the El Nino and record rainfall this fall and winter. There will be plugging in a few areas but once it warms up we get aggressive with our fertilizer program this spring.  Overall, we are pleased with the conditions of the greens but also recognize we still have some work on a few small areas going forward. The good news is once we hit the “140 Rule” (Daytime + Nighttime temps =140) we can start growing grass. The last 10 days the average has been “123” so we are in a holding pattern with all the warm season turf, it is green but not actively growing.

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

April 5, 2016

The bunker renovation on #16 is finished and I believe it turned out great! In my opinion, removing the back two bunkers that were seldom played from was an excellent decision. Medalist did a fantastic job blending the area to create swales and bailouts for the golfer. Once the sod knits, we will begin mowing out new approach lines and expanding the fairway height of cut around the green. Medalist is also finishing a few improvements to the fairway bunkers on #17. These improvements are expected to be completed on Wednesday. Once the work is approved by Billy Fuller and 16 and 17 are buttoned up we will move to the 6^th hole. Be on the lookout for the updated PDF, which will show all the improvements and changes coming to #6.   

It has been a crazy busy spring! The team is going full bore on finishing up winter projects and beginning to grind on the weekly maintenance. On Monday, the team went “Beast Mode” on the bunkers and I have never been more impressed. They took great pride in producing a superior product by edging, fly mowing and raking the bunkers I can’t remember when they have looked better in my 7 years. I know we still face our challenges with fabric in the bunkers that were constructed 27 years ago. But, we are slowly tacking those problems too. A group of team members have repaired the fabric in the big fairway bunkers on the right of #3 this past week and it is a drastic improvement. If you see the guys around the course, please give them big thumbs up, as they have been getting after it lately!

Next week, we are Hydroseeding the slopes in front of #11 red tee and the tee complex on #15. We will be planting “Weeping Lovegrass”, this particular grass will mature around 12-14 inches tall and its density will crowd out a majority of the weeds. This grass’s resilience to herbicide makes treating for weeds a breeze. Caution, It will take 1 to 2 years for everything to mature and produce the look I envision.

We really need some 80 degree days and night time temps in the 60’s to get all the Bermuda and Zoysia moving. We had a short run in Mid-March that popped everything to wake up but we continue to have a low-mid 40 degree night which doesn’t speed up growth and we are green but not growing.  The spring of 2015 was tough as it remained cool and cloudy until late May. We have already applied one of our fertilizer applications and once the weather breaks for good we will be applying a 2^nd application to the fairways and stressed areas. Once this application is applied we will be able to determine what grass is slow in transitioning and what needs to be re-sodded.

A few quick bullet points/reminders:

1.      Tarps and temporary cups will be removed Monday, April 11^th

2.      Annual Flowers will be delivered the 3^rd week of April

3.      Cart Path work will begin Monday, April 11^th (All work to be done is marked by green paint on paths)

This is my best Masters/Jim Nance photo

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

March 29, 2016

The 16^th hole is being sodded as I write this update and it is definitely a new and clean look. Medalist did a nice job behind the green creating the grass swales and blending it into the existing greens complex. The addition of the fairway bunker also blends into the topography nicely. It will define the creeks edge from the tee box, which will warn golfers to stay right off the tee. I have attached an email from Billy Fuller in which he gives insight into the bunker location of #16.

“The intent for this bunker has always been to place it slightly further from the back tee than the right fairway bunker.  It’s purpose is threefold.

(1) The longer hitters tend to hit more right to left shots, and many catch this right to left fairway slope to the creek.  That said, it would stop some shots from going into the creek.  Some bunker lies would allow a player to go for the green, though at least as many would not.

(2) This bunker would offer a very clear definition of the creek edge, and serve as a warning for players to stay right of this edge.

(3) I believe the aesthetics would be greatly enhanced as well for all players.

The great majority of golfers tend to hit left to right shots, which plays into this slope for shorter hitters.  If a player does play right to left (short of new bunker) it is necessary to play further right.  We have always assumed this to be a very small number of players, thus we did not show an additional bunker short of the proposed.  The only negative aspect of adding an additional bunker short of the proposed is added cost.  Our intent with bunker strategy was to reduce the overall sand area on the course, focusing primarily on removing bunkers that seldom came into play.  My question is if we did add a second bunker on the left side, would it have much impact on a significant number of players?

I hope this helps understand the strategic intent on this hole.”

-Billy Fuller

We are expecting 2-3” of rain between Thursday and Friday, so we are preparing for a clean-up weekend. In preparation for the rain, we needle tined the greens to allow more water infiltration, we also added an extra spray tank to protect the greens from any diseases that might flare up during this wet stretch.  The middle section of #12 creek should be dredged by lunch on Wednesday. The team has also been busy touching up pine straw beds over the last few weeks and it is really starting to show, it is always nice to see definition (pop) around the course.

There are a few items I want to mention but don’t deserve an entire paragraph. So below are a couple of quick bullet points from around the course.

1.      Tarps will be removed from the course on April 11^th

2.      We will begin marking for sod replacement mid-late April

3.      Fescue on main drive is filling in nicely and almost ready for a mow

4.      Annual flowers installation is scheduled for the 3^rd week of April

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

March 22, 2016

Medalist is going full bore on #16 this week and has already shaped in the greenside bunkers. Billy Fuller is scheduled for a site visit on the 24^th and will make any necessary changes to the shaping, once approved they will begin installing drainage, gravel and sand. If the weather continues to hold true they should have #16 completed late next week.

It is late March and Fairways (.450), Approaches (.450), Roughs (1.25”) and Tees (.400) have all been mown for the first time during 2016. Everything is starting to come to life: Dogwoods, Azaleas, Camellias, Cherries and Redbuds are all blooming.  It is hard to believe its only 15 days until they tee off at Augusta!! Golf season always seems to come quick in Atlanta; during the off season we trained hard on staff etiquette and paying attention to the fine details.  I know the team is ready to provide the membership with a great season.

If you notice blue dye on the tee boxes this week, we are spraying the Zeon Zoysia that has been contaminated with Bermuda grass. This won’t be a one shot kill, it will take all summer (approx. 6 applications) to weaken the Bermuda to the point the Zeon will overtake the area. We will see some discoloration but the end result will produce a better mono-stand of turfgrass and a better teeing experience (if possible!!)

The last item to mention is that we are done with the cup liners until next winter, we have already begun painting the cups on the course!

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

March 16, 2016

Harrell’s Fertilizer Company applied our first bulk fertilizer application on Monday and finished on Tuesday. This first spread is critical for the Bermudagrass to wake up and begin growing. This fertilizer coupled with the recent warm trend we should see the fairways, tees, approaches and roughs begin to green up considerably over the next few weeks. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time we were mowing rough in March but we will take it!

Medalist finished the 17^th hole bunker renovation on Tuesday and it turned out great. The construction process has moved onto the 16^th hole and will remain there for at least 7-10 days. I am waiting on a PDF from Billy Fuller that will show the new changes and once I receive the PDF, I will share with the membership. The two biggest changes on the 16^th hole will be the removal of the back bunkers on #16, they will be converted into a “grass” type bunker. There will also be the installation of a new fairway bunker on the left hand side (approx. 185 yds from the green). This new bunker will frame the hole and add a strategic element for the longer hitters. It is exciting to see the new changes on the course and the new bunkers are also extremely maintenance friendly!

This recent warmup has also brought the greens back to life. Since the greens are growing we have resumed our weekly topdressing applications. This topdressing process is critical for UltraDwarf Bermudagrass greens, not only for playability but it also holds key agronomic benefits. From a playability standpoint, the sand smoothes the putting surface, a smooth surface turn increases ball roll/speed and reduces/eliminates mower scalping. Did you know that applying light topdressings is the best way to gain ½ to ¾ of a foot in ball roll?  The sand also dilutes the thatch layer that builds in UltraDwarf bermudagrass, this reduction provides a firmer surfaces. So before I even mention the boring agronomic benefits, this practice provides a smoother, firmer and faster putting surface for the membership. I believe the positives from light topdressings just sold itself on why it is necessary.

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

March 9, 2016

I apologize for not having an update prepared last week; I was off property Monday-Thursday at our annual meeting for ValleyCrest Golf Maintenance. Dr. Todd Bunnell, knocked it out of the park, with a who’s who lineup of education and speakers. It is quite a treat to have unlimited access to some of the top researchers in the country, truly valuable knowledge. I also enjoyed a few rounds of golf in sunny Orlando, which is never a bad time. All in all, the entire trip was fantastic. Now to what is going on at St Ives Agronomy.

Medalist Golf started bunker renovation last week despite the 1.25” of rain. However, all they were able to get done was some rough shaping of the bunkers and demo work. On Tuesday March 8 we had another walk through with Billy Fuller and he gave the green light to begin drainage installation. Rain permitting we should have all the grass down mid week and then move to #16 to begin the demo process. Be on the lookout for a separate email describing the changes on #16 that will also contain a PDF attachment.

Billy Jack, John Gerdts and myself have prioritized cart path repairs into 3 categories (Urgent (this year), Important (next year) and Upcoming (3-5 years)). I met with our new Cart Path repair contractor on 3/8/16 to discuss pricing, options and timing. Going forward we will be using reinforced concrete to minimize breaking 3-5 years down the road. This proposal will be reviewed at the board level and discussed at the next committee meeting.

The dry weather early last week allowed us to partially dredge #12, we still have to dredge middle section and hand scrape 3^rd section. Unfortunately, the backhoe that dredges the creek had a few mechanical problems and is currently being repaired to correct the issues. Once repaired and we have dry turf we will finish the last 2 sections of the creek.  

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

February 24, 2016

Medalist delivered equipment, we walked through the planning/concepts with Billy Fuller (Architect) and then Mother Nature red lighted our project by dropping over 3” of rain this week. The saturated turf conditions have shut down the project for the remainder of the week. However, work is scheduled to start February 29 (Monday) on the 17^th hole, move to 16^th, the 8^th and finish on the 6^th.  See the attached PDF design for the new look to the 17^th.

The Horticulture team had to remove the winter annual flowers from a few of the flower beds this week. The deer on property have feasted on the blooms/bulbs which have devastated the plants. Typically, the deer repellent we use keeps the blooms safe; however, with the excessive amount of rain this winter it had washed the repellent off the flowers and therefore not successful in repelling the deer. Summer annual planting is right around the corner, so the plan is to leave the beds bare until the new plant material arrives in April. Definitely a bummer! Considering we typically produce a fantastic tulip display around Easter.  

We will keep it conservative in regards to the greens this upcoming weekend/week. This mild/wet/overcast weather is perfect for disease development and turf damage. We have already applied a wetting agent/fungicide and we will be out needle tining the greens this week. This culturally practice opens channels for air/gas exchange and water infiltration. It feels like it is shaping up for an early spring and hopefully that will bring on warmer temperatures and lots of sunshine!

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

February 17, 2016

The weather looks as though it will take a turn for the better this weekend, so I hope you booked a tee time as we are hoping for a great golfing weekend. The main ticket item on our list this week is converting the large pine straw areas on the main drive into a tall fescue lawn. The gorgeous Water Oaks along the main drive have created a dense canopy that restricts sun light. The turf was originally Bermudagrass; however, with the dense canopy the Bermudagrass has significantly thinned from not receiving enough sunlight to remain viable. Tall Fescue does not require the same amount sun light and will thrive in the shady environment especially during the Georgia summers. Once the soil is tilled, it will be prepared with pre-plant fertilizers and seeded at a rate of 10 pounds per 1000 ft2. The irrigation is being adjusted and repaired to provide sufficient water for the germinating seeds. It will take approximately a month to establish the Tall Fescue lawn and begin mowing, weather permitting. In the winter and fall, the contrast of cool and warm season grasses with provide an aesthetic “pop” when you pull into or out of property. This conversion will also provide a budget friendly alternative to bulk pinestraw applications.  

Jamie Perez, Irrigation Technician, has started repairing a few irrigation breaks/leaks throughout the property. During the 40”+ of rain from Sept-Feb, it was hard to identify leaks versus wet soil saturated from rainfall. However, last week provided some relief from the saturated soils (you noticed because we were off the paths!) and a lot of our leaks stood out. Jamie will be repairing this week and possibly into next.  

Medalist will start the bunker renovation on holes 6, 8, 16 and 17 on Tuesday February 22, 2016. Weather permitting we expect this construction to be completed by April 1^st. In order to reach this goal, Medalist will work during play.  The Agronomy department in conjunction with the Proshop will modify the hole for the day (ie #16 will play as a Par 3) and these changes will be communicated to the membership. Medalist will only work on one hole at a time to minimize disruption. We are excited to continue the Master Plan that was developed in 2009, this construction will tackle some of our most problematic bunkers and provide new look to the golf course (What an exciting time!). Feel free to reach out to me with any questions on the bunker construction project.  

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

February 9, 2016

With the ice cold wind biting my face and a steady falling snow, it was easy to sneak away and type this Weekly Update! Yesterday the team pulled covers over the greens in front of this advancing arctic front. The forecast calls for high winds, light snow and extremely low wind chills. It appears the covers will be in place until Thursday morning; however, we will monitor the forecast and will communicate any changes to the Proshop and Membership. As always, when the greens are covered, we have temporary greens available for play.

With the greens being covered for a part of the week, the staff has plenty of projects to keep busy. Leaf removal on #1, #12, main drive and parking lots, under brushing on #11 and #13, laying pine straw under recently trimmed Miscanthis grasses and dredging #12 water feature. On Monday, we finished the sod work left of #15 cart path and are eagerly awaiting the Pink Muhley Grass to finish the project, I believe this project provides drastic improvement. We also completed our Pre-Post emergent application! This is one of the most frustrating applications we apply each year due to the weather. It typically takes a month to complete because we are battling wet turf and low temperatures. However, we completed it this year in 26 days, which is hard to believe considering the amount of rain that fell.

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

 Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

February 3, 2016

The rain continues as I type this update…. We have already seen over 26” of rain since November 1^st and it appears February is going to stay on the same track, thanks El Nino! Every time we discuss the El Nino, it reminds me of the Chris Farley SNL sketch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSRUf02gu8 ).

On to more important matters, the team started under brushing in front of the red tee box on #11 this week, what a dramatic improvement already and we still have a ways to go. Once all of the dead Indian Hawthorne and briars are removed the team will weed eat and put a hard rake on the slope this will prepare the hillside for seed. We have subcontracted a hydro seeder for April to install, Weeping Love grass on the bank, this is a low maintenance native grass that is excellent on creek bank stabilization. Weeping Love grass will allow our team to keep the hillside weed free. The team is also prepping right of the cart path on #15 for sod and Pink Muhley Grass, this will provide a much needed improvement to #15 tee complex. If the weather would break and give us about 10 days of no rain, we could wrap up a majority of our small projects and finish the last 15 Acres of the Pre/Post emergent application.

On Monday, the greens were needle tined in front of the storms that were predicted for Wednesday morning. This process open channels in the greens surface to increase water infiltration, this is a non disruptive cultivation practice to the player. Once we roll the surface smooth after the tines the holes are barely noticeable.

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

See you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

January 26, 2016

It has been busy over the past few days, despite the “Snow” storm that crippled Atlanta! The team was able to paint our greens/driving range tees/driving range targets, cut miscanthis on #4 and continue spraying our Pre/Post Emergent herbicide application. They accomplished all these tasks during breaks in the weather. The Pre/Post Emergent spray is approximately 75% completed and depending on the weather this week, we should easily have it wrapped up by next week. Once all the spray is completed and the grasses are trimmed up we have leaf removal and #12 creek dredging on our agenda. These jobs are a challenge as they require heavy equipment on the turf, so, it is absolutely necessary that we wait until the turf is dry before we start. The staff understands the importance for both leaf removal and creek dredging and the impacts to playability and aesthetics; therefore it is on the top of our priority list.

I have spoken a lot about the “why’s and when’s” in regards to greens covers. When deciding to pull covers, we study the forecast, network with peers and look at our current weather data.

Our typical rule of thumb is the following:

1)      25 degrees or colder for two consecutive nights

2)      Soil temps less than 40 degrees

3)      Daytime High less than 50 degrees

However, soil temperature duration is the most crucial element in dealing with greens covers. Our protocol is to check AM and PM soil temperatures daily; this allows us to know how soil temperature reacts to weather patterns. As an analogy, you would not expect a steak placed in the freezer for 10 minutes to become frozen solid because the duration of the exposure is too brief. We will always make the right call to protect our greatest asset, our MiniVerde Greens.

Rugby just turned 9 months and is a certified Goose Nut. He lives for chasing the geese and the money I spent training him “off leash” is paying dividends. On our morning ride, after checking on the staff, he is off to find any geese on property. It is a thrill to see how much he enjoys chasing them out of the pond at #7 Tee complex; I know he will have his work cut out for him this spring as he continues to remove all the unwanted geese from St Ives CC. Go Rugby!!

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 you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

January 20, 2016

We are waiting on the weather to cooperate so we can begin to re-paint the Driving Range Tees and Targets, as well as, the first paint application on the greens. These applications provide definition from the surrounding dormant turf grass. Our Spray Technician, Fernando Plata, has spent the last two weeks spraying over 45 acres for Pre/Post emergent weed control. Personally, this has been an application that I have been chomping at the bit to apply. We will see great weed control out of this tank in the coming weeks and months.  Good bye Poa!

We also took advantage of the cold weather on Tuesday and Wednesday to repaint all the tee markers, entry/exit posts and pressure wash equipment. Due to the sub freezing weather, we removed all the ball washers from the course and will touch up the paint before returning to golf course, so keep a towel handy to clean your golf balls over the next 10-14 days.

Next time out, hopefully, you will notice the repairs to #5 and #15 cartpath. They turned out great and we will be detailing the edges shortly.

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 you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A 

Cover Refresher....

Forecast for pulling covers:

1)      25 degrees or cooler for two consecutive nights

2)      Soil temps less than 40 degrees

3)      Daytime High less than 50 degrees

As always when dealing with Mother Nature there will need to be some flexibility. We understand the greens are our most valuable asset and will make all our decisions based protecting our asset.

The forecast is trending for  pull on Monday afternoon and a removal on Wednesday. As always, temporary greens will be available for play on Tuesday, if necessary. 

Taking advantage of today's rain event to clean up the fleet of equipment. 

Agronomy Department and Course Weekly Update

January 13, 2016

Winter has finally arrived! It is great to see the Bermuda grass going fully dormant; it felt like we had over-seeded fairways for a few weeks. Now that the grass has finally gone dormant, we will begin our wall to wall Pre/Post Emergent Herbicide application. This application is critical in preventing spring/early summer weeds from emerging and it will also clean up all the nuisance weeds that are growing on the course right now. The El Nino has provided prime growing conditions for the winter annual weeds.  

The maintenance team has been out this week edging bunkers and trimming native grasses. These are jobs that we typically attack while the course is frozen or frosted. We still have another week or two until all the grasses are trimmed and then we will begin cleaning up all the leaves that fell during autumn.

I have been traveling a little bit over the past two weeks; I went to Daytona for a ValleyCrest Agronomic planning session and spent the last few days at Reynolds Plantation for the Georgia GCSA BOD retreat. I learned a lot during both trips and I can’t wait to implement some of the Agronomic and Leadership strategies that were presented and discussed. It is always nice to get out of your comfort zone and be challenged. 

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 you on the course,

Kyle Macdonald, GCS, Class A