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