Thursday, November 23, 2017

2017 Golf Season

The golf season here at Pine Hollow is winding down and for most golfers in the northeast closing day is a few freezing temperatures away. The official end of the season gives all of us a sense of satisfaction not because it’s over, but instead because there’s a sense of accomplishment. We’ve done it! The early mornings, the long days, the tournaments, and the weekends have all come and gone and we had another successful year! This is the third time I have had the opportunity to close the season and am grateful for the chance to open 2018 with the same excitement as my first year. Our goal each and every year is for you the member to be as proud of your golf course as we are in being able to produce it.

As we look ahead our team will be preparing our property for winter over the coming weeks with plant protectants, storing golf course furniture, property detail, and wrapping up fall aeration. We will keep you informed on our final hard closure as frozen temperatures and weather will dictate this date.
 
Thank you again for all your support this season and Happy Holidays!


Monday, October 2, 2017

GREEN COMMITTEE 10/1/17



 GOLF COURSE UPDATE
  • Mowing heights - Currently being raised in preparation for winter conditioning.
  • Actual mowing heights – GREENS .110, TEES/COLLARS/APPROACHES .350, FAIRWAYS .375, STEP-CUT 1”, ROUGH 2”.
  • Silvery Thread Moss eradication program for greens started and ongoing (Sprayed and plugged out). This process has shown improvements and setbacks.
  • Bunkers have been severely impacted from this season’s extreme weather events causing failure of bunker liner, contamination, and bunker collapse. We have repaired and cleaned these bunkers to the best of our ability until sand removal and replacement is more practical.
  • Continue with Tee re-leveling  #16 both and #18 white.
  • Planning for improving contours in fairways and green expansion areas with additions and subtractions.
  • These areas are part of Hanse Golf Course Design’s original plan and fairway expansion will be discussed with all professional staff before work begins.
  • Layout and prep for in-house drainage installation at chipping area approach (driving range).
  • Continue with property cleanup including tennis area, parking lot, and shop improvements.
  • Pine Hollow Green’s Department Blog – pinehollowgreens.blogspot.com

AERATION AND PROGRESS
  • 10/16 - Fairway De-thatching using borrowed FWY Graden.
  • 10/18 - Tee Aeration with ½” hollow tines filled with sand.
  • 10/30 – Greens Aeration ½ ” hollow tines with borrowed 2mm Sand Inject Graden.
  • Fall Aeration will continue with all roughs and fairway deep-tine (4x in 2017).
  • Review information from ISTRC results and discuss future program changes to our schedule. Specific results can be discussed more in depth if necessary.

PROPOSED PROJECTS
  • CARTPATHS -Putting Green to 10 Tee, #1 Tee area, #14 Tee to Green.
  • PRACTICE AREA - New synthetic surface for driving range mat w/ re-leveled and re-grassed.
  • PRACTICE AREA - Rebuild bunker at Chipping Green with the addition of more fairway height for longer pitch and run options.
  • GOLF COURSE - Tee Complex Construction #11 (In-House) and #12/#14 (Out-House).
  • GOLF COURSE - Cont. Tree Maintenance Plan for 2017/2018 late fall to winter: In/Out House
  • LANDSCAPE -Move and relocate trees from golf course to specific areas on property.
  • EQUIPMENT - Purchase Deep-Tine Verti-drain and Fairway Graden (2018). Purchase New Walk behind Greens mowers and 2 new utility carts (2019). 
  • BUDGET- Equipment and Resources to continue to improve the Club’s biggest asset.


Wednesday, September 6, 2017

BUNKERS

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/forethegolfer/2017/maintaining-bunkers-for-playability--not-perfection.html
PINE HOLLOW C.C. AERATION SCHEDULE

GREENS:
  • **March 3/28/17 – 3/8” Hollow Tine Aeration w/ Heavy Topdressing (5%)
  • *Monthly (May to July) – ¼” Solid Venting Tine (no removal)
  • ***August 8/15/17 or 8/22/17– ¼ ” Hollow Tine Aeration w/ Dry-Ject Sand Injection and Light Sand Topdressing (4%)
  • ***October 10/30/17 – ½” Hollow Tine Aeration w/ Heavy Topdressing and/or 2mm Sand Inject Graden (13%)
  •   ***December – 5/8” Solid Deep Tine Aeration w/ Heavy Topdressing
*    Minimal disruption to putting surface (healing time a few days)
**  Medium disruption to putting surface (healing time 7-10 days)
***Most disruption to putting surface (healing time 10-14 days)
Emphasis put on removing 20% of surface area per year
TEES:
  •   March 3/21/17 - 5/8” Hollow Tine Tee Aeration with Sand Topdressing
  •  August 8/16/17- 5/8” Hollow Tine Tee Aeration with Sand Topdressing
  • November - 5/8” Hollow Tine Tee Aeration with Sand Topdressing
FAIRWAYS:
  • March 3/30/17 – ¾” Solid Deep-Tine Aeration (no cleaning necessary)
  • August -  ¾” Solid Deep-Tine Aeration (no cleaning necessary) w/ Verticut
  • October – Graden Dethatching of Fwys/Approaches
  • November - ¾” Solid Deep-Tine Aeration
ROUGHS:

 Beginning November aerate all roughs for healthy turf green to tee


Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Aeration Reminder

Aeration Reminder
 

Aeration to Greens, Tees and Fairways will begin on Tuesday, 8/15/17 and continue until completion thru Wednesday, 8/16/17. This start date may be impacted by inclement weather during Club Championship and should the tournament not finish on-time this week, we will delay this important process to 8/21/17. Greens and Tees will be hollow core aerated and filled with sand top-dressing, while fairways will only be solid tined with little cleanup necessary. Thank you for your support as we prepare for great fall golf and next season.

Friday, June 2, 2017

COOL AND SOGGY SPRING


http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/regional-updates/northeast-region/2017/cool-and-soggy.html

GOLF COURSE UPDATE 6/2/17

GOLF COURSE UPDATE 6/2/17
  • All aeration on greens, tees, fwys, and practice facilities completed until August (monthly/bi-weekly venting will continue).
  • Quartzite added to bunkers to continue amending and firming bunker sand.
  • All disturbance areas from winter tree work have grown in for play except behind #13 this area will play as ground under repair.
  • All annual flowers and mulch have returned to beds and will continue to fill in once warmer weather sets in.
  • Property detail work will continue weekly with small projects as time permits.
  • Annual prune work of trees and other plant material to begin as time permits.
  • New Assistant Dane Poth joins our team.
  • Summer stress and plant protectant spraying has begun.
  • Currently working on updated quotes for proposed work.
Tournament season is upon us here at Pine Hollow, and even with all the rain and cool weather, our property is primed for a great summer. Playing surfaces have returned to form and with the weather cooperating we will begin conditioning the firmer surfaces we have come to expect. Looking ahead to the next few months our team is excited about the challenges of the golf season, and I can confidently say we have some of the healthiest turf going into this season in my four years back. But with that confidence and excitement, our team now has the responsibility to embrace the grind of summer turf stress and continue monitoring for any potential issues related to summer's oppressive heat.
In regards to our project work unfortunately due to the loss of good working conditions contractors are catching up from the past few months and have been very slow in response to accepting new projects. I will continue to press for site visits and get these quotes as soon as possible as I know multiple quotes for each project is expected. On our proposed driving range tee I'm working with Steve on Club recommended companies to use for the driving range mat installation. We will be looking into a more forgiving material, potentially a different subsurface, and other hitting options to ensure this investment is the best product for our membership.

Friday, March 24, 2017

PINE HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB AERATION 2017


PINE HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB AERATION 2017

GREENS:
  • **March 3/27/17 – ½” Hollow Tine Aeration w/ Heavy Topdressing (5%)
  • *May – ¼" Vent Tine w/ sand topdressing
  • *Monthly (May to July) – ¼” Solid Venting Tine (no removal)
  • ***August 8/15/17 or 8/22/17– ½” Hollow Tine Aeration w/ Topdressing (9%)
  • ***October 10/30/17 – ½” Hollow Tine Aeration w/ Heavy Topdressing (14%) and/or 2mm Sand Inject Graden (13%)
  • ***December – 5/8” Solid Deep Tine Aeration w/ Heavy Topdressing
*    Minimal disruption to putting surface (healing time a few days)
** Medium disruption to putting surface (healing time 7-10 days)
***Most disruption to putting surface (healing time 10-14 days)
Emphasis put on removing 20% of surface area per year
TEES:
  • March 3/21/17 - 5/8” Hollow Tine Tee Aeration with Sand Topdressing
  • August - 5/8” Hollow Tine Tee Aeration with Sand Topdressing
  • November - 5/8” Hollow Tine Tee Aeration with Sand Topdressing
FAIRWAYS:
  • March 3/30/17 – 5/8” Hollow Tine Aeration with Sand Topdressing
  • August -  ¾” Solid Deep-Tine Aeration (no cleaning necessary) w/ Verticut
  • October – Graden Dethatching of Fwys/Approaches w/ Sand Topdressing
  • November - ¾” Solid Deep-Tine Aeration w/ Heavy Sand Topdressing
ROUGHS:
  • Beginning November aerate all roughs for healthy turf green to tee


GOLF COURSE UPDATE 3/24/17

With the snow continuing to melt, rain this weekend, and our crew finally having the opportunity to get on the golf course next week, we will officially open for carts to greens Friday 3/31. This weekend all practice facilities will be open along with walkers to all putting greens starting Saturday 3/25. Our staff will be working around the rain next week preparing bunkers, cleaning tree debris, and seasonal aeration to begin what is going to be another great golf season.
Please follow and signup for updates related to our Green Department at pinehollowgreens.blogspot.com for information about golf, turf management, and club business. Welcome back and see you soon!

Brent Peveich
Golf Course Superintendent

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

GOLF COURSE UPDATE 3/15/17

Due to the snow accumulation at Pine Hollow from the last two storms and freezing temperatures the golf course will remain closed until further notice. We will continue monitoring temperatures and the melt down for a projected opening date to be announced as soon as possible. See you soon!

Thursday, January 26, 2017

DEEPTINE AERATION


All Greens and Approaches were Deep-Tine Aerated to 8 to 9 in.




NYS Best Management Practices


As the stewards of golf courses in New York State, superintendents are dedicated to protecting New York’s natural resources and embrace the responsibility to maintain these facilities in harmony with the natural environment. 

http://nysgolfbmp.cals.cornell.edu/

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

GOLF COURSE UPDATE 1/24/17

GOLF COURSE UPDATE 1/24/17

Tree Work Priority List:

  • (2) Pines between #1/#18 to open up window for golfers to play back to Fwy this will also help improve hitting area at #18 Fwy
  • Large Pine #3 for morning sun to #3 Green
  • Large Spruce #4 / #5 to improve morning sun to #4 Green
  • (2) Dead Oaks left of #6 Green also (2) trees along fence line 
  • (1) Large dead Oak left of #7 Fwy
  • (2) Pines at #12 Black Tee also Ash Tree to improve growing environment and aesthetics
  • Pines left of #12 Fwy to highlight specimen Maple, cleanup roots from playable rough, and improve turf quality
  • Pines right of #13 Fwy and behind green  
  • #15 / #16 thin out Pines to allow for better air flow, sunlight, and aesthetics 
  • Small trees between #1 / #18 to allow for better play-ability and sight lines across property
  • Large trees around Maintenance Area to be removed clearing more storage space
The above list outlines the trees we have begun selectively removing trees around the property as part of our ongoing tree management program to improve growing conditions and aesthetics around the golf course. As always these trees have been discussed multiple times with past and current Green Committees and our Professional Staff to ensure we are making thoughtful decisions on such a touchy subject. It is not my intention to clear cut the property, but instead, highlight our golf course and it's specimen trees. As you may have noticed the past two offseasons, we do our best to clean and renovate areas before spring golf returns and our busy season begins. Thank you for your support and if you have any further questions in regards to this process feel free to call.

Handicapping and How We Maintain Our Golf Course

http://www.usga.org/videos/2016/12/08/usga-handicapping-minutes--course-maintenance-and-handicap-index.html

Improving Efficiency

http://www.usga.org/course-care/regional-updates/northeast-region/2017/improving-efficiency-with-maintenance-gaps.html