Tuesday, June 9, 2020

GOLF COURSE UPDATE 6/9/2020


  • GREENS - Mowed at .120" 7 times per week rolled 3 times, TEES/COLLARS/APPROACHES Mowed at .325" 3 times per week, FWYS Mowed at .375" 2 times per week, ROUGH Mowed at 2" 1 time. Bunker Mow is only being performed at access points into bunkers and so that balls can roll into the hazards from fairways and approach shots. ***This mowing schedule is absolutely necessary to provide a healthy turf stand that is also aesthetically pleasing while providing good playing conditions.***
  • THINGS TO EXPECT - A dialed-in golf course inside the box, softer greens with speeds from 10.5 to 12 ft. measured by the Stimp Meter, the removal of our step-cut around greens and fairways, setup 5 times per week on greens (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday), bunkers raked as time permits during the week plus Saturday/Sunday, and lastly a rougher appearance and playability around our bunkers.
  • Plant protectant, growth regulator applications, and weekly to bi-weekly fertility application programs are in full rotation to provide healthy playing surfaces.
  • Weeding, mulching, and pre-emergent applications made to landscape beds and will continue until completion. We are currently trying to finish the bedwork for the first time and only have the garden areas leading to the pool to complete.
  • Week of June 8, 2020 some outside dining will be available so these areas will be detailed accordingly.
  •  Needle-tine aeration to greens bi-weekly with sand topdressing as time and weather permits. As a reminder, we did not hollow core aerate any playing surfaces this spring so this practice will help aid in the benefits of core aerification and diluting organic material accumulated until this fall.
  • Staff and Member safety is still top of our priority and all employees being provided masks, gloves, and disinfecting materials. I have also asked our guys to wear masks when in close proximity to members but with warmer temperatures on the horizon, these masks could be hazardous so I will not mandate these at all times of work.
  • Our staff area sanitation practices are ongoing and continuos within our shop ensuring safe work areas and equipment. For example, every employee disinfects the break room/restroom after use and at the end of every day along with all equipment and community areas.
Finally, tournament golf and access to some of our facilities have started after what has seemed like an eternity this spring. We will be welcoming members and guests back to the property we all love in hopes to give everyone some escape to what has been an extremely stressful and defining time in our country, businesses, and our lives. We are working to provide the safest and most satisfying experience for our membership as New York continues to slowly open from the battle with Covid-19 and its effects.
On the Golf Course, we have started to hit a groove in establishing some consistency in our setup, mowing practices, and have started to detail the entire property the past two weeks. We will be updating the Golf Course report as much as possible leading into our busiest and most important time of the year providing great playing conditions while keeping plant health at the top of our priority list. We will be hand watering as much as possible to supplement the overhead irrigation to prevent wet areas around the property from getting wetter while dry areas stay dry between rain events. This is a critical part of our summer month program to prevent turf decline from overwatering and helping to promote good playing conditions. Please keep in mind the added cart traffic in the summer months may beat up commonly used access points and to follow all directional markers and roped off areas.
It's great to be ramping up operations and club functions as we progress into the summer golf season and we are excited to move forward in what has been a challenging year.