Mowing Schedule

I thought it would be a good idea to lay out our mowing schedules now that we are close to fully staffed and the course is actively growing.  

We typically mow greens 7 days a week, but this year we are skipping a mowing once a week in place of a roll.  In an attempt to reduce stress (yes mowing is in fact a stress and physiologically detrimental to the grass plant) we will roll greens instead of mowing to give our greens a little bit of a break from the daily grind (pun intended).  Research has shown that rolling greens instead of a mowing, can maintain green speeds for that "Off" day when greens are not mowed.  This is provided that greens are rolled consistently in conjunction with a  mowing for the remainder of the week.  We can realize significant savings in manpower, fuel, and most importantly turf health by giving our greens a day off.  Most of us have at least one day off a week, shouldn't our greens get the same break?  When we have numbers, we hand cut our greens with Toro 1000's, and when we are short staffed, a riding "triplex" Toro 3150 does the trick just fine.  Many say that a riding greens mower cannot provide the precision cut of a walk mower, and while we would prefer to walk mow every day, in the shoulder season the triplex is far more efficient and frees up bodies to complete other tasks.

We mow TCA (read: Tees, Collars, and Approaches) 3 times per week as long as growth dictates we must.  We us a triplex mower similar to that used for greens set at 1/4", only our TCA mowers have 3 wheel drive, allowing them to maneuver through some of our steep banks without some much as a slip.

Fairways are treated much the same as TCA, on an "as needed" basis, which typically equates to 3 times per week as well.  We use a Toro 4150 typically set at 9/16".  These are much larger machines and far more powerful than the triplexes, sporting five cutting decks instead of three, and large diesel engines instead of gas power V-twins.  

We have discussed our Step Cut in previous posts, but for this task we utilize and oldie, but a goody the John Deere 2653 trim mower.  In 1993, this very machine was one of two that mowed seemingly around the clock, all 45 acres of rough here at Legacy Ridge.  Kudos to Jim our Equipment Manager for keeping this beast going for 18 years.  We typically mow 9 holes of step cut per day, every day of the week, equating to 2-3 mowing's per week.  This machine is somewhere between a triplex and a fairway mower in size and power, but is set to a modest 7/8" all year long.

Rough is a whole other beast itself.  We can't seem to mow rough enough times in a given week (typically twice, with certain areas cut three times).  Just when we seem to have caught up, another surge of growth keeps us scrambling to catch up.  We operate two different machines for rough, assigned to two distinct areas of the course.

First our Toro 4700D is a very large, 7 deck rotary mower which mows all of the large rough areas between tees and greens at 2 inches.  This machine has a 12.5 ft swath and would cut most home lawns in two passes, along with a great deal of shrubbery and mulch if not careful...

Second, for smaller areas around greens and tees we operate a Toro 3500D Sidewinder, also set at 2".  This machine has 3 rotary decks, each identical to the seven decks on the 4700, only these can move 24" to the right or left of center to reach down steep banks, or to prevent the tire rutting from following the same path over and over.  Both of these machines are usually out first thing in the morning and don't get a break until it's time to go home for the day.

The rough mowers are typically the only large mowers you will see out on the course during the day.  We try to perform all other daily mowing in the early morning hours before play begins.  If you come upon a rough mower during your round, they will acknowledge that they see you and move out of the line of play.  They almost always have a great deal of mowing to complete that day and will try to provide a minimal distraction to you as you complete your round.

We will discuss further in later posts other equipment and machinery the turf staff utilize on a daily basis to keep our beloved course in tip-top shape for our guests.

Ballmarks

Since we are well into the golf season, it is fitting to touch on a very, if not the most important piece of golf etiquette in our minds, repairing ball marks.  Every golfer at some point has experienced the frustration of numerous unrepaired ball marks in their line as they prepare to make a putt.  Their frustration is shared by our staff as well, primarily because it shows a lack of respect for the golf course and other players.
 
The turf staff spends on average about 2-3 minutes per green each day repairing ball marks that were either repaired incorrectly, or not repaired at all.  This is part of preparing the course every morning for play, but from that time until the next morning it is the responsibility of our guests.  We would prefer to spend that time fixing ball marks where an attempt was made, as opposed to unrepaired ball marks.

It is important to repair them before we mow so that they heal properly and to prevent any of the severe ball marks from being scalped.  When you add up the time spent repairing ball marks in a given week it adds up to over 6 hours spent just repairing ball marks, per week!!  Please don't think of the turf staff when repairing ball marks, but the players who come after you, as their round is better thanks to your efforts.  Here is a video the USGA created on this topic.

The video may seem cheesy, but the points illustrated are very important in maintaining a high quality putting surface. Thank you very much for your cooperation.



    

Safety First

Apparently we have entered the monsoon season a little early this year...  We set out this morning to verticut and topdress greens and were successful until we reached #15 green, when we were stopped by lightning and rain.  We will finish the remaining greens first thing tomorrow morning assuming the inclement weather has concluded.  What is already a fairly messy process quickly can become a disaster when bad weather is thrown into the equation.   Not only that, for safety reasons we bring the crew into the shop any time there is lighting in the area, without exception.  While this throws a wrench into our plans for the day, it is a perfect opportunity to hold an impromptu safety meeting.

Most of our staff was hiding behind the camera

We typically hold safety meetings every two weeks during peak staff levels, each with a unique topic.  With our efforts this morning suspended by lightning, it was only fitting to discuss lighning safety.  We explain to all staff that we expect them to head in to the shop as soon as they see lightning and make sure any other employees are directed in as well.  Colorado is #2 in the US for lightning strikes behind only Florida, so it is very important that we take any lightning seriously.  

We have compiled information and literature relevant to all of our topics that is accessible to all staff members at any time.  Future topics include:  Equipment safety, Emergency preparedness, Back safety, Snow safety, Heat precautions, Flammables, Reclaimed Water.  Every safety meeting contains reminders of course etiquette, policies, and our PPE requirements (Personal Protective Equipment).  Ordinarily meetings are held during our morning staff meeting, or at the end of the work day, but if weather affords us a free moment, we take advantage.  Much of what we discuss is within the realm of common sense, but a refresher is always important to keep everyone sharp on our safety expectations and policies.  Thanks to Andy and D-Mu for planning and executing our safety meetings for the year.

Rain and more rain

In the last two weeks we have received 4.16" of moisture at the golf course.  The rain is a huge blessing, especially when you consider how dry this past winter was.  The course is completely saturated and is extremely soft, so carts have been restricted to the cart path for all players and likely will be for a least another day or two.  Compaction is amplified when soils are saturated and permanent damage to soil structure occurs when carts or equipment drive through saturated soils.  Soil make-up contains organic and mineral matter (50%) with equal parts of water and air (25% each).  When a soil is beyond field capacity (saturated) air space is lost to make room for water, which results in a very delicate state where damage is inevitable. 

We have been able to do a minimal amount of mowing the last week, so you could say we are behind on a lot of our daily maintenance.  The weather for the next few days looks to be improving with sun forecasted until early next week.  This means optimal conditions for rapid growth and by the time Monday rolls around, the course will be shaggy to say the least.  We will do our best to get the growth under control quickly and keep the course in tip-top shape.  Please pay extra attention to cart signage and course rules as the course will be soft for some time to come.

Herd Mentality

A busy golf course is always a good thing, especially in tough economic times like we have experienced the last two years.  One of the big challenges we face is directing golfers away from areas we need to protect from cart traffic without being a hindrance or slowing play down.  Golf carts have become almost mandatory for most players these days, and with the convenience a cart offers, comes a great deal of damage to the golf course.  Damage may be a strong word, but it is no doubt accurate. 

For whatever reason, most "drivers" seem to follow other tire tracks into the fairway and then again when they exit.  We fondly refer to them as "cattle trails" which if you aren't familiar, refers to cattle following the same path to and from pasture no matter how much room they have.  The results can be much worse during the heat of the summer when the grass plant is already under severe stress from increased mowing and drought stress. 

If left uncontrolled, compaction and wear will very quickly amount to thin or nonexistent turf in these areas.  Compaction is a concern in all areas of the golf course, but especially at entrance and exit points of our fairways.  We try to monitor and control wear in these areas with a combination of rope and stakes and cart directional signs that can be found in many of our fairways. 

Please respect signage and roped areas, they are not meant to be a nuisance, but are for the betterment of the course and our players long term.  We ask that carts enter the fairway at 90 degrees once they are beyond the forward tees and exit the fairway when directed by signage or before the beginning of the approach.  Here is an informational video the USGA created to inform players of proper cart etiquette. 

Note the comments on parking adjacent to greens and tees with all four tires on the path.  The picture below shows what just one tire off the path in a high traffic area near a tee box can result in, not very pretty.

It is for the same reasons that we do not allow carts onto ALL par 3 holes and #13.  These holes offer a minimal amount of entry and exit points and very little room for us to manage the traffic.  For patrons with physical limitations we offer blue flags that distinguish them from the rest of our cart fleet.  They are expected to abide by course rules, but are allowed off of the path when all other carts are restricted to the path.

We also offer a very unique vehicle that allows players with very limited mobility to play our course.  For information about this vehicle or with any other questions, please contact our golf shop at (303) 438-8997.

  

CGA Four Ball

 

The CGA Four Ball began yesterday morning here at Legacy and I thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss some of the special preparations we make for such an event.  Being that May is still pretty early in the growing season for this area, we are typically understaffed for an event like this.  We certainly get everything that needs to be done, done.  With a full staff though, we are able to iron out all of the detail work that to most people goes unnoticed, but in our eyes makes all the difference in the work.  So to accommodate an 8:30am shotgun for three days, we work split shifts of four hours in the morning and four hours in the evening. If you would like to check up on the standings for this event, go to the CGA website.

Mornings:                          Evenings:

Triplex Greens                    Mow TCA (tees, collars, approaches)

Walk mow Greens              Mow Fairways

Roll Greens                         Mow Step Cut

Course Setup                      Mow 1-2 passes of Rough

Handrake traps                   Fill Fairway divots

Clip Cleanup



Mowing, rolling and setup taking place at once



As you are likely aware, we received a great deal of rain the two days leading up to this event, so a lot of our detail work was put on hold until the course dried out a little.  The rain was a blessing no doubt, but wet grass is a little more difficult to keep trimmed and tidy.  In working split shifts we allow ourselves the luxury of completing our work without rushing or cutting corners, pun intended...

 

Extra care is taken with every task for an event like this to ensure consistency and that all players are presented the same challenge.  Players in these events demand to have accurate information regarding hole locations and distances, so every year the CGA send us a "pin sheet"  describing exactly where they want the tee markers and holes located.  Here is a video of D-Mu exhibiting the extra care I mentioned above while changing cups.

We cherish the opportunity to show off our facility and break from our normal regimen and all of us would love to be able to host a big time professional event at our facility.  If you want a look at what goes in to hosting an event like the Players Championship, check out TPC Sawgrass Maintenance.  They are preparing for this event 365 days a year.  Starting from the time it ends this Sunday, they will be making preparations for the 2012 Players.

Step Cut

This year we are trying out a few new strategies to improve the pace of play at our facility.  We thought adding another pass around the fairway with our step cut mower might shorten the time it takes to play our course.  Pace of play is very important to us and we are willing to try anything neccesary to provide an enjoyable, prompt, and efficient round of golf for our guests.      

  

We have always mowed one pass, about 8 feet wide, around every fairway at 1".  We call it "step cut", which is referring to a path of low cut turf intended for walkers.  Many courses played on the PGA Tour mow a path connecting tee boxes and from the tee boxes to the start of the fairway. This is to prevent players from walking through taller grass often wet with dew.  Our step cut is more of a graduated rough cut made around every fairway and now around every green.    

We added an additional pass around every fairway, and a new pass around every green and approach too.  The process of mowing step cut is a little more complicated than before, but we are happy with the visual difference and hopefully our guests will be as well.  If nothing else, our new step cut does give a little more definition between the fairway and the rough.    

  

Junior Golf

It's time again for Junior Golf here at Legacy!  Registration opened May 1st for clinics on June 20th thru June 23rd.  Our golf staff does a fantastic job putting on this event every year, and 2011 will be better than ever.  Clinics are typically about an hour each and include instruction on putting, short game, tee and approach shots, and most importantly golf etiquette.  Slots for junior golf fill up very quickly, so if you are intrerested make sure you register as soon as possible.

Junior golfers are broken up by their age 5-7 year olds, 8-10 year olds, and 11-17 and receive four hours (total) of instruction and practice with our veteran golf professionals.  Golf clubs are even provided for those who don't own a set.  The golf staff goes to great lengths to make learning the game fun for all ages.  In years past a putting course was setup on the putting green complete with obstacles like trees, bunkers, and boulders all in an effort to show kids golf can/should be fun!  Contact the golf shop @ (303) 658-2826 or register online at http://www.golfwestminster.com/ 

Trap Work

We have begun our early season cleanup of bunkers this week.  Bunkers, though technically a hazard, require the largest amount of man-hours to mantain to our standards.  We try to mantain at least a two inch "lip" or edge around all of our traps so that there is never a question about what is part of the hazard at what is not.  This requires that we edge them on a regular basis to keep grass from encroaching into the sand and to improve their appearance visually. 

We have found it more efficient to flymo the bunker capes and faces while the traps are already disturbed by the edging process.  Flymowing is performed on a more regular basis, nearly once a week during the peak of our growing season, and staffing levels.  Most of our staff would agree that flymowing is one of the most physically demanding tasks we do on the golf course. 

Once the grass clippings have been removed, sand is pushed around making sure there is even distribution of sand throughout the bunker, and to fix any washouts or highspots.  We have many steep trap faces here and though we rake them regularly, sand will slowly make its way down to the low areas of the trap.  Sand that has been pushed up trap faces will be soft, so it is thoroughly packed with the blunt end of the rake and gently smoothed out.  We run the sandpro over to stir up the sand in the low spots, smooth everything out and it's on to the next bunker.

Repeat this process 48 times and we are completely done just in time to start it all over again...
If you see the bunker crew out on the course, please be sure that they see you before hitting your next shot.  They will acknowledge that they see you, idle their machines down, and move out of the way.

Thinning the Herd

This morning we vericut greens and collars.  Verticutting or vertical mowing is a cultural practice we use on a pretty regular basis to remove thatch and thin the putting surface.  During the growing season we will typically verticut greens 2-4 times in conjuction with our biweekly topdressing to maintain a firm playing surface and prevent "puffy" soft greens.  We generally see an increase in green speeds a few days following a verticut and topdress.   

The material removed when we vericut is primarily made up of old leaf tissue, stolons and sand.  Ideally we would like to see the first two and less of the third, like in the picture above.  We removed and collected about 5 cubic yards of material from our greens this morning, which will be headed straight to our compost pile.   

The main challenge with verticutting is cleaning up what is left behind the machine.  We collect as much material as possible in our mower baskets, what remains is picked up by a riding greens mower or blown off with a back pack blower.  Our verticut reels are set to 1/8" deep, so to me it's amazing how much material is actually removed from such a small groove.      

After a light topdressing, our greens should be noticeably firmer for days to come.  The grooves left by the verticut will be visible for a few weeks, but will not affect playability in any way.  Our main goal is to remove as much thatch as possible, replacing it with sand.  Thatch prevents moisture and nutrients from reaching the soil, and in the case of a putting green, can lead to disease and a decrease in playing quality.  This in conjunction with core aeration and lean fertility, are the best means we have found to keep thatch to a minimum on our greens here at Legacy Ridge.  



Here is a short clip taken from the grass plants perspective.