New Year 2014

MSGC Turf Staff has been working hard this winter doing multiple things around the course

1. Cut down 35 trees
1. Limb, Log, and Haul Debris
2. Grind Stumps
3. Grade out Stump Holes
2. Clean up the flood debris
3. Renovate the right bunker on #10
4. Renovate #14 Bunker to Grass Bunker
5. Maintenance of equipment
6. Renovate Benches
7. Flower Bed Renovation
8. Equipment Purchases

With a four man crew year round, this winter has been very busy.

The trees were mostly Ash trees that were infected with Emerald Ash Borer. Those trees were deemed a safety hazard and had to come down. We are planning to incorporate ornamental grasses in key locations where trees have been eliminated to maintain playing standards.

We also had some flood damage from Decembers flood. We have picked up most of that debris and are waiting for snow to melt to pick up the tiny drift garbage.

The right side of #10 bunker had been closed for most of the 2013 season. It will be renovated with white sand and a new drain. We plan on doing a few more if we can get to them in a timely manner.

The back bunker on #14 is getting renovated to a grass bunker. We feel that the bunker is not in play very often, and it can be a maintenance nightmare.

Equipment maintenance is always a winter project. We have spent the better part of a month making sure the equipment will be ready and top notch for the 2014 season. With an older fleet, fine tune maintenance practices are essential to keep the fleet at its best.

Benches around the course have been deteriorating and been vandalized throughout the years. We are staining 12 benches with a cedar stain. We are rebuilding 6 (to see how they look) with a composite redwood that will resist vandalism and degradation from the weather. We look to do the rest of the benches this way if the composite works well. 

The flower bed near the restaurant is being renovated to meet maintenance needs. Ornamental grasses will take the place of the removed Taxis bushes.

We are also getting a new fairway mower this year. It will greatly improve the quality of cut on the fairways and keep them looking great.

As always feel free to email, call, or visit us with questions, comments, or concerns.

Winter Work

As all the leaves are down and decomposing, we can focus on our winter work before the new year. We are doing a few things around the course these coming weeks.

1. Flower bed renovation behind the clubhouse restaurant.
1. Tearing out 3 Taxis bushes, narrowing the bed, and planting ornamental grasses
2. Tearing down the shelter at #11 tee
1. It is rotting and is too low to get carts under for shelter to begin with.
3. Starting the renovation on the right side bunker of #10
1. That bunker has been shut down the last half of the year due to degradation of sand and clay.
4. Cutting some 35 ash trees that are going to be dangerous to play near in the 2014 season.
1. Emerald Ash Borer is the culprit. 
1. For more information see: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/#sthash.Cd2G2Yk1.dpbs

There are other jobs that need done but these are the major projects.

The turf has quit growing and is dormant. We will be applying our dormant fertilizer during our warm spell this week. The dormant fertilizer feeds the roots so the turf will overwinter better and come back with a healthy stand of turf immediately when the temps turn in the spring.

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and stays warm this winter. The signs nature has given us leans towards a rough winter.

Tree removal

Trees removed this year.

The red dots indicate the trees taken out this year.
The light green dots are planned trees to take out this year.
They are mainly ash trees that have been infested by Emerald Ash Borer.
There is a certainty that this map will be more colorful as the year goes on. The trees are always a surprise. We are also planning to plant a few this year. If you would like to see a blown up picture of this, click the picture.

Spring is knocking on the door.

It has been some months since I last posted on the course's blog but I have some updates.

This winter we repaired our equipment and did the normal maintenance. We sharpened the reels and got them adjusted and prepped for this season. We will be getting two new, much needed, pieces of equipment this year. A Ventrac and a Gator. These pieces are a must with the older equipment that we have and will provide a cushion if something very serious were to happen to that older equipment.

We also saved up to $1000 by renovating the tee markers. The sun fades and the irrigation water stains the markers and I decided to clean them and then shoot them with enamel and a clear coat. We will see how they hold up to the elements this year.

We have taken down a number of trees this year as well. The EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) has got a hold of dozens of Ash trees and unfortunately they have to come down. They will eventually die and they are a severe safety risk to the patrons if they stay up. The biggest ones that were taken down were the two on the right of #3 they were 50+ years old and it is a shame that they had to come down. They made that hole difficult to reach if you hit into the right side of the rough. We also cut down a Maple tree on the right side of #8 tee that was dying of Verticillium Wilt. 

Also, we will be finishing up a few other projects on the course before it opens on March 1. We put some posts and rope fence up behind #10 green. I have tried to guide patrons away from the natural area and towards the path to #11 tee. Unfortunately, I have noticed many patrons driving and pushing their bags through the natural area. Those areas are not designed for traffic and meant to be as native as possible. It was necessary to put a small physical barrier to stop the traffic. This fence is not an out of bounds and does not change the rules for that hole. It is just a fence to keep patrons out. For those of you who have followed it, thank you very much for your cooperation.

A few bunkers are being renovated this year as well. The two bunkers on #18 are being renovated and the left side of #4 as well. These bunkers will have French drains and white sand will be installed. We are trying to complete a few bunkers a year until they are all renovated. We finished edging the bunkers last week and are moving sand back on the edges before the season starts; weather permitting. 

We look forward to the course opening and hope all the members and patrons will have a great year with low scores!