WEATHER

Cold Temperatures Are Here

After the great, above-average fall temperatures we received we knew the cold weather would arrive sometime. It is now here. The photo shows a temperature of -25C during mid-day, warmed up from a -32C morning. Average temps for this time of year in the Canadian Rockies are highs of -1C and lows of -10C. Most of the course is covered under 3-6" of snow but some greens have had snow blow off certain spots and are exposed. Under the snow cover the turf is -5C when the ambient temp was -25C. A good indicator of how good an insulator snow can be.

DRAINAGE

Drainage Improvements Continue
In addition to full course aeration, the excellent fall weather has allowed us to continue with aggressive subsurface drainage repair and additions. Here we show two "vents" being added to the back of #15 green. (Vents are surface exposure of 4" drainage pipe connected to the subsurface network). With no disruption to the actual green we utilized a drainage camera to map the subsurface drainage grid. We located spots for two vents at the back of the green. On this particular green we also located and opened

two exits that were completely buried under rock and soil. Together this work will allow for the window effect, that is, to allow for air and water to move through the piping network similar to opening a window in your home. If you open one window there is no air flow. If you open a second window this allows for the air to move freely through the home. In this case it allows air to move more feely in the rootzone of the green, keeping grass roots healthy with the addition of extra oxygen and ensuring water movement out of the green. This has been very successful with many of our greens as in 2010 we have added 22 vents to date around the greens. We have also repaired and exposed 15 different drainage exits.

AERATION

AERATION OF ROUGH
Taking advantage of the great warm fall weather we have been able to aerate the majority of the golf course. The greens, tees and fairways have all been core aerated. Now we are "solid" tine aerating the rough, in particular the high traffic areas. The photo to the left shows the heavy traffic location just off the pathway on hole #4 being aerated with a unit mounted to the tractor. While this process does not remove an actual core of soil/turf it does open the rootzone up, to a depth of 4", to alleviate compaction and allow for water, air and nutrients to more easily enter the subsurface. Come springtime this will allow the turf a better chance to begin the year more healthy.

Aeration: A breath of fresh air for greens

This video provides an excellent explanation to the logic and process of aeration. Be it the greens, tees or fairways this process is a much needed function for a golf course to provide the best playing conditions. Whilever the timing is never viewed as ideal it significantly improves conditions in the long term.

SEPTEMBER SNOW

Despite the below average temperatures for September we have managed to keep the golf course open for play every day. However, when it snows it is no longer a test of golf as evidenced in this Friday morning photo of Hole #1. The only ones out on the course are the elk.

ELK WALLOW

So this is not the type of wildlife activity we like to see. An elk wallow is a scarring or tearing of turf by either the antlers or the hooves of an elk. This was taken this morning on #3 tee and was a combination of both. It could have been worse though as they can be bigger when the elk want to create a "bed" or "tub" to lay in. So far this fall we have had 10 such wallows throughout the golf course.

WILDLIFE

What has become very handy these days is the combo cell phone/camera. You never know what you are going to see while out on the golf course. This shot was taken a week ago early in the morning. The sheep were not too concerned with what I was doing and instead posed perfectly for a good shot. So instead of scrambling for a camera the cell phone worked just as well.

GREEN DISCOLORATION

Why do putting green grasses turn red, blue or purple in the fall? The cold temperatures causes the turf to reveal a different color in the leaves. During the day sugar production in the grass blades is stimulated. When nights are cold and frosty the sugars do not completely move out of the leaves. The sugar then attaches to a pigment which causes the turf to look another color. The turf is still very healthy and plays well but is simply a physiological process that the greens go through. Interesting.

VANDALISM

Whether it our golf course or another's I am always disappointed when vandalism takes place. In this case a golfer decided to tee off from #10 green late one evening for us to find in the morning during our mowing programs. Left behind was severely damage turf, golf tees and shoe prints. Clearly this was a golfer, wearing spikes and left handed. It is one thing when we are repairing damage caused by wildlife but another when it is by a golfer. The turf has since been mended.

VENT AERATION OF GREENS

At times throughout the season you may notice tiny holes in the green surface. This is from 1/4" mini-tines which poke holes in the surface to allow for better oxygen penetration of the root zone. This greatly benefits the health of turf to infuse more air especially after a rain event or other stressful period. Some greens, due to their location, do not dry out or get as much air and wind across the surface as others.
The photo is taken of the aeration machine making the small holes on #16 green July 15th. Dry sand was previously applied after mowing the green. After aeration the sand is brushed into the holes and is rolled to smooth out any depressions. The process does not impact playability except for the presence of sand on the surface. This lasts for a couple of days before the sand and holes are no longer visible.

Topdressing Greens


Throughout the season when you see topdressing sand on the greens this is the typical method that we use to apply it. Kiln dried sand is fanned out onto the green surface with the topdresser. At times we may use walk behind fertilizer spreaders to apply it to smaller areas or sod spots.
Dry sand is an excellent product to use given our location where the turf stays moist for long periods of time where we cannot apply "wet" sand and let it dry before brushing it in. Conversely the dry sand drops down into the grass neatly when lightly applied. Topdressing sand is applied to provide a medium for turf to grow into in addition to smoothing the playing surface and controlling thatch buildup.

Painting Cups

Painting the Cups

For special days or events we paint the exposed bit of rootzone material that sits directly above the cup. This enhances visibility and gives the golfer more of a "pro" tournament experience. The device in the photo is aptly called the "Tidy Whitey" and sprays special paint using 4 nozzles for a clean, white look.

Flooding of 2005

THIS ISN'T TODAY!

This current weather reminds us of the extreme weather we had in 2005. June was very similar where we had over 6" of rain fall within a 3 day period that had the Stewart Creek flowing heavily. #13 green flooding where the creek jumped the banks.

This photo is of #11 fairway where the creek flooded onto #13 green and down onto the fairway.

Thankfully this is not occuring now but we are still waiting for the spring snow melt to runoff from the mountain. Stewart Creek will soon be flowing again this June.

NEW FLOW OF INFORMATION:

With the technological ability to get good information out to our members and guests the maintenance department has created a blog.

This blog will highlight maintenance practices at Stewart Creek Golf Club, here in the Canadian Rockies. We hope you enjoy the postings of information as we move through the season, highlighting practices and procedures.

In addition we will be profiling other subjects relevant to our golf course similar to the photo attached, Bighorn Sheep enjoying a June morning on #16 tee.