Fawn Lake Country Club

Tom Magargal

2012-02-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

Tom lost his battle with cancer Friday afternoon. His personality and attitude left a big imprint on our department and we will not forget the effort he gave for us.

Winter Weed Control

2012-02-07T07:40:00.001-05:00

For the past two weeks we have been dodging the wet ground, wind, and frost in an attempt to complete our winter weed control application. Each winter when the zoysia grass is dormant we apply 24 ounces/ acre of Round Up to kill any unwanted winter weeds. We treat all 40 acres of zoysia, but weather and ground conditions can cause delays. So far we have completed the areas immediately surrounding the greens. We are trying to wrap up the fairways as conditions allow. With a little luck we hope to be done soon.

Winter Work

2012-01-15T17:32:00.001-05:00

So far this year our staff has been hard at work inside the clubhouse. Painting, polishing, repairs, and lots of deep cleaning has kept us busy. Starting tomorrow we will be switching our focus to the golf course where we have a lot to accomplish before Spring. Winter weed control in the zoysia, tree removals, underbrush clean up, wildflower bed prep, and numerous other tasks will fill our days. We hope to see you on the course when the weather allows.

A note from Tom Magargal:

2011-12-28T13:27:00.000-05:00

To: The good folks of Fawn Lake,

First of all, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year.

It has been a distinct pleasure working at Fawn Lake for the past 7 years, and getting to know a lot of the good people that reside there. I must admit at first I was extremely hesitant about coming to Fawn Lake, as I was fearful of working at such a "high class" golf course. As time went by, my fears were set aside by the friendly people that live and play golf there.

Now that I'm no longer able to work there, I miss it terribly. I actually loved getting up in the morning to go to work and to see all the nice folks and friendly waves that meant so very much to me. My illness has precluded me from working; however, rest assured the memories cultivated at Fawn Lake are fond ones.

I'd like to thank everyone that sent cards, notes, and words of encouragement. I read every one of them (some more than once). The kindness displayed by the members at Fawn Lake was, for lack of a better word...AWESOME. I never expected the kind words and thoughts that came to me, they certainly meant more to me than I'll ever be able to convey.

Dave has a very good crew there, and I truly believe every one of them feels the same about the members and the course as I do. I've never had the opportunity to work with a crew any more capable than they are.......They are the best. Dave does a good job under difficult circumstances, but the way he treats his crew is what makes it one of the best.

Thank you all once again for the outpouring of thoughts and prayers in my time of need.

Best regards,

Thomas Magargal

2012 Club Calendar (as of 12/21/11)

2011-12-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

Wet

2011-12-08T07:02:00.001-05:00

It's tough to see but the rain gauge shows almost 4"

Leaf Patrol

2011-11-28T14:52:00.000-05:00

The main priority at the moment is leaf pick up. This involves frequent blowing while the vacuum moves slowly around the property trying to catch up. Security has been called on occassion by angry homeowners claiming that we're blowing the leaves onto their property. We DO NOT blow leaves off the course property. Just because the leaves are being moved TOWARDS your property does not mean we are putting them ON your property. We'll continue to do the best we can and hope to have most of the leaves cleared out by Christmas.

Tom Magargal Update

2011-11-18T09:16:00.001-05:00

Please send a card to Tom so he knows how much we appreciated all he did for Fawn Lake.

Thoughts and Prayers for Staff Member

Zoysia Patch

2011-11-06T07:37:00.000-05:00

Fall is synonymous with large patch on zoysia - TurfNet.com

This is a great article on exactly what we face each year with zoysia patch. We recently treated the "hot spots" where zoysia patch has shown up in the past. It is a given that we will face other new patches in the spring and that some of the "hot spots" we treated might flare up despite our efforts. The excessively wet fall has me worried that next spring could be ugly with regards to this disease. We'll cross our fingers.

USGA Update

2011-10-26T07:32:00.001-04:00

USGA: Recovery And Rejuvenation Is A Priority - October 2011

We are still playing catch up from a very wet few weeks. Leaves are beginning to fall and we are still working to seed and fertilize some rough. The seed we plant now is not going to give us an immediate result due to the late timing, but now is still a better option for planting than early spring.

Leaves will be a constant battle from now until the end of the year. Please understand that we will keep it at the top of our list, but are in a pinch with reduced staff and only one vacuum. Our goal will be to keep the leaves blown to the sides of each hole where the vacuum can get them. The vacuum is VERY slow so there will be many times when the leaves have to be blown multiple times before the vacuum can catch up. Please bear with us while we fight through this challenge.

Sometimes You Gotta Stink Up The Joint

2011-10-14T14:32:00.000-04:00

As some of you know we have been trying hard to re-grow some of the worn areas in the rough. Part of the process we've used involves applying a compost over the seed in these areas. It is a great help to the soil in these areas and helps to get the seed up and going. The drawback, however, is an odor that is not all that appealing. Here is an article on this topic that you might find interesting:

Sometimes You Gotta Stink Up The Joint

Waiting Game

2011-10-14T07:59:00.001-04:00

The continued rain keeps us in a waiting mode for just about everything on our "to do" list. We don't mind working in the rain, but the work we need to do is not possible in wet conditions. Chemical applications for disease on tees, greens, and fairways need to dry on the leaf. Turf needs to be dry in order to verticut or topdress. Ground needs to be dry in order to aerate roughs. Seed won't spread when it's wet. The list of headaches caused by the unusually wet weather we're having is very long. We still need to tackle this work, but it will have to wait until conditions improve. In addition to the backlog of work that is accumulating, there will be a great deal of clean up involved following this band of storms. Specifically in the bunkers where mud will have to be skimmed out and sand will have to be plowed back into place before raking can occur. This will take us the better part of two days once the rain stops.

Greens Recovery and Rough Renovation

2011-10-05T11:16:00.000-04:00

The wet weather last week made it tough to get enough topdressing sand into the aeration holes on greens. For this reason we decided to add more sand on Monday. This puts a strain on our ability to get a good cut on the turf as the sand is very hard on the mowers. Consequently the greens will putt slower for the next few days and then start to speed up as the sand gets worked into the surface. We continue to put as much manpower as we can towards rolling, brushing, and mowing in order to get the greens back to normal quickly.

The rough is being aerated around play. We are also using an aer-o-vator to help in the high traffic areas. It is good at breaking up the compacted soil in these places. We will seed and add a compost to the these worn areas as well. We will do our best to avoid play, but may have to close a hole from time to time in order wrap up this very tedious and time consuming process. In the event that we need to close a hole we will put a sign to that effect on the tee box. We hope to be done with the rough next week. For the short term this process will make a mess of some areas. This is very temporary and will dissappear in week to ten days.

Greens Aeration Outcome

2011-09-26T17:29:00.001-04:00

We dodged the rain for the most part, but still have some finishing touches to knock out. The afternoon showers stopped us from being able to effectively topdress holes 13-18. We will get that done on Wednesday around the LGA play. We will also have to add some sand to the other holes at some point soon in order to more completely fill the aeration holes. With the wet conditions we faced the sand was not easy to work with and couldn't be spread and brushed properly.
We will continue to brush, roll, topdress, etc... until we get the greens smoothed out. This will take a few days, but with continued good weather normal conditions should be back soon.

Fall Project Update

2011-09-20T08:59:00.000-04:00

I spoke too soon about my schedule for fall projects. The heavy rains from a couple of weeks ago put us way behind with mowing and bunker clean up. This snowballed into a delay with tee aeration which led to a delay in tee slope aeration and overseeding. This week was going to be used for catching up with tee aeration, but as I type this update it's raining and the rest of the week looks wet as well. So........we are two weeks behind with tee aeration, next week is greens aeration which puts us almost a month behind with tee slopes aeration and overseeding. In other words the weather has really been a pain in the rear. We'll be fine and everything will get done, but Plans A, B, C, and D have been thrown in the trash can and we are now operating on Plan "E". I don't have a Plan "F" so I'm working on that now.

Catch Up Week

2011-09-12T07:51:00.000-04:00

The rain last week put us way behind in mowing. It will take us all week to get it mowed once and cleaned up. That means it will probably be next week before we are back to "normal". Unfortunately when we miss an entire week we have to raise the rough mowers up a notch in order to get through the excess growth. This is definitely the toughest time of year for us as seasonal staff has left and the workload is still heavy. Please bear with us as we try to catch up from the wettest week in Fawn Lake history.

Fall Projects

2011-09-06T08:42:00.002-04:00

Summer staff has returned to school making these next several weeks incredibly busy. Over the next 6 weeks we plan to aerate tees, aerate roughs, aerate greens, overseed worn areas in the rough, renovate several weak areas on tees, and sod some high traffic areas on tee slopes. That is a full plate of work to add to an already busy agenda of routine maintenance. With some luck from the weather we hope to have it all done by mid October.....just in time for some leaf clean up.

If all goes according to plan here is our schedule:
September 12-14       Aerate and topdress tees
September 19-23       Aerate and overseed tee slopes
September 26,27       Aerate and topdress greens
October 3-?               Aerate roughs and overseed worn areas

Ball Marks!

2011-09-01T07:46:00.001-04:00

Its hard to make a putt when the green looks like this. It's your course and you can make a huge difference by repairing your ball mark and at least one other on each green. It may save you a stroke or two and it may keep me from having a stoke.

Bunker at 16 Complete

2011-08-26T15:39:00.000-04:00

The bunker is back in play now and the sod around it has been put in place. After smoothing out and packing the sand it is clear that a little more is needed. If Irene isn't too mean, we'll add that last bit of sand on Monday.

Bunker Work Update

2011-08-24T15:45:00.000-04:00

We have made great progress on the fairway bunker on #16. It isn't finished yet, but we will open the hole back up for play tomorrow. We still have some more sand to haul and spread as well as some sod to put down, but the bulk of the work is done. The travel time back and forth with the tractor was more than I bargained for so the work took longer than I had hoped. That said, I'm happy with the way it's turning out.

Bunker Work / Hole Closing

2011-08-21T20:46:00.000-04:00

The fairway bunker on hole 16 is on our agenda for the next few days. It has always been a challenging bunker to care for given its location at the lowest point of the hole. Runoff creates a big problem each time it rains so we are going to do some drainage work outside the bunker to help divert some of this water. When it's done there will be new drainage in and around the bunker, new liner, and new sand. This will be a big project and will require that the hole be closed while the work is in progress. I expect to finish up on Wednesday if the weather cooperates and all goes well.

Tom Returns!

2011-08-17T07:18:00.000-04:00

After a tough summer of chemotherapy Tom is back in action. He is in his element once again behind the wheel of a rough mower. Please give a nod, waive, or "hello" when you see him on the course.

Final Results

2011-08-17T07:12:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the 2011 World Champion Goosegrass Puller...........Phillip Barge

Overcome with emotion following a brutal match against Tommy, Phillip could hardly contain himself...."If you ain't first.....you're last" said Phillip who will soon be taking his talents back to Petersburg where he will be a junior on the Virginia State football team. If there is goosegrass on the football field, then Phillip will take care of it.

Goose Grass Brackets 2011

180

2011-08-12T07:10:00.000-04:00

Thankfully the weather has made a 180 degree turn. The conditions present last week during the Men's Member-Member were almost unbearable. Greens were saturated from the storm on Saturday, soil temperatures were well above what bentgrass can tolerate, air temperatures were pushing 100 and the humidity was nearly 85%. Greens looked good, but below ground things were not pretty. They were very much on life support.
Today we are in a much different situation. Humidity is very low, temperatures have dropped, and the soil in the greens has dried out significantly. We are not out of the woods yet, but the tables are turning in favor of the cool season turf (bentgrass, bluegrass, fescue). We will have more ups and downs with weather before the cool stuff is here to stay, but for now it's a welcomed break from summer.

PGA Update

2011-08-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

From the desk of GCM: Ken Mangum meets the press at PGA

NYTimes.com: P.G.A. Course Is Made to Take the Heat

2011-08-09T18:50:00.002-04:00

SPORTS | August 09, 2011
P.G.A. Course Is Made to Take the Heat
By MIKE TIERNEY
Three heat-resistant grasses were used in Rees Jones's course redesign of the Highlands Course at Atlanta Athletic Club, host of the 93rd P.G.A. Championship.

2011 Goosegrass Pulling Championships

2011-08-09T15:15:00.000-04:00

Goosegrass is a summer annual that we fight in high traffic areas every summer. The spring pre-emergent herbicides were chosen and applied with this weed in mind, but it will always be an issue in some areas barring major sod work. That said I decided to attack the situation by holding the first annual goosegrass pulling championships. The seasonal staff was put to the test and they have slowly worked their way through the tournament bracket. So far Phillip has reached the finals and will compete against the winner of the Logan v. Tommy match. This has been a great event and will remain on our calendar in future summers. Here is a link to the bracket:

Goose Grass Brackets 2011

Thanks LGA

2011-08-08T11:19:00.000-04:00

We can't say thank you enough for the meal you provided us!

USGA Update

2011-08-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

USGA: Is The Worst Over - August 2011

Overheated

2011-08-01T16:13:00.000-04:00

Still plugging away at the power supply issues at our pump station. REC has been very involved, but no solution has been found yet. Our pumps are both working now, but the incoming power supply is causing some problems. Nonetheless we are getting by and heat has been more of an issue than water. Even with all the water we can pump the temperatures are still hotter than many areas can tolerate.

PGA Championship Course Update

2011-07-31T10:07:00.000-04:00

Here is a short video you might find interesting. At times like this I wish we were far enough south for bermuda greens to be an option. "Steamed vegetables" is the analogy Ken gives for bentgrass in summer conditions and is the reason he switched to bermuda greens. I think that pretty well sums up what bentgrass is like in the weather we're seeing now. Unfortunately our winters are too harsh for bermuda to be an option.

http://www.turfnet.com/tv/latest.php

Tough Days Ahead

2011-07-30T15:08:00.000-04:00

Here is a great article from our local USGA agronomist. As you all know we spend a lot of time traveling the course in the summer looking for signs of heat and moisture stress on the greens and tees. Caring for 78 bentgrass tees and 20 bentgrass greens totaling almost 8 acres and spread out over almost 6 miles of cart path is a very tall task. The forecast tells me we will be dragging hoses around a lot next week.

http://www.usga.org/course_care/regional_updates/regional_reports/midatlantic/Long-Summer-Days-Equate-To-Intense-Irrigation-Management---July-2011/

GCSAA News Release

2011-07-28T16:22:00.000-04:00

GCSAA News Release Persistent heat, drought and flooding strain golf courses nationally

Irrigation Update

2011-07-28T11:27:00.000-04:00

After a long wait on the delivery of our new motor and jockey pump we will soon be back in order. The heat wave has caused some other issues related to incoming power from REC so having all our ducks in order may not be the end of our struggles. REC has spent the better part of the last 48 hours troubleshooting their end. Hopefully we can put this mess to bed by the end of the day. Come on October.

Carts and Heat

2011-07-26T16:29:00.002-04:00

This is just a small sample of what happens when you combine bluegrass and
fescue rough with extreme temperatures and cart traffic. It is par for the
course in summer and will bounce back when conditions improve. The best way
you can help is by following the cart traffic policy and adhering to all
cart traffic signage. If you look closely you'll notice that much of the
damage has occurred in areas well beyond the signs that direct traffic back
to the path. We've also noticed a rash of foursomes with four carts all of
which are leaving the path. The policy that was put into place at the
beginning of the year calls for foursomes with four carts to keep at least
two of those carts on the path on each hole.

Thanks

2011-07-23T09:19:00.001-04:00

To whom it may concern,
THANK YOU for the gatorade you left at our shop. The guys really appreciated it. It was a very nice gesture.

From the depths of Fawn Lake

2011-07-22T14:02:00.000-04:00

This is one of two pump/motor units that we irrigate with. Alan and Jimmy are breaking it down to make way for the new motor which we expect to have Monday sometime. We are fortunate to have such talented help. Relying on contractors for everything gets pricey. Best case scenario we will be back up and running with two pumps on Tuesday. Until then we are limping on just one.

Irrigation System Woes

2011-07-21T21:57:00.000-04:00

Every summer it seems we battle at least one set back with the irrigation system. Friday July 8th we had a pretty strong thunderstorm that wreaked havoc on our ability to irrigate. Lightning strikes knocked out a number of sprinkler heads and splintered a few trees. However, those are minor issues compared to the pump station which will need a new 75 hp motor and a jockey pump. That leaves us with one 75 hp pump and puts serious limitations on our ability to irrigate. Given the 100 degree temperatures things will no doubt be stressful for the turf as well as all of us on staff. I hope to have the new motor and jockey pump Monday and will install them Tuesday with the help of the divers. Until then it will be a tough few days.

Preparing For The Heat

2011-07-18T20:16:00.000-04:00

The forecast calls for very high temperatures this week so today we spiked greens, applied a very light dusting of sand, and applied 0-0-10 (a fertilizer with calcium and potassium). We just did some of these same things three weeks ago and not surprisingly saw a very positive response. We paid our dues earlier this spring with some much needed deep aeration and are seeing an incredible difference in the performance and health of the turf. That work along with our current focus on keeping the surfaces "open" is proving to be a good recipe so far. I expect this week to be tough on turf, but I am confident that the preparations that began in the spring will get us past this spell in great shape.

Summer Pest

2011-07-17T22:07:00.000-04:00

Cicada Killer Wasps return each year between late June and early July. I meant to give a warning before they arrived, but they showed up a little earlier this year. They are frustrating and intimidating, but luckily not very aggressive. Rob is our resident expert exterminator, but complete eradication is impossible it seems. He has killed a large number of them and the one pictured here was flattened just after posing for this photo. I expect we will see others for at least another two weeks.

Productive Monday

2011-06-27T19:11:00.000-04:00

As scheduled we spiked and lightly topdressed greens today. We planned on doing the front nine today and the back nine tomorrow, but with the milder than expected weather we were able to get through 13 today. That should get us finished tomorrow morning well ahead of play.

We used very small diameter solid tines and put a dusting of sand down before brushing and rolling. This is something we generally do several times between late June and Labor Day. I only put it on the calendar once in late June because I want to be sure we are able to have the time to do it before July when the weather pattern becomes unfriendly to bentgrass. Putting tiny holes in the surface allows air to reach the roots which is vital during the hot and humid weather that we face in the summer. We will squeeze this work into the golf schedule a few more times, but making room for it on the golf calendar now ensures that we enter the summer on the right foot.

Update on Tom

2011-06-23T22:26:00.002-04:00

Most everyone knows who Tom Magargal is and many of you know about his current battle with throat cancer. He recently began treatments and has been unable to work as a result. For those who may not know Tom, he has been a vital part of our team for many years. While the initial prognosis is good, the treatments are tough and it is likely that he will miss a good bit of time with us. We miss having him around and know that his absence is felt by anyone who plays. He mows more grass (close to 50 Acres a week) than anyone on our staff and filling his shoes is not easy. It will be a juggling act to keep things from getting out of hand without him. The course and the golfers will all benefit greatly when he returns.

Please keep Tom in your thoughts and prayers.

Bunker Repairs

2011-06-19T09:33:00.001-04:00

Now that we have our seasonal staff in place and have gotten past the Member Guest we will be repairing some bunkers that are in need of sand, drainage, liner repair, etc...We don't have a tremendous budget for this, but we should be able to make a positive difference soon. Bunkers were completely renovated in 2005 and conditions vary widely. Some need to be re-done and others are in pretty good shape. Most fall somewhere in between and will get some degree of input this summer. I've worked closely with the Green Committee to identify the "neediest" bunkers and we'll use our resources accordingly. It takes 25 tons of sand to fill a 1000 sq. ft. bunker with the proper amount of sand. At $40/ton for sand (the most affordable, suitable sand available) that bunker would require $1,000 worth of sand. If due to the slope and potential for erosion that bunker needs a liner below the sand, then another $1,350 would be needed as well. We have 89,000 square feet of bunkers so to buy sand and liner for all of them would be just over $200,000. That is why we are only going to be dealing with the "neediest" bunkers at this time.

Another Open Update

2011-06-17T18:55:00.004-04:00

Open Update

2011-06-16T10:22:00.000-04:00

I visited Congressional yesterday and the course looked great. I focus more on the course than the golf out of habit, but it was in perfect condition as I expected.

Here is an update on the course from the GCSAA:

Are Congressional's greens in trouble?

Early Summer

2011-06-12T21:43:00.000-04:00

The excessive heat, the arrival of many of our summer staff, and the Member-Guest have kept me busy. It feels like August in too many ways and I'm a little discouraged with the way the summer seems to be starting. Hopefully it's a blip and not the beginning of another tough summer.

During the next few months we're going to be forced to do quite a bit of scouting and hand watering on greens and tees. They are comprised of southshore creeping bentgrass and have held up very well under the recent conditions. As the summer proceeds they may become less durable and resilient to the elements. One of the biggest challenges will be keeping soil moisture levels consistent across a wide variety of sand depths and slopes. For instance, both greens and tees are grown in a sand based medium. In theory the depth should be consistent throughout the tee or green. In our case we may have a portion of a green with 20" of sand just a few feet away from an area with only 9". These two areas require different amounts of water in order to create a consistent result on top. We use soil probes to monitor the moisture content in the top few inches and will add water with a hose when needed. When the moisture levels are adequate, but the temperatures are extreme, we may also use the hose to lightly mist the surface in an effort to provide a temporary cooling effect. Please bear with us during the summer months. It is likely that you will encounter us at some point in your round. We will be quick and do our best to avoid disturbing play.

An Open Preview

2011-06-12T21:19:00.001-04:00

Zoysia Patch

2011-05-23T08:42:00.002-04:00

This is zoysia patch in 3 fairway. Zoysia patch is a disease which begins in the fall. Symptoms don't appear until the spring when it's too late to prevent. Preventative treatments are the only option but unfortunately it is very expensive. We treat two holes that have a history of zoysia patch, but treating all 40 acres is cost prohibitive. Every year we see a few patches and log the areas into the plans to treat in the fall. This fall we will probably add another acre to the scope of area to be treated. The symptoms will linger well into the later part of summer.

US Open Course Info

2011-05-19T20:55:00.001-04:00

Some turf related details about Congressional CC

USGA Weekly Update

2011-05-14T11:07:00.001-04:00

UPDATE HERE

Last Week's Tour Event

2011-05-11T20:27:00.000-04:00

I'm a diehard Clemson fan (not news for most of you) and was fortunate to have a chance to know Coach Penley well growing up and at Clemson. The Tigers played well last week.

From the TPC at Sawgrass

2011-05-10T17:22:00.001-04:00

Tuesday's Plan

2011-05-09T16:12:00.000-04:00

The course will open at 9:30 today. Pins are in position 2 and carts may follow code yellow.

NOTES:
We are using a machine called a "soil reliever" on greens today. This machine will help get air well below the depths we can achieve with our equipment. A contractor is doing the work and we expect to be finished by 1:00. This is a much needed and long overdue process that we last did five years ago. We will roll them immediately following the process and focus all of our efforts towards a speedy recovery. Greens will be much healthier and more durable as a result.

Roller Arrives

2011-05-09T13:55:00.001-04:00

After a long wait the roller we purchased has arrived. It will be a nice addition to the course.

Greens Recovery Update

2011-05-05T21:49:00.000-04:00

I am not happy with the rate of recovery from the last greens aeration and am aware that many others share that feeling. There are a number of reasons for the slow recovery but most of them would sound like excuses and I do not want to sound that way. I do know that snow the week before aeration, heavy frost during aeration, and cool damp days for the two weeks following aeration were very much a reason for slow growth. I also know that we used the largest tine we've ever used in order to address problems in the soil that have grown progressively worse over the past three years. The larger the tine size the longer it takes to heal. In addition to the weather and the larger tine I also deserve some blame. In hindsight I wish I had pushed harder for a later date on the calendar when turf growth would have been much more conducive to recovery. Perhaps this experience will help to make my case for a late April aeration next year.

Here is a repost from last fall:

Pages 5 and 6 of the following report summarize the results in relatively basic language. In essence we need to upgrade our approach to aeration in order to keep the greens functioning properly. We test samples every two years in order to make informed decisions on how to manage our greens. It is far cheaper to test and follow a sound plan than it is to rebuild greens every 15 years. Our greens are at an age that would typically yield test results far more "bleak" than what this report shows. We are doing well, but age is showing and a change in how we aerate is a must.

Fawn Lake C C ISTRC Report 2010-10090021

Help Is On Its Way

2011-05-05T15:41:00.001-04:00

We have been struggling to keep up with things lately but some seasonal help will arrive next week. Please bear with us as the new help gets some on the job training. Good training is critical and will make us operate more efficiently.

Roller Coaster Ride

2011-04-24T17:54:00.000-04:00

Every spring the zoysia fairways begin to show signs of green in early April after being dormant for months over the winter. Everyone gets excited and then we get hit with a late frost that sets them back a few days. Then the green up resumes and everyone gets excited again. Then we apply Echelon, a pre-emergent herbicide, and the color fades for a few days. Then the green up resumes and we all get excited again. Then the seed heads pop out and the fairways look pretty rough for a couple of weeks. Finally after three or four close calls the zoysia turns green and stays that way for the remainder of the season.

Where are we now?

We are going to be applying Echelon, a great product for preventing summer weeds, tomorrow. This will turn the fairways an ugly color for a few days. It is very temporary and is well worth the effort as we've found it works well against some of our worst enemies like sedge and kyllinga. Soon after the color returns from this treatment you will see the seeds emerge. They are a dark purple color and will hang around for a few weeks. We mow them off, but they return quickly. It will be late May at best before all of these ups and downs are over.

Harbor Club landscape

2011-04-20T10:21:00.001-04:00

We've expanded the view of the lake by removing the large hedge on the back lawn. Carpet rose will be planted in its place, but won't get nearly as large.

Pool Project

2011-04-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

The pool will soon be a patio. More casual dining/happy hour space and much less expense/headache.

From the National Golf Foundation:

2011-04-07T18:47:00.000-04:00

Revenue Constriction and Declining Conditioning – Is the Spiral Inevitable?

Aeration Schedule Change

2011-04-05T19:33:00.003-04:00

Due to the rains today the back nine will be aerated tomorrow. That will mean that the back nine will be closed for most of the day. We will attempt to open it up sometime in the afternoon. The front nine will be open as usual. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Aeration Schedule

2011-04-05T07:01:00.001-04:00

The front nine was completed yesterday. Unfortunately the storms early this morning will keep us from completing the task today. An exact plan of action will be determined this morning in conjunction with the golf shop. For now the entire course is open.

Pin position 6 on the front
Pin position 5 on the back

Cart path only

Q and A with an Industry Expert

2011-04-02T12:47:00.001-04:00



CONVERGING ON CHANGE

Aeration Next Monday and Tuesday

2011-04-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

We will be aerating greens April 4th and 5th provided the weather cooperates. The course will be closed on Monday. On Tuesday the back nine will be closed until we have finished which should be sometime in mid to late afternoon. We will be using 5/8" hollow tines and applying sand in an effort to fill the holes.

This is an excerpt from a well written article by Michael Vogt about putting green aeration:

As a common observation, it will take four to six hollow core aerification applications, with at least a 5/8-inch tine, before the observed positive changes to the turf will appear permanent. Some root zones require less applications, many root zones require more applications. At minimum it is recommended that USGA-specification greens receive, on average, twice-annual aerification to merely maintain their physical condition. That is, twice-annual aerification is needed to merely remove the organic material deposited by the roots. This general rule, however, has its exceptions. If twice-annual hollow core aerification applications are required with 5/8-inch tines or similar equipment to maintain a root system, an accelerated program is required to reduce the organic concentration. On grossly organically-affected root-zones the recommendation is an accelerated aerification program consisting of at least four aerification applications per year. An accelerated aerification program is not intended to be permanent. In time, the greens will achieve optimal visual and physiologic properties which are capable of being maintained, due to the changes in the root-zone’s physical properties, during periods of stress.

To read the entire article follow this link:

Golf Course Industry : Then was the summer of our discontent

Help

2011-03-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

Divots on greens are even worse than ball marks.

Pipe Repair

2011-03-23T21:47:00.001-04:00

Rob is shoulder deep trying to seal up a 24" pipe with a huge hole in it.

Drainage Trouble

2011-03-22T07:49:00.000-04:00

We have been fighting a number of issues related to drainage during the past few weeks. It's not something we planned for, but it has become a top priority now.

Path Repair Update

2011-03-16T12:30:00.001-04:00

16 sections of cart path have been replaced and are open for traffic. The old material is being hauled to a recycling center. We have many more areas to tackle when the budget allows, but for now I think you'll notice a big difference.
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No Ball Roll Today

2011-03-11T08:31:00.000-05:00

Another downpour last night brings the total for the week to just under 4". The course is going to be very soft and wet for a few days and the clean up process will take some time. Don't let that keep you from playing. Just bring an extra towel and make sure your shoes are still water proof.

Basketball Time

2011-03-10T20:16:00.000-05:00

Feel free to enter this year's basketball pool.

Follow this link and register with the site. http://www.pickhoops.com/gcsa

Once registered you will be able to join our group by entering the group password "orange"

You can pay with a credit card by following the instructions on the home page. The entry fee is $10.30.
You will be able to enter your picks once the teams beginning Monday, March 14 at 8 AM. Picks must be submitted by 12:20 PM on Thursday, March 17.

Winner gets 75% of the proceeds, runner up gets 25%.

HAVE FUN!

Cart Path Improvements

2011-03-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Starting Monday (weather permitting) we will be repairing cart paths on a very limited scale. Removing and replacing 8 broken sections on holes 2 and 3 will take three days. Monday we will remove the existing concrete and put in forms for the new sections. Tuesday the new concrete will be poured. Wednesday the forms will be removed and the paths will be reopened. Our goal will be to keep holes 2 and 3 closed on Monday and Tuesday. It is possible, however, due to the location of the work that the entire front nine will be closed on Monday and Tuesday.

We will repair 8 other sections between holes 6 and 12 the following week. The scope of the work will be the same and some limited disruption to play will be needed to accommodate the improvements.

Thanks for your patience and understanding. We are excited to finally be able to make these much needed improvements. You will notice the difference immediately.

Behind The Scenes at a Tour Event

2011-03-01T15:59:00.000-05:00

Irrigation System Start Up

2011-02-28T10:13:00.000-05:00

We are filling up the irrigation system this week. There are miles of pipe in the ground and it must be filled slowly to avoid damaging the pipe and irrigation heads. To relieve any air that is trapped in the pipe we must turn on the irrigation heads for a few seconds at a time. Rain is likely today and tonight but what little water we turn on to relieve the pressure in the system will not be enough to wet the ground. Having the irrigaton system back up will allow us to fill ponds that are low, wash equipment, fill the sprayer, water in fertilizer and weed prevention products, etc....It is important that we start the process now in order to have the water available for next week.

Another Club Sale

2011-02-25T15:51:00.001-05:00

Augustine Golf Club in Stafford sold for $2.75 million - Business Browser

Game Plan

2011-02-25T14:42:00.001-05:00

The old fashioned planner in our staff room has been officially updated with 2011 golf events.
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Soil Temps

2011-02-18T14:28:00.001-05:00

This is very unusual for mid February. A week ago the ground was frozen solid.
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Course News and Lawn Care Planning

2011-02-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

We cranked up the mowers this morning! Greens have finally thawed out and after rolling them yesterday to smooth them out we are mowing them today. If you've been playing some recently then you need to spend a few minutes on the practice green before you play. The greens will roll much smoother and quicker than the last time you played. I expect that we'll get another taste of winter before spring arrives so I hope you can squeeze some play into your schedule these next few days.

We're about a month away from really going full steam ahead with turf related work. In the meantime our plate is full of project work. If you are looking for input on your own lawn now would be a great time to start planning. I've helped quite a few of you in recent years and am more than happy to guide anyone who might need some advice. We may even be able to help you acquire the supplies at a much better price than you might normally get. Call me or email me anytime.

See you on the course!

Frozen Ground Making it Tough

2011-02-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

The nights are still getting cold enough to keep the ground frozen in most areas. Today we should see some thawing and perhaps we will be able to mow greens and rake bunkers in the next day or two. It's not possible to rake the bunkers when they are frozen and not safe to mow/roll greens when frozen. On the bright side we've been able to make a huge dent in our project list as we've had more time in the absence of greens mowing and bunker raking. Thanks to those of you who have been playing this winter and I hope to see the rest of you soon.

Sun!

2011-02-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

There was heavy frost this morning, but the sun is out and temperatures are expected to be near 50. This is much improved and hopefully you will be able to get some golf in before the Super Bowl. The ground is saturated from all the melted snow and yesterday's rain, but sloppy golf is better than no golf.

Winter Update

2011-02-01T09:46:00.000-05:00

We are as busy as ever despite the weather. Painting chairs, repairing equipment, chasing geese, and clearing storm damaged trees are some of the tasks we're working on now. When the snow melts we'll shift our focus back to the many other tasks on our list.
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Putting Green Maintenance

2011-01-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

USGA: Thatch Legislation - January 2011

Golf Course / Club Update

2011-01-19T08:49:00.000-05:00

The greens have been frozen to some degree for the past 6 weeks. We've been unable to change hole locations or rake bunkers due to the ground conditions, but we're hoping that today might offer us a chance to do some of that type work. If not today, then it may be another week at least since temperatures are heading down again tomorrow.

The Harbor Club Re-opens This Friday

In addition to our golf course efforts we've also been helping with the Harbor Club upgrades. Most of the upgrades were behind the scenes, but they should translate into a better experience for you. It was a nice change of pace for us to take part on the inside work and get to know some of our counterparts in the food and beverage department. Please make plans to visit the Harbor Club regularly beginning this Friday night when it re-opens.

Course Update Monday, January 10

2011-01-10T08:40:00.000-05:00

Following up on the note from a few days ago.......We were able to spray almost all of the zoysia last week thanks to the calm winds and frozen ground. The only areas left to spray are the areas immediately surrounding the bentgrass collars/greens. We are going to try and knock it out today if the temperatures come up and the wind stays calm. If not today, then it may have to wait until next week as the forecast isn't real pretty. In any event we are in good position to finish this important task soon.

We also put a great deal of time into removing the seedling pines behind 9 green. This not only fulfills our obligation to keep pines out of wetlands, but also cleans up an out of play area and opens up the view to the lake and hole #10. This is one of several areas that we hope to work on this winter.

Costly Mistake

2011-01-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

Villegas disqualified after TV viewers called him on violation - Devil Ball Golf - Golf - Yahoo! Sports

Weed control application

2011-01-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we began the process of applying Round Up to the zoysia. This can sometimes be a lengthy process based on the weather and ground conditions, but we hope to knock it out by the end of next week. With frost in the mornings and wind in the afternoons we are limited to just a few hours of spraying each day. We treat the zoysia surrounding the greens as a separate area and must keep the course closed for a day when we get to that point. We always try to do this portion of the task on a Monday, but if conditions aren't suitable, then we must move to another day. The golf shop will be informed of our plan and we will send an email out in advance of any possible course closings due to the Round Up application.

The purpose of this task is to remove unwanted grasses and weeds from the zoysia. Since the zoysia goes dormant in the winter it is safe and effective to use Round Up. You can't use Round Up in your home lawns for this purpose.....unless you want dead grass.

When I first arrived at Fawn Lake in 2000 we mowed the fairways with rotary mowers in the fall and winter due to the weed population. I wish I had taken more pictures, but it is safe to say that things are much better today.

Frost Dilemma

2011-01-04T11:58:00.001-05:00

It is important to avoid walking through frost covered turf. In this picture someone out for an early morning walk decided to cut across the first tee. There will soon be distinct black footprints of dead leaf tissue. The grass will recover, but not anytime soon. This is another reason why we ask that you first check with the pro shop before heading to the practice green or golf course.
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Sunday Update

2011-01-02T08:35:00.001-05:00

The snow has all disappeared but holes 7, 8, and 15 will remain closed. Those three greens are still frozen just below the surface and are saturated above the frost line. In the picture above you can see the water standing on 7 green. If the forecast holds true, then we should have all 18 holes open this week. Thanks for your patience. Hope to see you on the course.
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New Year's Day Update

2011-01-01T09:31:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

There are two more holes open for play which makes it a nine hole course. Holes 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, and 18 are open for play.

Please keep the carts on the path and enjoy the warmer temperatures.

Slow Meltdown

2010-12-31T09:07:00.000-05:00

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New Year's Eve Update

2010-12-31T09:02:00.001-05:00

Holes 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 18 will be open for play. It will be cart path only (no exceptions) and the pin location is 4.

I expect a few more open holes for tomorrow if the temperatures come up some and the sun pops out. I'll give another update in the morning.

Happy New Year!

December 30 Golf Course Update

2010-12-30T12:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a little while since we had any hope of playing golf, but it appears likely that some holes will be playable tomorrow and throughout the weekend. Exactly how many holes will be open on Friday is still unknown, but we expect at least 9 holes to be clear. Saturday should see a few more open up. The greens will likely be very soft and bumpy from all the freezing and thawing, but hopefully you can get some fresh air and enjoy swinging the club for a change.

Course Management Plan for 2011

2010-12-28T12:10:00.002-05:00

Management Plan for 2011

Snow?

2010-12-15T13:24:00.000-05:00

We have been very busy trying to get leaves cleaned up. It looks like we may end up swapping the vacuum for the snow plow. In any event it looks like golf is out of the question for a few days.
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USGA: Now What? Take One Step Forward At A Time! - December 2010

2010-12-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

USGA: Now What? Take One Step Forward At A Time! - December 2010

We're Famous.....sort of

2010-11-28T17:34:00.002-05:00

One of the projects we tackled last off season was building a mixing tank to improve efficiency and expense when spraying fertilizers. This mixing tank allows us to quickly mix water soluble fertilizers which we can then transfer from the mix tank to the sprayer. Water soluble fertilizers are much less expensive than liquid fertilizers, but mixing them can be a slow and frustrating process. Having this tank makes it a breeze. Recently our idea got some publicity:

Golf Course Industry Magazine : Travels With Terry

Frozen Tundra

2010-11-28T09:36:00.002-05:00

Today was the first hard frost of the fall. The greens were not only covered in frost, but the surface was frozen solid as well. This makes for some tough luck on approach shots that might otherwise stay on the green. This scenario will become common as winter approaches. Greens will be frozen in the morning and thaw during the day becoming very soft and bumpy from foot traffic. In extreme cases we may remain closed for the entire day to protect the greens. Look for more updates on winter play in the coming weeks.

Greens Report Card

2010-11-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

Pages 5 and 6 of this report summarize the results in relatively basic language. In essence we need to upgrade our approach to aeration in order to keep the greens functioning properly. We test samples every two years in order to make informed decisions on how to manage our greens. It is far cheaper to test and follow a sound plan than it is to rebuild greens every 15 years. Our greens are at an age that would typically yield test results far more "bleak" than what this report shows. We are doing well, but age is showing and a change in how we aerate is a must.

Fawn Lake C C ISTRC Report 2010-10090021

Losing Battle?

2010-11-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

We WILL win the war against the leaves although we have lost the battle so far this week. The winds are heavy and constantly changing direction making it impossible to get things cleaned up. The vacuum, the blowers, and the mulching mowers have all been running full speed, but you wouldn't know it from the looks of things. Tomorrow we will go at it again and hopefully get some help from the wind. We'll take a break for turkey on Thursday and then go back to work on Friday.

Leaf Battle

2010-11-20T09:44:00.000-05:00

If you live on the course don't be alarmed if you see leaves being blown your direction. We are pushing them off the fairway where the rough mowers and vacuum can get to them. We will not push them onto your property. The vacuum will be making several trips around the course from now until the end of the year so we hope to have things cleaned up for the holidays. High winds over the past week have erased much of the progress we made, but we'll get there eventually. Holes 3, 5, 13, 14, and 16 are especially challenging due to the prevailing winds and the more numerous hardwoods. Thanks for your patience and understanding. I'm sure many of you are fighting the same battle at home.

Things to Consider

2010-11-16T18:37:00.001-05:00

Dysfunctional Courses