Digging Out

Monday, December 27, 2010

I trust that everyone had a great Holiday Season and I hope you join our team in looking forward to the start of a New Year.  Over the weekend, we received between 3 and 4 inches.  With warm weather coming the rest of the week, I assume the snow should melt off by Thursday or Friday.  We look forward to warmer temperatures and some golf in January.  Have a great we...

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The USGA Green Section and the Putting Green Performance Pyramid

Monday, December 20, 2010

The USGA Green Section was formed in 1920 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the USGA in an effort to provide impartial and authoritative agronomic information to golf course officials.  The USGA Green Section is the foremost authority on golf course management and is the largest contributor towards university-based turfgrass research in the world.  As part of the USGA's Turf Advisory Service, the Director of the Mid-Atlantic region of the Green Section, Stan Zontec visits Willow...

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Snow covered Golf Course

Monday, December 13, 2010

The golf course has already received close to an inch of snow with more expected throughout the day.  With high temperatures forecast in the mid-30's until Friday, we could be covered with snow for a couple of days.  Our staff will utilize this time by rebuilding, painting and staining golf course amenities such as benches, birdhouses and on/off posts.  Our Equipment Manager, John Anderson, is also receiving some much needed help with our winter maintenance program.  I hope that...

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Winter Bunker Work

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

The arrival of December has already brought us freezing temperatures, a little snow and winter projects.  As we look forward to next season, an area that we can still improve on during the winter months is our bunkers.  We will work steadily through the bunkers, checking depths, replacing liner, and adding sand as weather permits.  Yesterday, we began work on the right fairway bunker on number Eight.  Contaminated sand has been removed, new, thicker liner has been installed and...

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Snow covered Sunday

Sunday, December 05, 2010

We arrived this morning to a snow covered golf course.  The light dusting of snow created great pictures and views of the golf course.  The snow is starting to lift but is still quite heavy in some areas.  It will be a very difficult day to play golf with all of the snow on the ground.  The greens have a heavy frost and play should be delayed until 11:00 a.m.  Contact the pro shop for more information.  Have a great we...

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Sunny, Cold Morning

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Ginny earning her Kibble No frost delay this morning.  After .35" of rainfall over the past two days, the fairways are still too damp for handicapped flags.  Please contact the Pro Shop for more information.  With temperatures dipping into the upper 20's tonight, we could see a long frost delay tomorrow morning.  Have a great d...

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Irrigation System Blowout Complete

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The draining and winterization of the golf course's irrigation system has been completed.  The system is drained and essential elements, subject to freeze damage, have been removed from the pumps and pump controller.  Systems that cannot be removed have been filled with anti-freeze to protect them.  This winter shutdown protects the club's investment in our irrigation system and allows us time for maintenance necessary to keep our pumps and controller under warranty.  Our golf...

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Mid-Atlantic Regional Update from Stan Zontek

Monday, November 15, 2010

Stan's articles are always insightful and interesting.   Mid-Atlantic Regional Update We have had some beautiful fall color, however, we have had some tree decline and early leaf fall as well.  Only time will tell how this season will affect the long term health of our tree populati...

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Good News and Bad News

Monday, November 15, 2010

The good news is that we expect a much needed rain tonight through Wednesday morning.  The rain will help protect the turf from dessication as it goes into dormancy and allow us to finish up all fertility applications today.  The bad news is that rain usually leads to cart path restrictions.  This time of year, we have to be especially careful in regards to traffic as the turf is going into dormancy and cannot recover.  On Monday, November 22 we will go exclusively to carts on path in order to protect the dormant Tifsport fairways...

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Frost Delay and Winter Maintenance

Friday, November 12, 2010

A little frost out there this morning but it looks to be a beautiful day. Winter maintenance of our equipment fleet has begun and we are working diligently to finish our Potash applications before we shut down the irrigation system. During winter maintenance, every piece of equipment has to be power washed, inspected and repaired as necessary.  The inspection, preventative maintenance, and sharpening of every essential part of equipment includes reels, bedknives, rotary blades, bearings, rollers,...

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A season to forget

Sunday, November 07, 2010

The oyster bowl brings us to the end of a 2010 golfing/growing season that few golfers will forget but even less will want to remember.  Our golf course faced flooding, record snowfall, drought, excessive heat, and torrential rains.  Overall, I am very proud of our staff and the golf course this year, despite our challenges.  There is always a silver lining and we turned these challenges into opportunities by rebuilding 19 flooded bunkers, renovating the area between #3 green and...

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First Freeze

Saturday, November 06, 2010

Expect freezing temperatures tonight and frost in the morning.  There is a freeze warning from 2:00 a.m.. - 9:00 a.m. Daylights saving time is also tonight.  Have a great weekend and good luck at the Oyster Bo...

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Beautiful Friday

Friday, November 05, 2010

This morning we received the last small amount of rainfall from this weather system.  Overall, the golf course received 1.5 inches of a nice slow rain.  The bunkers and greens held up tremendously but carts are restricted to the path on every hole today.  We should get close to 60° today so please enjoy the golf course.  Our crew is  working hard removing leaves, mowing greens and raking bunkers.  This weekend looks nice and dry but expect frost delays with lows near freezi...

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Wet Thursday

Thursday, November 04, 2010

We arrived to work this morning in a light rain with a 1/2 inch already in the rain gauge.  So far it has been a nice slow drizzle but we expect rain all day.  We will work as long as we are productive.  Pins will be in location 3 and carts are restricted to the cart path on every hole.  Drive safe and have a great d...

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Greens Venting

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

We will complete a venting of the greens on the golf course today.  The three putting greens as well as 1-9, 12, and 16 were finished Monday.  The rest of the greens will be completed today.  Greens venting allowing gas exchange, water infiltration and air movement.  This process will help extend our growing season and allow the greens to dry out.  Nitrogen, Phosphorus, a phosphorus enhancer, and Potassium were applied to the greens following venting to promote root growth and plant health.  The greens will be rolled...

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Frost this Morning

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

November is here and with it the frost.  Frost delay this morning.  Play will be delayed until front lifts.  Carts are restricted to the path of #3.  Have a great Election day. Maintenance will begin at 9:00 a.m. so golf can begin at 9:30 a...

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Its a Beautiful Halloween Day

Sunday, October 31, 2010

No Frost Delay this morning.  Carts restricted to path on #3 and #9.  With the high temperature expected around 70°, today might be the last great weather day of the season.  Have a great Sund...

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The four letter words of Golf: Frost Delays and Cart Path Restrictions

Sunday, October 31, 2010

I am sure that you have heard the joke 'How did Golf get it's name?....All the other four letter words were taken.'  Golf provokes every emotion and sense one has.  As in life, there are highs and lows, birdies and bogeys, 90 degrees and Cart Path Only, 8:30 a.m. Shotgun Starts and 11:00 a.m. frost delays.  All of these scenarios have ideal situations and situations that golf enthusiasts, like myself, despise. At the end of the growing season, just prior to dormancy, turfgrass...

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Happy Holidays

Sunday, October 31, 2010

With the holiday season in full swing, our Golf Course Management Team is tackling leaf removal, bunker improvements, and ornamental plantings. While all three of these processes affect our members and guests, a little education and communication can reduce our impact. Along with cooler temperatures, the changing of the seasons has brought an influx of leaves to the golf course and club grounds.  Heavy winds and rains have contributed to increased leaf fall and it takes a lot of staff hours...

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Environmental Efforts and our Nutrient Management Plan

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Environmental Efforts, Fertility

This year we created a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) to help guide our fertility use and lower our impact on the environment and the Chesapeake Watershed in particular. Nutrient management planning is defined by the USDA as, “Managing the amount, source, placement, form and timing of the application of nutrients and soil amendments.”  Through the VT Extension service and a state grant, our NMP was completed by a certified planner for free.  A few of the steps that we took to become...

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Improved Putting Green Chemical Applications

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Fertility, Putting Greens

I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about one of the many ways that we have lowered our environmental impact and improved our chemical applications this year.   We have started applying pesticides manually through a practice of walk spraying greens.   This process is very efficient and precise.  Our new greens spraying program has allowed us to spray greens in multiple directions, reduce compaction and tire marks on greens, and reduce our pesticide use by 19.3%! ...

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Welcome to the Willow Oaks Country Club Golf Course Management Blog

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

We will be posting weekly and monthly golf course updates. Thank you for your support and intere...

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