Very Busy, Very Productive Monday

Monday, January 30, 2012 Irrigation, Projects, Tree Work

We packed as much into today as possible.  Arborscapes began "crown cleaning" all of the trees in the parking lot and behind the clubhouse.  Crown cleaning is the process of removing weak or dead wood from the canopy of the tree to promote a healthier, safer tree.  Arborscapes also manages the fertility and pest population for our trees and treats accordingly.  Chuck, Greg, Gerson, and Ruben removed 5 difficult trees and cleaned up the limbs that Arborscapes removed.  Edgar,...

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Morning Shade and Putting Greens

Sunday, January 29, 2012 Putting Greens

Oil and Water, Superman and Lex Luthor, Morning Shade and Putting Greens.  They just don't mix.  Not only does morning shade prevent photosynthesis and in turn growth, it also keeps the leaf surface of the grass cooler and prevents frost from burning off on cold winter mornings.  This morning, while most of the greens were clear of frost by 9:15, #2 and #7 were still holding on to a good amount due to shade from nearby trees.  The back of #2 green is shaded until 10:15 in the...

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Poll

Friday, January 27, 2012

Please take a minute to vote in the poll at the bottom right of your screen. Original Format vs. Current Format. If you vote Other or have a suggestion or comment, just email or tweet your input. Thanks and have a great weeke...

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Still working on New Format

Friday, January 27, 2012

I am still figuring out the new format but this is the foundation.  The blog is better in Mozilla Firefox which is an internet browser just like Internet Explorer.  Websites just look different in different browsers.  I will check on Safari, etc. later tonight.  I am still working on Mobile view.  This will be a fluid process and may still change but I am excited about the new look and features. Have a great weeke...

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New Format

Thursday, January 26, 2012

I apologize for the blog being in and out of construction.  I am working on a new format.  Love it? Hate it?  Let me know.  We will get it very user friendly, very so...

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Irrigation installation at #12

Thursday, January 26, 2012 Irrigation

The second of our three irrigation projects this winter is well under way.  We are working between 12 and 13 in the newly sprigged area.  The area is full of rock spoils left behind by the quarry mining operation.  This has made trenching difficult but not impossible.  Another difficulty has been that the signal wire we need is in a different place than the pipe that we planned on tapping for water.  Once again, not impossible, just more time consuming.  The signal...

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They don't get much better than Today

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Irrigation

The weather was perfect today for any time of year, let alone January.  Our team took the opportunity to clean up leaves, mow greens, rake bunkers, and install two new irrigation components.  A sprinkler head and a quick coupler valve were installed between 12 tee, 13 green, and 14 tee.  This area is set to be renovated this year and the addition of these two irrigation components will allow us to better manage the area.  A quick coupler valve is a component that allows for an...

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Tree 10 CC

Thursday, January 19, 2012 Tree Work

This is a video of one of the trees coming down between 10 and 12. One of the planned projects for 2012 is the renovation of this tree line. We are removing damaged, declining, and nuisance trees in order to promote a good growing environment for the desired trees and new turfgrass. Mulch beds will be installed around the remaining trees. Tree roots and shade often out compete surrounding trees and turfgrass and lead to a decline in turf and tree quality. The smaller amount of trees will encourage the remaining trees and new turf...

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New Willow Oak tree installed at Tennis Patio

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 Tree Work

We have all noticed the void at the tennis patio where a magnificent White Oak once stood.  The White Oak suffered damage during Hurricane Irene and had to be removed.  An old blog post, 'Tree Work at Tennis', details the removal of that great tree.  The choice to replace this tree with a Willow Oak is obvious but the slow growing variety will take a long time to establish itself and provide the same amount of shade as its predecessor.  The pictures below document this morning's...

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Tall Dormant Rough and Winter Projects

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Over the past few weeks we have had an inordinate amount of good weather/golfing days.  This has been great for our staff and for the golfing membership.  A few concerns have been voiced about the length of the rough and these concerns are warranted.  We made the decision to stop mowing the rough in October per the normal weather conditions in Richmond, Virginia.  Due to a long, warm fall season and limited cart traffic from August - October, the rough continued to grow and in...

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Goose Damage #7 Green

Monday, January 09, 2012 Putting Greens

We have received a lot of feedback from the membership regarding damage to the seventh green.  The damage is from non-migratory Canadian Geese.  The geese are pests and pick at the green and leave their droppings behind.  Normally, our staff can blow these droppings off of the green but the geese have a different diet in the winter.  This is a constant job and with less golf traffic on the course, the geese have more access to the property.  Our biggest job is to discourage...

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Pictures from this morning's tree work

Wednesday, January 04, 2012 Tree Work

This morning we were able to remove 5 dead trees from 3, 4 and 8.  We are very careful in the felling of trees and in our personal safety.  Where the trees fall is very important as to not damage tees, greens, irrigation, cart path or drainage.  Cold mornings like today work best because the ground is frozen.  We wear hard hats, safety glasses, ear protection, steel toe boots, and chainsaw chaps or protective pants.  These pictures illustrate the dropping of the dead...

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Starting a new year

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Over the last few weeks, our team has been focused on bunker depth adjustments and we are beginning to wrap that work up.  Since the ground and the bunkers are frozen this morning, we will be dropping a few trees around the property.  These trees are dead and need to be removed safely before they fall on their own.  I will post some pictures this afternoon.  Have a great d...

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