Today is a good day for an update. The course received 1.4" of rain Monday night and another tenth of an inch yesterday. The windchill was below 10 degrees this morning and we are currently preparing for the upcoming greens aeration. The cold/wet week has also given our team a much needed chance to finish all inside work. Golf course amenities have been refurbished, the shop has been cleaned and organized, and we are preparing for an exciting event at our shop on Friday.
John Anderson, Willow Oaks' Equipment Manager for the last 30 years, is hosting an Equipment Manager's education day here on Friday. John has put a lot of energy into the event and will host over 25 equipment managers from around the state. The event includes education, networking, and two prominent speakers in our industry; Dr. Mike Goatley, Professor at Virginia Tech and Hector Velazquez, Equipment Management Consultant. With over 45 equipment managers and superintendents expected to attend, we are excited to host this event and know that the golf course community will benefit from John's hard work.
Our team has continued drainage installations around the course as well as the renovation of the second left fairway bunker on hole #14. The bunker is directly shaded by multiple trees and turf quality has struggled because of this. The bunker edge was in need of definition and we removed part of the nose of the bunker for an easier approach to the green. The tree line between 13 and 14 is an area of focus this year and this was a good starting point. The greenside bunker on #3 will be renovated along with the back left greenside bunker on #2. Our team has also been hard at work checking and adjusting sand depths around the course. This is an ongoing effort that requires the addition of new sand so please be patient while the consistency of the bunkers improves.
REMINDER: The Golf Course will be closed for putting green aeration March 27-31. The greens will also be deep tine aerated and heavily topdressed on Monday, March 20. We continue to be aggressive with aeration and topdressing to provide a healthy soil profile and firm, smooth surfaces. I will provide updates as aeration gets underway.
Enjoy the week,
Jordan Booth, CGCS
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| First, our team established a new, hard edge to the bunker and completed all necessary earthwork. |
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| Second, the team installed new bunker liner where needed to hold the sand on the face and prevent soil contamination. |
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| Lastly, sand was added and compacted. This weeks rains will help the sand settle and firm up. |
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| The entire area left of the cartpath at the turn on #15 was in serious need of renovation. The entire area was excavated and drainage was added to intercept water from natural springs. Channel drains will line the cartpath to intercept water from the hillside and the entire area will be sodded in as soon as sod is available. |
