18 Main Is Complete

The 6" mainline on the 18th hole is complete. Here you can see the maintenance of the sod on top of the mainline. Prior to replacing the sod we provided LUI with Reservoir, wetting agent granular that we have had a lot of success with on the golf course. Providing a good soaking is critical for the sod to re-establish its roots. Reservoir will help keep the soil moist for plant uptake.

Mainline construction will continue tomorrow with 16 inch coming from the pump station site toward 10 and the driving range.

Opening the Range

Friday we will have the driving range and chipping green available for the public to use. Mats will be used for hitting balls on the range tee. You will notice the Nordic Track, or what we call the "Yellow Brick Road" still hasn't come our of dormancy. Typically it is anywhere from 10-14 days behind the rest of the turf on the course. Mats will be used at least until irrigation water is at the range. Due to the amount of traffic all year long on the range tee, it is critical that mats are used now, so the tee can return to healthy conditions as soon as possible.
The chipping green was aerified on Wednesday and will be open for putting, chipping and sand play. The putting green will be closed until further notice.

Beginning The Mainline

The mainline has begun! The blog site is under going some maintenance too so I will post the pictures in the morning. Exciting stuff out here today. Concrete walls were poured at the pumphouse, boring has begun for the mainline. We aerified the 17th green and topdressed a few more greens. The third tee box project is off the ground and the sod and some of the cart path was removed to be hauled away. The walls have begun to be dismantled and hauled off site as well.

As far as the mainline install, LUI has begun with the 18th hole. It is a 6" line that dead ends at the green. Their goal is to get into a rhythm and the process should go pretty smooth. Jose Acosta is the Irrigation Superintendent and has got a great team of guys of to a positive start. The first step is to remove the sod, roll it up to be replaced later. Next the trench is dug carefully watching for the current irrigation to keep it together. They will fix any damage to our PVC system. While removing the soil, they use a small "triangle-shaped" screen to achieve the best bedding of fill around the pipe. The back fill is as follows; 1/2 inch minus for bed of pipe, 12-18" of 2 inch minus fill and finally 3" minus for topsoil. Before back filling, a saddle will be fused onto the pipe for all of the lateral valves. Once the valves, prv's, drains and communication are installed, back filling will commence, the sod replaced and a final clean up before moving on. Check out the picture bar in the morning for detailed photos of this process.

Green Light

The trees are gone from the 3 tee box area and all of the silt and construction fence is in place. All critical rootzones for remaining trees have been located and protected. Now it is on to the demolition of the walls.
The main reason for this work is to correct a life safety issue. Due to the severity of this, Vail Golf Club has no choice but to correct this issue ASAP. As you can see here the retaining wall is failing and the surface of the tee box is beginning to slide. The tee box is in poor health and does not set up properly with the green.
In this project all of the tee boxes will be re-shaped and expanded, most of the walls will be removed by a grass slope. The cart path will be re-aligned and trees, native grasses and even some wildflowers will be incorporated into the area. The timeline for this project is about 4 weeks. A temporary green for 2 and a tee for 3 will be in place until the new sod for the tee box rooted properly for play which could be mid-June.
There was a separate bid process for this work and Landscaped Unlimited won again. Along with the irrigation system, the goal is for both crews to work simultaneously to have the area prepared for irrigation so the new tee boxes can be established properly.

Videos

I am updating the videos for the blog and should have the newest clip up shortly via YouTube. Saturday we had our trees removed from the 3rd tee box area. All of the trees will be re-planted in slightly different locations. It was quite amazing to see all of these trees dropped in about 10 minutes. They had the entire area cleaned up and they were on their way out of town by 1pm.

This week we will have the walls removed and shaping for the new tee box will begin. I should have some videos this week that include the removal of walls and the boring under streets and the creek for irrigation.

Re-visit New Orleans

I am siting at home after another day at the course and watching the wind and the rain come into the valley, while catching up on the latest in sports. There is lots going on this weekend; NHL play-offs, NBA play-offs, NFL Draft, Red Sox vs. Yankees. But I can't forget about the PGA. They are in New Orleans this week at the remarkable TPC Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans. Three years ago, I had the opportunity to visit this course a few short months following the hurricanes that destroyed much of the area. TPC has now been the host again for the Zurich Classic after having to move the tournament to English Turn in 2006. New Orleans is not as popular for golf as they are for their food and music scene. However, they have some incredible Superintendents who have endured more than most, and still maintain golf courses beautifully. Since the turf is off to a slow start here in Vail, I am looking forward to checking out the last round on Sunday to see some green grass and marvel at their work.

Voles

Voles are rodents that look very similar to mice that wreak havoc to turfgrass in the wintertime. Every four to five years there is a spike in their population and they can create areas like this. 2009 is one of those highly populated years. These vegetarians can eat through turfgrass and perennial plants quickly and leave you with much less plant material in the spring than you had in the fall.

Over the past few years we have noticed most of these areas come back in time, but over seeding and getting proper nutrients to the damaged areas are a must. A few other observations we have noticed, first they fear fungicides and any areas that were applied with fungicides in the fall, keep away from through the winter. Also they stay away from the Nordic track and any other compacted areas. It is impossible for them to burrow through the ice layers.

What's Going On?

Ok, so here is what is going on here at Vail Golf Club. Today you will notice a concrete pour for the new handicap entrance to the clubhouse (pictured here). You will notice all of the pipe deliveries along 11, 12 and next to the 6th green. Fusing has begun, 8 inch and 16 inch is under way located along the 12th cart path. The foundation for the new pumphouse will be poured next week and prep for new pump installation on May5th. Mainline staking is taking place with green and pink flags or markers on 11,18,10,1,9,2 and 8. Excavation equipment was brought on-site today for the 3rd tee box renovation. We are planning to remove trees this weekend and begin demolition in that area on Monday. Most importantly we have a golf course to look after. The course overwintered pretty good. The usual snowmold spots and a lot of vole activity under the snow this winter will slow some areas down. However sunshine, fertilizer and a bit of moisture and they will bounce back as usual.

Three Tee Box Update

This was the scene on Friday amidst the snow/rain we were having. Fortunately we did not get close to what the Denver area had, but it did not help with melting.
With temperatures in the 50's on Sunday and Monday some of this snow has melted away. Here, Tony is using the snowcat to move snow into sun exposed areas to encourage melting and speed up a construction start date. Demolition can begin at almost anytime, however there is still too much snow in this area to shape the soil. The dilemma is getting Landscapes Unlimited started in this area for a couple of days to demo, then only to stop and wait for further melting to continue. By the end of the week we should have a better idea with a construction schedule. All in all, we are looking at a 4-5 week process to have the 2nd green and third hole buttoned up.

Organizing

Tom Works, Project Manager from Landscapes Unlimited is on-site this week to help orgnaize materials for the renovation. He and his staff are organizing deliveries of pipe and materials. Tom has been walking the golf course and looking at all of the mainline locations throughout the course.

Monday was a great day for snow melting. The winds that came in helped increase our evaporation rates. Think sun.

Cultural Practicies

Here is Terry Troyer back for another season in Vail aerifying the 16th green today. The turf on this green was weak upon removing the snow from the surface. Opening up some holes and removing thatch will allow the green to "breathe". We will be covering the green with a breathable tarp to promote soil temperatures and growth.
Once the green is dry and growth begins we will incorporate sand topdressing and seed.

Just Another Day

I guess the Front Range and Denver area are getting lots of snow this weekend. Not so much here in Vail. Just a few inches have fallen since Thursday, however there hasn't been much accumulation. Friday we spent some time removing snow around the third tee box and the second green. We will also be doing some renovation work in that area and eliminating the failing retaining wall. We are excited to begin this project as soon as the snow is gone. There will be significant improvements to the tee box area and should solve many traffic issues.

Tomorrow is the last day Vail Mountain is open for the season. It should be a fun time and from there it is mostly all business.

Great Scott

Scott O'Connell, (left) the VRD Building Maintenance Manager is meeting with another Scott from HP Geotech from Glenwood Springs, CO. They are in the excavated trench for the pump house and are discussing the soil profile and necessary fill requirements for the building. We have been given the "green light" to continue and our soils look great at that depth.

O'Connell has been making sure the building is installed properly, so I can focus on what is inside the building. Thanks for all your help.

The Foundation

What you are looking at is the soil profile of the pump house site. As you can see that red clayey and organic material on the bottom needed further excavation for the footings and the concrete pour. It is critical that we ensure the proper balance and structure for this building. The pump site is the heart of the irrigation system. Ultimately we'll have three 100 horsepower pumps operating this new system. New screened fill will be incorporated prior to pouring concrete.

Snowmold And More Snow

Now here is a great specimen of snowmold. We found this on the first green the other day after some melting. It looks like recent activity with the recent warm weather and melting off periods. Only a turf geek like myself can really appreciate this.

Snowmold is a soil borne pathogen that occurs after prolonged periods of snow cover. During recent warm temperatures, it fuels this disease to become more active. Usually snowmold is not a threat to turf loss, moreover a threat to early season playing conditions.

Applying fungicides at this point will only potentially prevent the spread of the disease. Only warmer soil temperatures, aerification, and fertilizer will remedy this situation.

Vail Golf Club has been a snowmold test site for Colorado State University for years now. Every year they research how different chemicals respond to our winters here in Vail and try to come up with the most effective solutions.

Seeing the above picture remind's me that the greens are still only "human". They are a living and breathing environments and constantly need attention. All in all this is like a scrape on the knee and soon will be forgotten, but I welcome the challenge to continue with research and development to further solve this problem.

Thursday through Saturday this week the forecast is for mostly cloudy conditions and possibly a few inches of snow. Here on the course it snowed most of the day yesterday with very little accumulation. We are looking forward to the sunshine come Sunday and Monday.

Moving In

Landscapes Unlimited has moved some more equipment and materials to the course. They are focusing on the pump building right now. A trench is being dug for the foundation of the building. Different fill will be incorporated to ensure a stronger foundation.

GCM is doing some minor clean up around the course and organizing equipment while watching the snow melt. We are one month away from Opening Day.

Silt Fence

The first step to constructing a pump building in this area is to install silt fencing. This fence was installed today to prevent any contamination to the Gore Creek. Monday, we will have the area surveyed for excavation and begin to remove about 4 feet of soil. The soil will be screened on site to use in another location. Due to soil reports and the demand for the building, material will need to be imported prior to the concrete slab being poured. Soil tests will also be done throughout the excavation period to ensure the best results.

A Public Presentation

So just in case you missed the meeting last night during the VRD board meeting. Click here for the power point presentation. This presentation will be given again for the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, Monday, April 13th at 10 am. It will also be given for both Men's and Ladies' League meetings in early May.

Free Golf

Come to the Vail Town Council Chambers at 5pm on Thursday April 9th to enter a drawing for a free 10 round punch card for Vail Golf Club in 2009. What's the catch? You'll learn about the irrigation renovation. Come learn about Vail Golf Club's latest improvement. Feel free to ask questions and bring a friend. This is part of the Vail Recreation District's Board of Directors Meeting, but time will be set aside for a brief presentation and Q&A about the renovation. See you there.

Getting it done

18 green is cleared off now and looks fabulous. Very green and in time for Masters Week! As you see here after blowing off the snow with a tractor, we use large scoop shovels to clear excess snow. In this case with 18 green, there was a light layer of ice. Fortunately Mother Nature was able to help loosen that ice layer. We took a lunch break and came back to remove the soften or mostly melted ice.

Another system seems to be moving in to the valley tonight. Not sure if there will be much precipitation or accumulation of anything. But after clearing three greens this week, we are certainly ready for a break. The greens cleared this week were 18, 2 and 7 and they all look great.

Back to Clearing Greens Again

Monday came with clear skies, bright and sunny all day long. We had some good melting out there. The Nordic season is officially over for the season, another good year. The 2nd green was cleared Monday with great results, at least two feet of snow was present on that green.

We continue to clear cart paths for access around the course. Tuesday we will plan to attack the 7th green which has just more than a foot of snow.

Our budget too

Obviously budgets are being cut, like it or not most businesses are preparing wisely. There are many opinions out there in the golf industry whether to cut prices or not. We here at Vail Golf Club along with the renovations this year, felt it was right to adjust our prices accordingly. We are excited to begin the year and welcome new and returning golfers. In the maintenance department whether budgets are being cut or not, it is always our goal to provide better playing conditions than the previous year. So we have made some adjustments, hoping that you notice that conditions only improve.

I read an article recently from Larry Alyward in Golfdom Magazine that spoke to golf maintenance budgets. He quoted John Miller, a veteran and certified Superintendent, who is also the LPGA Tour Agronomist. He summarized how a family dining experience can be quite similar to one's golfing experience. Miller said, "It's like the family that goes out to dinner four times a month. They won't go out to dinner four times a month in this economy. They might go out once or twice, and that once or twice better be a memorable experience for them wherever they go, or they will go someplace else."

Vail Golf Club is doing everything possible to provide the best golfing experience in 2009. We hope to see you here checking out our improvements.

The Local Scene

April Fools! Yeah right, this was actually the scene from the shop on Wednesday. Don't worry, the sun is out today and next week is looking good weather-wise. Tony is out clearing snow to get to the new pumphouse location.

Greg and Jose from Landscapes Unlimited are in town and getting familar with their surroundings. Greg is the Superintendent and Jose is the Foreman. I am sure I will be mentioning them quite a bit this year and I'll get a few photos of them as well.

Opening Day May 15th!