Adjustments

We had a half inch of rain last night which we are glad to see. Rainfall is the closest to 100% efficiency for irrigation systems. Even with the new system we can get close to that number. We are planning an audit on the system this year to see where that number falls.

Currently we are fine tuning the nozzles on heads that surround the green. Many of the sprinklers in the roughs that surround the putting surfaces are overthrowing onto the green. We are finding that the spacing and uniformity on the wide open areas have perfect spacing from last year's install. However, around the greens and in tighter spaces we need to do some tweaking to correct the distribution uniformity.

So if you are noticing the green surrounds are a little damp over the next few mornings, it is due to our tuning and making sure these sprinkler heads are spot on for the future.

Harmony

Harmony Club in Timnath was the site of the RMGCSA's July Meeting. Tuesday was a very warm day just south of Ft. Collins, but this gem was a treat to play. Harmony is a 3 year old Jim Engh design that is very enjoyable to play. The Superintendent Mitch Bowers and his staff have done a fabulous job with this property.
Pictured here is the 7th green which measures 100 yards in depth. I shot a 90, which is a good score for me especially at a new course.

Head Scratcher

Just thought I would share this photo. We are amazed to see that two carts have identical damage.

Cleaning the Intake

On Thursday we put the final flush on the irrigation intake from Gore Creek. You have probably noticed how our ponds have been lower than normal. With the flooding and the local beaver activity our 200 foot intake pipe was clogged from years of debris.

The Eagle River Water and Sanitation District has been on-site numerous times over the past few weeks to remove the debris various way. Our last attempt on Thursday was a success and now we have recuperated our normal flow conditions and the ponds are now full for the fish and irrigation.

Keeping water movement is important for pond health and aeration. The ponds are designed to flow through the golf course and eventually return to the Gore.

'Vail Golf Club Update'

'Vail Golf Club Update'

Hydraulic Leak

Every Superintendent cringes when this happens. Last weekend we had a pin hole leak in a hydraulic hose on one of our rough mowers. Fortunately there is not any severe damage, just some streaking around a few greens. You will notice the damage around greens 14-16. The majority is where the machine was turning. The oil is extremely hot when it comes out of the hose and cooks the turfgrass plant and kills it. Interseeding and a little extra fertilizer to promote growth is the remedy. We are still in the "grow zone" to recuperate before the winter.

Vail Weed of the week: Chamomile, Oxeye Daisy | VailDaily.com

Our next target around the Vail Golf Club: This is a great article from the Town Of Vail's Gregg Barrie.

Vail Weed of the week: Chamomile, Oxeye Daisy VailDaily.com

Ballyneal

You will never understand the true meaning of golf until you arrive at a place with absolute vision. This is not the type of golf course for everyone, but it demands respect. There are no tee markers, no cart paths, no beverage carts, no distance markers. Located along the eastern plains of Colorado, a stones throw from the Nebraska border, is a little well-known golf course called Ballyneal. It opened in 2006 and its only vision is golf, and guns, but predominantly golf.

What you will find there is the most natural setting that challenges every shot you have in your bag. Five of us from Vail played two round this past Friday and Saturday and loved every minute. The heat was a battle in itself. It hit 100 degrees while on the links. There are no trees for shade either. Oddly enough, way out in the plains, we had zero wind! But the golf was fun, the course was amazing and the company was the best.

Superintendent Dave Hensley has this links design in phenomenal shape. The greens are a little unusual for this climate, fescue is the grass of choice, which is more common in the UK. There is a little bent mixed in as well, but the fescues dominate the entire course. Chambers Bay in Washington and Sand Hills in Nebraska are similar courses both in design and turf conditions. Chambers Bay is the host of the 2010 Men's Amateur and the 2015 US Open.

Curling

Noxious weeds are extremely invasive non-native plants that compete and eventually kill off native plants. Colorado is now home to many noxious weeds, you can find them on almost anywhere including your favorite hike, ski trail and even golf course. Their seeds are carried by factors including birds, animals, wind and even people.

Pictured here is a patch of Canada Thistle along the first hole that is beginning to lose the battle against the Vail GCM department. Thistle is hard to miss, especially if you are looking for a golf ball among these plants. These massive plants can grow very quickly, they have thorns all over and are a nuisance to handle.

A strict chemical program is the most efficient way to eradicate these weeds. We have been spraying them each summer with increasing success. Attacking thistle is best before the plant begins to flower. Alternatives to spraying include pulling or digging up the plants. This can be difficult because if you are unable to remove the entire root system, the plants will sprout again.

Chemicals we use attack the plant from the leaf blades through the entire root system. Some of the other major noxious weeds we continue to battle are oxeye daisies, yellow toadflax, purple loosestrife, and absinthe.

Slitseeding

Our new seeder has been getting some use lately. Since our soil temperatures are at a consistent level for seed growth. Terry got out to the thin areas around the course interseeding with bluegrass and ryegrass. Some areas that were seeded a couple of weeks ago have already emerged.

This seeder has slices that cut through the mat layer and into the soil profile and provides a great seed bed. While the machine rolls along it drops seed at a desired rate into these slits.

Schedule Changes

Yesterday's topdressing application was moved to today due to the amount of heavy frost and the amount of golf scheduled for the day. The topdressing was completed today. Our range tee entrance project will be moved to Thursday. The farm that is supplying the sod on the front range received a heavy rainfall yesterday and can not cut the sod. Access to the range will be open and there will be no closures to the practice ares.

Fine Tuning

Are you noticing some dry spots on the golf course, maybe more than normal? Wondering if that new system is working properly? Well, it is working as it should, we are just getting through the system to do some fine tuning.
We have almost doubled our number of irrigation heads throughout the property and it takes longer to go through every individual head to make sure they are working properly. Irrigation auditing is a continuous job especially through the "getting to know" period. There are close to 3,000 heads on the course and by the season's end I expect to know almost everything about 1,500 of them.
First of all, the system was designed and installed to irrigate properly, or at the very least, how turf grass should be irrigated. For years this golf course lacked uniform irrigated, so we are expereincing areas of turf that have been overwatered for years, which are now getting what the plant should receive. Now that stress periods have set in, the turf is struggling in spots.
Wetting agents are being used to help alleviate some of the stresses and provide consistency. Spiking helps irrigation water penetrate harder surfaces and into the rootzone. Handwatering occurs in the highest stress areas.
Now that all of the heads on the course have been reviewed for communication and arcs of throw, the next step is to adjust nozzles. This can be a 2-3 year process. All of the heads that came from the factory are set to throw a 60' radius. Due to some slopes and tight areas around the greens some of these throws need to be adjusted so we target exactly what is necessary. Factors other than the radius include, pressure, gallons per minute and evaporation rates. We plan to acomplish all greens and surrounds this season. With the snowcover in the winter, we'll have to focus on the tees, roughs and fairways next season. I would guess that 15-20% of the sprinkler heads need to be adjusted in some fashion from the original install.

Native Care

Over the last few weeks we have been mowing our native areas throughout the course. The red stakes are not marking a lateral hazard, they are just temporarily marking our drip lines for the new spruce trees planted. The mowers going through some of these areas can damage those lines.

Mowing the natives each year is a good practice, not only for finding golf balls, but it gives us the opportunity to manage our weeds and provide cleaner rough areas for play. Once they are mowed, the staff will rake out the remaining grass and leave it less congested of organic material. It allows for better plant growth and healthier roots.

New Tees Are Open

Today we opened the new forward tees on 4 & 8. They are still young
but very playable. Enjoy!

The Red Tees

New this year you can play the red tees. These tee locations are for the new golfer or anyone who would like a different point of view on the golf course.

Many of these locations are in the fairways. The yardages are on the scorecard and an arrow indicates their location from the cart path.

The red tees are located on all of the par 3 tee boxes. On the 17th hole a new tee box has been mowed for the red tees. I played from it today, it plays nicely.