Flogton

What? Ever hear of it? Flogton (Not Golf, spelled backwards). It's a new sort of "grass roots" way of making the game of golf more attractive to newbies. I applaud the fact that people are trying to keep the game of golf alive. Sure people will object to the idea of it, but if more people are having fun being on a golf course and tee sheets are filling up, does it make sense?

More and more golf courses are closing (even in Colorado) these days and it is more of a challenge than ever for golf managers to come up with ideas to bring in revenue just to stay in the game.

Like it or not, in reality, most of this has already been done, it just isn't accepted in most circles.

Click here to view the Wall St. Journal article about this slightly new way of playing golf.

Wrapping Up

Well, just like any Vikings fan would say about right now, "We'll see you next year!"

It has been a good season, a real good season. Winter came quickly and fall certainly had a good run. We are putting some final touches on the course and gearing up for the nordic season.

Be sure to grab you snowshoes and check out the new "Gompf Trail" near the 14th green. It is one of the most scenic areas of the winter landscape.

Also, we still have the Coal Bucket Classic to play once the calendar turns to November. We are expecting some melting at the end of this week and possibly next week. Keep tuning into the blog to check for the date and time.

Fixing Your Ballmarks

If everyone would fix two ballmarks per green there would never be a mark on the green. Here are the proper steps to fix a ball mark:

1. Identify your mark, most of them are in front of where the ball sits. If you are behind the green, don't forget to check the putting surface for your ball mark:

2. Use the ball mark tool and enter the perimeter of the depression.

3. With your wrist or fingers, twist the tool or push in toward the depression. Repeat this step until you have affected the entire ballmark. DO NOT lift the turf up. Lifting the turf up stresses the roots and in most cases will tear the roots and kill the plants.

4. Use your foot or putter to smooth the surface.

5. This is how the final product should look. Pass it on.

Adam's Mountain

Adam's Mountain was the course of choice today in Eagle. Superintendent Brynly Marsh invited a group of us over to play a round. Brynly is a former Assistant Superintendent at Vail Golf Club. The course was in fantastic shape and provided many challenges to my game.

It is nice to visit other courses in the valley. I enjoy seeing what else guys are doing to maintain courses. Adam's Mountain is a beautiful property and I enjoy seeing observing different plants, bugs and waterways from what we have in Vail.

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.

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.

Pebble

Recently, I have been getting questions about the greens at Pebble Beach during the US Open. I am getting the questions because Pebble Beach and Vail have the same turfgrass on their greens, poa annua.

The USGA's makes decisions on most golf course maintenance decisions for their championships, especially the greens. The USGA demands that Superintendents perform different practices than normal during and prior to the tournament to meet their goals. Usually the watering is reduced, mowing heights adjusted and color has almost no meaning to officials. One common non-practice with poa annua (annual bluegrass) greens they request from Superintendents is to prohibit the use of plant growth regulators (PGR's). Growth regulators help provide a more consistent putting surface and reduce mowing frequency throughout the day. We use them in Vail to keep the greens as consistent as possible throughout the day. The downside with them and the reason the USGA does not allow them is because they prevent the ability to change green speeds if conditions warrant them to change. In a nutshell, PGR's lock you into a certain height of cut and ultimately one speed.

Historically the USGA would like to see the winner of their Open Championship to shoot par over 4 days of golf. So frequently they may need to change the speed of the greens to reach their goal.

Understanding poa annua can be difficult, to some this plant is a weed, to others it provides a great putting surface. It is considered a weed because it is very invasive and is extremely difficult to keep out of a bentgrass or bermudagrass green in some environments. Poa is labeled as a winter annual, and does very well in cool climates such as Monterey Bay or Vail. There are hundreds if not thousands of varieties of poa and they all react differently to their environment. Some of these differences are color and growth. This what we saw so well on TV last week.

Turfgrasses are among the fastest growing plants on the planet. During the daytime, light photosynthesis occurs and the plant responds with growth, especially when temperatures are right. Last week at Pebble there were some cool, long days which are perfect conditions for the poa plants to grow. The new growth can disrupt a smooth surface. All that traffic doesn't help either.

Television is another factor to consider. Anytime, any network can view golf as close to prime time as possible, they are going to do so. I think the last tee time was around 3.30pm on the West Coast. That is prime growth time for poa.

(The picture is from golf architect Kevin Atkinson, who attended Pebble Beach before the tournament this year for the US Open Challenge charity event)

Re-Opening the Front

Saturday the front nine will re-open with some slight changes. The 7th hole will remain closed and the 8th will play as a par 3. Please follow signs to temporary tee.
We will allow those flooded areas the weekend to dry and clean up will begin on Monday. We have a lot of silt and debris to remove from the surface. Heavy silt build up can be lethal to the turfgrass.
If weather moves into the valley please call the golf shop at 970-479-2260 if conditions change.

There's Nothing Like It

How many sporting events attract thousands of spectators for a week to watch athletes where the youngest competitor is 50 years old? Colorado Golf Club in Parker, represented the Colorado Golf scene very well this week. The golf course was in fantastic condition and proved to be a great championship site.
Click here to view Golf Channel's recap of today's final round.

Inverness

The May outing for the RMGCSA was held at Inverness Hotel and Resort in Englewood yesterday. Jeff Bollig (right) was our guest speaker from the GCSAA. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to marketing and public relations for the Golf COurse Superintendent. I head the public relations committee for the association and during the round we chatted a lot about advancing the Superintendent.

Over 70 members of the RMGCSA were present. The course was in fantastic shape and Superintendent Joel Christensen, had those Press Maxwell greens rolling great. The round was fun, I also played with my good friend Mark Krick, Superintendent at The Homestead, Lakewood. The short game was less than desirable again, I shot a 91, which for me is alright.

Getting My Rounds

Yesterday, Alice, the boss and I began our weekly meetings on the course. We meet in an office each week to discuss upcoming events with the golf course. Now that the course is open and the weather has turned, we took the meeting to the links.
Walking the back nine while the weather began to clear for a couple hours was quite productive. We inspected the entire operation, from turf conditions to the starter.
Each week it will be nice to see the course develop and mature, especially as the tee times fill up. I just hope there is room for us to continue our meetings.
I have 5 rounds in now, which means I have completed 10% of my goal so far.
Next Tuesday, the RMGCSA has its May Meeting at Inverness Hotel and Golf Club in Denver. Jeff Bollig, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the GCSAA will be our guest speaker. I have gotten to know him a little over the years and he should be very good. Marketing the golf course is certainly in our job description as a golf course superintendent.

Fox Hollow

Sunday I was in the Denver area and was able to sneak away to one of my favorite public courses of all time. Fox Hollow in Lakewood is a fantastic site and very well maintained.

I consider it a "must-play" for Colorado golf.

Superintendent, Bruce Nelson, co-starred with me in Grand Junction for the NBC affiliate at 10pm last month. Bruce certainly knows his stuff and keeps me coming back to play his course.

I played the Links and Canyon nines with some of the locals. It was a beautiful day and a great way to officially begin the summer.

Moving Out

It is nice to see some blue sky headed our way. Today we opened the back nine for play. The turf remains soft due to the heavy amounts of moisture we have had recently. Yesterday we measured over an inch of rain/snow fall over a 24 hour period.

No carts are available yet, but they should be rolling out soon, when things firm up. The staff and I were certainly excited today as the sun came up. We kept busy with lots of cleaning around the clubhouse and practice areas. Then we moved onto the course to clear away and debris and touch up the sand traps.

The course opened at noon and we expect a good number of people ready to start the season.

Round 3

Redlands Mesa GC in Grand Junction was the scene on Monday. Fabulous weather, almost 80 degrees. The event was the first golf and education event for the RMGCSA this year. We usually kick off the year on the Western Slope because of warmer temperatures.

It was my first round of the year that I could post for my handicap. I posted a 91, not too bad, but I need some work on the short game.
Redlands Mesa is a unique course to say the least. This Jim Engh design provides a lot of variety and it can be a shot-makers course. I consider it a must-play course in the state. Superintendent, Andy Nikkari and his staff have it in great condition, the course played very well.

Silver Spruce GC

Peterson AFB, Silver Spruce GC yesterday. It was the first day of the season the Superintendent Scott Anderson and his staff to mow greens. The course played great and I had a nice round. Lots of space to hit and a great course to start the season on.

Each fairway is lined with beautiful Ponderosa Pines. They are limbed up nicely so you can advance the ball. The course is still coming out of dormancy but the greens played great. Overall it was a good day. A real nice design. The back nine returns to the clubhouse three times. It makes it nice for beginners or anyone just looking to play 3,6 or 9.

The front plays closer to the air strip. At times it can make I-70 sound like a country road, but what a unique experience to say the least.

Pictured here, I am teeing of #14 with the control tower and a snow covered Pikes Peak in the background. Cool shot! Jeanne, how is that finish?

Round 1

Adobe Creek National Golf Club was the scene yesterday for my first round of the year. I am trying some new clubs this year and the front nine certainly had a bit of rust. For the most part, I was hitting the ball well all day and I hit most of the greens in regulation. We did play a scramble, so I didn't have many shots from the rough, which I am sure contributed to hitting greens, but it was a great way to start the season.
The golf course was great, Not much growth yet, but the weather was beautiful. The greens were rolling great for early season, I just wish I was putting better. Adobe Creek is a very well designed and maintained public course in Fruita. It consists of 27 holes and they seemed to be busy all day. Wide open fairways, not many trees around the course, big greens with many subtle hills around the perimeter of the course.
The foursome of Superintendents I was put in sure was fun. It consisted of Mike Miner, Red Sky Ranch, Andy Nikkari, Redlands Mesa and Tom Huesgen, Cornerstone GC. The only downside to a foursome of Superintendents is that we start yapping about everything and we are not the quickest group on the course. But it was great to get out there.

Project 50

Living in a ski town you frequently hear the question, "How many ski days do you have this year?" Well, that is how I am approaching the golf season. 50 golf rounds is my goal. By the time the golf course is in full swing I plan on getting 2 rounds a week at Vail. The Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association has a great list of events this year. The schedule is as follows, Redlands Mesa, Keystone Ranch, Lakota Canyon, Colorado Springs CC, Hyland Hills, Meadow Hills, and Blackstone CC. Not sure if I can make them all, but I certainly would like to get to each public facility to see how they operate. I have not played any of these courses so I am excited to add them to the list.

Dubsdread

On Monday, my wife and I were fortunate to play one of this country's nicest courses.

While in Chicago for the weekend, we were guests of Joe Jemsek, owner, and played Cog Hill #4 Dubsdread, home of the BMW Championship. About 3 weeks ago, Tiger Woods won on these very grounds on his way to the Fed Ex Cup.

What a treat it was to play this golf course. We certainly struggled a bit. However, Superintendent Ken Lapp and his staff do a phenomenal job maintaining the course.

The course opened in 1964 and nicknamed Dubsdread, from the idea "dub" or poor golfer should beware and it serves as a warning to the challenges ahead. They weren't kidding. It was very difficult. Tiger Woods shot a low round of 62, I shot a 98.

In 2007, Cog Hill finished a renovation with Rees Jones to reposition bunkers and hazards, modify tees and re-build all 18 greens including the installation of the Sub-Air drainage system. The Jemsek family has something to be proud of with this golf course.

The weather was not too particularly favorable, but we played nonetheless. Tight fairways and dense rough demand precise shot-making. The greens are heavily guarded with bunkers and does not provide much room for rolling the ball onto the green. Large deciduous trees surround many of the holes, which made for interesting shots if you were to miss the fairway.

The greens are new bentgrass turf with a real true putting surface. The Sub-Air Drainage system was installed in all 18 greens, which a great tool for the right price. In a nutshell, Sub-Air removes excess moisture in the putting surface to provide a firmer and faster green. It is especially helpful when hosting tournaments through a rainy stretch when greens normally can get soggy and slow.

Commonground

This golf course is exactly what the game of golf needs right now. Formerly known as Mira Vista, Commonground should easily be at the top of many lists of places to play.

Commonground is owned and managed by the CGA and the CWGA. The Tom Doak design opened earlier this year in Aurora. Par 71 with wide open fairways, rolling hills and big greens. This walker-friendly course will make you enjoy playing the game each day.
There is also a 9 hole par 3 course that is similar to the main course. It is great for beginners and high handicappers or for anyone who wants to improve their short game.
Director of Maintenance Tracy Richard and Superintendent Bobby Martin have done a marvelous job turning this property into one of the most talked about golf courses in Colorado. One of my favorite aspects of the course is the amount of roll that a player can get on many shots. I was getting 200 yards from my 170 yard club. I also shot my low round of the year so far, 89.

Setting the Pace

Back to the pace of play issue, here is a clock that has been placed on the first tee box. This is the "pace setter". Sending golfers exactly at their allotted tee times has proven that a near 4 hour round is achievable.

The best example of this I can give to you is driving your car onto a highway. Now when you learn to drive in the city of Boston, it's pretty much every vehicle for themselves. Some people even call it a game, but it is a cluster trying to get onto the highway during peak traffic hours. There is a lot of congestion and frankly you really don't get anywhere quickly.

Then we go to the Mile High City where there are traffic lights at the on-ramp prior to entering the high way. To make this possible you need a longer on-ramp to put the traffic somewhere and that is why it would never work in Boston. Anyway, every 20 seconds or so another car or two is allowed to merge into the steady stream of traffic, thus preventing a large pile up at each entrance to the high way.

In our case at the golf course the snack bar and driving range is our "on-ramp", the clock is the "stop light" and the first tee is the "beginning of the road".

According to Bill Yates (see post on August 22nd), if the golfers are spaced out appropriately, then you can begin to research other areas of the course that slow down play.

Since instituting this new process, for the most part play has been flowing smooth through the course. There remain a few holes out there that need attention with design and maintenance, but we are evaluating that at this point and will address them appropriately.