Looks like another beautiful weekend at the Vail Golf Club.  Fairway aerification was a success.  Everything went smooth and they came out great. The Course will be closed on Monday for deep tine and core aerification.  We hope to have the front nine open on Tuesday and all 18 opened by Wednesday morning.  Once the greens are finished we will aerify tees which will have little to no impact on play.  The driving range will remain open during any course closures. 

Fall Aerification

Monday we started the fall aerification process. Aerification has many benefits for the turf. It lessens compaction, allows air and water to penetrate into the soil profile and helps thatch to break down. All of this is very important to the health of the turf and help to provide great playing conditions year after year. We start with fairways during the last two weeks of September. The first week of October we hope to get greens and tees completed. Aerification is a weather dependent practice that we are not able to accomplish when it rains, or dare I say the ‘s’ word, snows. This week looks good and has started out a very productive week. By the weeks end we should have 1,9 and the back 9 fairways completed. The schedule for the rest of the season is shown below. On October 3rd we will be closing the course to deep tine and core aerify all greens. The back 9 will remain closed to finish the aerification process. During course closures the driving range will remain open.

Tuesday – Fairways 10, 17, 18

Wednesday – Fairways 12 & 16

Thursday – Fairways 13 & 14

Friday – Fairway 11

Monday 26th – Fairways 2, 7, 8

Tuesday 27th – Fairways 4 & 5

Wednesday 28th – Fairway 6

29th and 30th – These two days will be used to make up any rain day cancellations we may have.

Intern's View

As an intern you are pulled in many directions. Finding your niche can be difficult. At the Vail Golf Club I was given the opportunity to be in charge for the week. I must say, it was an unbelievable experience. As well as a humbling experience.


With the club championship two days away the weather decided that it did not want to cooperate. Almost an inch of rain fell in the day leading up to the championship, including the first day of the tournament. To watch the crew work in pouring rain for hours was inspiring. They came together as a team and I there leader for that brief time. It is an experience i'll never forget. "Attitude reflects leadership", and for that short time I was the captain of the team. I am proud to say the course was in fantastic condition. Not only for the club championship, but also for the 18 hole shotgun the Friday of that week. I am thankful that the crew respected and worked extremely hard for me. I am greatful for the opportunity that was allotted to me. Hopefully one day I can do the same for my intern.

Mike Martic

Steve's last day

Today is Steve’s last day as superintendent at the Vail Golf Club. He has helped the golf course accomplish a lot during the last six years. There have been many improvement projects completed including the installation of a new irrigation system, new bridges and the rebuild of #3 and #7 tee. He has also helped raise the standard of expectations. The staff and I would like to wish him all the best in his new venture at Pinehurst Country Club in Denver.


From all of us thank you, farewell and good luck.

On Friday we spiked most of our greens and finished the remaining on Saturday morning. The picture shows the piece of equipment that we use. It has two spiked rollers and is weighted by water to help the spikes penetrate two to three inches into the soil. In the fall when we get into a wet weather cycle it's easy for the soil to become anaerobic and the health of the turf can decline rapidly. Slicing greens is an important practice that helps to relieve compaction and open up the soil to allow oxygen in. Another benefit that occurs from slicing is stimulated root and shoot growth. Slicing is a good alternative to aerification since it is less disruptive and allows the greens to smooth out more quickly.

Leading The Pack

Yesterday was officially the beginning of the end. The most important part of maintaining this golf course is properly preparing it for the long winter's nap. Vail Golf Club will be one of the first golf courses in the country to arrive at winter, so here is what we are doing.
We applied our greens and approaches with Iprodione and Cholorthalonil fungicides to prepare for the winter stress. They are both contact fungicides which will assist keeping the plant clean as we approach periods of moisture in the fall. Over time, we have seen the best results with early applications.
Our second application in approximately 30 days, will consist of  a systemic and contact fungicide. The systemic brand will help protect the plant from the inside before the plant shuts down for the winter. After aerification, about the middle of October, a final application will be made per usual for greens and approaches to prepare for the long winter.
Different products will be used on the fairways and tees. Those applications will come in October.

Golf For Rivers

Monday, September 26, the Eagle River Watershed Council will be hosting their first ever benefit golf tournament. Join us for a great day at Adam's Mountain Country Club in Eagle for an 11am shotgun start. The Cocktails as well as fishing and golf contests follow the round. Many prizes will be given out to participants as well as a hole in one contest for a chance at $10,000.
The cost for the event is $275 per person or $1100 per foursome. The day promises to be a fun event at one of Colorado's top private facilities.
To sign up call 970-827-5406 or click here to sign up online.

The Eagle River Watershed Council advocates for the health and conservation of the Upper Colorado and Eagle River basins through research, education, and projects. We provide a forum where everyone can gain a greater understanding of the Eagle River environment. Said another way, our mission is "Preserving our quality of life by protecting the Eagle and Colorado Rivers in Eagle County."