Hamlet Roofing Project

Due to the unseasonably warm weather, the contractor has chosen to start re-roofing the Hamlet.  Initially, the project was to take place in mid March, but with 45-50 degree days and no rain or snow in the forecast it was an easy decision. 

The shingles on the roof are the original from when the building was built in 1984 and were in desparate need of replacement.  As you can see moss was making it's home on much of the north facing sides.

The contractor hopes to be done within two weeks and so far the underlying plywood boards have been in excellent shape, so just the shingles and the underlying tar-paper have needed to be replaced.

Winter Work: Post #1

I often get the question, "What do you do during the winter?"  So, I thought this would be a good series of posts on the blog.  So, here is one of our winter jobs.

Every winter each piece of equipment is thoroughly gone through to prepare it for the following summer.  Preventative maintenance is the focus and we need to depend on the equipment during the summer.  This very important process is headed up by our Equipment Manager Paul Kniola.  Rob Lemon (in the pic to the right) and Nick Nate are there along with him inspecting each machine and replacing parts where needed.

Below Paul (pointing his finger) and Nick are working on grinding one of the many reels that we use to maintain the course.  This particular reel is from one of our walking greens mowers.

The grinder they are standing in front of is fully automated.  While the grinding of the reel is taking place the doors are closed, so the noise and grinding dust are limited.  After the reel is sharpened, the grinder automatically turns off.  This machine limits the exposure to not only the noise, but more importantly, the harmful dust that comes with the process.

 

Winter Work: Post #2

A sharp reel is very important to the turfgrass health. Similar to a surgical cut, if the end of the grass is jagged and uneven more surface area is availabe for a disease pathogen to infect the plant. So, for this reason, we focus on being able to cut paper with each reel before it is sent out on the golf course.

In order for a reel to cut paper it must be sharpened to a similar sharpness of scissors. As you can see in the pictures, the reel works very similar to a pair of scissors. The bedknife (the flat piece of metal) stays stationary as the reel spins. Each blade of the reel collects a few grass blades and cuts them as the two edges come together. 

This work is very precise and critical to maintaining a high quality of cut. This is reflected not only in the ball roll on greens, but also in the aesthetics on the course.  Paul, our equipment manager, does an excellent job of keeping the reels in top notch cutting condition throughout the year.