More Irrigation Reservoir Work

Late last fall one of our irrigation pumps was not performing as it should.  The decision was made to repair the pump and the pump was then removed after the new year.

Soon after removing the pump it was realized that leaves being sucked into the pump was the major cause of our pump issues.  The screen at the base of the pump had deteriorated to the point it was letting leaves enter the pump turbines.  The leaves ultimately caused damage to the pump which required repair.

To eliminate the risk of future leaf issues we began investigating potential entry points of leaves into the pumphouse wet-well.  This lead us to emptying the reservoir so we could see the inlet pipe to the wet well.  To our surprise we found holes in our metal inlet pipe, which holds our self cleaning strainer.  The holes were on the bottom portion of the pipe and is probably why we didn't see them last fall when we worked on the strainer.

The short term fix was to use a "tar-like" paste and metal mesh to cover the holes.

The long term fix will most likely come in the form of Cured in Place Pipe.  We will collect quotes on this project and plan to have it done within the next 4-6 years.  

Irrigation Reservoir Work

Our irrigation system is supplied by water in our reservoir.  As our system runs water sent out onto the course is removed from a large pit in the pumphouse.  The pit is supplied new water by a pipe that runs underground out to the bottom of the reservoir.  At the end of the supply pipe is a self-cleaning strainer.

The self-cleaning strainer keeps fish, leaves and other debris from entering the pumphouse pit.  As the pumps run, water is sent through a 2" supply pipe down to the strainer which then is sprayed out  through a series of nozzles inside of the strainer screen.  The spraying action makes the strainer turn and also removes any debris that may build up on the outside of the screen.

The plumbing for the supply pipe has been an issue in the past and was again this past summer.  The numerous connections were not holding up and blowouts were happening.  We chose to reroute the supply pipe and install a High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe in place of the existing PVC pipe.  The advantage of the HDPE pipe is that it is relatively flexible and can follow the contour of our pond bank down to the strainer, thus reducing the number of connections.  

To do the project we had to remove all of the water from the reservoir, replace the supply pipe and replace any worn parts on the strainer.  Water was then pumped back up to the reservoir via our entrance pump.

 Before.

After.

Year End Lunch

Every year the majority of the crew gets laid off in late October/early November.  So, on "layoff day" we go to the casino buffet to celebrate the year.  The time also gives me another opportunity to thank the crew for their hard work and dedication.  While there we feast, gorge ourselves with delicious food and then wonder why we ate so much......

Thanks again guys!!

#9 Green Bank

In the 90's the mounds behind #9 green bank were added and with the addition a few maintenance issues developed over the years.  The green slopes from front to back and as rainwater surface drains down the slope a pool of water always developed on the back right portion of the green after a hard rain.  The pooling was due to the mounds creating a damn effect.

The slope of the mounds were also very steep and were always a challenge to mow.  As the years passed bentgrass began to dominate the bank's surface.  At green or fairway height bentgrass does well but when grown at rough height bentgrass has a tendency to become weakly rooted and "leggy", laying over itself creating mats of turf.  So, as our mowers attempted to mow the bank the poorly rooted turf would rip and peel up leaving unsightly damage.  

Considering the before mentioned issues the Greens Committee decided to make a change.  Over the last 2 weeks the crew and I softened the mounds behind the green, added a drainage inlet off from the collar in the back right and sodded the entire green bank.  The end result is a manageable slope, a well drained green surface and a grass that will hold up to mower traffic.  The area will also play better from a chipping standpoint due to the new grass' consistency.

Below are some before and nearing completion photos.

2016 fw Edge Sodding Project

This fall we continued our fairway edge sodding.  If you remember, 9, 14,15 & 18 fw edges were done last year and have created a nice definition between the fairway and rough.  This year we continued by sodding the fairway edges on 2, 11, 12 & 17.

The staff and I removed the old fairway edge with a big roll sod cutter attached to our tractor.  Dan Kaiser and his crew then laid the new Kentucky Bluegrass sod that we purchased from Red Hen Turf Farm.

Below is a picture of us removing the old fairway edge.

 
  

Greens Aerification

Last week the crew and I finished aerifying greens.  Each fall we bury the greens with a heavy amount of sand, let the sand dry, "deep-tine" aerify with 3/4" solid tines, and then hand broom in the dried sand into the aerification holes.

The process works well when we have good drying conditions, such as abundant sunshine and a little wind.  Under those conditions the sand dries enough that it doesn't stick to each other and works into the holes easily.  Conversely, when the sand is damp it bridges over the holes and refuses to work into the holes making for an unproductive day.

Greens aerification days are labor intensive and the crew works hard to get the job done.  Fortunately, we have a great group of employees who, every year, do the task asked of them without complaint.  Thanks again guys!

 

Verticutting Tees

Last week the crew finished verticutting tees.  The machine being used to do this has blades that spin around on a shaft.  Each blade then cuts a linear groove in the turf removing accumulated thatch.  The removal of excess thatch helps lessen disease pressure, helps with water penetration and maintains a firmer playing surface.  

After the tees were verticut in 2 directions there was a substantial amount of thatch to be picked up.  Sand topdressing was then applied.