Greens Aerification

With the heavy frost the last two mornings the aerification and topdressing of the greens has been delayed till later in the morning. This has caused us to be behind schedule. Today we will be topdressing greens #11-18 and the short game green. Once completed we will be done.

Our goal is to fill the aerification holes only leaving a little bit of sand on the turf itself. Take a look at the picture below.

The big question everyone is wondering is when the holes will be filled in. With the unseasonably cold weather we are having it's tough to say. But we will do everything we can in terms of fertilization and watering to get the holes filled in as quickly as possible.

Trenching and Aerification

Last night we were able to finish the trenching and installation of the electrical conduit for the power to the new well, halfway house and water features! We are very happy how this turned out.

Today the electricians from Nickle Electric are getting the electrical rack ready for installation tomorrow along with the transformer. These will be installed right next to the new well location.

The rack and transformer will be located where the orange conduit is coming out of the ground to the left of the new well. This picture was taken from the yellow tees on #14.

Once installed White Oak Landscape will build walls around it so it will be hidden from view. The style will be that of a ruins similar to what is on holes #12 and #14.

Here is a picture of Alexander and Vinnie from White Oak Landscape building the arched stoneway where the cart path crosses the creek before you get to #15 green.

Finally, we got a good head start on aerification last night with the hopes of completing it today. We did have a late start due to frost but are well on our way to finishing. Fortunately our seasonal laborers began work today in force. Here they are cleaning the plugs from #6 green.

Here's a link to a great article on aerification: Benefits of Aeration Article

Almost There

We've reached the 6th tees with our electrical conduit. Just a little bit farther and we'll be at the halfway house!

With good weather we expect to finish the trenching tomorrow.

Plan the Work, Work the Plan

There are a lot of factors involved when implenting a project the size of the Creek Restoration that is going on at Fieldstone. Needless to say there is plenty of planning and meetings to attend. I get the question a lot: What do you do with your dog Pinki during these meetings?  Well, the answer is that she is intimately involved! Just look at this picture.

Sodding Along Creek Banks

Today 10,000 square feet of sod was delivered to be laid alongside the creek on holes #6 and #13. The creek constructions contractor/designer, White Oak Landscape has a full contingent of staff to lay the sod.

This sod is 90% Tall Fescue and 10% Bluegrass that is to be used in non-play areas. The goal is for this to stabilize the banks where grading has been done.

The finished product looks awesome!

Notice the new walkway to #6 green. The piece of stone that Bill Duncan from White Oak Landscape found matches in perfectly with the surrounds.

Carts Off Paths

We got a few comments over the weekend about why carts were not allowed off the paths. This is because the turfgrass is currently not growing and therefore any damage that will be done from the carts will not recover. Plant growth is predominately dependent on soil temperatures and not air temperature. So while we had some nice warm days last week and weekend it was not enough to warm the soil up to get the turf growing. We are rolling greens to provide a smoother, faster putting surface. Mowing should begin in the next 1-2 weeks throughout the course.

Creek Project Update-March 20, 2011

We have managed to install the electrical conduit from the transformer near the pump station across holes #2 and #10 and down to the area on the right side of hole #15. Next weekend we will cross hole #15 to the well then up to the halfway house. The rocks we encountered crossing hole #10 were tough as can be seen in the photos on the previous post.

With good weather sod should be laid alongside the creek slopes on #13, #14 and #15 this week. The electrical rack that will be placed next to the well is on-site and hope to place this week as well. The plan is to re-install the cart path that was torn out on hole #14 along with anywhere else the concrete has been damaged throughout the course. This should be completed by April 4th with continued good weather.

Please do not hesistate to contact me with any questions or comments regarding this project.

Electrical Line Trenching

This weekend we are trenching for the electrical line that will power our new well. The power for the pumps for the creek waterfalls will also be fed from this line. Then the line will continue up to the halfway house to bring power to it.

Here is a picture of the trenching across hole #10 in front of the fairway:

We encountered favorable soil conditions across hole #2 but found large rocks, such as this one, on hole #10:

The well pump has been installed. No more drill rigs or cranes on the golf course!



Well Capped and Electrical Installation at Halfway House

As part of the creek project we are also bringing power to the halfway house. Here's a quick picture of the electrical panel being installed.

Also, the well has finished being drilled and is now capped!

This well was dug to a depth of 540 feet and is 8 inches wide. On Tuesday the pump will be installed. Afterwards we will need to test the system and hope to get 250 gallons per minute from this well.

Drill, Baby, Drill

As of 1:00 pm on Wednesday afternoon there is only 140 ft to go before the drilling is done on the new well. Approximate flow is 250 gallons per minute. This new well will help back-up the two existing wells that we use to fill our irrigation lake.

Expect a full report on the creek project along with pictures this weekend.

Saturday Conditions

The sun is starting to dry the course out. We are able to open all 18 holes and allow carts on path throughout the entire course. Please be aware of the temporary path on #14. Work to get the bunkers in shape has begun on holes #1 and #2. Look for bunker work to continue through the rest of the course in the upcoming week. Enjoy the sunny weather!

Rain, Rain, Rain....

The recent storm has brought us 2.25 inches of rain. This has given us a good look at what this amount of water does to the creek that we are currently working on. Today we expect to actually begin the drilling of the well that will provide additional irrigation water.

The drilling should take about 3 days to a depth of 400-500 feet.

Fieldstone Golf Club Agronomy Blog

Thank you for taking the time to check out Fieldstone Golf Club's new blog. We will offer news and insights into the Agronomic side of Fieldstone Golf Club.

My name is Damon Di Giorgio and I am the Golf Course Superintendent. Along with Assistant Superintendents Donovan Maguigan and William Hierman, Head Mechanic Greg Taylor and my dog Pinki, we will do all we can to provide information regarding the golf course conditions at Fieldstone Golf Club.

Please feel free to e-mail or comment any questions, thoughts or suggestions as we move forward with our new blog.

Damon