Hydraulic leak on #6 green of the Nicklaus Course

As luck would have it, the greens aerifier blew a hydraulic line on the first green of aerification Monday morning.  The good news is the operator quickly noticed the problem and was able to move the aerifier off the green before too much damage was done.  

We have put several practices in place to reduce the amount of damage to the green and can now only monitor the situation.  If the area begins to disrupt play or we feel we will not be able to grow in the turf in a reasonable amount of time, we will then take additional steps.

February Rains!

We have received more than 10 inches of rain during the month of February here at Colleton River Plantation, causing our golf courses to be much wetter than normal.  While our lagoon levels are getting back to normal and we are catching up on the shortages of rainfall that we have experienced over the past year, it does cause a few issues.  

The Nicklaus Course was closed on Monday and Tuesday, February 25-26 for a "mini-aerification".  Because we have received 2.4 inches of rain over the past 48 hours, we were able to aerify the greens with a quarter inch solid tine, however we were not able to topdress the greens and do some of the other normal practices we wanted to complete during this closure.  Therefore, the greens will have small holes that will be visible but should putt fine.  We will topdress and roll the greens throughout the week with as little disruption to play as possible.  In addition, we will be repairing the washed edges of the bunkers, as seen in the picture below and scraping the bottoms from silt washing into them. 

Lagoon Project on #8 of the Nicklaus Course

On the 8th hole of the Nicklaus Course, the lagoons have been leaking water for some time due to the exposed liners that have been deteriorating due to the overexposure to the U.V. rays.  We hired consultants to evaluate the problem and they found that the top 3 feet of the liners have become permeable and the lagoon could not maintain the levels of the original design.

Removing the sod on No. 8 around the small lagoon

Over the past weeks, we have dropped the level of the lagoon on the right side and work has begun to repair the liners and to re-establish the sod edges around the top.  The contractors have removed the existing sod around the top of the liner and cut the damaged part of the liner out.  

Repairing the liners of the small lagoon on No. 8

They have then tucked the liner back at the newly established lagoon level and filled behind with a new bentonite soil mixture material, which will create a hardened sub-surface for the liner to lay on, to hold the water level.  

New sod has been placed along the top edge of the lagoon.

New Celebration Bermudagrass sod has been placed along the top edge of the small lagoon and refilling has begun.  This is expected to be completed by next week.  At that time, they will begin the same work on the lagoon on the left side of this hole.  

Light Aerification in February

Light Aerification on Greens at Nicklaus Course

This coming Monday and Tuesday, February 25^th & 26^th, the Nicklaus Course will be closed to perform a light aerification to the greens.  Also known as venting or needle tinning, the greens will be aerified using a .25” solid tine, followed by a light topdressing, mowing, and rolling.  There should be minimal disruption and play should not be adversely affected.  Solid tines do not bring soil to the surface like a conventional coring tine and cleanup is minimal.  The purpose of “venting” is to help with moisture management, soil compaction, and gas exchange in the soil profile to help promote a stronger/healthier root system for the upcoming season. 

Improvements to Dye Course Irrigation System

Converting the Dye Course to Individual Sprinkler Head Control

Over the past several weeks we have been in the process of “un-pairing” the fairway sprinkler heads on the Dye.  When the course was originally constructed, almost all of the fairway and rough heads were satellite paired, meaning that each head had its own control wires but were then paired up in the satellite.  This provided some challenges for the management team in terms of keeping areas either to dry or to wet.  To resolve these issues, we have begun the process of splitting the paired stations. 

To accomplish this, we have had to add numerous control boards to existing satellites and on a few holes we have actually added an additional satellite to accommodate the number of new stations.  The project should be complete in the next few weeks and then, as we get into the warmer months, we hope to see the payoff of this project in terms of firmer/drier conditions with the ability to control our water in a more effective manner.

 

Power Washing on the Dye Course

Power Washing of Bridges and bulkheads on Dye Course

During the January closure, our maintenance staff has had a chance to get out and power wash all of the bridges and bulkheads on the course.  Pictured above is the bridge that runs up to the back tee on #9, “Skybox”.  This is a project that is performed each winter to help keep the wood looking new and remove any algae that can become a safety hazard when damp.

Refurbished Cooler Stands on Dye Course

Refurbished Cooler Stands on Dye Course

One of the small projects that can go unnoticed performed by the maintenance team is how much effort is put in to keeping all of the course accessories, such as ball washers, trash cans, and water coolers, looking great.  We have recently refurbished all of the cooler stands.  The stand on the right is a before shot, and while the one on the left is one that has been power washed and repainted with plastic specific paint, since these items are constructed from recycled plastic lumber.   This process is very economical while still providing a great looking stand without the cost of a new replacement.