Cabin Fever

Well it has been a long cold winter and I am sure all of are members are itching to get out on the golf course. Well it will be a while here in Colorado and also in Georgia. Take a look at these pictures from Augusta earlier this month. The weather pattern this winter has been one for the record books all over the country. From record snow fall back east and in the south and a lack of snow in Vancouver B.C. I am sure the Olympic committee would like some of this snow from Augusta for the Olympic ski runs.

The Hogan Bridge

Amen Corner

Heat It Up

Over the last few weeks we have had some timely snows and some much needed moisture so we took advantage of the poor weather by working on the inside of our pump house. The pump house was never insulated or drywalled during original construction so the new insulation and drywall will be a warm welcome addition. The reason we have to insulate the pump house is because of the cold weather that we receive in late fall and early spring. Inside the pump station there are many sensitive valves and tubes that freeze easily. When these mechanicals freeze it can send the pump station into a tailspin. The most important item is our pressure sensor. In the past this always froze during our very cold nights. The frozen sensor would fool the station, making it think we had a break because the pressure it was reading was false since it was frozen. These false reading would create a premature shut down of the pump station. This shutdown is hard on our pipes, wastes water and is just a pain in the you no what. Now with the addition of insulation and drywall all of those shutdowns will be a distant memory.

We used moisture resistant drywall on the lower four feet

Near our fertigation tank we use moisture resistant drywall

to the height of eight feet

Local Wildlife

The wildlife at the Pinery is very extensive and beautiful, we have seen the American Bald Eagle to Prairie Antelope and many more. It goes to show you that golf courses are a haven for wildlife not a deterrent. The hard part is getting pictures and being at the right place and the right time. The snap shots below are just a small inventory of the wildlife we were able to freeze in time.

American Bald Eagle

Mostly seen in late winter, a rare sight but we see them every winter

A young Red Fox

We see these little guys all summer

They even steal our members golf balls off the greens

Large Whitetail Buck

This trophy buck was on the Mountain course one late evening

Whitetail Deer

These Whitetail's were out after a rain storm

We see these all year

Red Tail Hawk

This guy was huge at least 3 feet tall

Just scoping out the native for some lunch

Hanging On

The light snow we received Super Bowl Sunday still seems to be hanging on. The three inches of the white stuff gave us some much needed moisture for the course and our southern exposures. Even though the moisture was only slight it will delay us from having to hand water this week. As you can see in the pictures below the greens are still holding snow since they are frozen solid and the snow is slowly melting off the southern exposures. We will see what the weather brings next week but I am sure we will be back out winter watering.

#6 Fairway Lake

Notice the lack of snow on the southern exposures to the left

of the fairway

#5 Green Lake

The green is still covered but the rest of the snow is gone

This entire hole faces south

Ice Patrol

Well we have had snow and ice cover on select areas of the course since the middle of December. So it is time to start taking of the snow and ice. Most of these areas are northern exposures or areas shaded from trees. The reason we have to take off the snow and ice is because over time the turf builds up gases under the ice layer, particularly carbon dioxide. If the ice is not removed we will have turf loss. Every grass has different tolerances for ice but a good rule of thumb is after 60-75 days of cover you can see damage. We first work on the greens and then move to fairways. Over the last few years we have had success with a black sand product that we use on the greens. All the other areas or in native soils we use Metro Grow a compost product. Now that the days are getting longer and the sun is shifting in the sky these areas are now receiving more sun light. With the black sand and the Metro Grow being darker the heat from the sun is absorbed in the areas where the product was applied. Much like wearing a dark shirt in the middle of winter you feel the heat from the sun being absorbed by the darker color. Over time the heat from the sun is slowly melting the snow and ice. Leaving you with clear turf.

#3 green Mountain course Tuesday February 2nd after black sand was applied

1-2 inches of ice cover.

#3 green Mountain course Friday 9am February 5th

Average day time temp's in the 40's and partly cloudy to sunny sky's

No ice cover. It only took 3 full days to melt the ice.

#12 fairway Tuesday February 2nd after Metro grow was applied

3-4 inches of ice cover

#12 fairway Valley course Friday 9am February 5th

Average day time temp's in the 40's and partly cloudy to sunny sky's

1/2 to 1 inch ice cover and still melting