Fly South Geese

This year we seem to have more migratory Canadian Geese that ever before. We do understand why we have so many more geese than in previous years maybe it was related to the very cold December north of Colorado? The damage we have received is extensive in small areas, and the goose poo is everywhere. We are more concerned about desiccation in the areas the geese have eaten. The geese eat the top layer of turf exposing the crown. This top layer of turf helps hold in much needed moisture to keep the crown hydrated. Now with the lack of snow cover in these areas and minimal turf we have to water the areas and try to cover them back up with snow. Our preventative measures are still working by using bird bangers basically fire works. This is at least keeping the geese somewhat under control. These loud noise makers keep the geese moving on. But with such large numbers it is difficult to keep all of them off the course.

Here are some interesting facts about the Canadian Goose

- They can fly 16 hours at a time

- Typically cover thousands of miles every migration

- Can fly as high as 8,000 feet

- Have flown the same migratory path for millions of years

- Can fly as fast as 60 mph

- Can live up to 30 years

- Mate for life

- Migrate south for more food and less predators

Probably the most interesting fact of the Canadian Goose is the flying V formation. The V formation does not necessarily point the way the geese are going but it has to do with air resistance. The first bird in formation breaks up the wind creating less drag. During their flight the birds change positions until all of them have taken the front position. This keeps the birds form getting over tired.

Some Good Weather

The last few days we have caught some warmer weather so it outside we go. This last December 2009 went down as the 7th coldest December in Denver history. The average temperature was 24.1 degrees, it hasn't been that cold in December since 1914. So we spent most days inside working on indoor projects. Now with temperatures in the 40's and 50's this week we are anxious to get outside. Some of the items we will be working on in the fair weather are as follows.

- Winter watering southern exposed bunker noses

- Moving snow from fairway areas to exposed areas under trees

- Seam cleaning equipment

- Cleaning club and driving range amenities & prepping for stain

- Trimming trees and perennials

As of now we are right on pace to have all of our winter projects completed by April 1st. Then we start aerification of the course.

Steam cleaning equipment

Moving snow on to southern exposures

Adding snow under trees

(Beneficial moisture for the turf and the tree)

Preventive Pump Maintenance

With the irrigation system shut down for the season and the course covered in snow it time to start our preventive maintenance on the pump station and injection equipment. We have two types of injectors. One type is a simple diaphragm pump that allows us to pump liquid fertilizer or any other type of liquid chemicals. The other pump is a hydro cell diaphragm pump that allows us to inject various types of material from very viscous liquids, material in suspension or material in solution. This includes such amendments as potassium sulfate, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, Iron sulfate, manganese sulfate and many different soluble fertilizers. The single diaphragm pump can pump 2 to 50 gal per irrigation cycle while the hydro cell pump can inject 10 to 1000 gal in one irrigation cycle. The nice thing about the hydro cell pump is that we can apply a large amount of material on the course in a small amount of time. So we can custom mix the 1000 gal tank for each irrigation cycle, different weather patterns , amount of play and turf stress. With this tool we can monitor the turf and make changes to our amendments on a daily basis.

Audubon International

Recently the Pinery Country Club joined the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. This program is part of the Audubon International Sanctuary that is respected world wide. The program focuses a emphasis on Environmental leader ship, commitment, and setting the highest standards of environmental stewardship. Some of the programs we must develop and implement are as follows.

- Environmental planning

- Wildlife and Habitat Management

- Wildlife and plant inventory

- Chemical use, Reduction and safety

- Native plant conservation

- Water Conservation

- Water quality

- Outreach and education

Once all the standards are meet we will achieve certification and receive the title of, Certified Audubon Sanctuary. The certification of the golf course is a long detailed process usually taking 1-3 years depending on the time put into the program. Since only 2 % of golf courses are certified by Audubon world wide, 37 certified courses in Colorado and 728 world wide. It will be a great honor to be associated with a environmental hero such as Audubon International.

Blow Out

Well it's the time of year we've been waiting for all summer BLOW OUT. Typically we blow out our irrigation system the first week of December. Most years we have fairly good weather but some years we have had temperature in the negative numbers, and a foot of snow on the ground. This year we caught some good weather for the first day and the next few were a little colder with temperatures in the teens, but we made it through. Over the last seven or so years we have used a 900 CFM air compressor hooked up to the pump station to blow out all 27 holes, driving range, practice areas and club irrigation. At least a day before blow out the pump station is turned off and we open all our drains in the lowest parts of the system and drain most of the water out of the main lines. The next day we run a small irrigation program to push out the rest of the water and the 2nd day we finish up head by head to make sure nothing was missed. This program for blow out has never failed and seems to be the quickest most economical way to blow out our irrigation system. Most years it only takes two days to blow out the entire system, weather dependent obviously. Now with the irrigation system off we are all wishing for timely snows and cool weather in 2010 so we do not have to charge up our frost free system.

Fine mist at a head

Last bit of water at a quick coupler

900 CFM air compressor @ 30 psi

Lateral Break

We woke up this morning to a lateral break on hole #17 of all others. If you remember we had a 6 inch main line break a few weeks ago on #17. The break happened early this morning 3:38 am to be exact and we lost approximately 48,000 gallons of water, which is now a glacier. We will fix the break today and charge the lateral back up on Monday. Better now than in July I always say. We all cant wait until blow out in one week. Lets hope we have a favorable winter and we do not have to charge up our frost free system.

Winter Preparation

It is that time of the year again, winter time. So we need to prepare for the onset of cold and snow. Besides our snow mold applications, blow out of the irrigation system and bringing in amenities. We also put out the winter cups and snow fence. The winter cups are in place so we can rotating the pin location on the greens throughout the winter. We have to cut the cups now before the ground freezes or we will be stuck with only one pin over the winter. With these three pin positions we can distribute the play on the greens evenly. The snow fence will help us keep snow and moisture on select southern exposed areas as well as turf that is susceptible to winter kill from dry freezing winds. These winter preparations will help us get through a long cold Colorado winter.

Snow fence

Winter cups

New Valve

While we have #18 and #17 isolated we are adding a new 6 inch gate valve. With this valve we will be able to isolate the irrigation pipe that runs under Lake View Dr. and Fairway Lane. The new valve will prepare us if the old 6 inch line breaks under the roads. If this pipe fails under the roads we will not have to isolate any areas on the golf course, giving us much more control of our water. Then we can fix the break in a timely fashion, with out having to worry about getting water out to the course.

Old Main Line

Recently we discovered a main line leak east of #17 green. This leak was part of the old system and the only part of the old system left. This six inch main line is part of a 100 yard road crossing from #17 green to #18 tees. While the area is isolated we will also add a gate valve near #18 tees so if the pipe breaks again we can isolate the road crossing only and still have water to #18 and the chipping cove. One of the problems with this break is that it is surrounded by utilities like cable, power, water, phone and fiber optics. With all the utilities in the area the entire break has to be dug by hand and very carefully. We hope to have the new gate valve in first so we can work on the road crossing at our leisure. Lets hope the pipe does not break under the road in the future.

Bailing Hay

It is that time of the year again to mow down our native. This fall the native is especially thick due to all the moisture we received in the spring. One of the reasons we mow the native is to keep the weed population under control and to help spread the grass seed in the seed heads This helps the native out compete current weeds and weed seed from germinating. This mowing will also spread precious wildflower seed as those flowers seeded with the grasses. This is a long and dusty mowing process with over 200 acres to mow. We hope to have all the native mowed by Thanksgiving if the winter weather holds off.

Old Man Winter

Well it looks like winter is here but the calender says otherwise. This storm might go down as the Halloween Blizzard of 2009, and maybe even the 4th snowiest October in Denver History. The old record was 17.8 inches way back in 1923. Here at the Pinery we received roughly 22 inches and drifts over four feet! Believe it or not some areas in the foot hills received over 40 inches, WOW! The tennis bubble did fantastic throughout the storm, so I think we can breath a little easier when the next snow storm hits. We are also glad we put down our first application of snow mold fungicide on the greens earlier this week, as well as buttoning up the fairway drainage on holes #7 and #11. Now we will wait for the big melt off over the next week or so. In the meantime we will start on our indoor projects.

Keeping it Green

The Pinery Golf Maintenance department prides it's self on being GREEN. And I don't mean the color of the grass. Over the past few years we have taken our green/organic turf program and brought that philosophy into the shop. Some of the green thinking ideas that we have implemented are as follows.

• A paper, cardboard, plastic, old magazine's, aluminium and tin can recycling center. We have recycle trash cans located all over the shop. We also recycle all those empty beer cans and water bottles off the course. Believe it or not we actually generate more recycled product than normal trash now.

• A efficient hot water on demand water heater that saves on propane and water. And the hot water is limitless. We have seen a reduction of our propane over the last year.

• A metal recycle program that contains all of the metal collected over the year. Such as old bed knives, reels, rollers and miscellaneous scrap metal. We bring all the scrap metal to a recycle center once a year where it is melted down to make new steel products. Maybe even your new car, or your steel shaft clubs.

• Recycling of old tires to a local tire plant. These tires can be shredded and colored for mulch or used for topdressing on artificial turf fields.

• Recycling used oil and hydraulic filters the paper liner is burned and the metal in the filter is recycled. These old filters would usually end up in the trash, contaminating our land fills and water sources.

• Most recently we have added a organic parts washer that is environmental friendly, non flammable, Bio-Degradable, non toxic, safer for human contact and cheaper to operate per year.

Beautiful

Beautiful sunrise a day before the incoming snow storm. The old sailors tale holds true. Red sky night sailors delight, Red sky morning sailor take warning. It was a busy day and we accomplished everything we had planned.

Snow Mold

This is our first snow mold application. This early application of fungicide is the first of two treatments one in Late October and our large application in December. The two types of snow mold we treat are pink snow mold and gray snow mold. Both types of snow mold can devastate golf course turf and well as your home lawn. Pink snow mold actually doesn't need snow cover to be active just wet cool conditions can create a environment suitable for this type of snow mold. However gray snow mold needs snow cover to be active. We typically see both types on the golf course on all turf areas.

Large Pink Snow mold area

Pink Snow Mold patch

Gray Snow Mold patch

Ready for Snow

Our first large snow storm of the season is on the way to Colorado. The National Weather Service is expecting 8-14 inches for the south of town so we will see what happens. Currently we are spraying our first application of snow mold on the greens and some select approaches before the incoming snow. We are also dusting off our plows, snow throwers and shovels for a busy few days removing snow from the club and tennis bubble.

Some interesting history for October snow storms in Colorado. On October 26th 2006 we received over 14 inches of the white stuff. And most folks recall digging out from the October 25th- 26th Blizzard of 1997 where we received over 42 inched in two days. Now that was a snow storm!