Spring?

75 today, but back to the normal 40's the next couple of days.  No carts for at least a week or two.  Walkers are welcome.

 

 

First group of the year.  Last week Bong and Bob were our first group to play.  They played the front.  We've been pumping the back nine for several days and it should be ready for walking Monday.

 

Number 16 after pumping.  Below before pumping.

 

Pond left of number 2.  They outlet drain doesn't work as well as when I started in 2008.  We will try and get a trencher and put in a new line.  We'll have to be careful as there's an irrigation line along with wire between the pond and the ditch.

 

Overall we had a much better winter with only slight damage on some low fairways.  The snow cover insulated the greens from the extreme cold we had in February.  We also didn't develop any ice damage like last winter.  There was some mole/mouse damage on the putting green, 7 green and 8 tee. 

Winter Work

 

Jose and I have been busy working outside in January.  We've cut down 8 ash trees this month.

 

This ash was from #8 and over 50 years old.

 

We've been burning much of the branches and logs in our fire pit.

 

The coyote has been around more this winter.

Merry Christmas and Fall/Winter Projects

 

 

 

 With a cooler than normal November, we blew out the irrigation system a week earlier than planed.  This involves renting an air compressor and blowing out each sprinkler head and quick coupler.  It took Jose and I about 7 hours this year.
 

 

I also made my last fungicide application couple of weeks earlier than normal.

 

We continue to remove infected green ash trees.  We got about 15 trees donated this year to help replace the removed trees.  See me if you would like to donate.

 

The range house was removed this fall.

 

Santa made is annual appearance at LCC this weekend.  Thanks to Guy Liptack for making this possible.

 

 

In the shop, Butch went over 42 carts.  He checks battery strength and determines if we need any new ones.  Generally, we get about 8 years on a set of Trojan batteries.  We've tried lower cost batteries that last about 4 years.  Carts are expensive.  Each has 6 batteries with a set costing about $700.

Greens Aerification

 We used CS Turf again this year to aerifiy our greens.  It was a bit cloudy and a little drizzle early but we were able to finish in 9 hours.  The day started in the dark as we mowed and then Renny took over with his cousin.

 

 

 

As each green was finished, Jose applied sand.

 

When the sand dried, Alex dragged most of it into the holes.

 

 

I then blew off any excess sand, with Jose then replacing the cup.  I'm hoping the holes will fill in by Monday.  The greens were in good shape going into this process.  I fertilized last week, so all we need now is some good weather.

Disease Pressure and Repeat Club Champions

 

This is the approach on #10 green.  It's easy to see where I stop spraying.  With all the rain and warm weather in the last week, disease pressure is very high.  Until now, I didn't have much to worry about.

 

This is #5 fairway.  After spraying tees last Wednesday, I sprayed the rinsate here.  It was about 1/3 the normal rate.  You can see the side where I ran out.  It's not in the budget to spray our fairways on a regular basis at this time.

 

A red tailed hawk has been hanging around the last couple of weeks.

 

Last Monday I aerified the practice tee, cleaned, seeded, topdressed, and fertilized.  It should open by the end of the week.

 

Repeat club champions Chuck Starcevich and Sammi Sloan.  Great job!

Staff and Lightning

 

2014 Lansing Country Club Grounds Staff.

 

Alex is in his third year at Lansing.  Due to a promotion at his day job at Aurelios, he is now part time mostly changing cups, filling divots and generally what ever is needed that day.  He on occasion brings in a pizza for the crew.  Thanks Alex.

 

Jake is a late season addition to the staff.  Hopefully, he can work into late September.  He does all of the rookie jobs including greens, bunkers and weed whipping.

 

You might know Josh as a busser or from the pro shop.  We should just call him "slash".  He added grounds crew to his check this year.  He worked twice a week for us and learned to mow greens quickly.  He also raked bunkers and got to know how to run a weed whip.  He's off to North Park College in Chicago next week.  Good luck Josh.

 

The locust tree at the start of the 2nd fairway was struck by lightning a couple of weeks ago.  It will need to be removed.  Though its not on my list of quality trees for a golf course, it was in a great location protecting golfers on the 6th hole.  This is why you should go to the pro shop or course shelters during unexpected storms.

 

The first of the tree stumps that were seeded is coming along.  It gets hit with irrigation when we water the fairways.

Junior Golf, Stumps and Meet the Staff

Last day for junior golf.  They held a putting contest and a team scramble.  A pizza party followed.

 

We added some yellow tees for the senior golfers.  Most are on the back nine.

 

 

 

Scott was able stump grind most of ash tree stumps a couple of weeks ago.  We are now in the process of filling them with seed and soil.  They will be marked as ground under repair until they are playable.

 

 

This is Jose our foreman.  He's been at Lansing since 2007.  He also worked at Woodmar for 4 years.  He runs the crew while doing what ever else needs to be done.

 

 

This is Orlando "aka Tiburon the shark".  He's a rookie and has learned quickly on the many jobs he performs.  He mows greens, rakes bunkers, weed whips and anything else we ask of him.