Hmmm, where to begin. It has been a few weeks since my last post, and let me tell you, things have changed quite a bit. The weather has warmed up, cooled down, warmed back up, got COLD, and now it seems that we are going to stay warm for an extended period of time, I hope. The only thing that I can find to complain about is the abundance of pine pollen floating through the air. Oh the joy of spring.
The past couple of weeks have been quite busy for the maintenance crew and will only continue to get busier as we move towards summer. Last week, the crew worked hard mortaring rocks around the newly renovated flower beds and it appears with the work they put in yesterday, the end is in sight. Another new renovation that was started AND completed yesterday was the re-painting of the bathrooms at #'s 4 & 14 to match the newly constructed water cooler stands. With just a few small projects left, we will now be turning our attention to the weekly maintenance practices that are required during the growing season, which includes mowing, aerifying, weedeating, etc.
The golf course has shown more signs of life with the warmer temperatures. Yesterday, we fertilized the fairways and tees to give them a jumpstart into the new year and by next week you should see a major difference in the color of the turf. With the exception of a few week areas, the greens held up well to the winter that we experienced. These areas, mainly the front of # 3 and the back of #13 have been put on a rejuvenating foliar diet that will whip them back into playing shape quickly. One thing we are doing to limit traffic in these areas is to eliminate placing any pins in or around these weak areas for a couple of weeks. We will also cease mowing these areas until we see adequate growth taking place. Weekly small, hollow tined aerifications will take place once we get into more stable grass growing temperatures, which I hope is right around the bend.
Why are these areas weak, you might ask. There are a few factors that have lead to the thinning of these areas and the main culprit being traffic. The problem we run into on #'s 3 & 13 is that entry and exit points are limited to a very small area. These areas are under a lot of stress from foot traffic on a constant basis, compaction occurs, and the health of the plant deteriorates due to shallow rooting. Just something to think about next time you are out playing, when you are exiting a green, try and take a different path than then the one you used to enter onto the putting surface...call it a game within the game.
So as the day draws to a close, I will close by saying I hope that you all have gotten a chance to come out and enjoy the beautiful weather we have been experiencing. I will do my best to get on a regular routine now that we have entered the growing season, but as always feel free to shoot some questions, concerns, even suggestions my way and I will do my best to answer any and all.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Interesting Weather Information
Houston reached 80 degrees yesterday the first time we have seen 80 since November 15, 2009…now that is impressive this far south and gives a testament to just how cold this winter has been. The area has just suffered through one of the coldest winter periods on record and the month of February averaged significantly below normal. Houston recorded its 5th coldest February on record (6.9 degrees below average), Hobby its 3rd (8.4 degrees below average) and College Station its 5th (7.8 degrees below average). Victoria tied for its 2nd coldest February on record! Houston only had 2 days of temperatures above average during the entire month. From the period of Dec 1-Feb 28th (meteorological winter) Houston suffered its 6th coldest winter ever and the coldest since 1977-1978, Galveston its 5th coldest winter ever, and College Station its 6th coldest winter ever. Additionally, at Corpus Christi, the number of days that were at or above 70 in February 2010 was only 4…last year there were 26 with the average being 12.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Is Spring Here?
Well as March has rolled in, it looks as though we will be experiencing some nice seasonal temperatures over the next couple of days. This is the first week in a while that there is no rain in the short term forecast and no hint of any frost delays, YIPPPEEE!!
With the temperatures consistently warming up, hopefully we can wake the grass from the deep slumber it has been in since about late-November. As the temperatures begin to reach more seasonal-like, the soil temperatures will begin to rise, and we will see the emergence of some green, yes I said green, color across the golf course. Believe it or not, the grass is not DEAD, it's DORMANT, and it will come back once the conditions are suitable. As we move into spring, the sun will begin to move more into the northern sky generating more intense sunlight on this part of the world, bringing along with it warmer temperatures. A perfect example to watch for is the temperature inside your car when it is parked outside for an extended period of time. If you were to park in the direct sunlight today, the interior would be comparably cooler than a month from now, unless it is a cloudy day. Try it and see.
Over the past few weeks, I hope you have all gotten a chance to see the new additions we have made around the course, mainly the flower beds. We have done a lot of renovating, removing, and replanting in these beds that have been neglected over the past few years. Due to the flower bed renovation at the clubhouse, we were left with a large amount of healthy plant material we were able to transplant out into the recently renovated areas. Next time you are out, pay attention to the tee box areas on 6, 10, 12, and 13. These were all areas that were targeted as "most needing attention." These new additions should go along way in dressing things up around the course and we will continue to make improvements where ever we can
I will close by saying I hope you can all get out and experience the wonderful weather we are experiencing this week. Also feel free to pass along comments on the blog, I promise I can take the negative with the positive. This is a tool for me to communicate effectively with you as a member, so your feedback will only make it better. Until next time hit it straight and as few times as you can.
With the temperatures consistently warming up, hopefully we can wake the grass from the deep slumber it has been in since about late-November. As the temperatures begin to reach more seasonal-like, the soil temperatures will begin to rise, and we will see the emergence of some green, yes I said green, color across the golf course. Believe it or not, the grass is not DEAD, it's DORMANT, and it will come back once the conditions are suitable. As we move into spring, the sun will begin to move more into the northern sky generating more intense sunlight on this part of the world, bringing along with it warmer temperatures. A perfect example to watch for is the temperature inside your car when it is parked outside for an extended period of time. If you were to park in the direct sunlight today, the interior would be comparably cooler than a month from now, unless it is a cloudy day. Try it and see.
Over the past few weeks, I hope you have all gotten a chance to see the new additions we have made around the course, mainly the flower beds. We have done a lot of renovating, removing, and replanting in these beds that have been neglected over the past few years. Due to the flower bed renovation at the clubhouse, we were left with a large amount of healthy plant material we were able to transplant out into the recently renovated areas. Next time you are out, pay attention to the tee box areas on 6, 10, 12, and 13. These were all areas that were targeted as "most needing attention." These new additions should go along way in dressing things up around the course and we will continue to make improvements where ever we can
I will close by saying I hope you can all get out and experience the wonderful weather we are experiencing this week. Also feel free to pass along comments on the blog, I promise I can take the negative with the positive. This is a tool for me to communicate effectively with you as a member, so your feedback will only make it better. Until next time hit it straight and as few times as you can.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Interesting Weather Information Past & Present
Climo:
So how cold has this cold winter been? Per the NWS the average Dec 1-Feb 15 temp. for KIAH has been 49.1 degrees or the 7th coldest on record and currently the first 15 days of Feb are the 8th coldest on record. More astounding is the fact that Galveston is currently running an impressive 8.0 degrees below average for the month of Feb. By far this has been one of the coldest winters of the past decade and likely for many since the late 1980’s.
Spring Outlook:
The outlook for the March-May period for TX will continue to favor the wetter and colder pattern of this winter. El Nino indicators have shown a gradual cooling of the current ENSO in progress with conditions heading toward neutral by early summer. This corresponds well with above average rainfall and continued cooler conditions. One interesting aspect is all this cold air affects on the Gulf water temps. Temperatures are running above 2.0 degrees colder than last year at this time over the Gulf. With all the cold and stable air in place it has been hard to get severe weather going along the Gulf coast this winter. During such El Nino winter severe threats and tornadoes are fairly common along the US Gulf coast. The combination of poor moisture quality over the Gulf and a very suppressed sub-tropical jet has resulted in all the “action” being out over the central Gulf of Mexico. This activity in this very active pattern should begin to lift northward over the next month, but the colder than average water temperatures may help mitigate much of a severe weather season until the Gulf warms a bit and the cold air intrusions abate.
So how cold has this cold winter been? Per the NWS the average Dec 1-Feb 15 temp. for KIAH has been 49.1 degrees or the 7th coldest on record and currently the first 15 days of Feb are the 8th coldest on record. More astounding is the fact that Galveston is currently running an impressive 8.0 degrees below average for the month of Feb. By far this has been one of the coldest winters of the past decade and likely for many since the late 1980’s.
Spring Outlook:
The outlook for the March-May period for TX will continue to favor the wetter and colder pattern of this winter. El Nino indicators have shown a gradual cooling of the current ENSO in progress with conditions heading toward neutral by early summer. This corresponds well with above average rainfall and continued cooler conditions. One interesting aspect is all this cold air affects on the Gulf water temps. Temperatures are running above 2.0 degrees colder than last year at this time over the Gulf. With all the cold and stable air in place it has been hard to get severe weather going along the Gulf coast this winter. During such El Nino winter severe threats and tornadoes are fairly common along the US Gulf coast. The combination of poor moisture quality over the Gulf and a very suppressed sub-tropical jet has resulted in all the “action” being out over the central Gulf of Mexico. This activity in this very active pattern should begin to lift northward over the next month, but the colder than average water temperatures may help mitigate much of a severe weather season until the Gulf warms a bit and the cold air intrusions abate.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Another Rainy Day
Well, well after 2 days of sunshine this week, what else could we have expected? Hopefully, we will miss out on the frozen precipitation that our neighbors to the north are having to deal with. I figured I had a couple of minutes to spare so I decided to come in and update you all on the course happenings.
Last week we were able to complete our pre/post emergent herbicide applications that have been postponed due to the wet conditions. This combination of herbicides will help control the winter weeds that are existent in the fairways and tees as well as begin to build our barrier against the weed seeds that will begin germinating when the soil temperatures begin to rise. The cooler temperatures have hampered the effects of the chemical used to kill the existing weeds, however we are seeing some slight yellowing, which is a positive sign that the plant is taking it up slowly.
On top of the herbicide applications, we have been hard at work on renovating the old flower beds around the course. Our main focus has been around the practice areas and the clubhouse, since these are areas that get a lot of "eye time", with a goal of completing all bed work next week. When the temperatures become conducive to planting, we will fill the most visible beds with low-maintenance yet highly decorative vegetation.
My goal with this blog is to not only communicate course happenings but also educate the benefits of the many agronomic practices that are performed throughout the year. I will attempt to keep it simple, however, please provide feedback on how I can make it better. If you have questions, don't hesitate to pass them along, it will only help to enhance the effectiveness of this communication tool and it will also help me pick a topic to discuss. If you are thinking about it, there are others who have thought or are probably thinking about it as well.
SOLID TINE AERIFICATION 101
Looking ahead to the next couple of weeks, we do not have any major agronomic practices planned, mainly due to the cold temperatures. However, peeking into March, if the temperatures cooperate, we will begin attempting to jump start some transition out of dormancy. One important practice will include poking holes into the putting surface, also known as, solid tine aerification. The holes will puncture the surface allowing more effective gas exchange in the root zone, helping to aid in respiration, or "breathing". The aeration is similar to the act of poking holes into the lid of a jar containing a frog. Without the holes the frog will eventually, through respiration, replace the oxygen in the jar with a hazardous by-product carbon dioxide, leading to its death. This same exact process happens in the root zone of the greens. If we did not "vent" the greens, eventually the root zone will be in abundance of carbon dioxide and a shortage of oxygen, leading to eventual suffocation of the plants.
Now that I have bored everyone to sleep with Agronomy 101, I will now post this message and wait for the feedback. As always, you can reach me by email at steven.chernosky@ourclub.com or call my office, 281-360-2002. I am always willing to listen to comments and pass along educative information to willing listeners. Until next time, stay warm, stay dry, and get ready for some great NASCAR action coming up this weekend!! Yes, I did say NASCAR, however I will also have one eye on Pebble Beach.
Last week we were able to complete our pre/post emergent herbicide applications that have been postponed due to the wet conditions. This combination of herbicides will help control the winter weeds that are existent in the fairways and tees as well as begin to build our barrier against the weed seeds that will begin germinating when the soil temperatures begin to rise. The cooler temperatures have hampered the effects of the chemical used to kill the existing weeds, however we are seeing some slight yellowing, which is a positive sign that the plant is taking it up slowly.
On top of the herbicide applications, we have been hard at work on renovating the old flower beds around the course. Our main focus has been around the practice areas and the clubhouse, since these are areas that get a lot of "eye time", with a goal of completing all bed work next week. When the temperatures become conducive to planting, we will fill the most visible beds with low-maintenance yet highly decorative vegetation.
My goal with this blog is to not only communicate course happenings but also educate the benefits of the many agronomic practices that are performed throughout the year. I will attempt to keep it simple, however, please provide feedback on how I can make it better. If you have questions, don't hesitate to pass them along, it will only help to enhance the effectiveness of this communication tool and it will also help me pick a topic to discuss. If you are thinking about it, there are others who have thought or are probably thinking about it as well.
SOLID TINE AERIFICATION 101
Looking ahead to the next couple of weeks, we do not have any major agronomic practices planned, mainly due to the cold temperatures. However, peeking into March, if the temperatures cooperate, we will begin attempting to jump start some transition out of dormancy. One important practice will include poking holes into the putting surface, also known as, solid tine aerification. The holes will puncture the surface allowing more effective gas exchange in the root zone, helping to aid in respiration, or "breathing". The aeration is similar to the act of poking holes into the lid of a jar containing a frog. Without the holes the frog will eventually, through respiration, replace the oxygen in the jar with a hazardous by-product carbon dioxide, leading to its death. This same exact process happens in the root zone of the greens. If we did not "vent" the greens, eventually the root zone will be in abundance of carbon dioxide and a shortage of oxygen, leading to eventual suffocation of the plants.
Now that I have bored everyone to sleep with Agronomy 101, I will now post this message and wait for the feedback. As always, you can reach me by email at steven.chernosky@ourclub.com or call my office, 281-360-2002. I am always willing to listen to comments and pass along educative information to willing listeners. Until next time, stay warm, stay dry, and get ready for some great NASCAR action coming up this weekend!! Yes, I did say NASCAR, however I will also have one eye on Pebble Beach.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Rain on the Way
It seems like every morning that I am able to sit down and update this blog, there is a good chance of rain on the way, with today being no different. It appears that the El Nino pattern this year is living up to its reputation. If many of you are not familiar with the El Nino weather pattern, I will do my best to give some simple insight. The first thing that comes to mind when describing this weather pattern is the repetitive pattern of cool, wet weather systems moving through our area every 4-5 days. These fronts are not dropping high amounts of rainfall at one time, however with each passing front, we are seeing anywhere from a tench to half an inch of rain. You couple this with constant cloud cover and low wind speeds, and you are left with constant wet conditions on the golf course.
Fortunately, over the past couple of days the weather has cooperated enough for us to complete some much needed projects. Our main focus was put towards repairing the broken cart path on #2. As usual it was not just a quick concrete job because once we got everything exposed, we found a crushed drainage pipe as the culprit for the collapsed cart path. A ten foot piece of pipe and a few hours later, the drainage pipe and the cart path were repaired. Along with the path repair, we were able to touch up the paint in the on-course bathrooms. Hopefully in the next week or so we will see the new water cooler stands in place.
Until next time, stay dry over the next couple of days and I hope to see you all at the MGA tournament this weekend.
Fortunately, over the past couple of days the weather has cooperated enough for us to complete some much needed projects. Our main focus was put towards repairing the broken cart path on #2. As usual it was not just a quick concrete job because once we got everything exposed, we found a crushed drainage pipe as the culprit for the collapsed cart path. A ten foot piece of pipe and a few hours later, the drainage pipe and the cart path were repaired. Along with the path repair, we were able to touch up the paint in the on-course bathrooms. Hopefully in the next week or so we will see the new water cooler stands in place.
Until next time, stay dry over the next couple of days and I hope to see you all at the MGA tournament this weekend.
Friday, January 29, 2010
What A Mess!
Well the rain has come and hopefully gone. The radar is clear over us right now but I would not say we are out of the woods yet. When I last checked the rain gauge we were at 1.25" and that is only since about 2:15 this morning. How do I know that? That is when Maddie, my 3 year old Beagle, decided it was time to play, and of course, I am the lucky one who she comes to when she is energized. As I always do, I peeked outside to see the weather happenings and at that time, the concrete was somewhat dry, however the wind was picking up and the sprinkles had started.
The majority of the rain fell in about a 1 hour window, which left not much time to allow the water to soak in or run off, the end result being an abundance of standing water. The good news is it is slowly draining off so by this afternoon we should not see much at all.
The bunkers had some minor washing out of the faces and the crew is hard at work removing the contamination and fixing these wash outs. Fortunately, the outlook on the rest of the day is better than it started, with strong north winds forecasted. This should help in drying us out in time for the heavy frost on Sunday followed by more rainstorms in the early part of next week.
One positive to come out of this morning is we were able to see the effectiveness of the drain line we installed on #1 and it appears that everything is functioning properly. We still have a little tidying up to do around the catch basin we installed, but we postponed this work due to the forecasted rains today. Our plan is to relevel the ground around the basin to allow better movement of water into the basin, which should help to dry up the approach a little quicker.
Keep warm this weekend, it looks like we could see a hard freeze Saturday and Sunday nights. Unfortunately, this means we may have a lengthy frost delay on Sunday morning, but you can always make plans to come have breakfast at the club and wait it out.
The majority of the rain fell in about a 1 hour window, which left not much time to allow the water to soak in or run off, the end result being an abundance of standing water. The good news is it is slowly draining off so by this afternoon we should not see much at all.
The bunkers had some minor washing out of the faces and the crew is hard at work removing the contamination and fixing these wash outs. Fortunately, the outlook on the rest of the day is better than it started, with strong north winds forecasted. This should help in drying us out in time for the heavy frost on Sunday followed by more rainstorms in the early part of next week.
One positive to come out of this morning is we were able to see the effectiveness of the drain line we installed on #1 and it appears that everything is functioning properly. We still have a little tidying up to do around the catch basin we installed, but we postponed this work due to the forecasted rains today. Our plan is to relevel the ground around the basin to allow better movement of water into the basin, which should help to dry up the approach a little quicker.
Keep warm this weekend, it looks like we could see a hard freeze Saturday and Sunday nights. Unfortunately, this means we may have a lengthy frost delay on Sunday morning, but you can always make plans to come have breakfast at the club and wait it out.
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