Welcome to the Maintenance Blog for Radrick Farms Golf Course. Visit this blog to view pictures and other information about golf course projects and maintenance practices on the golf course.

Friday, April 19, 2013

2 Bunker Project

We are working on refacing the bunker on 2. It was re-surfaced 4 years ago. Over time, in this high traffic bunker, sand has built up to a point that the shape of the bunker has been comprised and the turf is having a tough time growing through so much bunker sand. We are removing the sod and bunker sand by hand using shovels. We won't be making the bunker any bigger or smaller in size, just taking it back to its original shape. After the sod has been removed and the face has been regraded, we will install new bluegrass/fescue sod to the face. Once the new sod is installed, new sand will be brought in and graded, then this project will be complete. Below are some pictures of the process. More will follow upon completion.

Here's to hoping it doesn't rain everyday this spring!


Sand depth

Depth of sand of the face















Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Golf Course Opening Factors

The maintenance team is just as excited as our golfers are to be outside enjoying this golf course.

There are many factors that go into the decision on when to open the golf course. The obvious factors above ground include moisture on the surface and whether there is snow or ice cover on the turf. The below ground factors are the most important to the health of the golf course. The soil profile must be free from frost. If play occurred before the frost has come out of the ground, the traffic could damage the integrity of the soil structure  The soil is filled with many open spaces, called pores, which are required for air and water. When compaction occurs from traffic, whether it be maintenance or golfer traffic these pore spaces decrease in size. While this is normal in season, opening the golf course too early could expedite this process and create a poor soil structure that could damage the grass for the rest of the growing season. This damage doesn't show right away, we would see it during the "dog days" of the summer.