Courtesy Cut: To Have or To Have Not?

Intermediate cuts are used mainly for tournament conditions like we had for the 35th Michigan Junior Amateur State Championship. The intermediate cut was set at 2" and mowed 4 times in five days. Rough mowers were set at 3" and mowing was completed the week before the tournament. Rough was not cut at all the week of the event. By not mowing, rough in areas exceeded 8". Rough at that length is entirely too penal for regular play... that's a U.S. Open length!

A recent article by the USGA Green Section entitled "A Waste of Time and Resources" (http://gsr.lib.msu.edu/article/oatis-waste-7-26-13.pdf)  discusses the value of a courtesy cut. This article is timely and insightful.

At Radrick Farms fairways are mowed less than 1/2" and the rough is mowed at 2". By using the USGA's recommendation, IF there were to be a courtesy cut, that cut would be at 1.25" and the rough would be at a minimum of 3.75". Rough of that height (3.75") would considerably slow the pace of play and detract from the enjoyment of the game not to mention the added maintenance costs of maintaining the intermediate cut.

So, the crew will be mowing and blowing clippings in the rough. Rough height is set back at 2". 

Summer Lovin'

As the song goes, "Summer Lovin', havin' a blast...".  However, the golf course turf is not lovin' this stretch of hot and humid summer weather.  Just like many of us, cool season grasses are having difficulty breathing in these conditions.  But the Maintenance Team has been doing a bang up job keeping the turf healthy.

Too much water at the wrong time can do just as much damage as not enough water in not enough time. Moisture meters are a critical tool for managing healthy turf through extreme weather.

Tools of the trade. Moisture meter, soil probe, infrared thermometer.

Throughout the season, our Team members will be using these meters to manage moisture levels in our turf.  Our goal is to complete more than 90% of our maintenance tasks ahead of play.  Unfortunately, checking moisture is a part of the 10% of tasks that are required, regardless of the tee sheet's status.

To our golfers; please be conscious of the Maintenance Team on the course.  Be sure they are aware of your presence before you hit a shot.  We'll acknowledge your presence and we appreciate golfer patience.  Safety is our top priority!

The Maintenance Team

The end of June is fast approaching. Many events and outings took place this month with great success. The golf course is in great condition because of the 30 hard working team members in the maintenance department. The golf course couldn't be in the condition its in without the support of this great team.

There have been 4:30 am starts and long nights that have lasted into darkness to prepare for all the events.   Please acknowledge the team when you see them on the golf course for all their hard work.

The 2013 RFGC Maintenance Team

What's new in the Maintenance Department?

The weather has been great for the team to maintain the golf course. Although it has been a little cooler than average, the golf course is loving this weather. We were able to complete the conversion at the start of 17 fairway from bentgrass to a blugrass/fescue rough. The project also gave us a chance to fix the grade coming off the cart path. Below are some pictures of the project.

News from the Maintenance Team

The maintenance team has been busy finishing projects on the golf course as well as mowing turf playing surfaces. The bunker on 2, the split rail fence at the clubhouse and the area by 16 tee have been completed.

This past Monday, we were able to use our maintenance day to apply herbicide in the rough and complete the bunker on 2. The weather was great for us to complete work on the golf course! Below are some pictures of the project work in each phase.

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

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.