No Pictures...Wait a Minute!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Thursday, January 17, 2013.  Back on December 7th I posted the following:

Now, I am not trying to be alarming but I will say from my decades of experience the worst droughts have historically followed extremely dry winter periods. I will continue to monitor the situation as technically the first day of winter is still two weeks away and there is plenty of time for this dry period to subside but I want everyone to understand a good soaking rain is long overdue at Carolina Golf Club.

I know, I know... me and my big mouth!  It seems since Jello pudding saved the world nearly a month ago it has been cold and rainy or extremely warm.  I guess Mother Nature is confused as much as Congress these days.  This past Saturday and Sunday the tee sheet looked like something out of April!  As for the wet stuff, it rained yesterday and is raining now (with a forecast for snow tonight?!).  However, today's rain will go a long way alleviating the lingering drought symptoms in our area as steady soakers are always better than torrential downpours.  Look for a drought monitor update here next week.

In case you have been wondering what has been going on in the world of golf course maintenance the past few weeks I will do my best to inform you.  This time of year is typically less hectic and most projects are long term efforts focused on course beautification.  It was my intention to include photos with the following information nuggets but there seems to be a glitch with blogger today (I have been trying to work around this problem for hours) and unfortunately I cannot postpone any longer.  I will try and include the photos at a later date.

Cart Path Edging - We edge the entire network of asphalt cart paths annually.  We usually start this project around Thanksgiving and work until completion.  At this time only a portion of the 13th hole and the area near the 14th tees is all that remains from wrapping up this project.

Freshly Edged Cart Path

Stone Work - We have been replacing and revising the stone areas adjacent to heavily worn turf along the cart path edge in tight turns.  At this time we have completed revising all the areas we installed in 2011 and are adding a few newly identified areas in need.

Stones Set Into Turf Along Curves

New Traffic Patterns - You may have noticed green stakes with ropes along the cart paths especially near the putting green complexes.  In an effort to prevent damage to dormant bermudagrass turf from excessive wear and traffic we are taking measures to redirect and redistribute traffic flow in these areas until such time the turf begins to regrow and can recover on its own.

Ropes Near 7th Green

Trees - All the new trees selected by the committee have been planted and staked.  We removed the stakes and reshaped the soil and mulch surrounding the trees planted last February giving those plantings a more natural appearance to the golf course landscape.

Stakes Removed #14

New Trees #1

Paint Marks - I have been asked more about the mysterious red and yellow "dashes" near several tee and putting green complexes lately than anything else at Carolina.  These lines are indicators where we applied a small, organic fertilizer with a drop spreader.  We are using the Early Bird 3-0-1 fertilizer to control earthworm castings.  Heavy earthworm activity can become quite a nuisance especially when the turf is dormant and daily mowing operations cease.  The product is nearly impossible to see when applied to dormant turf thus the need to indicate the product's application.

Natural/Native Areas - We treated several areas contaminated with non-desirable grasses with a non-selective herbicide just prior to Christmas (thus the yellowing).  We are now reseeding these areas along and applying compost.

Topdressing - Soon (translated ...if it ever dries out around here) we will be using the old bunker sand removed during the renovation project to topdress tees and fairways.

I sincerely hope you feel more informed but admit I am frustrated I was unable to include photos.  Hopefully things will be back to normal next time.  Until then...

 

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton

Golf Course Superintendent

Mayan Apocalypse...Just in Case!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Thursday, December 20, 2012 and I have a couple of things to share with you before the Mayan apocalypse tomorrow (more on that later).  Last time I mentioned how the Charlotte area is in moderate drought.  We did receive just over a half-inch rain this past Sunday evening (0.56") which was most helpful and greatly needed but overall it was not near enough as our current drought status was upgraded from moderate to severe as the monitor below indicates:

Mecklenburg County in Severe Drought

Moderate Drought Two Weeks Ago

Ironically, I was researching my blog post from this time last year and discovered quite a different tune with regards to the weather and more specifically, rainfall:

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Wednesday, December 21, 2011 ... it seems enough rain has moved into the region to fuel rumors of a Milli Vanilli reunion. A trace of rain fell late yesterday evening and this morning it started raining while I was in route to the club. A quick glance at the radar indicated today was going to be a washout and the forecast for the next several days all show... rain! In fact at the time of this writing over an inch of rain has already fallen. As our good friend Charlie Brown would say..."Good Grief"!

Needless to say that is not the case this year and our drought status may not even matter after tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow morning at precisely 7:11 am marks the arrival of the winter solstice and the beginning of winter.  It will also mark the precise end to the 13th Baktun of the Mayan long count calendar and some experts predict there may be a cataclysmic catastrophe caused by gravitational forces due to the perfect alignment of the earth, sun and the dark rift in our galaxy.  This morning the First Warn Weather Team updated their forecast for tomorrow and Saturday...just in case:

Meteor Showers on Friday!

Now, I have spent some time researching the Mayans, their calendar and these apocalyptic predictions.  Thanks to the History Channel, H2, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Nat Geo and the internet I believe everything is going to be ok.  This rare video I discovered and shared below shows a group of scientists explaining how the earth will be spared of these predicted catastrophes:

In the event these scientists fail in their efforts it has been a pleasure knowing and working for each of you on this fabulous Donald Ross golf course!  In the event the world is spared I want to wish everyone at Carolina Golf Club a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanza or Happy Festivus (gratuitous Seinfeld reference)!  Whatever your beliefs and celebrations just know my family and I really wish you and your families a very happy and joyous time this holiday season.  Good Lord willing we are off to see our families for a few days and will be back soon but until then I want to wish each of you again a joyous Happy Holidays!! 

See you on the course...

Fingers crossed!

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent

Labor Surge, Bunkers, Trees and Drought!





Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Friday, December 7, 2012.  On this 71st anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor I want to take a moment to thank all those members of Carolina Golf Club (past and present) for their service to this country!  Without the sacrifice of you and so many others I would not have this opportunity and I am forever grateful!  Also, only 17 more shopping days till Christmas so why not check out the Golf Shop at Carolina tonight from 5:00 till 9:00 pm for their annual balloon sale!

 

Some of you may recall earlier this year I lamented about the number and timing of defections from some of our seasonal staff.  At the end of October I managed to get two young lads originally dispatched to Muirfield Village Golf Club outside Columbus, Ohio and a week later four young men originally dispatched to Allegheny Country Club outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  These six joined the three remaining members of my seasonal staff to form a "labor surge" that carried us through last week (Sunday, December 2nd was their last day).  During the "surge" we were able to accomplish many tasks but one important project I want to highlight is the removal and thinning of underbrush growing in the wooded areas adjacent to the first, eighth, eleventh and thirteenth holes.  Prior to the onset of this project your eye would stop at the edge of the woods as if looking at a wall.  Now your eye continues to see beyond the wooded edge into the forest canopy providing a cleaner look to the property and easier to find golf balls!

Piled for Chipping!

Chipping Debris!



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last blog post I mentioned Golf Course Services, Inc. would be returning to renovate a handful of greenside bunkers.  The old sand was removed and the original bunker cavity inspected for any potential issues.  Areas where grass lines had migrated were restored back to original and new sand installed, compacted and smoothed to perfection. 

Greenside Bunker #4

Greenside Bunker #4 Restored

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am happy to report all scheduled work for now is complete (I know, that was fast) and here is the list of improved bunkers: Hole number 1 (left and right greensides), Hole number 2 (left greenside), Hole number 4 (left greenside), Hole number 10 (left, right and back greensides), Hole number 11 (left, right and front greensides) and Hole number 17 (left greenside).  For those of you counting at home that is a total of 11 bunkers.  Keep in mind the right greenside bunker on Hole number 2 was renovated this summer along with the practice bunker.  Try them out and let me know what you think.  I am hopeful we will do more before the end of next year.

 

I recently traveled to Liberty, NC and the home of Gilmore Plant & Bulb, Inc. to select more oak trees to be planted on the course.  These plantings were approved by the Greens Committee and are in keeping with the Master Tree Plan created by our architect, Kris Spence.  The trees began arriving Wednesday morning and yesterday my staff wasted little time getting started.

 

A New Red Oak on Number 1

There will be a total of 18 trees planted on the golf course and I know that sounds like more than a few but eight of those are to be planted to the right of Hole number ten near the lake.  Four others are to be planted in the natural/native areas between the first and second holes, three trees will be planted between the fourth and seventeenth putting greens (cart path enclosed triangle area) and one across the cart path above the sixteenth tee.  In other words, the large majority of these trees are being planted in mostly out-of-play areas as enhancements to the overall landscape with minimal impact on direct play.  There are two oak trees going in on the left side of Hole number one near the existing cluster of three large trees guarding the left side of the fairway.  These two new oaks are to serve as replacements to be enjoyed by future generations of Carolina golfers.  

 

For those of you not paying attention lately we need rain.  After a wet finish to summer with July, August and September combining for nearly 20 inches rain we have received only 1.87 inches rain in October and November combined!  In fact the monthly total of 0.64" in November, 2012 is the lowest total of any month since I have been the superintendent at Carolina eclipsing the previous low of 0.69" in November, 2007.  Earlier this week our area was classified to be in moderate drought.

 

Drought Monitor Index

This is also the first time since the renovation and reconstruction of the golf course in 2008 our irrigation lake is below capacity (full pond) during the fall/winter months.  The two images below were taken earlier this morning and are a reflection of the lack of adequate rainfall during the past two months combined with the need to still irrigate (albeit less than during the summer growing season).

 

Exposed Pond Bank

 

Bottom of Debris Guard Exposed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Now, I am not trying to be alarming but I will say from my decades of experience the worst droughts have historically followed extremely dry winter periods.  I will continue to monitor the situation as technically the first day of winter is still two weeks away and there is plenty of time for this dry period to subside but I want everyone to understand a good soaking rain is long overdue at Carolina Golf Club.

 

See you on the course,

 

Matthew Wharton

Golf Course Superintendent

 

Bob Ross, George Clooney, GCS Returns and Many Thanks!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Wednesday, November 21, 2012 and tomorrow is Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday of the year) and I have much to be thankful for that I will share with you in a moment, but first I do have a few items I need to address.

When I was in college there was no better way to take an afternoon nap than turning the television to PBS and watching Bob Ross paint!  Within about 10 to 15 minutes Bob's voice (he would have made a great golf announcer) would have you "sawing logs".  Anyway, this past Monday we painted the target greens on the driving range.  This is the third consecutive winter season we have done so and this year I decided (at least for now) to experiment and expand to the golf course.  We painted the teeing surfaces of all four par 3 holes.  The paint is merely aesthetic and a viable alternative to overseeding (most all bermudagrass putting surfaces are painted now).  Give me some feedback and let either me or members of the Greens Committee know what you think...who knows where this may lead?

Painted Tee Surface #16

Unpainted Tee Surface #8

Some of you may know I have a dear friend in Australia who is also a golf course superintendent, David Warwick of Avondale Golf Club in Pymble (just north of Sydney).  David and I met many years ago at the national education conference and trade show of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and have kept in touch ever since.  I like to refer to David as my "Big Brother Down Under" and he has been a valuable friend and supporter through the years.  Anyway, back on March 23rd in an update titled "Colonel Kilgore, Bunkers and Pitch Marks!" I shared a course care video of his on ball mark repair, or pitch mark as they say down under, and I promised I would share something else.  I apologize for taking so long but I wanted to share this course care video about divots.  This time of year we transition from green sand to white as the course begins its hibernation period (merely aesthetic) and it got me to thinking, although the course is going dormant and we will not be mowing for several months doesn't mean we should take the task of properly filling divots lightly.  Also, David skyped me this past Saturday evening so he is fresh in my mind.  Ladies, he fashions himself to be another George Clooney but I will let you be the judge.

Beginning Monday (November 26th), Golf Course Services, Inc. will once again be on site as we begin a small, off-season project to refurbish some bunkers in need of renovation.  Old sand will be removed and replaced with new in the same fashion we renovated both the practice bunker and right, greenside bunker on hole two earlier this year.  GCS will begin with the left, greenside bunker on number 4 (APPLAUSE) and we will be targeting several others in need.  At this time, the golf shop, GCS and I have not worked out the logistics of how we will handle play with their staff working in greenside bunkers but I wanted to at least give you the heads up well in advance.  There are approximately a dozen bunkers slated for renovation and the GCS crew will be on site for several weeks.

As I stated earlier, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I hope you will spend the day with family and friends.  For those of you planning on a relaxing round of golf at Carolina please remember we are closed tomorrow with no staff on site and golf is walking only.  Of course Solomon (turned 2 years old yesterday) and I will venture out to check the course and make sure nothing is missing, damaged, broken, etc.  The current forecast is calling for morning low temperatures near 36 or 37 degrees around 6:00 am.  We could potentially have frost with these temperatures and it is important not to walk on the putting surfaces if there is frost!  Please use caution and good judgement when enjoying the solitude of the course tomorrow!

As promised, I am thankful for many things this year and they include...

1. my faith!
2. my loyal companion, Solomon! 
3. the great game of golf!
4. being the superintendent of the greatest golf course in all of Charlotte!
5. the hardest working golf course maintenance staff in North Carolina!
6. the support of Carolina Golf Club! 
7. the friendships and relationships I have developed with many of you at Carolina!
8. seeing the sun rise over this beautiful golf course almost everyday!
9. for Jeff Peck and his helpful advice with my finicky golf game!
10. that the 2012 football season is almost over!

At this point last year I expressed deep, heartfelt thanks to my wife and family! I stated something along the lines of her tolerating me and my idiosyncrasies (a man who works all the time, complains about the weather and stresses over his college football team) and how she deserves a medal for doing so!  Well, this year is no different and I am just thankful me and the dog are both allowed in the house :)

To all the members of Carolina Golf Club I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent

That Time of Year Again!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and as the country heads to the polls to decide our next president my staff and I are busy with the beginning of some "off season" projects and other maintenance.  The Carolina Invitational wrapped up early Sunday evening as another historic success and your golf course received nothing but rave reviews from all the participants.  I will spare you the details and results as I am sure you will be receiving a full detailed description of the event in the near future and I do not want to steal the spotlight, but I can say you missed a great tournament if you were not able to attend.

Of course with the Carolina Invitational each year comes the change from daylight savings time back to standard time.  Although we have one more tournament yet to prepare for this season (The Hazel), the time change ceremonially signifies the end of the golf season for the year and my staff and I transition into winter project season.  One other important item the time change signifies here at Carolina Golf Club is the closing of the bermudagrass range tee for the season.  Per our standard operating policy the artificial teeing area will be used indefinitely as we give the bermudagrass tee some much needed time off in order to preserve and protect it for use next season.  A friendly reminder the artificial teeing surfaces hold a golf tee and thus the need to "cheat" in front is not necessary (this behavior also damages the bermudagrass turf due to the inordinate amount of foot traffic concentrated in such a small space over the winter months).

Artificial Teeing Areas

Earlier I mentioned some "off season" projects and we wasted little time getting started today.  The vegetation growing along the creek bank crossing the 11th and 13th holes was cut back.  These plants are required as part of our wetlands mitigation in exchange for the creation of the damn and irrigation lake.  It is the desire of the Greens Committee to maintain them as small as feasibly possible while simultaneously appearing natural.  This has been a challenge due to the growth habit of these willows and birches thus we are cutting them back in order to get a fresh start.



Before

After

The willows are being cut back to only 6 to 8 inches of trunk and we will attempt to limit the new growth next year from getting bigger than desired.  The birch trees are being topped at approximately 5 to 7 feet in an effort to limit their size development and prevent them from overtaking the tee shot from the 13th tee.  Upon completion in this area we will repeat the process along the creek crossing the 4th and 17th holes.

Work in the natural/native areas is still ongoing as we continue to spread seed, compost and starter fertilizer to areas targeted for improvement.  We are irrigating and using portable sprinklers in an effort to achieve germination and establishment.  Although we have seen some moderate success the current weather pattern is extremely challenging.  We wrapped up the month of October with less than 1.25 inches total rain (1.23") and we have received only 0.17" in the past three weeks!  Add these dry conditions to the cold temperatures we are experiencing and you have a recipe for delayed response when attempting to germinate seed and establish new growth.  Despite these conditions I am optimistic our efforts will yield the desired results and our natural/native areas will impress next season.

In the coming weeks you will see the staff begin our annual edging of the cart path network.  We will again soon be planting trees approved from our Master Tree Planting Plan this fall/winter.  I am also planning to utilize our seasonal staff's remaining time (about 31/2 weeks) to initiate a major thinning and removal of underbrush growing along the 1st, 8th and 11th holes.  This will aid tremendously in both the overall look and cleanliness of these golf holes but also improve air circulation.  These are just some of the improvements you can expect to see on the course this "off season". 

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent
 

You're Invited!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Friday, November 2, 2012 and the Carolina Invitational begins tomorrow morning!  Now, perhaps you may be asking yourself what is the Carolina Invitational or perhaps you don't fully know and/or understand what the Carolina Invitational is.  If so, then you probably do not know why I am happy it is here so let me see if I can help you better understand the nature of this event and its significance.


Invitational Flag

Before I do I want to share with you a conversation I had earlier this morning with two of our members as they enjoyed their round.  I was asked about the Invitational by one of our members as he told me a story about playing golf this August at Scioto C.C. in Columbus, Ohio.  While there he met a Scioto member who recognized Carolina Golf Club and stated he was planning on being here in November for the Invitational.  Our member was a bit taken by surprise of this occurrence and his story got me to thinking...why is it many of our own members do not know about the Carolina Invitational or it's reputation while there are those outside our gates even hundreds of miles away who do?  Sidenote: Scioto C.C. was founded in 1916 and designed by Donald Ross.  It was the home course where a young Jack Nicklaus learned and mastered the game. 

The inaugural Carolina Invitational was held in 1999 and the tournament has been contested every year since with the exception of 2008 when the club reopened after being closed for 11 months to undergo renovation and reconstruction.  The format consists of two-man teams playing better ball (four-ball) for 36 holes.  The field is all amateurs by invitation only from around the region and beyond.  Carolina has hosted participants through the years from as far north as Massachusetts, west to Texas and south to Florida (this year's field includes participants from Connecticut, Ohio, Virginia and Georgia as well as North and South Carolina).  Previous entries have participated in the Masters, U.S. Opens, U.S. Amateurs and U.S. Mid-Amateurs.  Many have been state amateur champions from North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. 

The Carolina Invitational

The point of this story is this event belongs to Carolina.  This is the club's tournament and not the property of the Carolinas Golf Association, PGA or any other sanctioning body but rather Carolina Golf Club.  Carolina Golf Club invites the participants and sets the field.  The goal is to get the best amateur players from around the region to compete for the title of Carolina Invitational Champion.  Many who have participated in the past have loved the event for its first class field and first class treatment but ultimately they love this tournament for the first class Donald Ross golf course!  It is my privilege and honor to maintain this golf course for you everyday but it is always nice to have the opportunity to showoff your course on your behalf to those who truly appreciate this grand game and its finest courses.   The Carolina Invitational is special and I invite you to come out this weekend and spectate.  You will see not only some great golf but you will also see some wonderful appreciation and gratitude from some special golfers.

See you on the course,


Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent

Two is Better Than One, Tough Day, No Bueno and Mr. President!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Friday, October 26, 2012 and I would like to start by saying thank you!  For those of you making "The Greenkeeper" a part of your day I really appreciate you.  After struggling with low viewership numbers over the summer (69 average views per post for the 10 blog posts between May 23rd and September 6th) the numbers have risen dramatically to 123 average views per post for the last 4 blogs!  Thank you again and help spread the word!

It is that time of year again as the local news media talk about fall foliage, peak and past peak.  In golf course maintenance land this is known affectionately as "leaf wars".  The daily task of keeping the course clean of leaves and debris can be demoralizing at times (especially when the wind blows) but I tell my staff they should think of it as job security.  Anyway, when the course starts to look like this...

More Leaves

Leaves

...we break out the big artillery, and the decibels and the scene is more like this...

Two Tractor Blowers!

...when dealing with leaf clean-up two tractor blowers beats one all day long!


Two days ago my staff and I had the fun of setting up the golf course for our annual Tough Day event!  Anytime we set up Carolina for a tournament it is special but the annual Tough Day is extra fun as the name implies.  Of course we moved the tees back and I selected hole locations I sincerely hope would have made Donald Ross proud (think final round of club championship, extreme).  As much fun as I had selecting the hole locations I believe my two assistants, Shane Harrelson and Brett Stowers may have enjoyed themselves more as they put the finishing touches on the putting surfaces as the following picture clearly demonstrates:

Two Rollers!

...when you are setting up the course for Tough Day two rollers beats one all day long!


Last time I mentioned something about an unfortunate incident and I guess I didn't realize what a cliffhanger I created.  Have you ever missed a short putt and in your moment of disgust and disappointment taken your putter and knocked the ball off the putting surface?  I am sure many of you can relate.  Well, the next time you think about reacting as described above please pause and think about what may happen if your hand-eye coordination isn't too good.  I mean if you can't make the two footer you just missed are you sure you can safely hit the ball without hitting the turf?

My radio is sitting where the hole was located

This unfortunate incident occurred on the 17th hole during casual member play following the conclusion of the Donald Ross Challenge.  Fortunately this person immediately reported this to the Pro Shop and apologized for the accident.  Although the incident was no bueno I appreciate the honesty displayed by one of our members!


In other news, many of you may know four years ago I was elected to the Board of Directors of the North South Turfgrass Association (NSTA) and have served stints as Secretary, Treasurer and most recently Vice-President. 

The NSTA is one of 13 local associations comprising the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association and the CGCSA is our regional chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.  At the NSTA annual business meeting held yesterday at Cedarwood C.C. my peers elected me the 2013 President.  I am humbled and honored to be recognized by my fellow superintendents in the greater Charlotte area as their leader and I look forward to representing Carolina Golf Club at the highest level!


See you on the course,


Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent