Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Winter Weather, Project Updates, and The GIS!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Wednesday, January 29th and the golf course is covered in snow!  I don't know about you but I love the look of a snow covered golf course...something peaceful and serene about the fluffy, white blanket on the ground.  Yesterday's winter storm left us with just over 1 inch of the white stuff on the ground and this arctic blast may keep it around a couple of days.

First Snow of Season!

While we are on the subject of the weather, this has been the coldest winter the U.S. has seen since the late 1970's.  The chart below depicts the average temperature for meteorological winter (December 1st - February 28th) over the past 119 years.

























A close look will reveal as recently as 2010 the country endured its coldest winter since the winters of 1984 and 1985, and this winter has already surpassed all three of those just mentioned.  This current blast of arctic air will most likely send this winter past that of 1978, and depending on how February plays out, quite possibly the winters of 1905 and 1929 too.  All that means this could potentially become at least the 5th coldest winter the U.S. has endured in the last 119 years.  Thank goodness for global warming or who knows how cold it would have been this year!

Now, let me clarify this data reflects the entire U.S., not just the southeast or North Carolina, so please keep that in perspective.  Also, I do not bring this information to your attention simply to satisfy my inner weather geek, nor do I have stock in heating oil, natural gas, or propane.  I bring this to your attention because we have over 90 acres of bermudagrass growing on the golf course, and bermudagrass is a WARM-SEASON grass.  In other words, it doesn't like cold.  The terms winter injury and winter kill get mentioned quite often in turfgrass circles during cold winters, and above I referenced 2010 was the last cold winter seen in these parts.  In the spring of that year we experienced some winter related injury and death to parts of the golf course.  Most notably to portions of the collars where the topography tilted North, North-facing bunker slopes, shade affected tees on the 6th and 9th holes, and a shady area on the right side of the 1st fairway.

I am not saying we are going to experience widespread death of bermudagrass, but I do want everyone to realize and understand the extremes Mother Nature has brought upon us this year certainly point to the potential for some winter injury and possible winter kill of turf located in the more extreme micro-climates on the golf course.  On the bright side, I was expecting a colder than normal winter this year thanks to a new weather information resource.  I believe it was late October/early November when I first began to receive forecasts predicting the patterns that have brought us wave after wave of cold Canadian and arctic air this year.  My staff and I took these warnings seriously and placed covers on certain sensitive areas that previously experienced winter related problems to minimize any potential damage the course may encounter this year.  We have also taken precautions throughout the winter to try and protect our turf whenever possible, such as using turning boards to protect the collars from compaction associated with turning mowers and rollers changing directions.  Also, this past Monday we irrigated the golf course to combat potential desiccation associated with these extreme arctic blasts, because extreme cold equals dry and it's the dry that can be the real problem in these conditions.  We are in the middle of what is historically the coldest week of the year, so hopefully the worst is nearly behind us and here's hoping it's cloudy on Groundhog Day...we don't need any groundhogs seeing shadows!

In other news, the construction project at the back of the driving range is coming along quite nicely. The shaping and rough grading is complete.  Next up is internal drainage and irrigation installation. Once that work is finished the tee will be capped with a 4-inch layer of sand to create the finish grade and then be ready for sod.  Here are a few photos of the work thus far, and you can follow me (@CGCGreenkeeper) or Golf Course Services (@GCSofNC) on Twitter to see and read these updates as they happen in real time.


Smoothing Surface
Shooting Grades



















Coming Into Form
Finally, next week I will represent Carolina Golf Club at the 2014 Golf Industry Show in Orlando.  I am scheduled to be in two seminars early next week and then I will be attending the industry's largest trade show on Wednesday and Thursday.  I will be tweeting about my experience for those of you following along, so look for #GIS14.

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent
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Friday, January 17, 2014

Bunkers, Tees, Twitter, and More!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Friday, January 17th and it has been 4 weeks since my last update.  Four weeks is a long time in this business, and a lot has happened, but not much has changed either.  Confused?  Let me explain.  Thanks to Mother Nature the golf course is still dormant, and still WET!  We wrapped up December with 7.48" rain for the month (#soggy)!  The first two weeks of January has brought another 2.58" rain and some bitterly cold temperatures (remember the record low of 6 degrees last week).  Needless to say we have been bundled up and #CartPathOnly for some time now.  However, despite a slow down over the holidays and the weather conditions turning unfavorable, my staff has managed to keep the golf course in exceptional condition and Golf Course Services has completed the bunker renovations.  

During my last post I referenced how @GCSofNC (for you Twitter folks) had been knocking out our bunker renovations at warp speed.  At that time they had surpassed 50 bunkers.  I am happy to report to you bunker renovations finished today!  GCS completed renovations to the large practice bunker, located in the short game area between the practice putting and chipping greens earlier this afternoon.  The renovations to this bunker were slightly more involved than the others, because practice bunkers age exponentially compared to on course bunkers due to their continuous use.  As shot, after shot, after shot is hit from the practice bunker the constant "blasting" of sand displaces a large amount onto the grass bunker face.  Despite continuous efforts to remove the sand build up from the grass face, layers do develop in the soil over time and cause turf problems.  Thus, all the turf was completely removed from the bunker face, the sand layers stripped and removed from the original soil bunker cavity, and new sod installed. 

Sand Build-up Removed
New Sod Being Installed

Better Than Before!

With bunker renovations now behind us our attention is solely focused on the new tee construction projects I referenced last time.  Earlier today I met with our architect, Kris Spence along with JD of GCS to look at the new championship tee construction on hole 13.

When finished, the three of us explored several new teeing options for holes 14 and 18.  The Greens Committee asked Kris some time back about the possibility of joining the back tees of the neighboring holes together in a similar fashion like on holes 6 and 8.

Checking It Out
Rough Idea


















Another Option Emerging

After that we rode down to the fairway bunker complex separating the 6th and 7th holes to explore the possibility of adding two or three more bunkers and a new mound or two.  Then it was lunch in the bar with some wonderful stories before calling it a day.  I must say it was a very enjoyable morning.  The whole process felt like old times, and brought back a lot of fond memories of the three of us working together during the master plan renovations five years ago!

In other news, I know some of you still don't follow on Twitter so here are a few highlights... and low lights you may have missed:


That's all for now, I need to put the finishing touches on the PowerPoint presentation I will be making at the 2014 Annual Meeting next week (Tuesday, January 21st).  As customary I will be recapping last year and giving everyone a glimpse of what to expect in 2014.  Hope everyone can make it!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent
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Friday, December 20, 2013

Quick Update, Reflections, and Merry Christmas!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Friday, December 20th and I want to quickly bring you up to speed with what's going on out on the golf course, then share something I hope you will enjoy.  Our bunker renovation project is moving along at warp speed.  At this time Golf Course Services has completed bunker renovations on holes 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,14,15,17&18.  This totals over 50 bunkers.  During my last post I referenced the new tee construction scheduled to begin once bunker renovations are complete.  Preparations for this work is underway as my staff has been clearing underbrush from the surrounding area, and sand is being stockpiled on site.  After GCS takes a short break for Christmas, they will return to renovate all the bunkers on holes 12 and 13, then we will turn our attention to the new tee construction. 

In other course related news, last week I met with the members of the Greens Committee.  The discussion went something like this...

The following day was what I will describe as a prototypical late fall day in North Carolina (remember the first day of winter is tomorrow) with bright sunshine and not a cloud in sight!

Thanks to all of you following along.  I hope you find these nuggets informative and helpful, as well as entertaining.

This past Tuesday I was attending the Past President's Dinner of Carolina Golf Club.  I have been very fortunate to receive an invitation to this annual event each year since becoming superintendent, and I always enjoy the stories about the club's history.  Anyway, this year a microphone was passed around the room giving each person a chance to say a little something, or not.  As the microphone made its way around the large table there were many great things said about Carolina Golf Club, its leadership (past and present), its membership, the golf course, and the staff.  When my turn came I simply passed the microphone, and an opportunity to say something meaningful and profound was momentarily lost.  However, knowing I have the luxury of this forum and having had a few more days to reflect...

Ahem (clears throat).

I was first introduced to the game of golf by my grandfather, John M. Hankins, Jr.  Pap Pa (pronounced Pap Paw) as he is affectionately known is a veteran of World War II and a retired railroad man.  He was a devoted husband for over 50 years to his late wife Margaret, and he still loves golf and fishing.  He will celebrate his 91st birthday this coming Monday (December 23rd). 





















He made my very first golf club by cutting down an old Powerbilt 4-wood of his when I was about four years old.  I still have it on display in my home, and it is one of my most cherished possessions!

Old Faithful!

Remember These!
Hillerich and Bradsby (since 1916)














A few years later my first-cousin and I each received junior sets of clubs for Christmas.  That spring we took Pap Pa's riding mower and removed the pin used to control the mowing height on the floating deck.  We scalped a large circle out in front of the house then used a garden trowel to dig a small hole.  We placed an empty tin can in the hole for a cup, and took turns deciding where the tee was located and the route you had to take to get to the green (you were not allowed to go over the house or Granny would kill you!).  When I look back on these times, I believe I was destined to be a golf course superintendent.

Fast forward several years to 1988.  I am about a month shy of my 20th birthday and I get an offer to work at Lake Bonaventure Country Club in Castlewood, VA.  LBCC is a modest 9-hole private club formed in the late 1950's.  Although I had played there on a few occasions while growing up, this opportunity truly set me on a long, winding path that led to my current destination.  LBCC was designed by Alexander McKay (more on him later) and truth is during my tenure at Bonaventure nobody knew that (at least nobody I knew ever discussed it).  In fact, I never knew it until after I became superintendent of Carolina Golf Club in 2005.

Prior to coming to Carolina I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Virginia Tech and then worked at two other golf courses, Augustine Golf Club in Stafford, VA and Swan Point Yacht & Country Club in Issue, MD.  Augustine was designed in the early 1990's by Rick Jacobson, a former design associate of Jack Nicklaus.  Augustine was Jacobson's first solo design in the U.S. and it is widely considered to be the grandfather of upscale, daily fee golf in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  Swan Point was designed by Bob Cupp in the late 1980's and both courses really are good golf courses, and I enjoyed playing them, but something was missing.  During those years, my wife Darless and I would travel when time allowed and play other courses in the region.  We found most other public access courses were also modern era designs, and although most were very well maintained, they too were not the most pleasing to our palettes.

In the spring of 2005 an opportunity to become the golf course superintendent of Carolina Golf Club became available.  Darless and I traveled from Virginia to see the course and explore the possibility of relocating to Charlotte.  During that first round at Carolina something clicked.  I saw features that reminded me of Bonaventure, and the game I remembered so fondly from my early greenkeeping days came rushing back.  It was this experience that prompted me to track down the original architect of Lake Bonaventure and ultimately discover Alex McKay and his history. 

Alexander G. McKay was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1893.  He learned golf at Cruden Bay Golf Club in Aberdeen and moved to the U.S. shortly after World War I.  After bouncing around with several odd jobs he became the superintendent and golf professional for the city of Louisville, KY in 1926, caring for their city parks and golf courses.  He remained in Louisville for ten years before moving to Charleston, WV and designing Meadowbrook CC.  He served as that club's first professional and superintendent, and remained there until after World War II.  Following World War II, Mr. McKay became the golf professional and superintendent of Holston Hills CC in Knoxville, TN and became famous for successfully converting their bermudagrass greens to bentgrass.  He remained at Holston Hills for a decade before becoming a full time course architect and turf consultant.

Why is all that significant you ask.  Anyone with any knowledge of Donald Ross knows Holston Hills is widely regarded in many circles as one of the top 10 golf courses ever designed by Donald Ross.  Thus, it is only natural someone entrusted with the care of a top 10 Donald Ross design would incorporate Ross like features in design work of his own down the road.  Thus, my love affair with Donald Ross originated via a surrogate!  (Sidebar: Alex McKay is credited for having designed Statesville CC just up the road in 1962.  He died in Nashville, TN in 1964 at the age of 71.)

Since arriving at Carolina I have had the pleasure of seeing first hand this well crafted layout transformed to a golf course which can hold its own with the finest of Ross designs.  Over the years I have managed to enhance my Ross education by traveling and experiencing several other courses of his in the Carolinas: Grove Park Inn (Asheville), Mimosa Hills CC (Morganton), Roaring Gap Club (Sparta), Catawba CC (Newton), Charlotte CC, Myers Park CC, CC of Salisbury, Camden CC, Forsyth CC (Winston-Salem), Sedgefield CC (Greensboro), Pine Needles, Mid-Pines, Southern Pines CC, and of course Pinehurst No. 2.  What I have discovered is how brilliant the man was and how he mastered the simple.  There are no gimmicks on a Donald Ross golf course, the challenge is right there in front of you.  His courses truly challenge the best players of the game, but are very playable and fun for the highest handicappers.  I am constantly amazed how courses like Carolina, Southern Pines, Mid-Pines, Catawba, Mimosa Hills or Camden still have a high resistance to scoring when played from between 6200 to 6600 yards!  Ross courses are brilliantly routed with holes cleverly crafted along some of the most beautiful, natural topography I have ever seen. 

Copy of Original Ross Routing

Being entrusted to care for Carolina Golf Club is an honor and a privilege, and I cannot think of anyplace else I would rather be... or play!  (Voice of the late Paul Harvey, " ...and now you know the rest of the story".)  Hey, I said it was long and winding!

Darless and I will be traveling tomorrow to Virginia to celebrate Christmas with both our families.  Although we both are looking forward to getting there and spending time with our loved-ones, we are already looking forward to getting back to Charlotte and to Carolina Golf Club, our home!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the members of Carolina Golf Club!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent

Information about Alexander G. McKay courtesy of "The Golf Course" by Geoffrey S. Cornish and Ronald E. Whitten, May 1985
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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

A Big Surprise, Catching Up, Other News and Many Thanks!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Wednesday, November 27th and I want to share some important things with you before I wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!  Last time I mentioned you can find me on twitter @CGCGreenkeeper.  In the short time I have been a twitter newbie I have picked up several followers, and I sincerely hope you feel the information you have been receiving is worthwhile.  I will admit I have more industry followers than members currently, but that is okay... I find it useful to see what my peers are doing on their respective courses too.

Early last week I was in Myrtle Beach attending the annual conference and trade show of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendent's Association (CGCSA).  In attendance with me representing Carolina Golf Club was Senior Assistant, Brett Stowers and Equipment Manager, Kenneth Bailey, Jr.  Brett and I attended several accredited classes and seminars for continuing education and pesticide license renewal requirements.  JR is a member of TETAC (Turf Equipment Technician's Association of the Carolinas) and he attended several classes at their education conference held in conjunction with ours.  Prior to the beginning of the education conference I competed in the annual golf championship, something I have done each year since 2007.  In 2008, I managed to finish T3 (two shots back) but really hadn't managed to make any noise since then until a strange set of events this year.  To find out what happened Click Here for the rest of the story.

In the short time I was away last week, our good friend Mother Nature visited to put the rest of the golf course to sleep.  The frost we experienced back in late October took the color out of the rough but this time, with morning low temperatures in the low 20's, she managed to make things look a little different.

Anyway, despite the dormant appearance of the golf course there was still much work to be done.  I got busy and took advantage of a warmer day to make a scheduled fertilizer application.


Monday, both my staff and the guys from Golf Course Services were trying to accomplish as much as possible knowing yesterday was going to be a rain out (2.8 inches rain recorded by the way).  We painted the target greens and took steps to protect some bermudagrass turf with a history of vulnerability.


Covers on the North-facing Faces!
Picaso?

















We also covered a handful of tee boxes on the 6th and 9th holes, so be sure and look for the markers in alternative locations while these areas are protected.

At this time GCS has renovated the bunkers on the following holes: 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 & 17 (save for the large, greenside bunker on the right side of 17).  This totals 36 bunkers in all, meaning we are practically at the half-way point of this project.  We were blessed with some great weather the first three weeks and GCS made incredible progress.  With some wetter weather and holidays, expect things to slow a little but remain ahead of schedule. 

In other news, I am happy to report at last week's meeting the Board of Governors approved funding for the construction of a new back tee on number 13, reconfiguration of the back tees on numbers 14 & 18, and construction of a new 17,000 square feet alternative tee located at the back of the driving range.  All three of these projects will be conducted under the design and supervision of our architect, Kris Spence and Golf Course Services.  These projects will commence once the bunker renovations are completed so more info on these in future updates.

Okay, so tomorrow is Thanksgiving and one cool thing Carolina Golf Club does on Thanksgiving is close the club for the holiday.  This permits all staff members to have the opportunity to spend the holiday with those near and dear to them.  The golf course is accessible for those members wishing to get out of the kitchen and walk a few holes.  As is customary, I will be making a stop by the course to "check on things".  I ride through each year on Thanksgiving morning to make sure nothing is out of place or out of the ordinary.  The past few years the weather has not been an issue and frost has not been a threat, but this year is a little different.  With morning low temperatures tomorrow expected to be near 23 degrees frost is certainly a concern, and I will be hanging around a little longer to make sure nobody inadvertently helps themselves to the course before they should.  I only ask those of you planning a good walk spoiled tomorrow to please use good judgment with regards to how early you arrive!

For years now I have compiled a list of things I am thankful for at Thanksgiving.  The past two years I mentioned how thankful I was for my wife and how she tolerates me at the end of the list...well this year I am listing her number one!  I am thankful for many things in 2013 and they include...
  1. My wife...and more importantly, her love and support through it all!
  2. Our family...a granddaughter's love is the best love!
  3. My faith...many more blessings than deserved!
  4. My grandfather...90 years old, my hero!
  5. Golf...truly is the greatest of all games!
  6. My staff...simply the best in Charlotte!
  7. Carolina Golf Club...your support inspires me!
  8. Friends...both on and off the course!
  9. New golf clubs...getting fitted truly makes a difference!
  10. Being your superintendent...no place I'd rather be!
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
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Saturday, November 16, 2013

Tweet Tweet!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Saturday, November 16th and I wanted to let you know you can now find me on twitter.

Be sure to follow me and stay updated with more frequent news and nuggets from the turf care world of Carolina Golf Club.

Thanks!

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent
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Friday, November 8, 2013

Congrats, Renovation Update and Busy Beavers!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Friday, November 8th and I want to quickly bring you up to speed with everything taking place on your golf course.  We just wrapped up a spectacular weekend with some incredible golf in this year's Carolina Invitational (won by our very own Stephen Woodard and Brett Boner).  Their two-day total of 126 (16 under par) may or may not be a tournament record but their second round 64 was definitely one of the best rounds this year given the cool, breezy conditions the field encountered.  The Invitational is always special and this year was no exception with beautiful sunny skies both days.  Check out the scene below I captured just moments after the fog lifted prior to the start of play on day one.

A Beautiful Morning!
The tournament wrapped up late Sunday afternoon and with the time change back to standard time my staff and I jumped head first into "off-season" projects.  Monday saw all the greens at Carolina aerated and topdressed.  Did he really just say that?  To clarify, the putting greens were vented using solid, needle tines and lightly topdressed to help smooth the putting surfaces.  October was a very busy month with the Donald Ross Challenge, Pro-Am, Guest Day and Tough Day all leading into the Carolina Invitational.  During all that time the greens were mowed, double mowed, mowed and rolled, double mowed and rolled, even mowed and double rolled all in effort to provide the absolute best putting surfaces.  We performed the venting operation to alleviate compaction from all the rolling and the topdressing was applied to help smooth the accumulation of ball marks over the course of those events.

Of course Golf Course Services, Inc. (GCS) mobilized and began our bunker renovation project right away.  Taking advantage of a closed golf course this past Monday they were able to work unimpeded on the par 3 ninth hole. 
Old Sand Being Removed
To reiterate, we are removing the existing bunker sand.  This old sand is contaminated with silt and clay soil particles from several years of severe rain events washing the sand away from the bunker cavity.  The contamination changes the playing characteristics of the sand.  The silt and clay particles hold moisture thus making the sand "heavy".  (The old bunker sand is being stock piled on site to be reused as topdressing for tees and fairways).  Once the sand is removed the original bunker cavity dimensions are exposed and grass lines modified accordingly. 


Exposing the original bunker edge
Notice the sand build-up above the clay cavity




















New, improved bunker sand is installed.  The newer bunker sand we are installing was not originally available when the golf course was renovated in 2008.  This newer sand is more angular and thus provides both a firmer surface but also holds in place better minimizing severe wash outs which lead to contamination over time.  The new sand is compacted and the bunker then raked and ready for play.
New Sand Being Compacted
If you look closely at the two photos below you can see the new sod that was added to portions of the bunker face to reestablish the grass lines back to the original contours.  Also, the layer of sand build-up has been removed from under the turf and the sod tamped to create a "rolled" edge into the bunker on the low side.
 
Finished Product!
Raked and Ready for Play!
 




















After all four bunkers on number 9 were completed the crew moved directly to the par 5 eighth hole where they have managed to completely renovate 5 of the 7 bunkers on that hole and they are working on one of the two remaining this morning.  That's 10 bunkers in one week thanks to some very cooperative weather!  There are 79 total bunkers on property (77 on the golf course and two practice bunkers).  This project will be continuing over the next couple months as we make our way through the entire golf course (minus of course, the bunkers renovated in the same manner this time last year).

A few other projects we are busy working on include trimming low hanging limbs and branches on three key holes.  Holes 8, 13 and 14 are located on the perimeter of the club's property and many limbs and branches from our pine tree buffer were too low and adversely affecting our ability to grow and maintain quality turf.  We have been busy working along these holes lifting the tree canopies to allow better sunlight penetration.
Not for the Faint of Heart
Also, we have installed additional stone "curbing" alongside the cart path where some people have a propensity to drive NASCAR style (through the grass) on the inside edge of turns.  These areas will fill in with new turf next season and add to the overall aesthetic quality of the golf course.

Number 8
Number 10




















Since we are on the subject of cart paths, this time every year we edge the cart paths to remove unwanted bermudagrass encroachment.  The process is lengthy because we have several miles of cart path but this is a perfect time of year for such a project.


Removing the Debris
A Clean Edge!




















Another task we are working on right now is applying compost to high traffic and weak turf areas.  Currently we are concentrating only on the roughs so as not to adversely affect the playing conditions of fairways since the bermudgrass has ceased growing for the year as it enters winter dormancy.  The compost will break down and help modify the soil in these areas to better sustain quality turf.


Fully Loaded!
Always Improving!




















So, to recap...congrats to Stephen and Brett, greens recently aerated and topdressed, bunkers being renovated, trees limbs being trimmed, cart paths being edged and curbed, compost being applied...wonder what we are going to do next week!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent
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Friday, October 25, 2013

Renovations, Mat Time and Tough Day!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"! Today is Friday, October 25th and I want to discuss some important items with you.  You may recall last year in late November/early December we contracted with Golf Course Services, Inc. (GCS) to renovate a handful of greenside bunkers.  J.D. Downey and his crew removed the old, contaminated bunker sand, restored the original grass lines by installing sod and then installed new, improved bunker sand Labor Surge, Bunkers, Trees and Drought!.  The process only lasted about three weeks (11 bunkers total were renovated) but the impact has been dramatic.  Thanks to the positive feedback many of you have provided this past year with regards to the improved playability of the renovated bunkers, the Board of Governors approved the recommendation of the Greens Committee to renovate the remaining bunkers this off-season!

I can honestly say the biggest "complaint" or negative commentary received in my department or at the Greens Committee level is mostly about the bunkers.  The typical gripe is the bunkers are inconsistent.  This can mean several things such as the sand depth is inconsistent, the sand texture is inconsistent, the sand moisture content is inconsistent, etc.  In the past year since we renovated nearly a dozen bunkers my assistants and I have examined our maintenance procedures in order to identify areas where we may directly or indirectly contribute to these types of problems and we have been successful in making a few adjustments this year to ensure we are not a contributing factor to future bunker degradation.  However, over time bunkers and their playability do change regardless of the time and effort my staff spend attending them.  Recently the United States Golf Association's Green Section released a short video on sand bunkers and namely the reasons why bunker inconsistency is a consistent complaint on golf courses throughout the country.  I have shared it with you here... USGA Bunker Video.

The project is scheduled to commence Monday, November 4th so that is just around the corner.  We originally scheduled this project to begin in December but all parties agreed to move up the start time to allow for potential inclement weather delays since several long range forecasting models I review are calling for a colder than normal winter this year.  Anyway, our plan is to complete par 3 bunkers on Mondays when the course is closed.  When renovating greenside bunkers on par 4's and par 5's we will use temporary hole locations in the approach same as last year.  Temporary tee locations will be placed in the fairways when working on fairway bunkers.  We are taking these steps to avoid closing golf holes but also we want to allow GCS and their crew to perform the work without delay... and without having to dodge golf balls.  Bunkers will only be renovated on one golf hole at a time so as to minimize your disruption to the golf course.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation as we all work together this winter to make your golf course and playing experience better!

With our first frost of the season taking place yesterday and a hard freeze forecasted for tonight it is only a matter of time before our bermudagrass begins its annual winter hibernation.  The protocol with regards to the driving range tee and its use during the "off-season" is to close the natural grass teeing area after the end of Daylight Savings Time (DST) and all range participation takes place from the artificial teeing areas.  This year DST officially ends on Sunday, November 3rd thus we will be closing the range tee and utilizing the artificial teeing areas beginning Tuesday, November 5th (election day).

I wanted to inform everyone my staff has spent this past week working diligently on the artificial teeing surfaces.  Each 5'x5' mat was removed from its location and examined.  The base material under each mat was re-leveled and mats were reinstalled.  Before reinstalling the mats were shuffled throughout the tee line and rotated in order to provide a fresh area from which to hit golf shots.  The mats were topdressed lightly where necessary and I am pleased with their appearance and feel as our "off-season" approaches.  We had to completely replace two mats and I am sure the new ones will be readily noticed and used more frequently when available.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Remember when we were kids and your mother would fuss at you to be quiet and not run through the house, especially the kitchen when she was baking a cake because she didn't want the cake to fall?  Well, this past Wednesday (October 23rd) my cake fell.  Let me explain.  Tough Day is supposed to be a very difficult golf challenge.  Like a mad scientist I stretch the golf course to its maximum yardage and locate holes in positions where creativity and imagination are required to unlock the puzzle on how best to approach them. 
Bwaahahaha!
Not to mention the golf course is firm and fast and the greens are double mowed and rolled to provide a smooth and terrifyingly fast putting surface.  In other words there are several ingredients that go into the challenge that is Tough Day.  The staff worked diligently all morning preparing the golf course and cleaning the property of divots, leaves, pine needles, etc. and then...to say the wind began to blow would be the understatement of the year.  As the cold front which brought us yesterday's frost approached the wind began to quickly undo everything my staff and I worked so hard to create.  Like a mother wanting to yell at the kids to be quiet and stop running through the kitchen I could only watch as my cake fell.  The wind was so strong at Carolina this past Wednesday I know it added at least 10 shots to the golf course.  Attempting to strategically place the ball on the proper portion of the green from the fairway along with any other strategy was thrown out the window and the day became a survival test, just getting on the greens was a minor victory...until you saw what kind of putt you faced!  Needless to say, the wind alone would have made normal pin positions and normal tee placements "tough day" so this year's Tough Day was extremely tough...but it was also fun!  I am already thinking about the setup for next year, Bwaahahaha! 

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton
Golf Course Superintendent
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