Golf Season is over and Winter season begins.

The season is officially over and looking back, it was a very successful season for us on the golf course maintenance staff. I would have to say that the golf course improved tremendously and we learned a lot more about our golf course. Just because the golfing season is over does not mean that our season is over. There is much more work to be done. Blowing out the irrigation system, topdressing, covering the bunkers, renovations on #9 and a trip to Las Vegas are projects that need to be done before winter is upon us. With all of the work ahead, I was able to keep six members of our crew on until the end of the year. I am very thankful for having them.

Last week the irrigation system was blown out for the winter. The air compressor this year was bigger than last year so the process went much faster. I have a picture of the compressor but the photo came out blurry. Below is a picture of the 13th green during the blowout. As you can see there was a bit of snow but not enough to slow us down.

A funny story from my past. When I was in Casper, Wyoming doing the first irrigation blowout of my career, it had snowed more than a foot the night before. Not knowing what the winters in Casper entailed, we started blowing out the system and what a nightmare that was. During the process we had many heads stick on and would not shut down until the valve was closed. Well finding the locations of the valves in 1 to 3 feet of snow and snow drifts is very difficult. It took us a week to finish blowing out the system. The two superintendents of the other courses in town would drive by for a good chuckle. A few weeks later when the snow had blown away and they had just finished blowing out their systems in a day, we went to lunch and they just laughed at me about doing a blowout in feet of snow. They both told me that each year around Halloween, a storm comes through and dumps some snow and once the snow leaves they blow out the irrigation system. Well thanks for telling me before hand. I will never forget my time in Casper.



The weather has been great for topdressing. Yesterday the staff completed topdressing the tees. It took us about a week to finish which was a few days faster than last year due to the weather. We have started topdressing the greens but have been slowed down due to the slow delivery of sand. Our topdressing efforts are progressing much faster than the hauling so once the sand shows up, the pile is done the next day. I am hoping that we can beat the snow that is coming our way.

Every year we have to cover the bunkers to prevent the sand from blowing out of the bunkers. The sand is imported from Florence, Oregon and since it is beach sand it is very light. We tend to lose a lot of sand during the winter. So our efforts in covering the bunkers is time well spent. We cover the bunkers for two reasons; so that the sand that is blowing out of the bunkers is not deposited on the any of the playing surfaces especially the greens and so that we do not have to purchase as much sand in the spring for replacement.

Construction on #9 has begun. Monday and Tuesday were spent stripping the sod, moving bunker sand and removing any irrigation that would need to be rerouted. The plan for #9 green is to eliminate a large portion of the green side bunker and enlarge the front of the green. The green will increase in size approximately 1500 square feet and what is left of the green side bunker will become a riveted pot bunker. Since we are going into the winter season, we will only do the shaping work and finish the green next spring due to the freezing and thawing that occurs during the winter in Bend. The plan is to get the shaping work done before this Friday since the management staff is off to Las Vegas for a managerial team building session.

Along with all the work we have done and currently doing, our new equipment package arrived yesterday. We received 12 Gators, 12 walkmowers, 2 riding mowers, a bunker rake and a tractor. All of the equipment that arrived is replacing a fleet of equipment that was here during construction and grow-in of the golf course. During that process, equipment is put under more difficult working conditions compared to a finished golf course. The new equipment is greatly needed and will last us for the next five years.

Thanks for following our blog and I hope that everyone has a great week.

Winterizing Update

The winterizing has started and the weather is cooperating to some degree. We have been able to spray the greens and fairways with our preventative winter disease applications. This week the tees are being sprayed and we will begin topdressing the tees as well. This entire process takes a great deal of time but the benefits definitely outweigh the time spent. In the previous entry, a detailed explanation of why we spray and topdress was written. Here are a few pictures to go along with the explanation.


This picture was taken in April of 2009. You can clearly see the areas that were topdressed prior to the winter. The green grass is from the sand absorbing the sunlight and giving off heat.

One of the tees on hole #4. I show this picture every year to the person that is topdressing the tees. Please try not to make any skips while topdressing. This picture was taken in March of 2009. Not green yet but it is starting.

Not me or a person on my crew. These pictures were taken in December of 2007. A decision was made by a Superintendent to continue to topdress. If you really want to know, try and expand the following picture on the driver of the tractor and you will find the answer.

Probably not the safest time to be topdressing with a heavy load of sand and smooth tires.

Winter is coming

It is October 20th and we are getting to the point where winter is just around the corner. Winters in Central Oregon can be pretty unpredictable. There is the chance of snow, rain, sleet, 70 degree days, below zero nights, sunny and windy. All of these can actually occur in the same day, so protecting the turfgrass from the elements is key to a successful spring and following season. Here are three items that help us going into the winter: eliminating cart traffic, fungicide applications and topdressing with sand.

Why cartpaths only?

The fine fescue needs a break after a long golfing season of traffic both from golf carts and walking. Since the fine fescue has a moderate to low wear tolerance and low recuperative capacity, it is beneficial to remove excess traffic at some point in the season to encourage the fescue to rebound before inclimate weather arrives. This season carts were moved to cart path only in the middle of September. I agree 100% that this is a major inconvenience to our members and guests but it is necessary. Since the recuperative capacity is low, it takes a prolonged amount of time for the fine fescue to get back to a stage of quality so that it can take on the rigors of winter. Since the carts have been on cart paths only, I have noticed a significant improvement in the fine fescue. This fall, we have started to aerify and incorporate crumb rubber and diatomaceous earth in order decrease the affects of traffic, namely in reducing compaction.

"Surface compaction of turf soils occurs primarily in response to traffic. Particles of soil are pressed together with resultant increases in bulk density, soil strength, and water-holding capacity and decreases in aeration porosity, water infiltration and percolation.....Physiological responses of plants to soil compaction include not only reduced root growth, but reduced shoot growth, reduced water and nutrient uptake, reduced tolerance to heat and drought stresses, and increased susceptibility to scald and direct low-temperature injury." (Turgeon, 1996)

As you can see, such a simple process of driving a golf cart over turfgrass, especially fine fescue, can have a major impact on quality and survivability. Our practices are based on the best interest of the turfgrass environment and not to inconvenience anyone.

Why fungicide applications?

The application of fungicides going into the winter is to prevent or decrease the amount of infection from the Microdocium nivale fungus otherwise know as Pink Snow Mold and to a lesser degree from the Typhula incarnata fungus or Grey Snow Mold. These diseases can be devastating to turfgrass especially the fine fescues if not treated with a fungicide prior to the first snow fall. Pink Snow Mold is active during prolonged cool, wet weather and in climates where snow is common intermittently. Grey Snow Mold develops under deep and prolonged snow cover. Pink Snow Mold and Grey Snow Mold are common in Central Oregon but like the weather, disease infection can vary from location to location. Golf Courses in Sunriver suffer worse outbreaks than in Bend and Bend suffers worse outbreaks than in Redmond. More specifically Tetherow will see less disease outbreaks than Broken Top Club and Widgi Creek Golf Course and we are only separated by approximately three miles.

As we near our usual dates of applying our preventative fungicides a very important change has occured this year that affects each and every golf course. The EPA put a stop sale on the popular fungicide PCNB this year. This means that our suppliers are not able to purchase and sell PCNB to their customers whom normally use PCNB as their preventative fungicide application. Those suppliers and golf course that have PCNB from prior applications can apply it this season. PCNB has proven to be a cost effective product in Pink Snow Mold and Grey Snow Mold protection for the period of time, 90+ days, that we normally want to see the protection last. So this year we are going to use different fungicides that have been tested by many universities throughout the country with great success for our preventative applications. I believe that the products available to us now have better chemistry's which will provide better protection from the snow molds but the only question is will they have the longevity comparable to PCNB. A repeat application may be required mid season if we have a break in snow cover. I am crossing my fingers.

Why the heavy sand topdressing?

I have learned many things from all of the golf courses in different areas of the country that I have worked at but one of the most important lessens I learned was topdressing. While in Casper, Wyoming, topdressing at a heavy rate was the difference between having grass or not having grass in the spring. The winters in Casper are brutal. The dominate weather during the winter are extreme cold temperatures, very low humidity and very high consistent wind speeds. A typical day includes, high temperatures 25-35, 10% humidity and sustained winds of 30 mph. Not the best environment to be living or working outside.

Our winters in Central Oregon are similar to those in Casper but not as extreme which makes our topdressing practices very important. A heavy layer of sand benefits our golf course in these ways:

• The sand layer protects the crown of the plant (growing point) from wind desiccation during the winter. So as the temperatures and humidity decrease and the wind speeds increase, the sand will protect the delicate crowns from dehydration. Just because the sand is applied does not always mean that the turfgrass is protected. Many high spots can still be damaged due to the lack of moisture.
• The application of sand in either light or heavy amounts dilute the organic material produced during the growth of any turfgrass environment.
• Heavy or light topdressing will smooth and firm the playing surfaces.
• With the sand being a dark color it absorbs the sunlight thus heating up the surface and subsurface or soil temperature to encourage plant growth during the spring. I like this aspect of the practice because we are getting a jump start every spring instead of waiting for the ambient temperatures to increase soil temperatures. As we all know, our springs can be very cold in Central Oregon.

"Topdressing is the practice by which a thin layer of soil (sand) is applied to an established turf or a new turfgrass planting. When used in conjunction with turfgrass establishment, its purposes are to partially cover and stabilize the planting material and to retard desiccation. On established turfs, topdressing is performed for several purposes, including controlling thatch, smoothing a playing surface, promoting recovery from injury or disease, protecting greens in winter, and changing the characteristics of the turfgrass growth medium." (Turgeon 1996)

The topdressing program is vital to the success of our turfgrass environment. As you can see, applications of sand on a regular basis provide multiple benefits. And these benefits will always outweigh the cost of the sand and labor needed to continue the program. Many course have been doing a similar program for the past 10 to 15 years and have been very successful. The next time you travel to Portland or Seattle and play the premier clubs, notice how firm and smooth the fairways are and envision that at Tetherow in the future.

Well that was a lot of information and I hope that it answers any questions that you may have. I will post some pictures of these topics in the near future.

#2 Green Renovation Continued

The green is ready for sod. The sod that we stripped during the initial phase of the renovation will be replaced. The entire sodding process took us two days. We still have some final shaping of the green surrounds and then we will hydromulch the rest of the disturbed area.

Now we hope that good weather is forcasted so that the sod can begin rooting. Once the sod is more stable, we will topdress the new sod with a heavy coat of sand and put it to bed for the winter. Throughout the winter, the sod will be checked on a weekly basis for moisture. If the sod needs any moisture, we will add some water using the hydromulcher. I will make sure to take photos when that occurs.

We will look forward to opening the new green extension next season. Look for future blog topics such as topdressing, disease prevention, winter construction and more.

#2 Green Renovation Continued

The shaping is done and has been approved by David Kidd and now we can start installing the drainage system, pea gravel layer and then the USGA Greensmix. The following pictures show you all the remaining steps besides the grassing. This coming Monday, we will start sodding the new green and this should take us approximately four to five days to complete.

In my opinion, the sodding is the most difficult task in a greens renovation. During the sodding process, the staff is very meticulous in placing the sod pieces so that the seems are smooth and consistent. A quality sod job ensures a quality putting surface.

Hearing bone drainage system.

Perforated drain pipe is laid into the trenches. Then a four inch layer of pea gravel is spread out over the entire area.

After the pea gravel is installed, we check the final grade and make any adjustments necessary.

Then the sand installation begins. Twelve inches of USGA Greensmix is installed.

Once all of the greensmix is installed, we take a lot of time compacting the sand so that settling will not occur in the future. In order to compact the sand we use the mini-ex, plate compactor and a lot of water to make sure not only are the depths accurate but to ensure the stability of the sand. This process will take several days. In comparison to time, the installation of the drainage ditches, pipe, pea gravel and sand only took two and half days.

See you when we are sodding.

#2 Green Renovation

Great golf courses are a work of art. Many of the top golf courses in the world have gone through many changes over the years. These changes are generally intended to enhance the playing experience, turfgrass health, technology, etc.

At Tetherow our ownership is committed to making the course its very best. With the guidance and support of David McLay Kidd and his talented team along with an in house construction team lead by Golf Course Superintendent Chris Condon, we will be improving areas that will ultimately increase the overall playability, agronomic health and enjoyment of the golf course.

After last seasons' successful projects, most notably the #3 green extension, the ownership has given the green light to continue the success. Currently we are working on the #2 green and when completed will have an additional 1700 square feet of putting surface which will make the entire green size approximately 6600 square feet.

Following are some pictures of our progress. Please look through them and watch the progress in additional blog entries.

We started by stripping the turfgrass in the proposed construction area. This sod with be replaced in a couple of weeks once construction is completed.

With any renovation work, the existing irrigation system requires some re-routing on additional sprinkler heads added. Fortunately for us, the work on #2 will only require irrigation to be re-routed or repositioned.

You can see just a portion of the green that is affected by the renovation. This picture only represents about 5% of the entire green surface. To the left of the green/sand/pea gravel is the new portion of the green.

This is the end result of shaping the area prior to coring for the future green bowl. The shaping is being done in house by yours truly. It is very important to re-create the same type of playing surfaces in and around these green sites. The goal is for the new areas to look and play as if they were originally designed and constructed during initial course construction.

Along with shaping a new area, it is important to incorporate existing features such as this bunker. With the new green, this bunker will really make one think about which line of play they chose. #2 is a 546 yard Par 5 which is rather easy to reach in two. After we are finished and the entire green is in play sometime early next season, certain pin positions will raise the risk/reward level.

So far so good. The construction process is progressing very nicely and we should be grassing within the next 7 to 10 days.

Secret Owner's Tee #9

The par 5 ninth at Tetherow Golf Club is already a difficult hole. When the wind is coming from the South or Southwest, the tee shot is very difficult due to the tightness of the landing area which is surrounded by bunkers. So with that, a new tee was installed when renovation work was being done on the green surround of #8. As I stood behind the #8 green looking up the #9 fairway, I saw an opportunity to add a tee which would create a challenging tee shot. Those people who can hit their drives a long way with accuracy, this tee will definitely be a challenge. The tee is not intended for everyday play but possibly be a tee location for the Tetherow Two Ball or the next time we host the Pacific Northwest Club Professionals Championships.


Look for the tee to be ready for play this fall.