#4 Tee drainage

In the photos below you will see some additional drainage being done on #4 tee. Why here? Unfortunately when many of the tee boxes were built they used ground swales instead of drain pipe to help with water runoff. Over time these areas have developed a lot of thatch and water just collects there with virtually no runoff at all; making it difficult or essentially impossible to mow or maintain to a good standard.  The drains will help get the water out of these areas faster and make for a more acceptable appearance. We use the small pea gravel to fill the ditches in the turf and alongside of the cart path we use a inch and half size washed drain rock. The larger rock along the cart path will be able to catch more run off from the path and get into the drain much quicker and if a cart tire should get into the ditch the larger rock keeps the tire from getting stuck in the ditch itself. We may install some plastic drain grates along this area to help with collecting the water, which will also help with cart tires and the over all look.  

 

In the picture above, in the distance you can make out the crew starting to work on an area by the ladies tee. This area had a water line leak for some time, which was fixed last summer. This did solve some of the wetness in this area, however it also is a low area and the water tends to collect here making it difficult for the ladies to get to their tee with dry feet. The drainage here will help dry up a lot of the sogginess in the turf and make for a lot dryer pathway. When finished here we will proceed to some additional drainage in the fairway/rough on #4 and beyond, stay tuned!

Additional drainage

The picture below is of a project we just finished on #14 tee. We will continue with additional drainage in this area and then  return to #4 where we have some more work to do, stay tuned.

#14 tee The light gray/brown you see in the grass is a topdressing of sand.

It's not often that we get to mow much of the course in January.  This year however, with the recent cold spell and extended period of no rain, we were able to get out and pretty much mow the entire golf course. I've posted a few pictures below to highlight a couple of areas. Enjoy it while you can! I'm sure the rains coming.

#16

#3

#14 Looking back toward the tee

Restroom renovations

Recently we started to renovate the golf course restrooms. The rooms are getting fresh paint and we'll be replacing some of the fixtures as well. 

Men's side #3 restroom

We are starting on the men's side first in each of the restroom facilities and then will continue to the women's. We are sorry for any inconvenience during this time.

#4 Drainage

We have recently started to take care of some drainage issues on hole #4. Over the years many attempts have been made to drain water that comes from a marsh area to the right of #4 fairway and rough where the cart path enters into the tree area off the tee about 150 yards. When we get lots of rain this marsh area fills up and flows into the drain located next to the cart path by #4 green. Unfortunately the drain that takes this water to the lake has failed and has caused the water to backup and collect in the low area along the edge of the fairway and rough to the left. Additionally, the ends of the pipe were buried too deep where they entered the pond, thus the water had no place to go but back up the pipe and out into the fairway and rough. Our plan is to replace much of the pipe with new pipe at the right depth so it will fall into the lake and not back up. We also are eliminating some old connections and basins that were not functioning correctly.

#4 drain basin removal 

 

Lower section pipe replacement

When the project is completed we will have eliminated much of the water that was flowing above ground and get it back into the pipe where it belongs. By virtue of the terrain in this area there will be some water remaining on the surface, but we will now have a pipe in the ground we can tap into when additional drainage is needed.

Drainage work

Recently we started to once again repair some areas around greens that are causing us problems. Below is a picture of some work we're currently doing alongside of #18 green in the rough edge.

Back right in the rough on #18 green

Fortunately we have some drain boxes nearby and we should be able to clear up another soggy area next to a green.

#18 Ditch Cleanout and New Bridge

Recently we had the ditch next to the tee on #18 cleaned out and removed the land bridge leading to the ladies tee. The old bridge didn't allow enough water to pass through during heavy rains, which then backed up and created sediment buildup in the ditch. We've replaced the bridge with a new one that will allow the water to freely pass underneath. This should help in keeping the sediment from filling the ditch.

#18 New foot bridge to Ladies Tee

#18 Ditch

Fall disease pressure

As we progress into the winter months our old friend Fusarium has made its ugly appearance. We have been on a pretty aggressive fungicide application schedule this fall, which has me perplexed as to why we had such an outbreak. Generally, with a schedule of applying fungicides on a regular basis we can keep the disease in check.

Fusarium #5 green

Fusarium left unchecked can get pretty ugly and leave the putting surface bumpy. One of the problems in contracting the disease during this time of the year is that it is difficult to get the turf to recover due to the winter time slow down in turfgrass growth. We are doing everything we can to help protect what has not been infected. The picture below was taken after we applied a granular product. If you look closely you can see some recovery already taking place in the middle of the spot.

Fungicide application

Canterwood as you know is a very shaded golf course during the winter months. This is one reason why I think it has been difficult to keep the disease from staying away. Cool, overcast, wet and shady conditions all add up to perfect conditions for the disease to appear. The good news is that with continued applications it will recover over time.