Strange metal pipe

We have been working on plugging out bad areas of Bermuda grass in the fairways over the entire summer. Last week, while working on this project, we found a piece of metal in #17 fairway.

Our plugging program has been going on for several years. Though slow, it is an effective way to mitigate the Spring Dead Spot infection areas and provide the best surface possible. This year is no different; we have been working on plugging the fairways since June. We cut 2-3 inches down into the fairway to remove the dead grass as well as some of the infected soil and in one particular location on #17 fairway we found the piece of metal only about an inch from the surface.

The location of the metal piece in 17 fairway

After discovering the metal, we excavated a little more around it and were able to pry it free and remove it from the fairway. We packed some fresh soil back into its place and were able to finish the new plug of grass over the top.

What is more interesting though is that we have no idea what this metal object is. It is about 4-inch diameter metal cylinder with 4 plastic tabs attached to the side. The metal piece is about 6 inches tall and about a 1/16” of an inch thick. We found it almost exactly at the 100-yard mark in the center of the fairway. Though our most tenured employee does not know what it was for and has never seen anything else like it on the property, we are guessing that it could have possibly been an old yardage marker. If any members recall anything like this from back when the course was built, we would love to hear from you.

This where the metal pipe was in the ground just after we
loosened it from the soil

It is also amazing that it has taken until now to find this thing. Every year, dating back at least 15 years, we have aerated #17 fairway. Tractors with ¾” tines pound down into the soil. It is remarkable that we never hit or dislodged this piece of metal in all those times across the fairway.

Not only is it remarkable that we didn’t hit this metal with an aerator, but in the several years that we have been plugging Bermuda grass, we never put a fresh plug in exactly this spot. Based on the way that we take out several inches of soil, if we had plugged here, we no doubt would have encountered the metal.

The metal after removal from the fairway

Sometimes it is amazing what you can find in the soil around the property. In this case, we found something we had never seen before right in the middle of a fairway.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When parking your cart at a tee or green, please keep all 4 tires on the path. See pictures below for a visual aid:

 

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org