Driving range holes

More worn areas.

We completed aeration this past week and it went well. We expect all surfaces to heal quickly and playing conditions to return to normal heading into the busy fall season.

Examples of the worn areas.

We used hollow tines to aerate greens this fall, as we do each spring and fall. This means that the tine actually pulls material out of the green that we then collect and remove. Each year we use this material for different purposes. In the past we have filled stump holes or filled in wet areas along our maintenance roads. This material is actually a great way to build a nursery green as well. However, this year we stockpiled all of the material to fill holes on the driving range.

Over the years, wear and tear from picking range balls has caused grass to die. When the soil has no cover to protect it from the elements it can erode and a hole starts to form. Continued traffic from the ball picker continues to deepen the hole, grass struggles to reestablish itself, and a vicious cycle continues. This is not the fault of anyone; the range has to be picked, and that practice is tough on the grass. And, while our driving range is functional, it is not a top-tier practice facility. We choose to spend our resources on other aspects of the course and the property, so the grass suffers slightly. Yet, this does not mean that when given the opportunity, don't look for ways to make the driving range better.

Using the material removed from the greens this fall, we will start to fill some of these holes. The cores from the greens will be dumped into these holes, packed down, and seeded. The cores do a great job of beginning to grow on their own, and the soil that comes with them is very fertile. The seed we add takes advantage of this fertile soil and combines with cores to provide a full ground cover.

Our pile of cores.

This project may seem low-priority and unnecessary, but it is a problem nonetheless. It also is a great use for the cores. Instead of wasting their potential, we find a useful place that helps solve a problem on the driving range. This is not a one-time fix though. There are far more hole than we will be able to fill this year. We will barely make a dent, but it is a start.

A filled and seeded hole.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org