#12 drain project

Once again, Mother Nature wins. We have been dealing with the water coming out of the ground and across the cart path on #12 for too long. We will be starting a project soon to capture it in the rough, get it into a drain pipe and out through a bunker drain.

First, we will trench a drain line perpendicular to the flow coming from 11 towards 12 fairway. All water flowing down towards 12 will cross this new drain and be diverted into a drain pipe. Our expectation is that there is an old, existing drain pipe that is still functioning somewhere in this vicinity, to the left of the cart path (we found the old pipe on the other side of 12 fairway already). Once we explore and (hopefully) find this old pipe, we will attach our new pipe to it and this will take the water across the fairway.

Next, starting in the holes we have already dug on the right side of #12, we will add new pipe. This is where our initial attempt to diagnose the issue started. The outflow side of this old pipe is no longer working from where our hole is, downward. We will tap in here with a new pipe and trench it over towards the fairway bunkers. We will then tap into the bunker drainage, which we know works, to move the water out. This is not a day long project, so please be patient with the work and guaranteed mess. We will get it wrapped up as quickly as possible.

While this has been an abnormally wet summer, we know from the past that water will come from this same area to the left of 12 even in drier times. This season Mother Nature has pushed to the limit what we can handle, so we have to make the adjustment.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Remember to please fill your divots both on the tees and in the fairways. No one wants to land in a divot in the fairway, but if a ball does happen to end up there, a sand filled divot is much better than a hole.

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

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Preparing the Bermuda grass for winter

As we head towards the second half of September (and Fall, officially!), it is time to start preparing the Bermuda grass for winter. Some things we have already done, like aerating and compost. But we still have several more tasks to complete over the next few weeks.

One of the newer recommendations for Spring Dead Spot (SDS) fungicide applications, besides new, very expensive chemicals, is monitoring the soil temperature to time the application. Only in the last 2 years has the data really been supportive of a certain window for optimal control. In the past, some recommendations listed a first application date in August, and for several years we followed that protocol because it was the best available research.

However, this year, another round of data has suggested that the treatments should be made when soil temperatures are between 65-70 degrees. This means, that potentially, our August applications in the past were useless for their intended purpose. But this year, we are watching the soil temperatures and have thus yet to make our first application. Last year we would have already made 2 applications by now. We are excited to be making this adjustment to continue our battle against SDS. And in the coming weeks, as the soil temperatures fall into the optimal window, we will make our first of 2-3 applications to fight SDS.

Heading into the fall is also the time to make a nutrient application of potassium to the Bermuda grass. Again, consulting the research shows that potassium in the fall improves the turf’s ability to withstand stress and increase the winter hardiness. That is what makes this application so important for the Bermuda grass. 

Lastly, raising the mowing height may be the most important tool for overall Bermuda grass survival. Generally, the taller the grass plant, the longer the roots.  For Bermuda grass, the roots are what must survive the winter (also rhizomes, which are below ground stem-like structures that also help store carbohydrates). Once the Bermuda grass goes dormant, it must rely on the energy stored in its roots. By allowing the plant to grow taller in the fall, it is able to compile more reserves and strengthen its root system and better prepare for the winter.

Sometimes Mother Nature wins no matter how we prepare for the winter (like last winter). However, we have to be diligent in our preparations because they can and do make a difference.

 Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Remember to please fill your divots both on the tees and in the fairways. No one wants to land in a divot in the fairway, but if a ball does happen to end up there, a sand filled divot is much better than a hole.

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

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

#10 Drain project

We completed the drain project near #10 green last week. Here is a follow-up with some more specifics on what we did, with pictures as well.

Although the weather was very hot for early September, it was also, luckily, dry for a few days. This allowed us to get into the area short of the right green bunker and add some additional drainage. First, we stripped all of the grass off and cleared a large area for us to work. We then exposed the drain that comes out of the bunker and tracked it to where it leads across the approach. Next, we found where the ground water was surfacing. We had originally planned on adding a surface drain where near this ground water site, but it turned out to be within a couple of feet of the bunker drain.

If you look closely, you can see the intersection of
3 pipes. However, they are not connected
and the water is release right back into the soil.

The bunker drain is a perforated pipe that water can seep into naturally; however, the ground water had been unable to reach the pipe and instead had come up to the surface and caused issues. Since the drain pipe was so close, we added a new trench from the ground water to the drain, added a bit more of the same type of pipe, and gave the ground water direct access to the drain. Now, it rises to the height of the drain, enters the pipe, and is shuttled across the approach and into the pond.

This is an old drum barrel top that was
placed over the junction of the 3 pipes to
keep soil out. It was no longer working.

We also discovered some old drain pipe that was no longer functioning. Some water was flowing in the pipes, some around the pipes. One piece was cut at both ends, allowing the water to empty right back into the soil. We found another section of three pipes that converged, but none were connected to one another. For a long time, the setup had worked adequately, but we connected all three pipes and made other upgrades while we were there.

Finally, we did add one surface drain to capture any ground water that may make it to the surface, or more likely, to capture water draining along the surface in normal fashion. We placed this drain at the last point, just before water would cross the approach. It is also linked to the bunker drain system that takes water underground and into the pond.

The new pipe and drain inlet that we added.

During this project, we also worked to contain the ground water that was seeping out in the bunker. We opened the base of the bunker and found the water. We did not want to dig too far down through the bunker and ruin its shape and integrity, so instead we dug a trench laterally in both directions. We filled these trenches with gravel, and once again connected them to the drain that is in the bunker. 

The new drains added to the bunker. The existing
drain is in the middle, with the additions
stretching to the left and right.

Now, as the ground water reaches the gravel trenches, it’s easiest direction of flow will be through the gravel, and into the drain pipe.To complete the bunker repair, we then removed all of the contaminated sand and debris that had accumulated through the season and added fresh sand throughout the bunker.

The rain we received this summer made this area unplayable, and maintenance impossible, from June through August. The additional drainage will be a significant improvement

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Remember to please fill your divots both on the tees and in the fairways. No one wants to land in a divot in the fairway, but if a ball does happen to end up there, a sand filled divot is much better than a hole.

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

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day.

The summer has turned the corner. Daylight is getting shorter, overnight temperatures will start dropping (hopefully, eventually), and fall will be in the air. This also signals the start of one of our busiest months for golf. It will also be a time for us to start work on 2 projects we have planned.

First, we will tackle the ground water and drainage issue in #10 greenside bunker and approach. Due to the unprecedented wet year, ground water is coming out everywhere. On #10 it has rendered a bunker unplayable and created a creek across the approach. We expect the area to be dry enough starting next week to begin repairs. Increasing drainage in the bunker as well as adding a surface drain to capture ground water now and in the future, will be our goal. If the weather allows and the area is indeed dry enough, we would expect to finish the project within a few days. The area will continue to be ground under repair.

A second project that we have planned is to add 2 more sprinklers to #1 approach, in the section that swings way around the green to the right. During the time when this area was originally constructed, back in 2016, we discussed whether to add sprinklers in this location. We eventually decided against it, expecting overage from existing sprinklers to be adequate and the drought tolerance of Bermuda grass to overcome any shortfalls. However, we have now decided to move forward with the plan. This will have far less of an impact on play, but will improve turf conditions nonetheless. We will tap into the existing pipe and simply extend it far enough to add the 2 sprinklers. There is not a definite timetable for starting this project. We will see how the project on #10 proceeds, as well as where we are in the tournament calendar.

In addition to the project work, September is also a busy golf month. Not only will the weather be great for regular golf, we also have several of our more prestigious events on the horizon, including Men’s and Women’s member guest. We will manage this project work around working to make the course as good as we can for the fall.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Remember to please fill your divots both on the tees and in the fairways. No one wants to land in a divot in the fairway, but if a ball does happen to end up there, a sand filled divot is much better than a hole.

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

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org