Remaining water cooler stations

We finally finished putting the remaining new water cooler stands out on the golf course. Several things delayed the process, but now the process is complete, and the new water coolers will last for a long time.

We started this process back in the winter of 2019, with the construction of the first 4 coolers. But then the virus hit and things came to a standstill. Not only was water cooler construction not a priority, early in the pandemic, it was not clear whether it was safe to even use the water coolers. In fact, the water coolers were removed from the course for several weeks.

Eventually, as the dust settled and more information became available, we were able to slowly and safely bring staff back to work. However, for a long time, minimum maintenance was still our goal. It was not until mid-summer when construction resumed and was completed on the initial water coolers. Those first 4 made it onto the course in July.

Now the remaining four stations have been replaced: the transition at #3 and #15, #6 tee, #17 tee, and the Driving Range tee. All stations now match and are very durable.

There was not a rush to try and finish these last four water coolers, but it is nice to cross the project off the list.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be careful not to damage the lip of the cup when retrieving your ball after putting out.

 

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

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Tennis irrigation repair

Many clubs have a golf course plus other amenities like a pool, tennis, etc. Not many have quite the portfolio of Bretton Woods though, with soccer, a ropes course, mountain bike trail and more, plus the usual like tennis and a pool. Maintaining all the different aspects of the property from the Grounds department means tackling all issues that arise. Father’s Day Sunday morning was one of those instances.

Portions of the damaged pipe

The irrigation system used on the golf course extends to soccer and the clay tennis courts. When issues arise, the Grounds department handles the repair. Yesterday, one of the pipes handling water for the clay tennis courts sprung a leak.

More of the damaged pipe

Two things were more remarkable about this particular break compared to others. First, there were two cracks in the pipe that each stretched for an entire stick of pipe. A stick of PVC irrigation pipe is 20 feet long. Usually, a crack or break is isolated, and occasionally might span a couple of feet. Not only did we find a break that was drastically longer than normal- we found two. The second significant aspect of this repair was just how severely damaged the pipe was. Along part of the pipe, the crack was just a hairline fracture, which is typical. However, over a good portion of the stick, the two breaks had swerved close enough together to actually eject chunks of pipe. Aside from times when a pipe is crushed, or trenched through, the PVC does not usually shatter. Needless to say, this allowed a lot of water to escape very quickly and make a big mess.

The span where the damaged pipe was removed

PVC pipe does have a lifespan- about 25-30 years when underground. This pipe is about 22 or 23 years old, so it is old by irrigation pipe standards. Nevertheless, this kind of damage is still atypical. The pipe was buried about 18 inches deep, so there is no chance of being crushed. Likewise, no trenching or other earthwork was being done. This is just an example of a small pin-hole leak expanding quickly.

We made the repair and water will flow through the pipe by tomorrow. We have made lots of repairs, but sometimes they can still be surprising.

 

Completed repair

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be careful not to damage the lip of the cup when retrieving your ball after putting out.

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

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Last new trees and cicadas

It took some extra time, but we finally finished our spring tree planting operation. The 5 remaining maples were placed between #5 and #7 fairways last week.

After some initial confusion back during our original planting date, the new trees arrived looking great. The 5 new trees are all red maples and really fill in the hill between holes nicely. Once mature, the new trees will provide a great screen for errant golf balls. These trees will also enhance the separation between holes. In the fall, the maples will really shine. As golfers make their way up the hill in #5 fairway, looking towards #7 will present beautiful fall colors.

It is great to get this planting out of the way. Hopefully, we will get some rain to help keep the trees hydrated.

On a separate note, we have had some questions regarding the cicadas. The process is actually winding down now, though it is not over yet. If you look around the property and see the tips of trees all brown that is because the female cicadas laid their eggs in those branches. Nearly all the trees will survive- they did find a couple of our newest, youngest trees, though nothing in our recent plantings- that may be more severely affected. Otherwise, aside from an annoyance, the cicadas have not really impacted the course at all.

If you look closely, you can see the
tips of the outer branches are brown. This
is from the female cicadas laying eggs.

More brown leaf tips

Brown leaf tips in one of our smaller trees

Zoom in and you will notice very small,
rice grain sized eggs in this branch.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be careful not to damage the lip of the cup when retrieving your ball after putting out.

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

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

#5 fairway

The cicadas are out, the heat has turned back up, and the Bermuda grass has finally kicked into gear. However, #5 fairway still noticeably lags behind the rest. The 5^th fairway is a difficult place to grow Bermuda grass. Trees, shade (from trees and slopes), and moisture all play a role in hampering the turf and can be traced back to spring conditions.

 #5 has trees running up the entire right side, which is the side the of the sun for all the spring and fall. Spring shade can hard to overcome. Just as the Bermuda grass is breaking dormancy, new leaves are emerging and searching for sunlight to start producing their own food. Research has shown that initially after breaking dormancy, the new leaves can sustain themselves for about 2 weeks on reserve carbohydrates. After that, they need to start producing their own, new sugars. If the plant is in sustained shade, energy production is limited, therefore growth is limited. Unfortunately, it is not a single tree that shades the fairway, so removal is not really an option.

Aside from the shade cast by trees, the orientation and slope of the ground also place a burden on the turf. The first half of the fairway is naturally tilted away from the sun. In the summer, the sun starts to hit this portion by mid-morning. However, in the spring, it is late morning before any direct light hits the turf. Again, there is not much to do about the natural shape of the terrain.

Lastly, the final 1/3 of the fairway is very flat, almost bowl shaped. Water can sit in this area for longer periods than ideal. No one would consider this to be one of the wettest areas on the property, especially when the Bermuda grass is growing vigorously. However, during late winter and spring when the temperatures are cold, the excess moisture can cause issues like winter kill or weaken the grass enough for Spring Dead Spot (SDS) to occur.

So, Spring Dead Spot and winter kill are the two results of the myriad issues facing the 5^th fairway, which is the visual damage that can be seen. Generally speaking, the pathogen that causes SDS is always present in the soil and infects the Bermuda grass every year. However, it takes another factor to kill the turf- shade, low temperatures, poor light quality, excessive moisture. Meanwhile, winter kill is the catch-all term to describe turf that dies over the winter or early spring due to several factors unrelated to a pathogen- shade, low temperatures, poor light quality, excessive moisture.

There is not a silver bullet to erase the struggles on #5. We continue to hone our SDS chemical treatment program, we steadfastly apply our compost, and we stay current on research of cultural practices to improve the health of the Bermuda grass. Once we see what damage has occurred, we initiate our remediation programs: slicing, supplemental fertilizer, and seeding when necessary.

Though these issues seem to be out of our control, we work hard to manage the aspects that are in our control. We continue to push the Bermuda grass on #5 to get better as quickly as possible.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be careful not to damage the lip of the cup when retrieving your ball after putting out.

 

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

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org