Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

On behalf of the whole Greenkeeping Team, we hope you had a very Merry Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year!  The team will be off through the New Year, so check back for more golf course updates on January 5th!

7-Day Forecast

 

It certainly doesn't feel like Christmas week in Highlands this year!

USGA Green Section Record

 CLICK HERE for the latest edition of the Green Section Record

7-Day Forecast

 

Wednesday

Above, with two blowers going, we were able to finish fairway cleanup on Wednesday!  Thursday, 2.25" of rain fell on Highlands.  Our timing was perfect!

The drainage contractor is continuing work on #9.  They will be taking the next two weeks off, to spend time at home with their families.  As you can imagine, this group travels all year long, around the country, installing drainage under golf courses all over.

Monday

A 12*F morning, gave way to a relatively nice afternoon in the upper 30's.  We're able to continue cleaning up fairways from aerification.  After the plugs ae broken up with a drag mat, they're blown to the enter of the fairway, where they are swept up and disposed of.  The plugs and thatch are dry, which is excellent for cleanup, but it does create a dusty mess!  

#11 cart path is officially ready to be paved and widened, which will happen in the early spring.  With ample drainage installed, the edges of the cart path will no longer be a swampy mess!

We are finishing up pruning back some Rhododendron, which will allow for more air movement around these tees.

This is only about half of the total amount of material that will be hauled into #11 tee complex!  More sod will be removed in the coming weeks.

Wednesday

Above, we are getting started on some rock curbing additions.  We are extending the curb further down #11 cart path past the area in the rough that always gets extremely worn.  The rocks are laid out in the rough because each one is sawed in half so we can cover more ground with a pallet of rock.

On #11, we are installing drainage below the area that is being widened and then resurfaced with asphalt.  As you know this is a very wet area and it's important that we manage the ground water to prevent heaving of the new asphalt.  The paving will not be done until later March or April.

Monday

The drainage is progressing up the 6th fairway!  It is remarkable how much drier the fairways are that have been finished to date.

This gives you a better look at the limbing/pruning on #11 to allow for a wider cart path.  This area is a peat bog!  We are going to install drainage below the cart path expansion.  Just look at how black the soil is!

Lots happing on #12- fairway aeration and tee/approach topdressing.  Below, you can see how tight the 3/4" tine spacing is.  That is a lot of material that we have to pick up!

Pretty shot of the 15th green and topdressed.

Friday

It's been a damp and foggy day in Highlands after receiving 1/2" of rain last night.  It was a perfect day to continue pruning along the edges of the golf course.  Today, the focus was the right side of #6 between the fairway and Cobb Road.  This has been on our radar for a couple years now and we're glad to finally get to it.  

There is an unfortunate rumor circulating that we've been cutting down a lot of native Azaleas on your golf course.  A native Azalea is also known as a Flame Azalea with bright orange flowers that sometimes come in pink and even white.  I've not seen any native Azaleas being cut anywhere on the golf course.  Rhododendron as you know, are very aggressive and need to be pruned back from time to time to reclaim the golf course.  That's what we've done on holes like #12 and #9 this winter.  It's a healthy program for the golf course in addition to the shrubs, themselves.  Rhododendron that are pruned back, grow back with a fuller and denser growth habit.  Please disregard this rumor if you hear it and don't hesitate to call me for a first hand account of what we're working on, on the golf course.

On #10, opposite side of the pond, we've been working to clean up this area that was badly damaged by fallen trees during the hurricane in September 2024.  We're really going to put a lot of effort into making this a really nice setting- perhaps a nice place to fish!

On #11, we are removing the stumps and roots in the way of our cart path widening effort.  After the paving, we'll be grassing a 6-10' wide strip on the opposite side of the cart path.  This will really improve the aesthetics of this area.

USGA Green Section Record

 CLICK HERE for the latest edition of the USGA's Green Section Record.

Putting Green Performance Data from 2025

A few days ago I posted the raw data from a two month period over the summer (June 7- August 7) where we recorded putting green measurements.  I took that data and graphed it in order to see if there is a correlation between these different measurements.  On all the graphs, the red line indicates the desired threshold for what the USGA considers "tournament conditions." However, in the case of green speed, 11 feet is the goal for daily play according to my 'Golf Course Standards" document that's be approved and accepted by the Green Committee.  These measurements were taken using the USGA's GS3 ball, shown below.

If you'd like to see how it works, here is a 3 minute instructional video.  CLICK HERE to watch.

Green Speed is determined using a stimpmeter.  The number is how many feet it rolled off the stimpmeter.  As I've said before, it's a factor of friction- how much or how little is working on the golf ball as it rolls across the putting green.

Smoothness and Trueness are somewhat similar.  The GS3 ball determines how much up and down movement there is on the ball in the case of smoothness and trueness is the measurement of side to side movement of the ball.  You can see above that these graphs are quite similar.  In both cases, the goal is to be below the red line on the graph.

Finally, firmness is determined using the GS3 ball after it is dropped on the green from a consistent height.  The USGA created a tool that holds the GS3 ball which measures the indentation (ball mark) made on the putting green when the ball is dropped.  The deeper the indentation, the softer the green.  The goal is to be below the red line on the graph.

By knowing this data, I can look back and compare what maintenance practices were done on a particular day that influenced the particular measurement.  The same goes for weather data.  For example, a heavy rain event may be the cause for a drop in green speed.  Or, a sand topdressing application may be the reason for a change in smoothness.  

Thursday

Everyday, we are hauling loads of soil to the 11th tee complex.  We are raising the elevation of the ground around the tees to improve drainage. 

Above, we've done significant pruning down the left side of the cart path by the tees.  This is where the cart path will be expanded two more feet (10' total) to allow for 2-way traffic for carts coming from Pipers Court.

The drainage contractor is finishing up on the green side fairway on #6.  In another 2 days, we'll be moving to the 9th hole.

Fairway aeration continues! After the plugs have some time to dry on the surface, we "drag" the plugs with a section of chain link fence (below), which breaks the plugs up, returning the soil to the ground and leaves the thatch and leaf tissue on the surface.  That material is then blown to the middle of the fairway, where it can be picked up and disposed of.  When this is complete, we'll make a application of sand to the fairways that will also fall into the aeration holes, improving the drainage characteristics of the soil over time.

 

Tee and Approach Topdressing

 

All the tees and the approaches on the golf course are receiving an application of sand that can be worked into the aeration holes.

2025 Greens Data from June-August 7

 

This past summer we worked with an intern from NC State University, Cooper Hall.  Cooper is a great guy and has been part of this team for the last 4 years, since he was in high school.  This summer, I had him collect data and observations of putting greens.  It started with a daily stimpmeter reading in addition to smoothness and firmness tests.  We also weighed clipping yields every morning which gave us insight into our growth regulator/fertility programs.  You can also see weather data and general notes.  This information is useful in seeing how our management practices affect putting green quality.  In a future post, I'll get into specifics of what was learned from this data.

Rhododendron Pruning Photos

Now that all the clean up is finished, you can see the amount of rough we will be gaining back on #12.

On #11, we are preparing to widen the cart path.