This morning we were delayed getting started on tee aeration due to a heavy frost. Because of the delay, we were only able to knock out the back nine holes and the plan is to get the front nine tees on either Thursday morning or next Tuesday morning, dependent on temperature/frost. I'll be sure to update you right here on the blog, when that decision is made.
Aeration is done to remove organic matter from a sand based root zone system. Over the years, I've wrote about this subject a lot on the blog and also in my "Grass Clippings' column in the monthly Piper newsletter. Old grass roots, clippings and other debris clogs valuable air pore space in the sand. This equates to slower drainage when it rains as well lack of oxygen for the turf in the soil. Without consistent, regular aeration, greens and tees would become soft and spongy. I'm sure you played a golf course once where when you stepped on a wet tee or green, you noticed water come up over the sole of your shoe. That's a major indication of way too much organic matter. In the home lawn market, organic matter is usually referred to as thatch, although there are differences between the two terms. Too much organic matter leads to the turf holding onto too much water which in turn is a breeding ground for fungus and other pests. It also leads to poor rooting depth, which makes the turf less resilient during the warmer summer months when the grass is under stress.
I also mentioned earlier that tree removal around the Club Lake Dam was starting today. Young tree service was on site all day and removed a majority of the trees around the structure. It was disappointing to see some of these mature Oak trees be removed. This was required by the NCDEQ (Dept. Environmental Quality) and NC Dam Safety folks because the root systems of these trees have potential to compromise the dam. By the 3rd week of November, we hope to have Club Lake fully drained and ready for phase 2 of our dam project to begin. If you recall, this past spring we completed phase 1 of the dam project. This involved replacing the drain valve in the lake. Prior to this, our drain valve did not function because of rust and other issues with the valve stem. Phase 2 is a much bigger, 3-month project. We'll be refurbishing the abutment walls on the dam. This has been a long, drawn out lead up to the project because of the amount of agencies, engineers and contractors involved in the project. Not only that, but timing of when it occurs is critical. Club Lake serves as our irrigation source for the golf course. Our window to accomplish this work is tight, with little room for error. My mid-March, we need to have the lake back to full capacity in order to irrigate the turf as needed. If you check in tomorrow, I will be sure to post a drone shot of the area with the trees gone and a better description of what exactly is being repaired this winter.
Finally, the hedge trimming along Dillard Road is essentially finished and it looks so much better! We just need a flush of green growth and we'll be back in the game! Just picture the Creeping Phlox draped over the wall in April! As I stated in a previous post about this project, I am being as transparent as I possibly can about this much needed work in hopes no one is surprised when they see it next spring. Whenever we work on projects like this, we end up hearing opinions from a number of people (to be expected), 95% being members, of course. Some stop and tell us we are doing it all wrong. Others give us dirty looks. And then there are a few people who stop (sometimes in the middle of the highway), get out of their vehicle without saying a word, and photograph the work from different angles. I tell my team that they are taking photographs because they like the work we are doing so much, that they want to show their landscape company what's possible at their house! :) In reality, the photos are more than likely to forward to others with the caption, "Can you believe they are ruining this beautiful hedge in front of the club?! I say all that trying to add a little humor to this post. All of those examples occurred, multiple times, over the past 10 days while we worked on the hedge. In short, there is no secret pruning taking place; it's a time of year when additional labor is freed up due to reduced mowing required this time of year. I'll be happy to send you any photo you like of any project we're working on and certainly offer background information and reasons why we are working on the projects we are. If you call, I'd love to speak to you. That's why we are here and your support is always appreciated!
