Thus far we haven’t had much of a winter here in Greensboro, NC and with March quickly approaching it’s finally time to officially get ready for spring.
A major part of ensuring the course is ready for spring is planning. It is essential to plan for what tasks need to be done and what you need to get the tasks accomplished efficiently. Equipment is a major part of this plan. Do you have the right equipment? Is the equipment you have in proper working order? Is the irrigation system in proper working order? Refurbishing golf course accessories always takes a lot of time during the winter months and we are behind on this task simply because we haven’t had very many days where we were forced into the shop due to harsh weather. Tree work consumes a lot of our manpower with the ever present need for pruning, tree removals, stump grinding and turf restoration in areas where trees have been removed.
In addition to the above-mentioned items listed below are some of the tasks we are currently planning for in the preparation of spring's arrival are:
Application of pre-emergent - The first day of spring is March 21st this year but this application should be completed by around the 1st week of March and maybe even sooner with our current warm weather trend.
Spring fertilization of our cool season grasses.
Mulch - Soon we will begin mulching a large acreage of our landscaped areas throughout both properties.
Aerification & sanding – The Irving Park greens are scheduled for aerification on February 27-28. With the Ultradwarf conversion project taking place at the Farm this summer, therefore we will not be aerifying these greens this spring.
Projects
Irving Park Tennis Court Landscape improvements – Included in this project currently taking place on the lower courts is an entirely new irrigation system, brick paver expansion, new curbing and concrete work, new Zoysia sod between and new flower containers. We hope to have this work completed by the middle part of March when outdoor tennis play kicks off.
·
Farm Teaching Pavillion – We are just a week or two away from breaking ground on the new Golf Teaching Pavillion at the Farm. The new building will be constructed on the middle left portion of the practice tee. It will include an indoor hitting bay for instruction and two climate modified and covered outdoor hitting areas. We expect this project to be completed by sometime in June.
Farm Ultradwarf Greens Conversion – A large amount of planning has gone into this project and we continue to work on a few last remaining unknowns. The majority of the greens will be planted via a no-till method that leaves the existing surface intact with no changes. The Number 5 green will be rebuilt entirely due to the steep sloping that will not work well with a new and firmer Bermuda surface. There will also be some slight changes to the right side of number 14 green complex. The course is scheduled to close on May 22 and open in late August.
Farm Short Game Area Improvement – A lot of planning is also underway for the improvement of the current chipping area at the Farm. Included in the project will be the addition of a new green, a much-enlarged bunker on the existing green and the removal of the concrete path that currently dissects the chipping area from the primary practice green.
Farm Forward Tees – We will also be working to create a limited number of new forward tees on the Farm for golfers that prefer the enjoyment that a much shorter course presents. This is a more of a long-range project that will likely take several years to complete but we will embark on the construction of several new teeing areas this year that will ultimately lead to a course that will measure in the 4,000 – 4,400 yard range.
All of these tasks and projects take time and with the small nature of our two crews, we have more than enough on our plate to keep us busy well into the growing season.
