November / December Update

It has been very busy here at the Horn, as the fall became winter. The greens were topdressed and put to bed just as the first snowflakes fell. Topdressing the greens means spreading a thin layer of sand over the entire surface of the green, this prevents desiccation or winter damage. It is a process that is done throughout the year to keep our greens healthy and smooth. Topdressing rids the greens of imperfections and is the best way to prevent thatch, which can be caused from organic residues. If these residues build up, layers can be formed which can cause interruption with soil water and air movement. This will cause reduced root growth and unhealthy greens. So we topdress as often as possible in the summer to keep greens not only looking but functioning the best.

John Hathaway getting just enough sand in spreader

E.P.G. nearly topdressed

Topdressing the greens for winter has been just one of many projects. Snow removal, as you all know, is time consuming. It seems it has steadily come once a week, and takes all the full-time employees at the maintenance shop and Sam to keep The Powder Horn drivable and safe. Thanks guys!

In between removing snow, we have been getting Tee’s sanded, branded, stained, and painted for this coming season. Taking inventory of irrigation supplies, fertilizer and chemicals, and placing orders for new supplies, are some of the things we are doing out of the cold.

Our mechanics, Cranky and Bo, have been doing an amazing job keeping our snow removal equipment running at its best. As well as getting our equipment ready for this coming season. Without their smiling faces, our shop would not function.

Jason has been hard at work, getting recertified with the Audubon Society and his work is greatly appreciated. It is very time consuming and tedious work that we at the Powder Horn feel is necessary.

Last but not least, tree removal and pruning around the horn is sometimes a sensitive issue. It is necessary to remove unhealthy or problem trees that may be causing stress on other trees nearby. Sometimes this seems cruel, but it is very necessary when one or two trees are causing problems for many. Safety is also something we want to keep in mind; if a tree is rotten on the inside and still looks healthy it is a safety issue more than a aesthetic issue. We want to keep the Horn looking good as well as playing it safe. 

Winter is an awesome time of the year to get out and ski, sled, snowboard, or just walk. Please keep in mind the greens are still there covered in snow and just as delicate now as they are any other time of year. To keep them looking their best for next year, please enjoy your winter activities off of the greens!

Thanks for checking out the update, read more in the next few weeks.

October Update

I hope everyone is enjoying the fall weather.  It has certainly been nice to see a return to a more normal weather pattern for this time of year!  Our staff has been busy preparing the golf course for the upcoming winter.  This process has not been without several setbacks.  Before the rain last week, our aerator was not able to fully penetrate into the soil.  Upon further inspection of the surface, we noticed that this was due to a hardpan layer that has formed over the years as a result of compaction from golf carts and maintenance equipment.  This layer is likely responsible for many of the problems that we have been noticing in our fairways.  It would be physically impossible for the turf to root into this layer.  When allowed to dry, it will not accept water.  In fact, any water applied would just run off until it reached an area where there was already sufficient moisture.  Coupled with the poor uniformity of our irrigation system, this contributes to the alternating wet and dry areas found on virtually every fairway.

Although, this is a very significant problem, we are in the process of purchasing a deep tine aerator that will help us to address the issue.  There are several major advantages to utilizing deep tine aeration.  First, we will be able to reach depths up to 16".  Our current machine is not even capable of reaching 3.5".  Second, the tines "kick" when fully submerged in the soil.  This kicking action helps to break up any hard pan layers that may have formed subsurface.  The following picture describes the action much better than I can.Alleviating this problem will likely take years, but the result will be firmer more uniform fairways.

Alleviating this problem completely will not happen overnight, and may take several years, but I am excited that the pieces are finally coming together for our fairways.  This machine is only one piece in that puzzle.  Drainage installation and irrigation updates will also be very important components of our programs.

OK.  Enough "turf talk".  The golf course is calling your name!

Fall Course Closures (UPDATED)

Our fall fairway aeration will begin next week, and it will be necessary to close portions of the golf course at this time.  The following dates outline our expected closures.

   Stag: October 3rd - October 16th
   Eagle: October 17th - October 30th
   Mountain: October - 31st - November 13th

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.

USGA TAS Report

Here is a copy of our USGA Turf Advisory Service report.  The document provides some very interesting information that may give you more insight into our challenges.

USGA TAS 09-12-11

USGA Turf Advisory Service

Yesterday, we were fortunate to host Fred "Derf" Soller of the United States Golf Association for our "annual turf checkup".  The agronomists from the USGA are an amazing bunch who provide a lot of wonderful insight into our programs.  Each of them sees 100+ golf courses throughout the season.  They are also responsible for overseeing maintenance operations during USGA championships such as the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.

I was relieved to hear that we are not the only ones struggling this season.  2011 has proven to be a very tough golf season for much of the Northwest Region.  We spent the majority of the day discussing the condition of our fairways, and brainstorming ways to improve them for upcoming seasons.  I will post a full copy of the report on this site as soon as it is available.

I would also like to remind everyone that the Mountain Nine will be closed tomorrow and Thursday (14th & 15th) for aeration.

Lyle Gibbs aka master cameraman

Nice Photos Lyle Gibbs! These are well worth sharing. We are fortunate to have Lyle this season. He will return to studies at Oregon State University in September.

Mower Grooves

It is the time of the year when most of our summer staff leaves to head back to school. We managed to go from a labor crew of 14 to 8 this week with most of these being part timers. We are doing the best we can with the resources available to keep the course in tournament like condition. We are now triplex mowing greens instead of the usual walk mowing and rolling as needed to promote smoothness. The greens mowers are new and still being fine tuned to accommodate our greens. We are aware of the grooves in the greens today and are doing our best to fix this problem immediately.



Fertilizing the greens today...We spoon feed the greens with nutrients and growth regulator every 2 weeks to promote consistent conditions.