Irrigation

Fired up the system for the first time since November. Duff was happy to see irrigation heads again. We used the irrigation to water in wetting agents and fertilizer. If you see us watering after a bunch of rain this is usually the case. The irrigation system is our most important tool to maintain the conditions on the course.

We only had one big leak after starting the system...on 14 and is isolated now. I'm scared to go to work tomorrow to see what will be blowing out of the ground. Hope for the best!

Capital purchases at work

Topdressed greens after the aeration. The new brush we bought this year does a great job filling the holes.

PG2

We pulled cores today on PG2. This was the only green that we pulled cores - we just used the big solid tines on all the other greens. The new greens need all the thatch and organic matter we can get going into this year - no sense on removing material you are going to need.

Rain

This was a picture of 15 this weekend during all the rain this weekend. We got 3" of rain. The place is sloppy! Should start to dry out soon with the hints of green out there.

Raking bunkers

Still, to this day, it baffles my mind that some members of a private country club don't rake a bunker after hitting a shot. Both these pictures were taken yesterday evening in the greenside bunker on #5.

This time of year we don't have the staff yet to rake bunkers everyday. I'm guessing that I'm preaching to the choir on this issue. Anyone interested enough to read a blog about the maintenance of their course has to care enough to rake a bunker after hitting a shot.

Get on those playing partners of yours if you see someone not raking.

Bermudagrass

Good to see that our Bermuda isn't the only warm season in town that hasn't even considered the thought of turning green. The fields at Hornsby look about 5 weeks from green up. Our fairways may turn a little earlier than that but not by far.

All these stretches of a couple of really nice days, followed by days below freezing and extremely cold really dings the Bermuda. It starts thinking about growing and warming up then is smoked by the next heavy freeze.

Looks like another cold week ahead then we might be in the clear.

Weather

Next week...........when will it break? This is crazy.

Greens and bunkers

The bunkers were frozen yesterday morning and I decided to mow greens this morning instead of raking bunkers. We still have a limited staff until the amigos get here at the end of the month.

These bunkers are starting to drive me nuts. Every time we have the chance to work on them, they are either frozen or they are calling for rain the next day (no sense in doing all that work if they are going to wash the next day).

Looks like a rainy, miserable week next week, then it may start to turn.

Brent Graham, CGCS
Director of Golf Maintenance
Two Rivers Country Club
1950 Two Rivers Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Cell: 757-592-0840
Office: 757-258-4606
Bgraham@tworiversclub.com
Governorsland.com

Fwd: Couple of nice days

From: Brent Graham <Bgraham@tworiversclub.com>
Date: March 11, 2014 at 7:06:25 AM EDT
To: Brent Graham <bgraham@tworiversclub.com>
Subject: Couple of nice days

We had to spray greens yesterday. The warm days followed by ice and snow caused a breakout in brown patch. This spray included fungicide and some foliar fertilizers.

We are getting moving on some stuff on the golf course before our next article blast sets in - also spreading fertilizer on the fairways to give everything a kickstart.

Brent Graham, CGCS
Director of Golf Maintenance
Two Rivers Country Club
1950 Two Rivers Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Cell: 757-592-0840
Office: 757-258-4606
Bgraham@tworiversclub.com
Governorsland.com