August 15, 2010
As I write this update, we are finally getting some much needed rain. At this point in the year I'll take what ever we can get. The weather has been ideal for golfing but very stressful on me and my staff trying to keep the grass alive with a very limited amount of man power and water supply. My staff and I have spent count less hours hand watering the course. We need to get enough water down to get through the day without over watering which can cause even worse disease issues on the turf.
The course overall is holding up pretty well with the rough and out of play areas taking it the hardest. Our main focus now is keeping the short grass alive until we get more seasonable rains which hopefully will come in the next few weeks. The green speed has been slower this summer due to the new construction and the very hot dry conditions. I think everyone will agree it is much more fun putting with a little more pace on your putts than it would be putting on dirt. Many courses unfortunately are paying the price now for pushing the greens too much.
This week our game plan is to get the course cut and groomed for next weekends Club Championship, while managing the turf with health being the main focus. The new greens are really starting to come together. Samples of the roots are in the 6-10 inch range which is excellent for this time of the year. We have our spots around the course that aren't where I would like them, but overall I think the course is playing well and should be in pretty good shape for the Championship next weekend.
I'd like to say thank you to my staff for all the hard work and all the Waubeeka Patrons for the kind words and overwhelming support during this very challenging summer. See you on the course!!
July 14, 2010
What a wild ride this past month has been! Considering we never hit 90 degrees once last summer, to hit 100 degrees as well as have multiple days in the high 90's has been very nerve racking to say the least. With all the new sod and seed on the ground it has pushed our irrigation system, and more importantly our water supply, to the edge. As of today everything is still looking pretty good on the course.
The greens are much slower then I usually have them this time of year. I apologize for this, but we are in survival mode now, and the health of the greens needs to be the focus. We only have single row irrigation on much of the course so the roughs are starting to burn out in areas. As the temperature starts to go down and we get more seasonal rain, they will bounce right back.
On behalf of the maintenance staff I would like to say thank you for all the support and kind words about the course and all the newly renovated holes. We love what we do and seeing everyone enjoying themselves this past weekend at the Men’s Three Day really made all the long hours worth it. Thanks again!!
June 14, 2010
This is what I get for praying for rain! Mother Nature has a way of evening things out. This weather is perfect for the new sod and seed but the rest of the course is starting to really get saturated.
This week the crew and I went around and edged all the bunkers on the front and added sand to begin preparation for the grand opening on July 2. I want to get all the bunkers as close as we can to the same depth so they will hopefully play very similarly to the new ones. My plan now is to start grooming the back nine on a more regular basis to get the grass back in playable condition. We aerated the 11th and 13th green last week and top dressed them very heavily to help fill the aeration holes and smooth the playing surface. The 16th and 17th greens are very close to being playable and the 11th and 13th will be in approximately two weeks. The new tees have all been cut and rolled and are really starting to set up nicely. The new drainage throughout the course is really working well. You can really see a huge difference on the end of the ninth fairway which was one of the worst spots on the course before we installed the XGD drainage system.
It’s been great seeing a lot of people out riding around the back checking things out. Just remember to please watch where you drive as we have a lot of new sod and seed on the ground and don’t have the time to fix damage at this point in the game. Please stay on the paths when possible and no play is allowed until we open.
On the renovation front, TDI has installed all the base material for the cart paths on the back and are scheduled to start paving on Monday July 14th “weather permitting” of course. All they have left to complete is tying in the cart paths with sod and seed and finishing up the new forward tee on #18. It has been a long haul for everyone but the end is near and what we have built is something everyone will be proud of. Come check out the new Waubeeka on July 2, 2010. Thanks!!
June 1, 2010
Just a quick reminder that we have Turf Links scheduled to come tomorrow morning to Deep Tine the greens. This process is very important to the plant’s health as well aiding with compaction concerns on are older style greens.
This year we have scheduled them to do the greens twice; the first being tomorrow to push root growth and gas exchange within the profile of the greens. The second application will be in late fall to encourage good internal drainage and reduce the probability of having ice damage in the spring. By tomorrow night you won't even know they have been punched. We will follow behind the tractors with our greens roller to smooth out any imperfections left behind from the machines. We use 1/2 inch tines in spring and larger 3/4 inch tines in the fall.
Enjoy the course and remember only one month until we have all 18 holes open for play. Thank you for the support and kind words!!
May 25, 2010
What a fantastic weekend for golf! The weather has turned for the better and looks to stay nice for the foreseeable future. The grounds staff is in full swing mowing the greens everyday now and tees, aprons and fairways three days a week. My goal now is to start fine turning the course in preparation for our grand opening on July 3rd.
To update everyone on the renovation progress: TDI has built all the new green complexes and tees and should have most of them sodded by the end of this week. The drainage in the fairways is installed on numbers nine, eleven and thirteen. The sod is really taking off now with the increased nighttime temperatures and all the fertilizer we've put down to encourage growth. The staff and I will be very busy this week getting #16 green aerated for the first time as well as keeping everything watered. The latest forecast is calling for temperatures in the upper 80's for this week with no rain in sight.
It was great seeing everyone take advantage of the demo day on the new practice facility this past Friday and from what I hear the Tuesday night ladies clinics have been a large success as well. If anyone is interested, please check out the links on our homepage for up coming tournaments and great lunch specials everyday at The Pub and Grill. Keep it in the short grass!!
May 17, 2010
I just wanted to give everyone an update on course conditions and where we are at on the renovation front. The course is really starting to dry out and play very nicely. I'm sure everyone is enjoying getting a few extra yards on the firm fairways. It's been great seeing so many people using the practice facility to improve their golf game.
On the renovation front, TDI has moved their operation up to holes eleven through fifteen. They will be sodding the 13th green tomorrow morning, which will complete the green restorations for this phase of renovation. This past week they have finished the bunkers on number eleven and fourteen. Our goal is to have the 13th green complex finished by the end of the week. Tomorrow I plan to aerify and top dress the new 17th green for the first time, which should set the green up nicely for our scheduled opening of July 3rd. Depending on the weather, my plan is to aerify both eleven and sixteen greens next week.
I'd like to remind everyone to please use the divot mix which is provided on the par threes as well as on all of the new carts. Thank you for helping to do your part to keep our course looking great.
May 3, 2010
What a perfect weekend! I have never seen the leaves on the trees so full this early in the season. With everything happening all at once, it has been a real challenge just keeping the grass cut.
I want to give everyone a quick update on the course and on the renovation front. As many of you have seen, the rough mower has arrived and Kip is out in full force. With all this very warm weather the grass has taken off. Everything, from the trees to the weeds, is about 3 weeks ahead of normal. I have never seen so many dandelions in my life!!
With this rain tonight and into tomorrow my plan right now is to get out on the sprayer on Tuesday and start spraying for the weeds. I need the Herbicide to stay on the plant for a 24 hour period to be most effective. That is why I have been waiting for this storm to take its course before spraying. With everything going on this spring with the renovation we have had to cut back on some of the detail on the course. Our main focus is on the new sod and keeping the short grass cut and healthy. Once the new renovated areas start to take hold, we will turn our focus to the process of fine tuning the course for the meat of the season, June through September. I ask for your patience during this busy time here at the "Beek". When everything is finished I'm sure you will really enjoy what we have put together on the back nine.
On the renovation front, TDI has laid the sod on #16 green surrounds and around the tee tops. The hole is really starting to take shape. Our plan right now is to sod the green on Tuesday and have numbers 11, 16, 17 and 18 finished by the end of the week. TDI then will move their operation up the hill to finish numbers 12, 13, 14 and 15. The project is still running on schedule and if everything stays that way I hope to have the back nine open for July 1st.
Thanks again for all the support and kind words during this exciting time. Just a side note my goal is to get the parking lot back together by the end of the month. Keep it in the short grass.
April 19, 2010
Where did the warm weather go? This weekend feels more like winter instead of late spring like it did just a few weeks ago. Looking at the extended forecast it looks like the weather should improve over the next five days or so.
On the renovation front, TDI finished sodding the new #17 green complex on Friday. Early in the week they will be moving their way up the hill to the fairway and bunker complex. Our goal now is to get the new #16 complex sodded this week and finish the tees on #17 and #11 as well. Things are right on schedule still even with the cool, wet weather.
On the course, the rough is really starting to grow and with some luck we will have our new rough mower delivered this week and begin cutting shortly after. I apologize for the length of the rough but the delay on the delivery has been totally out of our control. The clean up process has been a long one with thousands of pine cones on the ground all over the course, especially on the back nine. Due to this we haven't even been able to cut anything out on numbers 12 and 13 yet. The pine trees drop their cones in five year cycles and as you can see this is definitely year five!!
I hope everyone is enjoying the new practice facility and new fleet of golf carts. It’s been a pleasure seeing Waubeeka improve since the Goff family purchased the place in March of 2008. I and my family are very happy to be here and look forward to all the good things to come in the near future. Keep it in the short grass!!!
April 13, 2010
I just wanted to give everyone an update on course conditions and where we are at on the renovation front.
As many of you already know the new State of the Art Grass Practice Facility is open and ready for all your practicing needs. We opened the front 9 on April 9th for the season and we plan to open the new back nine when everything is ready sometime in late June or early July.
The course is playing pretty well for this time of the year with the greens starting to really come together after a warm March and April. This winter we were able to purchase a used Riding Greens Roller, which has been really helpful in smoothing out the greens and in turn allowing me to cut the greens at a higher height of cut while still getting a nice ball roll. This simple process of raising the height of cut will make the grass much healthier and will save on water and chemical applications on the greens throughout the summer. We also are looking into adding more naturalized out of play areas on the course to save on man power and fuel. It is important to us that we do our part in being good stewards of the land by making the course as environmentally friendly as possible both for the golfer and the surrounding habitat.
On the renovation front, TDI has been very busy over the last week getting the new #17 green complex built and ready for soding later this week. As anyone driving by can see, our parking lot is full of material for the renovation. The material in the north end of the parking lot is the 80-20 USGA specification root zone mix for the new greens on #13, 16 and 17. The next pile is the 3/8th Gravel Blanket for all the internal drainage and the last pile to the south is our bunker sand which is used currently throughout all the bunkers on the course. Over the next week or so TDI should be moving up the hill to new #16 and start the process of getting that hole built and soded. We will then start the process of growing in the turf for golf. In this phase of the renovation we are using a lot more sod, which will make the turn around time much less compared to growing the turf in from seed.
Lastly, I’d like to say thank you to my staff for all the hard work on the course and also to Mark Mills and Ryan Callahan for taking the lead on the PR side of this large, exciting renovation. Good to see and talk to everyone over the last few days. Hope to see a lot more people out this week on the range and enjoying your beautiful golf course. Any questions please don't hesitate to flag me down on the course or during lunch in the Clubhouse.
April 6, 2010
My guys have been very busy cleaning the front nine in preparation for our opening on this Friday April 9th. We cut the fairways, tees and approaches for the first time today. The turf came through the winter pretty well with only minimal ice damage. The bunkers are all back together with sand added in spots.
Our goal for the next two days is to finish cleaning #8 and #9 and bring out all the accessories. It’s been great to see a lot of people enjoying the driving range and eating at the Pub and Grill. Don’t forget to stop by the new grass tee this Friday for the Grand Opening of our Practice Facility.
Hope to see everyone back on the course this Friday. Happy Spring!!
March 25, 2010
Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on the course conditions and give everyone my best prediction on when we will be opening the course.
The course is free of all snow but still very very wet. I have my full time seasonal guys starting back on Monday. We will then begin the long process of cleaning and grooming the course. We have a lot of small debris down all throughout the course.
That being said, my best prediction right now is that we are still looking at the week of April 5-11. I know it's not tomorrow like we all want, but Mother Nature dictates everything and the opening of the course is no exception.
It was nice to see a lot of people last weekend enjoying the practice facility and putting green. Our Goal right now is when we open the course that we will move from the mats to the 36,000 sq. ft. grass tee on the range for all your practicing needs.
Once again thank you for your patience and support during this exciting time of change and improvement here at the "beek". Come enjoy the Pub and Grill this weekend.
Please email me with any questions or concerns you may have. Your input is very important to our operation. Gtudor03@aol.com
March 9, 2010
I hope everyone has been enjoying the spring-like weather over the last few days. The snow is gradually starting to melt away at the course with more grass popping through each day.
Today I had my first pre-construction meeting for Phase II of the renovation. Mark Mungeam, architect, Steve Tate, TDI project manager, Bob Cupp, site foreman and I went over all of the logistics in preparation for ground-breaking on April 5, 2010 - weather permitting.
All of the course accessories and equipment are ready for the 2010 season. As soon as the weather allows we will begin the tedious process of getting the course ready for play.
On behalf of myself and the grounds staff, I want to thank you for your continued support and patience during this exciting renovation period here at Waubeeka. I'm sure that when everything is finished you will all be very pleased.
February 22, 2010
The sun is starting to get much higher in the sky and with it starts the thoughts of spring and getting the clubs back out. Today, Tom and I finished painting all the trash cans and water stations for the course. Last, Friday we finished tearing down, staining and painting all the course benches.
Our next task will be, painting all the ball washers and cups for the course. Many people ask me what we do in the winter months, so I thought I would inform you of a couple different tasks we are responsible for.
In between painting and staining, I had a chance to walk the course to see how it has wintered up to this point. Everything looks very promising, at this point in the season, but as you all know March and even April can bring very nasty weather conditions and grass that looks great now can turn south in a matter of days. All we can do now is have faith in the steps we took in the fall which were to let the grass harden off and put down a slow release fertilize for root development over the winter.
For snow mold protection on all of the greens that have been problematic over previous years, we sprayed a set up fungicide spray in early November and a follow up granular fungicide application during the winter thaw in January. We also deep tined the greens in November to help the water to drain easier throughout the winter and early spring. This should help combat any excessive ice damage. We then followed up the deep tine with heavy topdressing, on all the putting surfaces to both insulate the grass and protect the heart of the grass plant called the crown from the harsh winter weather.
My point being is that we are doing everything we can to give the grass, especially the greens, the best opportunity possible for winter survival. With the focus of keeping "The Beeks" greens some of the best greens in the Berkshires.
If anyone has any questions regarding anything to do with the up keep of the course please don't hesitate to contact me.
Thanks. Gtudor03@aol.com
