Late Fall Projects Underway

As the weather has cooled and the days have shortened we remain busy out on the course.  Along with daily leaf detail we are addressing bunker face and cart path issues that needed attention .  We have been sodding these areas over the last week where needed. 

It is necessary to remove heavily played bunker face sod every 3 or 4 years as these areas become heavily top dressed with sand as shots are taken from the bunkers.  As a result, these areas become difficult to keep wet during the summer heat and tend to burn out very readily during the season.  We go in, remove the sod, and then take any excess sand away down to the clay.  We then lay new sod over the area and staple the sod in place so there is no movement over the winter months.  The sod is left hanging  over the bunker lip in order to protect the bunker edge over the winter.  Next spring when the sod has rooted well, we will cut the excess sod at the edge to get the clean bunker edge look that you see in our bunkers. 

Freshly sodded bunker face

    We have also sodded along cart path edges that were traffic worn during the season.  This cost can be avoided if all tires of the cart are kept on the cart path around greens and tees.  We will continue to remind our members to break this habit and this year the damage was less than in previous years so it is worth the effort.  It is interesting to note that in past years, prior to the irrigation install, we would use approximately 18,000 square feet of sod on an annual basis to repair the course for the upcoming season.  This year we will lay down 2400 square feet of sod to take care of our needs.  This is a substantial savings in the cost of sod annually but a huge savings in the labor cost involved in laying it. 

Sodded area along cart path edge damaged from cart traffic

The course is playing well and the leaves are a minimal issue at this point so come out and enjoy some late season golf.  The forecast for late this week into the weekend looks good for this time of year so grab a friend and your clubs and come out for the day.