Norman Fairway Drainage Project

The rain and the cold this week were no deterrent for our drainage project. Work is underway on Fairways #1 and #4. We will also be adding additional drainage on Fairways #11, #12 and #16. The work being done will allow excess water to efficiently find its way to our existing drain basins. This will greatly improve playing conditions on these fairways throughout the season. The project will be updated in more detail on the “special projects” page as it is completed.

New Weather Station

We completed the installation of our new weather station last week. This will be an invaluable tool for us in the future. It monitors temperature, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, relative humidity, rainfall and ET (Evapotranspiration Rate). The data retrieved by the station is automatically sent to our irrigation computer. The computer then analyzes the information and the result is a much more efficient watering program based on up-to-the-second atmospheric readings.

Wrapping up a busy summer

As the unofficial end of summer approaches, we are in the process of aerifying all 49 greens and all the bent grass tee boxes. With 6 acres of greens and 8 acres of tees, this is no small project. The benefits of core aeration far outweigh the headache that it presents for our staff and golfers alike. Our putting surfaces will heal quickly and should be back up to speed in 12 to 15 days (depending on weather). Thank you for bearing with us as we complete this essential cultivation practice.

Busy Spring So Far

The bridge on #1 Norman was submerged

As many of you know we experienced serious flooding on all 3 courses. Once every 4 or 5 years we get a flood that closes us down for at least a few days. This happened to be our year. Over 4 inches of rain fell within a 12 hour period. The river rose and this was the result. There was a lot of clean up but thankfully no serious damage other than a few washed out bunkers. This is one of the joys of working on a course built in a flood plain along the Potomac.

#13 Norman

In addition to the flooding last week we also received some bittersweet news. Our Director of Agronomy, Tyler Koser accepted a position back in Scottsdale AZ. He is making the move to be closer to Troon headquarters which will allow him to hold dual responsibilities. His new role will include Superintendent of Terravida Golf Club as well as assisting the corporate agronomy team whenever necessary. Please congratulate Tyler if you see him. His replacement will be starting the first week in June.

Dangerous Tree Removal

#13 Norman

Today was our first day of temperatures in the 80s and we were very busy on all three courses. Summer is just around the corner. We had the tree professionals from Twin Oak Tree Co. remove a huge Hickory tree that had partially fallen across the cart path on #13 Norman. We attempted to remove it ourselves and quickly determined that it was too dangerous for our staff to deal with. The pictures show how the tree was stuck on another large tree, hanging precariously across the path and right above an irrigation satellite. The guys from Twin Oak were seasoned professionals and they had it down safely in a few hours. The cart path is now reopened and we will be removing the larger pieces of the trunk next week.

If you look closely you can see a climber 50ft up 

They gently lowered the trunk to keep from breaking the cart path

 A lot of stress being put on that smaller tree

Purpose of this Blog

Throughout the golf industry the maintenance portion of a club’s operation is often viewed as a necessary nuisance. In hopes to soften that image at Lansdowne, we will be periodically updating this blog with information and photos pertaining to course conditions, agronomic practices and any upcoming projects. In addition, we will have a page dedicated to Q & A where member’s frequently asked questions can be answered in detail. As your agronomy team, we are passionate about providing you, the members, with the best playing conditions in our area. On a daily basis we are using our combined knowledge of turf grass science, the game of golf and the industry as a whole in an attempt to exceed your expectations. Hopefully the information provided here will help to further narrow the gap between the golfer and the agronomist. Thank you for your interest in our department and we hope to see you on the courses this spring for a great 2014 season!