Spring '09 Update

Happy Spring!!!

We are happy to see everyone returning for some early season, yet mostly cold, spring golf. Rumor has it that warmer weather will arrive soon, despite its absence to date.

The golf course survived its winter rest in excellent shape. Our programs to improve and maintain the golf course continue to reap the benefits we spoke about since we began in 2005. We do, however need to continue and build on our success. A famous Golf Course Architect once told me "any golf course standing still, resting on its laurels, is in fact going backward." We have plans to go forward, despite less funding for golf course maintenance for 2009.

Because we have fewer funds for golf course maintenance, there will be changes in our operation. The changes will be due mostly due to using fewer labor hours to maintain the golf course. 65% of our operating budget is for labor and related expenses, and the dollars we have been asked to save versus last year's spending budget are significant. Some of the changes include the following: Maintaining the intermediate rough will be eliminated this year. Bunkers will not be raked as often. (Please be more vigilant raking bunkers after a bunker shot this year!!) We will use a triplex (larger) greensmower on some days. Tees will no longer be hand mowed; we will use a larger triplex mower. Greens may be only rolled some days, instead of mowed and rolled as in the past. Divots will not be filled as often. Some trimming tasks may be delayed.

Grass will still grow despite challenging economic times. Therefore, we will mow 95% of the golf course as often as in the past. Also, we are NOT eliminating or changing expensive fertilization or pest control programs on greens, tees, fairways or roughs. We will not compromise the health or quality of playing surfaces. Grubs and crabgrass will be controlled. Diseases and pests will be controlled using the best technology available. We will irrigate as we always have. We will continue to improve roughs, and will again apply lime this spring to repair severe calcium and magnesium soil deficiencies. Later this year, we will have home grown rough type sod available to us from a turfgrass nursery we established in the driving range area last fall. Finally, aeration programs will be altered in May. Greens aeration programs will not be as aggressive, saving funds by eliminating expensive sand topdressing. (I figure we may get some applause for this change...) We have plans to use a solid tine that pokes a smaller hole to the greens, bringing no soil to the surface. A lighter application of topdressing will be applied versus past springs. Decisions about our method of greens aeration for September will be made during August.

You may have noticed the painted lines placed on fairway edges. We are re-shaping fairways a bit, as they have enlarged over the years, according to some members and last year's Grounds Committee. Fairway mower operators tend to enlarge fairway edges over time, so the comments were not surprising to hear. We will not shorten the length of any fairway by reducing them at the tee side. Bringing fairways back to original size will also help us to control costs, because slightly smaller fairways will be cheaper to maintain. The new boundaries are not set in stone, as I expect to make some changes to the changes as the season progresses.

The drain by the clubhouse front door will be repaired during April. Somehow, water is not entering the drainage system as it was designed. Soon after the repair, the area excavated will be repaired with new asphalt.

We have plans to improve the quality of cut on fairway this year. Perennial ryegrasses comprise close to 50% of the turf species present on Potowomut fairways. Ryegrass grows quicker than the other species present, and like your dog, does not like to be trimmed. While being mowed, ryegrass leaves tend to be shredded, instead of being mowed clean, unless the mower's reels are perfect cylinders and adjusted perfectly. When fairway mowers go out for their first mowings in March, the reels are in this condition. Over time, however, after mowing acres of turf and encountering sticks, small stones, soil clods and sand present in divots, the reels become far from perfectly round. When in this negative condition, it takes Mechanic George four working days per mower to properly grind and adjust them. Based on our need to keep each machine operational all season, the result is poor cut quality almost all season. Our USGA representative Jim Skorulski spoke and wrote about this situation during his September 2008 visit.

Newer spin grinders from Great Britain will enable George to take a mower out of service at 7:00am, completely grind the mowers to perfect condition, and put it back in service at 3:00 pm on the same day. New spin grinders costs exceed $ 40,000. We have, however located a used set of grinders at very reasonable cost. After selling our old fairway aerator and two other minor pieces of unused equipment, we expect to have funds necessary to make an even swap.

Despite the economic challenges 2009 presents, we are still planning on a wonderful season. My staff and I will work very hard to present your wonderful golf course to you, and we will hopefully exceed your expectations.