Cart Paths

We are going to address some of the cart paths this week that have some erosion issues. Holes 5, 9 and 13 have some areas under the paths that have eroded and we plan on applying stone and drainage  to prevent further erosion.

"Frost Delays" WHY?

This is a good article and video of why we ask for frost delays on the golf course, please take a look.
I would also like to add that guessing what time the frost will be gone is truly an educated  guess and that the times that I give the pro shop may be off , so please be patient and we will get you on the course as soon as possible.
http://www.usga.org/ourexpertsexplain.aspx?id=21474862655

Greens

We had an outbreak of Dollar Spot (Helmenthosporium) on the greens this week. This  specific fungi has been an ongoing issue this summer. I have been using different fungicides to combat the pathogen  thinking that the fungus was building up a resistance to the chemicals. With this outbreak we decided to get a little more aggressive with our treatment and gear more towards a soil treatment. In order to do that I spiked the greens then applied a fungicide and watered it in which we refer to as a "drench". I then applied a foliar or "contact" fungicide which should kill the fungus. We have fertilized recently which should promote more growth to heal the patches on the greens.

Club Championship

Our club championship is this weekend and we have been preparing for it. The greens have been cut a little shorter and top dressed to add some speed, the bunkers edged and cutting weeds in front of thee tee boxes. We appreciate those who have signed up and hope you play your best. Thank you  for making Brickshire your club of choice. 

I sprayed the weeds in the fairway on #9 a few weeks ago and the shepherds purse that was between the bunker and green has started to die. I also sprayed some of the rough and tall fescue as well with more spraying to come this week.

 

We began chopping down the Dog Fennel in front of the tee boxes.

What a nasty weed!

Aerifying Greens

We have aerified the front nine greens today and we will finish the back nine Monday and Tuesday.
We need both days to finish punching, topdressing and adding soil amendments. I posted this back in March but it is a great explanation for the reason of aerifying so here it is again. Sorry for any inconvenience but it is a necessary evil.

 We Aerify Because... Saturday, March 15, 2014       We are getting close to  Spring, and the overwhelming urge to crush a little white ball is boiling in our veins. Great drive, unreal second shot onto the green, and then SHOOT!!! “They have punched the greens!”  Hopefully that is not how you discover aerification every year, but consider this; aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long-term benefits for golf courses. When you see them, remember that without those little holes, the greens would eventually die. Preventative maintenance is an integral part of successful golf course management. Golfers view aerification as an inconvenience that takes the greens out of play for a day, pulling cores from the greens and leaving holes that can affect putting for many days before healing. To add insult to injury, aerification is best done in many parts of the country, at the height greens conditions. A golfer needs to understand how important aerification is to producing healthy turf. Aerification (also known as aeration, not ”Air E Ation”) achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green's roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch (organic material). Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at 2/16-inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles. Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die. Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it's done by removing half-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways) from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand "topdressing" that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward. Maintaining or even improving the rate water moves into the soils is an important part of aeration.  The procedure creates channels in the upper portion of the soil profile that allow water to move in and through the soil profile more rapidly.  This process also increases the amount of space available for oxygen to penetrate the soil, which is critical for root growth, and ultimately plant growth. The bottom line is, aeration is performed for the health of the grass and, ultimately, the playability of the putting greens.  Greens with less organic and a better air/water exchange will be better greens on a season-long basis.  Try not to get caught up in the short-term loss of playability, and focus on the long-term benefits to the turf, as well as, YOUR ROUND

Dry

We are EXTREMELY dry! The weather hasn't been too kind to us lately and the course is drying out. I have been watering a lot but only rain is going to get things to turn around. The irrigation will keep the turf alive but we need a decent amount of rain to help. The weather forecast for next few days has a small chance of rain calling for 30% to 40% that is not too assuring but it's something. On the bright side your hitting longer tee shots.

 

Sorry I haven't posted in a while

I was on vacation and really enjoyed it. My blog was the furthest thing on my mind but now that 
I'm back here you go. We are going to finish aerifying  and fertilizing the back 9 fairways this week as long as the tropical storm doesn't interfere. We only have a few holes left to finish spraying the broadleaf weeds on and then I will start spraying different weeds like crabgrass, goosegrass and others that uses different chemicals. I will send some before and after pictures later.

Hole #9

Hole #9 will be cart path only for the next 4 months. The Bermuda grass is not growing and cart traffic is not helping. I appreciate your cooperation and am sorry for any inconvenience.

Weeds

I have sprayed the weeds on Holes #4 through #9 and #18 and will continue on the rest of the course. We also fertilized the tee boxes to get the Bermuda growing. Next week we will begin aerifying fairways starting on #9 and working around the course from there.

Turf Twister

                                                          


                                                Does Anyone Know What Caused This



 

Note the brown spots, do you have a guess what caused them

 

 

 

 

 

This problem is spreading across the green see the three different patches

 

 

 

 

Does this help?

 

 

OK this is caused by bug spray and the reason its spreading across the green is that the person shared it with their friends. The propellant in the spray kills the turf. I've seen it on the greens, tees and fairways. Please apply bug spray on the cart paths and pass this on when you see someone else applying bug spray while standing on the turf.

 

Great Weather

 The weather is great and the greens are loving it. The greens are in great shape and are rolling true. The grass is growing and so are some weeds. I will start spraying native areas outside the rough to minimize the broad leaf weeds that get tall like Dog Fennel and Milkweed


               Dog Fennel is the tall stuff behind the grass in the front it grows to around 5 to 7 feet

 

 

Dog fennel

 

 

 

                                                     Milkweed grows to about 4 feet

 

Great Weather

It's going to be  nice this week except for a 50% chance of rain this evening. The greens are responding to the fertilizer and are filling in nicely getting faster and smoother. the Bermuda is still coming along slowly but it is coming. We have also got the all bunkers back in order since our deluge last week. Our project this week is to repair the leaking heads around the greens.

We are 90 degrees for carts

90 degrees for carts today and the weekend baring any rain so come on out. Also with all this rain we've had keep a look out for diseases in your lawns ie. Brown Patch .  

It's wet

Lots of rain and more to come! It will be cart path only for the next couple of days. The driving range is also closed but I believe the one at Royal New Kent is open. There are tournaments scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday call ahead to see what tee times are available.

Rain

Looks like a lot of rain headed our way. I am looking forward to it because the course is dry and we need it. The greens have a hard time when it get dry do to the fact that they are made totally of sand and hold little water to begin with. Low humidity allows what water that is there to evaporate quickly and wind just accelerates the drying process. The Bermuda grass in the fairways and rough could use some rain as well. What might be bad for golf is great for the course so break out those rain suits and play some golf.

Greens

We are fertilizing the greens to promote some growth now that the temperatures are staying a little more towards the warmer side. This will get them to roll a more consistent and have a smoother putt.
We have the mowers on the course cutting fairways, roughs and tees which makes me happy knowing the course is greening up.

I've seen the that the Dogwoods have started to bloom , I hope you've had a chance to get your preemergent down for crabgrass. I'm sure everyone is having a bumper crop of broadleaf weeds this year like Chickweed, Henbit and others, I have and will be spraying them with 24D and Dicamba. The Bermuda  grass in the fairways, tees and rough has started to germinate and the course should start to green up after this rain and some more warm weather. But the forecast for this week isn't so favorable though with cooler temperatures headed our way. The next small project for this week is to mulch the clubhouse grounds and parking lot. Have a great round and thanks for playing.

Does Anyone Know What This Is

 This is Forsythia and it's natures indicator that it is time to put out your preemergent for crabgrass. I have started on the golf course earlier in the week and I recommend you do the same. The books say that the round about date for this area is April 20 for crabgrass germination. Which means you need to have your chemical on the ground before then.  These plants are an  indicator that the temperatures are getting close for germination. It has also been my experience that if you wait until the Dogwoods bloom you have waited too late. So get out there and stop these nasty weeds before they become a problem in your lawn.

Walking path on #8

Started constructing a walking path on #8 from the cart path down the hill towards the green.

 

Digging, how fun!

 

I call this picture "The Path To Enlightenment"

maybe you can see my reference

 

Not finished yet but this should ease the walk down towards the green and stop the erosion caused by foot traffic

A Little Bit of Snow

There is a little snow on the greens  but it should melt quickly. We are closed this morning but there is potential that we could open this afternoon. We are cart path only though.

Holly Pruning

We are currently working on pruning the holly trees at the club house getting ready for mulch and spring

Why We Aerify

 We Aerify Because... Saturday, March 15, 2014       We are getting close to Spring, and the overwhelming urge to crush a little white ball is boiling in our veins. Great drive, unreal second shot onto the green, and then SHOOT!!! “They have punched the greens!”  Hopefully that is not how you discover aerification every year, but consider this; aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long-term benefits for golf courses. When you see them, remember that without those little holes, the greens would eventually die. Preventative maintenance is an integral part of successful golf course management. Golfers view aerification as an inconvenience that takes the greens out of play for a day, pulling cores from the greens and leaving holes that can affect putting for many days before healing. To add insult to injury, aerification is best done in many parts of the country, at the height greens conditions. A golfer needs to understand how important aerification is to producing healthy turf. Aerification (also known as aeration, not ”Air E Ation”) achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it provides a method to improve the soil mixture around the highest part of a green's roots and it reduces or prevents the accumulation of excess thatch (organic material). Like so many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condition of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order for grass to grow at 2/16-inch, it must have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles. Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet (as well as mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants become weaker and will eventually wither and die. Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it's done by removing half-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways) from the compacted soil, allowing for an infusion of air and water that brings a resurgence of growth. The spaces are then filled with sand "topdressing" that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow downward. Maintaining or even improving the rate water moves into the soils is an important part of aeration.  The procedure creates channels in the upper portion of the soil profile that allow water to move in and through the soil profile more rapidly.  This process also increases the amount of space available for oxygen to penetrate the soil, which is critical for root growth, and ultimately plant growth. The bottom line is, aeration is performed for the health of the grass and, ultimately, the playability of the putting greens.  Greens with less organic and a better air/water exchange will be better greens on a season-long basis.  Try not to get caught up in the short-term loss of playability, and focus on the long-term benefits to the turf, as well as, YOUR ROUND.

Bad Weather

It's another cold day with freezing precipitation here at Brickshire. I don't think we are going to get a lot of accumulation so the course closing should be minimal. Call ahead to make sure we are open 804-966-7888 ext.2. COME ON SPRING!

Killing Weed / Other Things.

I have started spraying out the broadleaf weeds as well as poa annua and rye grass in the roughs, fairways and tees. We are still working on drainage problems in the bunkers and have progressed to the back nine. If the weather cooperates we will start painting fairways on Thursday. We have been constantly rolling greens to get them smooth from aerifying and it is improving the roll and I plan on mowing them on Friday.

Open For Play on Saturday!

The snow is melting and we will be open on Saturday March 8th. The bad news is that it will be cart path only. The good news is that the weather is supposed to be great so come on out and enjoy a round at Brickshire.

Not open yet

With today being cloudy the snow didn't really melt so we will be closed on Thursday but I would anticipate us opening on Friday. Please call to make sure 804 966 7888.

More Darn Snow

Well we are closed again for snow. On the bright side your Sudoku skills are improving. I will post when we be opening in the next couple of days.

Painting Fairways

We are planning on painting fairways in the next two weeks. It will be nice to see some green grass. The pro shop staff will let you know when and which holes. Thanks again for playing Brickshire

 

Bunker Sand

We are in the process of putting sand in the bunkers that we fixed the drains in. The crew is only putting sand in the flat portion of the bunkers because the sides/slopes have enough. We will be blending the sand over the next couple of weeks so the color contrast is temporary.

Spring Aerification

Aerification went well and we finished in record time thanks to the help of the Royal New Kent staff. We have some finishing touches left today but the course will be open for business tomorrow. Here are a few pictures of the process.

Aerifying late into Sunday evening

Sunday evening heading back to the shop.

Too dark to keep going but got 6 holes done

This is the big crew that worked hard picking up all those plugs off the greens.

Thanks a lot guys!

Nice Day For Golf

Great day for some golf and we are 90 degrees for golf carts so come on out for a round.

Bunker project. Does anyone know the ruling for ground under repair in a bunker

Link - USGA ruling for Ground Under Repair in a bunker

 

 

We are starting to clear and or repair the pipes in the bunkers that do not drain.

Bunker in rough on #4

                                The Maintenance crew digging up bad pipe on #4 greenside bunker

After pipe is cleaned or replaced new pea gravel is placed on pipe to keep the perforations clear of debris then covered with sand. This bunker is in the rough on #1

Basins in front of tee project finished

        Areas like this one in front of #5 tee boxes have been cleared on the entire course. That's another winter project checked off, now onto bunkers

A warm week ahead

After tomorrows rain that spills into Wednesday the thermometer will be on the rise with temperatures expected to reach mid 70's by Friday "Woo-Hoo". So come on out we will have the course ready for you.

Aerification

We will be aerifying On February 24&25, sorry for any inconvenience but it is necessary for the greens to help them survive the summer months and improve turf quality. PLEASE book your tee time at one of our other fine facilities.

Thank you for your patience.

Greens at Brickshire

The greens at Brickshire have taken a hit from all the snow and frost over the last few weeks along with some of your swings. The turf is fine it's just a little loss of color. We have applied some fertilizer to help, only if there were a chemical for your game huh?