Forest Lake Country Club

Course Update

2012-01-26T05:19:00.000-08:00

The winter of 2011 / 12 just seems to not want to arrive. The day time temperatures have seemed to consistently settle in in the mid 30's through December and January. Most of the precipitation we have received has come to us in the form of rain or very light snow dustings that seem to disappear shortly after sunrise.

As a turf manager, we always are thinking about how the turf will react under snow cover, if there there is ice forming on the turf, what decisions should I make to ensure the grass will be the best condition come spring. All of this is subjective depending on each individual winter. The 2012 winter has us more concerned if the winter fungicide programs we traditionally use in the fall will hold up, or degrade with mild weather, and exposed grass. Touring the golf course yesterday, we are in great shape and the turf looks good, with spring not to far away I believe we should have good healthy grass, come winters end.

The upside of the mild weather has allowed us to be out on the golf course doing some tree/hedge pruning. It has also allowed us the opportunity to clean up some of our maintenance areas on the golf course, most notably the area in the north end of the club parking lot.

With the help of a tree company we removed and trimmed a couple of Silver Maples on Holes #9 and #15. This will allow space for our younger trees planted in these areas, to grow and mature. The Silver Maple grove between #12/13 were also trimmed during this time.

#9 Before

#9 After

#15 Before

#15 After

Our main winter focus is always maintaining our equipment. Jose our equipment manager does a great job in inspecting and maintaining all of our equipment. During this time all of our reels are sharpened and any equipment problems are addressed, allowing us quality machines for the up-coming golf season. With the help of the maintenance staff our equipment is detailed and restored to like-new condition.

Irrigation Project

2011-12-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

The greens complexes on all 18 holes and the putting green have been completed with piping, wiring and sprinkler heads. The new satellite system has also been installed. The project was completed is on time, in budget and the irrigation system has been shut down and blown out for the winter season. The contractor has de-mobilizing and has removed the heavy equipment and the trailers from the parking lot.

In the spring the contractor will return and test the sprinkler heads and adjust the spray patterns for optimal performance. Any settling of the ground affected during installation will be repaired at that time. This winter the greens crew will be simulating the irrigation system operation and developing watering routines. We look forward to using this tool next season to improve water management, which will directly benefit the turf grass and playing features with-in the greens complexes.

Greens Drainage

2011-12-06T06:07:00.000-08:00

Sod removed #12 Green

Now that the early signs of winter are here, we are very close to having the golf course prepared for over-wintering. The Flags have been moved into their winter locations on fairways in front of the greens. The course hardware has been removed from the golf course, and our dormant fertilizers and snow mold protection have been applied.

Over the past winters we have developed a plan that has been successful in removing excess water as it melts off our greens surfaces. The goal is to help water moving off the greens, move quickly to prevent freezing on the greens surface. Ice developing on the greens surface through freeze thaws can lead to turf loss. Through the winter we shovel these channels keeping them clear from snow and ice accumulations.

Sod in #13 bunker

Preparing sod for the winter

We have identified the greens that will develop puddling water. The process begins by removing a strip of turf with a sod cutter, thus creating a channel for the water to move freely off the greens surface. The sod removed from the green is laid in the closest proximity bunker. The bunker sand is pushed up against the sod edges and used as top dressing to protect the turf through the winter.
In the spring time this sod will be placed back onto the greens surface and will root in recovering quickly.

This week we will also put rope and stakes around all of our greens to keep cross country skiers and walkers from traveling across them through the winter.

Course Conditions

2011-12-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

The first signs of winter arrived on Wednesday with a light coating of snow and ice. Temperatures in the long range forecast are settling down to the traditional 30-40F range for this time of year. The greens maintenance team is close to having the course put to bed for the winter. There will always be smaller projects around the golf course we will tackle as weather permits. As we do enjoy seeing membership enjoying the golf course property year round we have placed "Provisional Flags" in the fairways for the winter golfer. We are also getting ready for our 3rd year of providing an outdoor skating rink, which will be located in the tennis area. Details will follow, as the weather is not quite ready for the rink to be constructed.

Irrigation System Update

2011-11-15T03:25:00.000-08:00

Irrigation System Update

November 9^th, 2011

FLCC Golfing Members,

I hope you all have been enjoying this mild fall on the track at FLCC. The weather has been decent for golf and good for golf course improvements like our irrigation system.

Directional Bore #5 Creek

I am happy to report that holes #1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11, 13,15,18, and the putting green are completed. That leaves #10, 12 14, 16 and 17 – Five more holes to go before the snow flies!

Most of the work is underground and to the right you can see the horizontal drilling we did under #5 to connect the greens irrigation complex.

Week of November 11^th – Install the irrigation system on holes #10 and #12 and repair gate valves.

Week of November 14^th – Install the irrigation on holes 14, 16, and finally #17. Ryan’s crew will begin blowing out the completed systems for the winter.

Week of November 21^st - Complete wiring to satellite control and spray zones. All underground work completed.

As we dug up our 50 year old system we were sure to find some surprises, both good and bad. We found a few isolation valves that were broken and inoperable. This would have been a hot issue if we ever needed to isolate part of the golf course and they didn’t work. But these valves are being replaced this week. The cost of these valves is minor but the ability to isolate the system is important.

Gate Valve at Tie-in #18

On the positive side FLCC’s new Greens Superintendent, Ryan Moore, and his team were able to utilize the old hydraulic system in new ways. They connected the old hydraulic lines to individual sprinkler heads in the fairways. This took some of our zone areas and made them individual control heads. Individual control is the key to manage turf water requirements and we made these improvements without any additional cost.

This winter Ryan and his crew will be simulating the irrigation system and developing watering routines to utilize the control we have added to FLCC. They will have the software, and our new GPS located irrigation plan uploaded on the new computer station so that they can become comfortable with the new controls as well as familiarize themselves with new irrigation software programs.

The members of FLCC have been very cooperative with our construction and the work force would like to thank you for your patience and understanding.

Remember: Safety is all of our responsibility. Please help protect the safety of the workers as they make the improvements to our gem of a golf course.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and Members we thank you for your support.

Yours truly,

Frank Taube
President
Forest Lake C.C.

PS. I hope to see many of you at the Gourmet Dinner next Saturday the 18th. I can’t wait to see what Chef Jim has in store for all of us and the wine committee is sure to please at this event!

Winterizing the Irrigation System

2011-11-15T03:16:00.000-08:00

On Monday November 14th we spent the day winterizing the irrigation system. Although we are not quite finished with construction, (irrigation still to be installed this week on #16 and #17) this is part of the process of putting the golf course to bed for the winter. We will test all the new sprinklers installed this fall, in the spring time when we turn on the irrigation system. In the spring we will ensure that everything is working to peak performance.

Blowing the water out of #7 Fairway

Compressor set-up behind the Club House

Frost

2011-11-01T04:03:00.000-07:00

Over the past weekend we finally experienced our first heavy frosts of the year delaying tee times to 10 - 10:30. We would like to thank the early morning golfers in being patient as frost becomes a waiting game for the course to become available for play. Cart and Foot traffic in a heavy frost can/will cause damage to the turf, which will not be able to recover until we have suitable growing weather in the spring.
The above photo of 1 green, as well as the rest of the putting surfaces at Forest Lake did not have frost this weekend. The reason for this is a product "Civitas" that we included this year in our winter fungicide protection program. Civitas has created a coating on the turf plants eliminating dew from accumulating, and thus no moisture for frost to form. Although not the goal for the product but an interesting side benefit that will last 3-5 days.

Superintendent’s Corner

2011-10-29T05:09:00.000-07:00

Superintendent’s Corner

Autumn Blaze Maple #5

Fall is a beautiful time of year in Michigan, with the changing of colors in the trees, and usually great weather to enjoy a round of golf. Some of our trees have lost their leaves but there still are many trees going through there fall transition before they drop. We have definitely have had more than our share of wetter days this fall, but the maintenance team has kept the golf course in good shape ready for your enjoyment.

Irrigation System

The Greens and Surrounds Irrigation install has been moving along well. So far the contractors have been able to install the pipe, sprinklers and wiring on holes 1,2,3,4,5,6,15,18, and the putting green. Many players have seen the installation first hand during their golf rounds, witnessing the amount of work involved in trenching, digging and installing new irrigation components around the greens. The quality of work performed and the detail to restoration to the greens complexes has been first class. Below are a couple of photos from the installation.

#1 Green during installation

#1 Green after restoration

New Satellite installed #1 Tee

The other component to the irrigation project was modernizing the control system. The addition of new satellites on the golf course (seen on the right), and updated central control, will allow us to properly manage the water requirements for the individual areas in our greens complexes, improving these areas. Our goal is to have all of the new irrigation installed by the end of November.

Thank you,

Greens Committee

Irrigation System Update

2011-10-20T03:44:00.000-07:00

Greens and Surrounds Irrigation Project

2011-10-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

Staking at #18 green

The Irrigation project to improve the overall quality of our greens complexes has started. The past week Mike Kuhn and Theilen Contractors have been on the property staking the in-field placement of the new irrigation heads. If you have played over the last week there were indicator flags around the greens complexes determining the specific locations. Most of these flags have been since been removed and have been painted instead, with a shallow hole so the locations will not be lost during construction.

New Satellite location #8

Progress this week saw holes #1,2, and 3 have new irrigation piping and heads installed. Restoration work has also been completed before moving onto the next hole. Also the satellite pads were formed and new field satellites were installed. Next Monday we will be starting construction on holes #4, and 5.

During the irrigation installation we have placed a temporary pin on the fairway, as the green on that hole is closed. No more then 2 holes will be closed at any time, and members and their guests have been asked to play to the provisional pin or play 1-2 extra holes on the golf course that are not closed to complete an 18 hole round. In scoring the closed golf holes, players are asked to use the equitable score for that hole.

Information on hole closures and scoring are available daily at the First Tee daily.

Tree Injury Update - Site Evaluation

2011-09-24T02:58:00.000-07:00

White Pines showing symptoms
of herbicide injury

Tagged trees showing injury to
more then 40% of tree

On Thursday the 22nd Dupont sent a team to evaluate the injury caused to trees from the herbicide Imprelis. The team consisted of an arborist, and 2 representatives from a 3rd party. Ryan Moore, and Fritz toured them around the grounds at Forest lake to all the trees expressing herbicide injury. 136 trees were evaluated, primarily White Pine, Norway Spruce and Colorado Spruce. Of these trees, 81 of them showed signs of 40% or more injury. These trees have been flagged with an orange ribbon. We have ordered tree tags to mark all 136 trees that were evaluated so we can closely monitor their health. The report of all data collected has been sent to Dupont. We will wait to be contacted, once Dupont has analyzed the tree data collected on site.

Evaluation Team collecting data from a White Pine grove.

Aerification

2011-09-22T03:49:00.000-07:00

Greens aeration has been completed. We aerified and removed cores from all of the greens on September 6th. Despite 3 days of rain that followed we were able to fill the core holes with sand during that week. The picture on the left shows the 11th green finished on September 9th. The greens have healed in well over the last 2 weeks, with the majority of holes bridged across and providing good smooth putting surfaces.

We have begun aerifying the fairways on the course. This process will take us a few weeks, as we tackle 2 fairways per day until we are complete. Information on the fairways being aerified will be available daily at the first tee along with cart instructions on the affected golf holes.

#12 Fairway Aerification September 21st

Deer Damage and Tree Protection

2011-09-22T03:21:00.000-07:00

Labor Day each year marks the time when we frequently start seeing deer traveling through the golf course. Although we enjoy having these beautiful animals around, and providing a green space corridor for them to travel, we do experience some challenges. The hoofs of deer can cause temporary indentations on our greens as they travel from one end of the course to another. More importantly, during the fall male deer rub the velvet off their new antlers on the trunks of new and soft bark trees. This action by the deer marks their territory as well as simulates a "mock" battle with the tree trunk strengthening the buck's shoulders and neck muscles for future battles. In the early spring the deer also will use the tree trunks to help shed their antlers. The picture on the left shows the typical damage that antler rub does to the soft bark on a new tree. The picture on the right shows a tree guard in place for protection.

We have installed protection on our young trees throughout the golf course. Using 4" drainage pipe for our smaller caliber tree trunks and an "Incamat" fabric to protect our larger caliber susceptible trees, we have been successful in deterring the deer over the last few year's. These guards will remain on the trees until spring.

Aerification

2011-09-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Tuesday September 6th we will start our core aerification at FLCC. Core aerification is the process of removing a small core (or plug) of soil from the turf to allow space for air, water and nutrients to move in the soil. Aerification holes on the greens will be removed and filled with sand, while the cores from tees and fairways will be busted up and used to top dress their respective areas.
The golf course receives daily traffic and compaction from golfers feet, carts and maintenance equipment. Compacted soils lead to poor root growth and as result can create weaker turf. The short term disruption from aerification of the golf course yields long-term benefits to our playing surfaces.
On Tuesday we will be aerifying and topdressing the greens, which will take a few days to fully complete. Once finished we will move onto the tees, and fairways. The first Tee will be notified daily of our progress with aerification, and which areas we will be working on that particular day.

A Touch of History

2011-08-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across something special that is worth sharing. The first picture below was taken today of #13 Green, and the second we are not sure of the exact year it the photo is from. It is very interesting as you compare the 2 photos, how the area has evolved over time but still maintains the same landscape characteristics as the original design.

Arbor Day

2011-08-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Arbor Day Event will be held on Sunday September 11th. The event will take on a similar format to the last couple years where golfers will represent their University of choice and play for braging rights. Last year MSU, U of M and Notre Dame were represented, with U of M pulling out a slim victory. Arbor Day is a great way to show your support for the golf course, raising funds for new trees and plants and beautification projects.

Below are some pictures of the plantings we were able to do on the golf course this spring with funds raised from 2010 Arbor Day event and donations. Not included in the Photos - Austrian Pine #14, Shrubs #1 Ladies Tee, Forsythia at #10 Tee

Replacement Arborvitaes and Colorado Spruce 7 Green / 12 Tee

Burr Oak and River Birch Right Side of #9

New Dwarf Burning Bush Hedge at #1 Tee

Course Conditions

2011-08-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Overall the course is in very good condition and has faired well through some tough temperatures and conditions we experienced this summer. During most years we will suffer small areas of turf loss from compaction, heat stress and turf grass disease pressures. These areas will start showing showing recovery soon, as the days become milder and overnight temperatures decline, improving growing conditions.

To help out with the recovery process we have started spiking our fairways that have become thin or or have bare spots. The slits from the spiker 1-2 inches deep and an inch long penetrate through the thatch and compacted ground. This provides an area where water, air and light can penetrate the soil allowing new seed to germinate, and giving weakened turf plants space to grow and obtain nutrition. The slits are hardy noticeable and the overall process is very non-obstructive to the playing surface as shown in the 2 photos.

Course Conditions

2011-08-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

Summer Patch #13 fairway

The temperatures in the 90's from July have moved away and we are currently having milder temperatures during the month of August. Although the course has weathered well during the extreme weather, some of the injury caused to turf by heat stress and turf diseases has started showing up. Damage showing up in fairways is primarily a result of "summer patch", which effects Annual Bluegrass during late July and August when day and nighttime temperatures are high. This disease will show up as yellowing turf and die back later as shown in the photo of 13 fairway. We do apply fungicides to control this disease but we do still experience some injury. We also have some turf damage in areas that was caused by excessive moisture coupled with heat stress. Over the next couple of weeks we will be aerifying and top dressing these spots to relieve compaction and promote recovery.

Rough Grass #17

The greens are also showing signs of summer stress, becoming very compacted from maintenance and play. The rains that we received over the last week, further increased the compaction. We will be venting the greens with small 1/4 inch tines to relieve compaction and allow oxygen and water back down into the soil. This will help the root zones of these greens which become very shallow during July and August.

August rains and cooler temperatures have also lead to very thick roughs which are growing rapidly. The maintenance crew has been working hard on mowing the roughs and trying to disperse the clippings.

Tree Update

2011-08-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

Conifer grove between #13 and #7

Over the last couple months playing the golf course you may have noticed injury to some of our conifers on the golf course, mainly Norway Spruce and White Pine. In most cases this injury has been caused by a herbicide "Imprelis" used to control weeds in the roughs throughout the golf course. Imprelis is a new product released on the market for golf courses and landscapers and has done a great job controlling weeds. Unfortunately "Dupont" the company that released this product was not aware of the severe effects it could have on these tree species.

Currently Imprelis has been removed from being sold and Dupont is working on correcting the situation. They will be sending arborist's to all golf courses and landscapes that have reported claims about problems. These arborist's will analyze the trees and their injuries as well as take soil samples.

Forest Lake C.C. has notified Dupont and we are currently waiting for our site evaluation. Since there is varying severity of injury to different trees on the course, we remain optimistic that some trees will rebound, while others may have minor pruning to improve tree health and aesthetics.

Course Conditions

2011-07-31T16:44:00.000-07:00

#17 Tee

#13 Fairway

July virtually brought us no rainfall through the month with very high temperatures. Although we had some small areas of turf that suffered under heat stress, increased humidity and timely watering has helped us manage turf water requirements through these tough conditions. We finally did receive rain which was brought in by storms Wednesday night to Friday morning. The rainfall accumulations were 4" on Thursday and another 1" on Friday, totalling 5" in under 48 hours. Included are a couple pictures of the course during these rains. The drainage on the course worked well in moving water off the property and we were able to minimize the amount of standing water in areas that needed assistance. We will be working hard this week in catching up on our maintenance and mowing.

"Care for Your Course"

2011-07-28T04:24:00.000-07:00

#17 Tee box

2011-07-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

We are currently in the planning phase of building an additional tee box on #17. This tee box will play 165-175 yards to the center of the green and will have a location that is right of the current men's tee. This tee will allow us to have a par 3 hole that reachable for events as well as add diversity to the #17th hole for our member's. The corners of this tee box's approximate location have been painted, the red flag's are only being used for a better visual for the picture.

Heat Stress

2011-07-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

So far in July we have had 15 days that have reached into the 90's. With 6 days left, there is a good potential of adding to this total. Although storms have been all around us we have received only 1/2" of rainfall for the month.

The humidity and timely watering has kept the golf course in good condition. We have been irrigating the golf course during the day, this allows us to cool down the turf as well giving the grass plants time to dry.

During our fairway daytime syringe cycles the irrigation sprinklers run for 5 minutes each and will progress individually down the fairway from green to tee.

Excessive moisture with high overnight and daytime temperatures provides favourable conditions for many summer turf grass diseases. We have been treating the golf course preventatively and curatively for these turf diseases. Photo on the left shows a small out break of "brown patch" on #8 Tee, Saturday morning.

Trees

2011-07-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

The Weeping Willow in between the range and #2 fairway had a large branch come down due to wind a couple weeks ago. 3 days later after cleaning up the debris from the first limb, the same tree lost another large branch because of wind. This tree had ants and decay inside the tree, weakening the tree at the unions of the large branches. The final result was a removal of the remaining tree and the area has since been sodded into rough grass. Below are a few pictures of the Willow.

Large Limb #1

Large Limb #2

Little Leaf Linden #18

Last week wind resulted in another tree casualty, blowing down a mature Little Leaf Lindon on the right side of #18. This tree was planted by spade from it's original location on the driving range years ago. Although growing well on #18, the root systems of these particular Lindens did not redevelop enough to support the tree in such a wind. The canopy's of Lindens are very full and have many leaves for the wind to catch onto and add tremendous force.

Although damage caused by wind, and storms is often inevitable, proper pruning, thinning and inspection of trees is very important for tree health and minimizing potential safety hazards on the golf course.

Conifer Damage

2011-07-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

There has been some conifer damage showing up on the golf course. Most of the damage has appeared as tip burn, although there are a few trees that have more extensive damage. The Colorado Spruce on #13 tee (photo on right) shows the typical injury we are seeing, where at the end of the tips are wilted and appear a reddish colour. The Norway Spruce on #18 (photo left) has more extensive injury, where most of the tree needles have been effected. The Evergreen hedge at #1 tee also seems to be showing similar effects.

There has been many recent publications on a new herbicide called "Imprelis", that is available to golf courses and commercial turf markets. We used this product this year to spray the weeds in the roughs at Forest Lake C.C.. It now has been linked to potentially causing damage to Conifer trees, with Norway Spruce and White Pine sited as being most susceptible. This herbicide is absorbed through the shoots and roots of weeds, and is believed to be absorbed by surface roots of these conifers triggering the same kill effect. Not all of our trees have showed signs of injury, and we will be monitoring this situation.

The advice from many university and industry professionals is to let the trees try to grow through these symptoms before more permanent action is taken.

Attached below is a link to a published article on "Imprelis".

http://www.freep.com/article/20110710/NEWS06/107100467/New-lawn-chemical-chief-suspect-mysterious-deaths-trees

Japanese Beetles

2011-07-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Little Leaf Lindens, River Birch on #9, New Burr Oak on #9, and Roses on the golf course were sprayed (photo on left) for Japanese Beetle (photo above) on Friday July 8th. The damage to the tree leaves has definitely slowed down, but for the insecticide to work, the beetles have to ingest part of the leaf. There are still large numbers of these beetles around in the roughs laying eggs. Along with European Chafer grubs, the Japanese Beetle grubs can also cause tremendous damage to turf roots later in summer if the populations are not controlled.

Walk Mowing Greens

2011-07-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

We are putting great focus on having our walkers mowing greens during the months of June, July, and August. The staff has been training on our walk mowing equipment during June, and you can expect to see the greens frequently hand mowed as the season progresses. The greens will benefit with decreased compaction from riders and a more uniform cut that our walker mowers can provide.

Japanese Beetles

2011-07-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

The life cycle of a Japanese Beetle is like clock work at Forest Lake. Yearly we can expect to see the adult beetles (photo above on the Lindens beside #16 Tee/#18 Fairway) on July 1rst. The adults usually are seen in large numbers, and almost have the appearance of a swarm of wasps from a distance. These insects are NOT harmful to people or animals but instead, cause damage by skeletonizing leaves to a variety of trees and plants. At Forest Lake C.C. our Little Leaf Linden trees are a primary target. We will have a tree service spray the trees to eliminate the adult Japanese Beetles from causing tree damage and laying eggs. During late summer/fall and spring the beetles also can cause damage to turf grass while they are in a grub stage.

From Your Greens Committee

2011-06-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Whether you consider the golf cart a bane or a blessing, it is certainly part of the golf environment at Forest Lake for the foreseeable future. The very wet early golf season, has highlighted what difficulties golf carts can cause on the upkeep of a golf course. Below are some reminders on cart etiquette for our members and guests that will assist in keeping our golf course looking pristine.

Golf Car Etiquette

· Check at the first tee to see if any special cart rules are in effect for the day. On wet days you may be asked to keep the cart on the paths when available. The golf course is "always" open for our members and guests to walk if the course conditions do not permit cart usage.

· Always stay on designated paths on par-3 holes and #2 where the low lying area is prone to soft conditions.

· Avoid rapid starts and stops, as well as sharp turns, which can seriously damage the turf and compact the soil.

· Follow posted signs, avoid roped-off areas, and keep the cart on the path when asked to do so.

· Avoid standing water or soft looking ground, as these areas are especially susceptible to damage.

· Return to the cart path or rough before the white posts on both sides of the fairway (25 to 100 yards out). These are moved on a regular basis to keep traffic from wearing a particular area.

· When on a cart path keep all four tires on the path to prevent worn area on the edge of a path.

Wearing on the outside corner #16 Green (left photo) and inside corner of 15th Tee(right photo)

Orange-Flagged Carts

As a courtesy to our members who may have lost some mobility over the years, we offer orange-flagged carts which carry more generous rules for cart travel. There are still rules however which means you don't have carte blanche to drive wherever you wish. Orange-flagged carts are still expected to:

· avoid wet and soft areas

· keep out of roped off areas

· keep a minimum of 15 feet away from traps, greens and tee boxes where there is no cart path

· use good common sense in caring for your course.

Closing Comments

You'll frequently see the area roped off between #14 green and #15 tee. Heavy cart traffic in that area has started to wear the turf to the right of the green. To preserve a playable area for all, please keep to the cart path when riding through this section of the course.

Lastly as a reminder toward speed of play, proper cart etiquette includes dropping one player off at his ball with a club or two, while the playing partner proceeds to his own ball. The only time this shouldn't happen is if one player is directly in front of the other and in the line of fire. Ready golf does not include sitting in the cart and admiring your partner's swing, then driving off to get ready for your own shot.

If you’d like to see a video link on golf cart etiquette, click on this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vq5xMqWEOY

Our beautiful summer weather is here. Enjoy the season and remember to "CARE FOR YOUR COURSE".

Your Greens Committee

Aerification and Top dressing

2011-06-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

On Monday and Tuesday we aerified over half the greens with small star tines to help with water and air movement through the soil. The holes approximately 1/4 of an inch, will disappear quickly and will have minimal disturbance to the greens surface. Attached is a short clip of the greens aerifier making a pass across 14 green. (Note: Please adjust speaker volume to low)

The greens were also top dressed during the same time. Most of the sand has been brushed into the greens surface and should not affect play. The greens have been rolled a few times along with this process to create a smooth playable putting surface. Shown below is a short video of our light weight greens roller on #5 green.

Arbor Day Plantings

2011-06-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

We have finished our 2011 tree and shrub planting. This project was funded with money raised from Arbor Day Donations and the Arbor Day Golf Event. We would like to thank the membership for participating and their support.

Dark Green Arborvitaes were planted between #7 Green and #12 Ladies Tee replacing the aging Cedars that used to be in this location.

A Colorado Blue Spruce was also planted behind #7 Green.

#1 Tee Dwarf Burning Bush was planted between the Men's Tee and the Driving Range. Also Leather Leaf Viburnum was added to the shrub area between the Ladies Tee and the Driving Range.

Forsythia was added to the existing shrub row along side #10 Tee to help minimize the sights and sounds of traffic from Square Lake Road.

In right side rough of #9 a Burr Oak was planted as well as 2 River Birch were added to extend the Birch grove.

#14 rough beside the Maintenance Facility an Austrian Pine was planted, replacing an Austrian Pine that was removed due to poor health.

Aerification and Top dressing

2011-06-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Due to the abundance of rain in the spring the soil profiles in our greens have become very compacted. We will be aerating the greens on Monday with a small 1/4 inch star tine to create pore space which will improve air and water movement in the soil. The holes spaced at 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches are very unobtrusive to play and will have minimal visible appearance on the greens surface. The aerification tines are set to penetrate 2 1/2 inches and will have a small fracturing effect below that depth. With improved air and water movement we can better manage the firmness and quality of our playing surfaces.

The greens will also be sand top dressed on Monday. This process improves the smoothness of the playing surface by helping manage thatch. Thus creating a firmer green with smoother ball roll, and increased green speed.

Wildlife at FLCC

2011-06-06T04:35:00.000-07:00

First player on the golf course Monday morning happened to be a 16" snapping turtle. Spotted here on #5 green taking a short cut from #3 Tee to the cart crossing bridge on #5.

Course Conditions

2011-05-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days the weather has brought us significant rain. It has been one of the wettest springs on record and the course has thrived through it in good shape other then a few areas on the course which have not completely dried out.
Both the Lady's and Men's leagues have been cancelled today because of standing water on the golf course. The course is ALWAYS OPEN to members and their guests who would like to walk the course when golf carts are not available.

Course Conditions

2011-05-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

The rainfall and warmer temperatures have definitely added some challenges. The grass seems to have grown inches over night during the last couple weeks. The maintenance crew has been working hard to keep the rough mowed, and free of clumping grass (photo #4 rough). The fairways and greens will be coming out of regulation, which means there will be more growth through the day. Moisture and growth can decrease the distance of a tee shot that lands on the fairway. Also as grass wants to aggressively grow on our greens, "green speed" is negatively effected. We will be working hard at keeping the greens consistent and maintaining at our Statement of Standards.

Fairway fertilizer applications

2011-05-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

We fertilized the fairways last Friday. We use a service to apply our granular fairway fertilizers, which will generally be a spring and fall application. The applicator truck shown in the photo, has wide floatation tires which prevents it from damaging turf. The application is done in about 2 hours and is calibrated to give a consistent precise application.

Poa seed head control

2011-05-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple weeks we have been able to evaluate the effectiveness of our Poa seed head control. The 2 main things that can effect control, are the products being used and their application rates, and most importantly the timing of application which is based on growing degree days (GDD). This year we have had great success controlling the seed on greens approaches and fairways. The grass has started to grow out of regulation and it is visibly apparent where seed is present. The photo shows #14 fairway with a distinct white line of seed head, where the rest of the fairway was sprayed and has a nice green grass appearance. You will also notice seed head in the second cut of rough on the edge of fairways where applications ended.

Annual Bluegrass Seed Head Control

2011-05-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Fairways, approaches and greens have been but under regulation to minimize the amount of seed head produced by Annual Bluegrass "poa" plants. The Tees have not been treated the last few years, with the idea that the seeds help out in divot recovery in the heavily played areas. The short play areas at Forest Lake consist of a large quantity of poa, mixed with bent grass and some rye grass on fairways and tees. The poa this time of year produces stalky seed heads (shown in the second rough cut above), which will create a bumpy greens surface as well as make it very tough to achieve a quality mowing cut. Although we would love to completely control the seed production, generally 80% control is very successful.

This year we used 2 different products to control seed heads. Both are very effective at achieving control which is a definite plus, as well as both slow down the growth of turf.

Our fairways were treated this year with Embark ( photo on #7 fairway above right). The appearance to these fairways has a yellow green color with speckles of darker greens which are grass varieties such as rye grass which are not effected. This product is also very harsh on rough grass varieties so the application stopped before the edges of the fairway where you can now notice significant seed. The upside to this product is that it is inexpensive.

The greens, approaches, and 10 fairway ( shown above left ) were treated with Proxy / Primo. The obvious upside is a greener plant, even though there is a some color loss, and it is a much safer product on the rough grass surrounding greens. This product combination has a significant increase increase in cost.

All of the treated turf will come out of regulation in the next couple weeks.

Course Signage

2011-05-18T09:19:00.000-07:00

We have but signs around the course to remind players that they can do their part to "CARE FOR OUR COURSE". These reminders include Ball Mark Repair, Divot Replacement on tees and fairways when possible, as well as Keep Carts on the Path, which includes #2 fairway and the par 3's on the golf course.

Back Yard Maintenance

2011-05-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

We have invested a few days already, and will be spending more of our time as it available in the back yard, pool and tennis areas. We have pruned and trimmed many of our shrubs and plants and have begun mulching these areas. Some plant material has suffered severe die back over winter. This material will be removed or cut back back to new growth.

From Your Greens Committee

2011-05-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

From Your Greens Committee

As we kick off the 2011 golf season, a brief reminder to do your part in keeping up the pride of Forest Lake. With a little extra effort from our members and guests we can contribute to keeping our golf course looking pristine.

Ball Mark Repair

As courteous golfers, we all know it is our responsibility to repair our ball marks on the green. Try as we might, sometimes one hides from view. That’s why it is common practice, and good luck, to repair yours, plus another. Ball marks are caused when impact compresses a portion of the grass and soil on the surface of the green. Proper repair technique uses a repair tool or tee to lever the compacted area back into the void, filling in as necessary from all around the ball mark. Don’t pry the soil/grass upward. Tap down with the sole of your putter to complete the process. The brown discoloration in the photo shows what happens when you don't repair ball marks properly. Please view the quick video on the proper technique to correct a ball mark, just click on the hyperlink below or paste it into your browser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-ZzT8yMnmg

Divot Replacement/Repair

We are all too quick to reach for the sand bottle to fill our divots. While certainly better than nothing, that sand and seed mixture takes 2 to 3 weeks to heal the scar left behind when you take a divot. The best thing all of us can do to keep Forest Lake looking its best, is to go grab that divot and put it back. A properly replaced divot can heal that scar in 2 to 3 days. The sand bottle is to be used only when your divot has disintegrated. Remember, Think Sod First!

The ugly scaring left behind by divots is especially noticeable on par 3 tees (see below). We’ve invested to rebuild our tees on #8 and #10. Let’s keep them looking beautiful. While we’re at it, #2 fairway is another trouble spot for unsightly divot scars. Many of them come from some of us hitting range balls back into the driving range. Let’s all vow to stop that practice this year. It will help to keep Forest Lake looking its best, not to mention you won’t be violating rule #7.2!

If you’d like to see a video link on divot repair, click on this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cazTRzja758

We know better weather is on the way. Enjoy the season and remember to CO"CARE FOR OUR COURSE". It will pay large dividends to us all.

Your Greens Committee

Pest Management

2011-05-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Dandelions

Veronica

We will be treating the roughs on the golf course this week for weeds, crabgrass, and grubs. Information is posted on the 1st and 10th Tees every application. The information will inform you of the date, time, area(s) treated, chemical names, and re-entry instructions. There is also contact information provided if there are concerns or further questions regarding pesticide use on the golf course. All of our pesticide applications are preformed by employees that are certified applicators through the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

Arbor Day Plantings

2011-05-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

Before

After

We have planted most of the plant material funded by Arbor Day. The Arbor row alongside 12 Tee has been planted (before and after photos above), with a few small details (sod/mulch) to finish that area. The First Tee Burning Bush was planted last week. In between #9 and #11 we added 2 River Birch and a Burr Oak to that area. Also an Austrian Pine was planted on the left side of #14. All of the plant material will be mulched in the upcoming weeks and the new trees on the course will be marked with a black stake, so a golfer can take relief. All of the tree and shrub planting this season was done by the golf course maintenance crew. The below photos showing the Arborvitaes, and Burr Oak being planted.

Course Conditions

2011-05-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a tremendously wet April, with rain falling every other day. The temperatures have also been hovering in the 50's to low 60's with very little sun to dry out the course. It has been challenging to mow the grass and accomplish projects with wet turf and soft ground. The photo of #6 fairway shows mower and cart traffic creating wear on the golf course.
We have put many ropes up around the golf course to direct cart traffic to the best locations to drive without causing significant damage. As the conditions improve the ropes will be removed and cart operating instructions will change.
Cart rule information is presented daily by the First Tee and Pro shop Staffs. We thank everyone for following cart etiquette.

#10 Tee

2011-05-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

#10 Men's Tee was opened for play for the Men's Opening Day on April 30th. #10 Ladies Tee will be renovated during this month, and sodded to Bent grass.

Arbor Day Plantings

2011-04-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Dwarf Burning Bush (#1 Tee / Driving Range Walkway)

#1 Tee was planted on Monday April 25th. The new plants are 4'-5' Dwarf Burning Bush which are the same plants that follow the fence line dividing the tee an the driving range. In the early spring, the older shrubs were pruned lower to force vegetation to grow on the lower branches. Over time the new and old Burning Bush will match. Burning Bush are known for brilliant red colored leaves in the fall.

Coyote Decoys

2011-04-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

We will be experimenting with Coyote Decoys (photo at lakefront) around our water features and other areas on the golf course where geese are present. We have 3 of these coyotes which will be moved around daily, with the goal of moving the geese out of the areas. Switching the locations of the coyotes gives the geese an impression of an active predator moving around the golf course.
The geese are a smaller problem for us during the spring while they are trying to nest. During late summer the geese show up in larger numbers, creating maintenance issues.

Verti-cutting

2011-04-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

     We have verti-cut all our greens, tees and approaches 2 directions. The fairways will also be verti-cut over the next 2 weeks.
      This process involves cutting through the lateral growth of the grass plants vertically instead of the traditional horizontal cut that we daily practice.
      The benefits include eliminating thatch and lateral growth (stolons) allowing more energy for the plant to produce upright growth. The upright growth is much easier to cut/manage which can increase greens speeds, and a truer playing surface. In longer grass it promotes stronger healthy turf grass plants

Waterfall #6 Tee

2011-04-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

The waterfalls on both sides of the dam will be up in running shortly. During the fall we had to reset the stone slabs which have been shifting over the years. This prevented the water flow from properly going over the waterfall. Shannon Storey in the photo is doing the final cement work this spring. The final stage is connecting the waterfall pumps.

Wildlife at FLCC

2011-04-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

We discovered a Snapping Turtle slowly crawling through the rough between the 1rst and 2nd holes this past Thursday. The shell of the turtle was about 16" front to back. Periodically the turtles will be seen on land coming from the Lake beside #2 Tee or #6 pond.

Equipment Maintenance

2011-04-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Jose has been working on 1 of our 3150 Triplex mowers. An oil leak was discovered in the crank cover. The engine had to be completely removed from the machine (photo top left). The bottom left photo shows the engine separated being prepped for a new crank cover gasket.

Irrigation System

2011-04-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

      We have encountered some wear problems in the pump house. The first problem has been an ongoing concern relating to the salinity levels in the water that we pump out of Forest Lake. The piping in the pump house of our irrigation system is metal before it transitions into transite and PVC piping in the field of the golf course. The salinity in the water has caused corrosion to piping (photo top left). We had to replace the screens to our intake lines in the wet well and we will have to have our intake screen in Forest Lake inspected to determine it's condition.
       The second problem we have encountered is the wear on the piping caused over time by our acid injection (photo middle left). The acid injection system is a tool to lower the pH of irrigation water and help water penetrate the soil. Impenetrable soils usually contain higher levels of sodium and bicarbonates that are found in high levels in Forest lake.
       The 9' section of pipe containing our acid injection ports and flow meter was replaced last week (photo bottom left) to eliminate a possible pipe failure.

#17 Green

2011-04-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

The top photo shows the shadow that the Spruce in back of #17 casts on the green. This tree prevents morning sunlight from hitting the greens surface. The photo on the bottom shows a soil probe reading 45F. The other greens on the golf course during the same time have soil temperatures from 58-60F.

There is noticeably slower growth on #17 starting the season in relation to the rest of the course. We do expect this green to catch up, but the problems caused by shade should be addressed.

Fertilizer Application

2011-04-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

The dark green lines on #9 green are the result of a fertilizer misapplication. There was a malfunction with a fertilizer spreader shield which prevents material to be broadcast to the right. The lines are a result of that material deflecting back under the spreader creating an over application.

The visual appearance of these lines will dissipate over time. Also products in our greens maintenance program that will be applied, will mask the color contrast. The growth of the green could be inconsistent initially. We will monitor this green taking steps to balance out any issues.

Arbor Day Plantings

2011-04-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

The new plant material has been ordered and will be planted in the next few weeks. The funds for the trees and shrubs were raised through the Arbor Day Golf event and Arbor Day donations. #12 Tee arborvitaes were removed because of their age and poor condition. This site has been prepped for 13 new 10 foot dark green arborvitaes to be planted in their place. There will also be a Spruce planted behind the back left corner of this green.

Course Conditions

2011-03-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

All the greens were rolled on Wednesday. The greens were mowed on Thursday with the exception of #17 and the putting green. The greens will be put in to play for this weekend. Notification will be made to the pro shop, who will up date the membership on the course and golf cart status.

Club House Grounds Maintenance

2011-03-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

Sand Washing out from
under cement slabs

There is an ongoing problem with the Gator Grill / Staff entrance. Water is finding a way to get under the cement slabs out side the Gator Grill. This water is then under-mining the sand and gravel sub-base. This is creating a void under the slab area. The material (shown in photo) finds the path of least resistance and ends up at the bottom of the stairs. As the problem progresses we find more and more sediment at the bottom of these stairs. The slabs should be lifted to explore the problem. At this time the sub-base would be restored and cracks re-sealed.

Sand Stone Wall Collapse

Sand Stone Wall Restoration

The sandstone walls are also effected by the weight of the landscape and water above. The bottom wall collapsed (shown in photo), during the last spring rain. This is a typical problem with this type of wall, as the stones are layered on top of one another with no anchoring supports. There is maintenance involved every few years to realign walls that have shifted.

Club House Grounds Maintenance

2011-03-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

Brick Repair

The brick work in front of the valet area was disturbed last year when we were repairing the ease trough drain system. The roof drain system would back up during significant rainfalls. The drainage system at the front of the club travels underneath the brick work down to the loading dock area. After having the drainage system routed we found that there was a blockage in the drain line under the bricks. We repaired the drain line in the fall and this spring restored the brick work.

Greens Drainage Trenches

2011-03-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

The sod has been placed back in the trenches of the greens that itwas removed from, improving drainage during the winter. The sod over wintered well in the sand traps, and successfully transferred back into the greens. The sod was tamped down and top dressed. As the temperatures warm up through the spring the sod will knit in and it's appearance will blend back into into the green. These trenches will have minimal effect on play, when the greens are opened for golf.

Tarps #6 and #18 Greens

2011-03-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

(photo's of #18 Green March 17th, 2011)

We put tarps down on #6 and #18 greens in the fall. These tarps are semi-permeable, allowing water to pass through the tarp onto the greens surface. The reason why these 2 greens were tarped, was to prevent wind desiccation through the winter. Set on top of a hill, the winter winds dry out these greens sites, damaging the turf. The tarps were removed March 17th to prevent a significant heat build up and a flush of growth during spring warm-up. The turf underneath the tarps, was in good health.

Equipment Maintenance

2011-03-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

The maintenance crew are working on sharpening the reels and getting them in adjustment for spring. Reel type cutting heads consist of 2 parts to sharpen, the reel (Photo on left) and the bed knife. These 2 pieces work together in cutting the grass blades as they pass in between. They are sharpened twice a year, and adjustment checked daily to achieve a quality cut. During winter maintenance all bearings and bushings are checked and replaced if worn.

#1 Tee - Shrub Pruning

2011-03-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

We pruned 2-3' off the top of the Burning Bush

along side of #1 Men's Tee Box. This plant material had over grown it's desired height and size. By hand pruning the shrubs at 5-6' it will force the plant to produce more buds this season. The results will show a fuller and healthier plant.

We will also be planting 5' Burning Bush along the fence between the 1rst Tee and walkway to the range. This planting will blend in well with the existing plant material and provide a visual screen between the tee and range traffic.

Course Conditions

2011-03-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

#9 Green

#11 Green

Photos taken on March 10th, 2011. These pictures show how 2 greens react differently as snow melts and water moves off the green into the golf course drainage system. Factors to consider during snow/ice melt include:

Quantity of snow and ice on each individual green

Temperatures and time to melt

Slope of the green (speed at which water can move before re-freezing, accumulation of moisture in valleys)

Surrounding area (how water moves onto and off the green)

Trees surrounding the green (shade and how much quality sun exposure)

We put Milorganite (a black organic fertilizer) on top of the thick solid ice on #11 Green, #13 Green and #8 Green with a hand spreader. These 3 greens had significant "solid" ice build up compared to the rest. The dark color of the fertilizer attracts the sun and heat, speeding up the melting process.

Winter Maintenance

2011-03-08T05:09:00.000-08:00

The maintenance crew is in the process of winter maintenance of the triplex machines. A Triplex is a 3 reel mower, that has a variety of reel options to preform different golf course tasks. These machines are responsible for cutting greens and tees, as well as rolling and verti-cutting. The machines are broken down and inspected for wearing parts (Shown above in the maintenance building). At that time the machines have fluid changed, painted and waxed ready to go for the spring.

Course Conditions

2011-03-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

Drainage #13 Green

Drainage #11 Green

There was significant melting of snow on the course last week with a couple of rain events and weather that stayed in the low 30's. Photo of #13 Green was Taken on March 5th, 2011 and shows the significant water movement through the drainage trenches cut into the greens. The Photo of #11 Green was taken on March 7th after a 2-3" wet snow fall, along with the rain created porous ice on the greens as well as in the greens drainage trenches. The ice is approximately 0-1.5" thick which varies from green to green, along with a couple of inches of snow cover on top.

Course Conditions

2011-02-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Just as we thought the snow was done for awhile, another 4-6 inches of drifting snow fell on Thursday and Friday. Once the Club house and maintenance areas were plowed out, we exposed all of the greens trenches. (photo's of the trench on #11 green). There is currently about 12 inches of snow on the greens. The only ice that had formed under the snow on the greens surface was a small area on #7 green.

Course Hardware

2011-02-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

The maintenance staff has been working on refurbishing all of the course hardware through the winter months. Tee markers (Top left) are sanded then dipped with an epoxy clear coat. Bunker rakes (Top right) are cleaned and clear coated. Broken handles and worn down rake heads are replaced. Ball washers (Bottom left) are taken apart and painted.

Golf Industry Show

2011-02-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

      Fritz and Ryan attended the GCSAA Educational Conference and Golf Industry show in Orlando, February 7-11, 2011. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America conference offers numerous amounts of seminars, a trade show and networking experiences at this event. The golf course show attracts people from all over the globe, and provides education specific to golf course management.
      Ryan attended seminars on the co-existence of trees and turf on golf courses, using Power Point as a presentation tool, and the Assistant Superintendent's general session in preparing their way for the future.
      The trade show had huge range of exhibitors presenting products from all facets of golf course maintenance and management. This was a great opportunity to ask vendors, engineers and fellow superintendents about new products, solutions to our current equipment and turf problems, and ideas how to implement their use at Forest Lake.

Club House Roof Drain

2011-02-24T10:11:00.000-08:00

The melt water off the roof flows down a drain in the wall of the men's locker room then out Club Drive. Through the year we keep an eye on the drain being restricted from soil wood chips and other debris. During colder temperatures the drain water freezes as it makes it's way on a gradual pitch from the club house to the road. When this drainage system backs up or freezes there is potential for water to leak into the men's locker room area. This picture was taken the second week of February. The discharge pipe was removed and thawed and salt was used to melt the remaining ice.

Course Conditions

2011-02-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

On Saturday February 19th most of the snow we had accumulated melted away exposing the turf. The greens and golf course have over wintered well to this point. There was no significant signs of disease or damage to turf. On Sunday February 20th we experienced a 12" snowfall to cover the course once again. With a warm 10 day forecast in the 30's we expect to have significant melting. We will continue to monitor ice build up on the greens and remove the snow out of the greens drainage trenches to help out with the melt water movement.

Winter Maintenance

2011-02-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

There was a significant snowfall that fell on February 1st to February 2nd. Approximately 8-10" of snow with substantial drifting. The maintenance crew worked for 2 days to remove the snow. Snow was removed from the south maintenance building roof to eliminate weight (Photo).

Snow on the greens are substantial 12-16" in most areas on them. The snow on the greens is acting as a good insulater, and ice accumulations at the the greens surface is minimal. The drainage trenches will have the snow removed but the greens will be left alone with snow cover.

Winter Maintenance

2011-01-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

Rotary Mowers continued.

Jose is finishing up welding supports to a 4500 Rotary Mower deck. The new supports turned out good. This process included cleaning and removing rusty metal, fabricating steel, and welding.

Winter Maintenance

2011-01-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

Rotary Mowers

We are working on the rotary decks for our 4500 Rotary mowers which cut almost all of the rough grass on the golf course. We currently have 2 of these machines which are 8 years old. There are 10 cutting units total, of which 4 of them have significant rust on the underside. The photo on the right shows a rotary deck in decent condition compared to 1 that is rusty. Factors that cause the rust include, age of machine, usage, moisture, fertilizer, and grass accumulation.

We will be removing the corroded metal and welding metal supports in it's place. The decks will be primed and painted to try to slow down future rust. This process will extend the life of the cutting units. With aging equipment and their usage, rust is a concern.

Greens Drainage

2011-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

There is currently about 4 - 5 inches of snow cover on the greens and golf course. This amount varies in the undulations of the greens. On January 25th there was a thin layer of ice accumulation in some areas from the warmer temperatures in the prior week.

The drainage trenches that were cut into the greens this fall for drainage have been exposed in case of a melt. These drains allow the water to move quickly unobstructed off the greens, removing water before a refreeze. Drainage was cut out on the following greens, 1,2,3,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,18.

Skating Rink

2011-01-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

The skating rink has been successful this year. The plastic liner held the water from penetrating the clay in the tennis court. Cold temperatures have also been a help building and maintaining the ice. There is approximately 5 inches of solid ice as a base.

Maintenance of the ice now that is is established involves snow removal and flooding every few days to keep the ice surface smooth.

Tree Work

2011-01-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

Trees removed

2 dead White Pines at the driving range - A new White Pine will be planted this spring.

1 Paper Birch right side #9 that was deteriorating from Birch Borer - We will be planting 4 River Birch in this area

1 Flowering Crab behind #7 green - A Spruce will be planted further in behind #7green.

Trimmed Trees

- Locust trees between the 10th hole and Square Lake Rd. These trees cause problems with shade and roots, and their over hanging branches come into play. The Men's portion of the tee box was sodded to Bent grass this fall and the roots of these trees were pruned at that time.

- Oak Trees beside the short game practice area. (photo above). Branches over hanging the green creating shade were elevated and some dead branching removed.

Winter Maintenance

2011-01-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

The greens crew refurbishes course hardware through the winter months. Shannon Storey (in picture) is working on refinishing flag poles, tee markers and benches. All of the course hardware is brought in off the course late fall, and will be inspected, cleaned, painted and waxed ready to be placed on the course come spring.

Ice Skating at FLCC

2011-01-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

The FLCC skating is open for members to enjoy. The 40'x100' skating rink is located on the clay tennis courts in the south end of the parking lot.

All skaters are required to fill out a "Skating Liability Form". These forms are located at the front desk of the clubhouse.

Skate at your own risk.

Winter Maintenance

2011-01-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

Jose Marcaida - Equipment Technician FLCC

The maintenance of our course equipment begins in the late fall as the golf season comes to an end.

Jose Marcaida has been the equipment technician responsible for overseeing the turf maintenance equipment since April 2006.

Through the summer months our equipment is maintained daily to ensure the best possible playing conditions. On course reel adjustments, equipment operation training, and machine breakdowns are some tasks to be preformed. Jose has done an exceptional job in keeping machines in good working order and quality operation.

The winter months allow Jose to work on the equipment thoroughly. With the help of the greens staff, our machines go through inspection, scheduled maintenance, and cleaning. This includes grinding reels, bed knives and blades, as well as fixing wearing parts. The equipment is detailed and restored to the best possible condition.