Divot Party

The divot repair party was a huge success. The members had a great time on the golf course and helped our staff by filling in all the divots on the fairways and tees.

I have had quite a few members ask me if I prefer that divots are filled with sand or to replace the pelt. It is a great question and I always answer it the same.a I feel that repairing the divot is best done with sand and seed.

 

A divot that has the pelt replaced is prone to failing unless it is a large enough piece of sod to stay in the hole. The fairway mowers will most likely pull the replaced turf out of its hole. The blower will also blow replaced divots out of their hole as well. Sand and seed performs best in both situations.

 

I would also like to address the driving range divots. I have sen a few blog posts from other superintendents showing divot patterns that they have requested at their golf courses for quicker healing. Taking divots in rows or strips will help the grass fill in quicker. Below are a couple of pictures to show you the difference.

 

The top picture show a strip of divots. Then the next strip was started yet leaving some grass between the two strips. This has a much quicker healing time. The bottom picture shows a more traditional pattern. It makes for a long recover time when a large area like this is removed. The grass has a long way to go to get to the middle of that area and seed has less protection from the elements and mowers.

 

If you can please try to take divots in strips this would help with the recovery time and help us utilize our range more efficiently.

 

If you have any questions about the divot party or the range divot patterns please contact me.

 

Justinr@indiansummergolf.com

 

 

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Tree Backup

One very important tree had a considerable loss. The maple tree in the fairway on number twelve lost a large branch. The branch left a huge wound in the side of the tree. Since this tree is integral to the layout of the hole, I brought in a certified arborist to give us an idea on what we could do to save this tree.

I knew that the loss of that tree would change the hole dramatically. I explained the importance to the arborist and he recommended that we plant a backup tree behind the existing tree and when the tree does indeed fail, we will already have a replacement established.

We decided to install a Sequoia. This is the only Sequoia tree on the golf course. This tree should give the hole some unique character. The tree is currently staked and we recommend that you take free relief if you are around the new tree. It will take a little time for it to adapt to its new environment.

If you have any questions please contact me.

Justin Ruiz, CGCS, MG

justinr@indiansummergolf.com

 

Waterfall Pumps

Last year the waterfall system only worked for about a week long. This winter we pulled the pumps out of their vaults and were able to get them into a repair shop to obtain an estimate on repair.

The pumps seem to fail every three to four years. The company that I am working with to repair the pumps is going to help me set up a maintenance program for the pumps to extend their operational life. Repairing the pumps every three years is quite a task and relatively expensive.

We are now in the process of cleaning up the water feature to enhance our repairs. It is the first time that I have seen the waterfall on #2 work and it is amazing. I can only thank the staff for their hard work pulling cattails and cleaning up the lake so you could see the attraction.

If you have any questions about the water features on the golf course please contact me.

Justin Ruiz, CGCS, MG

Justinr@indiansummergolf.com