Member-Guest recap

We had a great time prepping for one of the biggest, if not the biggest Member-Guest events in the state of Ohio. We had 84 teams competing on both golf courses. The courses played firm and fast and the greens were scary quick. Congratulations to the winning father/son team of Tim and John Williams. The shootout was a lot of fun and very competitive. August 4th-6th next year will be here soon enough.

Crew waiting at #1 Devlin Tee for Friday evening prep

John Brady rolling greens while other crew members mow #18 Devlin Thursday night

#6 Weiskopf right before the shootout began

#10 Weiskopf with the FINAL FOUR on the tee

The Final Four teams on #10 green. Tim Williams' team and Ken Baxter's moved onto #11

Gallery around #11 Green

Tim and John Williams lining up the winning putt

2 out of 3.  Aubrey and Ellie with Dad Thursday night.  Luke was out filling divots with the crew.

New chipping green area

Last September we stripped the area up by the practice bunker left of the cart barn driving range tee. We seeded and added plugs before winter and have been growing in the green ever since. The bunker is open and the green is getting very close to the heights of the other greens. We are currently mowing it at .160". The other greens on the course are at between .105 and .110". After aerating this fall it should be mowed down just like all the rest. There will be some small chipping areas around this green as well.

Fall 2014 - Stripping old sod of and reshaping area

New Chipping Green and Bunker

Looking at the green from #8 FWY side

THIS IS A GREEN - DO NOT TAKE DIVOTS ON IT

Homeowners

Homeowners are constantly cleaning up their yards and putting piles of sticks on the golf course for us to clean up. If you know if anyone doing this please ask them to stop.

#13 Devlin

Spiking Fairways

Yesterday we spiked number 12,15,17, and 18 fairways on the Weiskopf course. We will continue to do this on both courses as weather and time allows. This will help get air down to the roots and help them dry out a little. Every bit helps at this point in the season and the wet weather we have had. You can see it is very non disruptive after it has been mowed.

Spiking fairways early Tuesday morning

Up close before mowing

In the afternoon, after the fairways had been mowed

More bug spray and sunscreen issues

We are finding more and more dead grass caused by bug spray and sunscreen. Please use when on the cart path and especially not on the greens, tees or fairways. We have multiple spots now on fairways and tees with many more in the rough.

#16 Devlin Fairway

Flood cleanup and dry weather

Tuesday night into Wednesday morning we received 1.6" of rain in about 30 minutes. The rain coming that fast on already saturated ground caused the creek on #4 Weiskopf to overflow and a drain at the approach to dump 2-3 inches of silt across that fairway. The crew did a great job cleaning it up and getting the hole playable Wednesday morning and it looks even better today after it was mowed. The rain came so fast that even the Better Billy Bunkers washed out fairly bad. They were all cleanup up and repaired by noon that day. Here are some pictures.

#4 Approach to the green

Hand removal of all silt

Blowing and hosing it clean

Same spot today(Friday)  Looks much better!

#4 Fairway Friday(2 days later)

#13 Weiskopf - 9 hours after it stopped raining

Air for the Devlin green

Yesterday we "vented" the greens on the Devlin course. We used the aerifier with small .25" pencil tines to create a small channel in the surface about 3-4" deep. This allows air and water to get to the roots and will help dry the greens out just a little. With all the rain we have received, they just need the breathe. After venting, we mowed them, lightly topdressed  them with walk spreaders and the sprayed two wetting agents to help move water through the soil more efficiently. Today, it was hardly noticeable that we did anything, yet the benefits will help us battle this extremely wet weather.

Venting with needle tines

Just enough of a hole for air and water to get in

Mowing to smooth out surface

Sand to smooth out surface as well

2 wetting agents that help water penetrate more efficiently into the soil and dry out the surface