Tree Removal at the Clubhouse Parking Lot

Recently we removed two pine trees from the parking lot of the clubhouse. One of these trees was located near the practice facility and earlier in the year had been struck by lightning. The tree did not survive the strike and began to drop limbs and bark at an alarming rate. The other tree was located near the parking lots. This tree's health had been declining over the past few years and it was starting to pose a risk of falling in a storm. The two trees were removed using a massive crane. The procedure went swiftly and safely.

Pine tree in the parking lot being prepped for removal

The top of the tree being lifted clear of the trunk after it was cut

Our Winter Wonderland

Today we endured the first snow of the season. We didn't accumulate very much snow but it stuck to the ground regardless. It made for poor golfing weather but offered a beautifully different look to our golf course.

The view from the 16th gold tee this morning.

The view from behind #18 green this morning.

Fall Aerification 2014

We have begun the process of aerifying our greens. We got an early start and punched the first two greens before the sun came up. We positioned our golf carts around the greens and used their headlights to see what we were doing. The aerification itself went very smoothly, however we were forced to delay the topdressing and dragging of our greens due to the weather. We hope to have the entire operation complete by Friday morning.

#4 Green

#4 Green

The Newest Addition To Our Crew

We have recently added a new member to our crew! Her name is Lyla and she is a six month old German Shorthaired Pointer. Jeremy Woundy, the Second Assistant of the grounds crew, is her owner and primary caretaker. He began bringing her to work shortly after acquiring her and since then she's become our official golf course dog. Initially we attempted to train her how to rake bunkers but she was prone to digging holes and rolling around in them. Instead we decided that her role on the course should primarily be to deter geese from nesting and loitering on the fifth and sixth hole. Please feel free to stop and say hello to her anytime!

Lyla helping out during aerification.

Careful Chemical Control of Poa annua

Poa annua is a very common grass on all golf courses in the country. It can be maintained to create a playable surface but it is usually treated as a weed especially on golf courses that have Bentgrass greens. This is the case at our golf course. Poa annua is an extremely difficult weed to control as there is no "silver bullet" type of control for it. In the past we have used low rates of special growth regulating chemicals that irritate the Poa annua in all of our greens sprays. However, too much of this chemical can have a negative effect on Bentgrass. We've paired this practice with manually picking out the Poa annua plants. The results of these methods of control have been good but not great as we are still seeing Poa annua plants emerge in our greens every year.

This year we are trying something new. We have purchased a special brush that we can fill with the same growth regulating chemical that we have been using previously but at much higher rates. We also added a chemical that suppresses the plants ability to generate new seeds. The brush allows us to effectively paint the Poa annua with these chemicals. We have made treatments using this brush to the greens on holes #1 and #2. The results have been fantastic. The Poa annua plants have taken a serious hit and have begun wilting out while the Bentgrass around them is unaffected. We will continue to use this method combined with our usual low rate sprays.

All pictures are of the front of #2 green

Algae Update

We have noticed the development of Black Algae on some of our greens. Black Algae invades certain spots on our greens during times of cloudy, wet weather. We are taking steps to reduce the amount of algae by applying algaecides. We will also reduce the amount of algae through our usual cultural practices like verticutting, aerification, and topdressing. These practices will all help to improve the density of our greens which will reduce the amount of algae on them.

Small spots of algae on #10 green

"Squaring Off" Tees: #10 Purple Tee

We have completed the first cut of #10 purple tee. You will notice that the newly cut portion of this tee is not as low as our other tee surfaces. This is because we will be gradually lowering the height of its cut. In doing so we will be effectively training the grass to survive at its new height. Some browning of the grass is expected during this transition but will clear up as the grass acclimates to its new height.

This is the tee as it was before we had squared it off.

We measured all sides of the tee to make sure that it was rectangular.

The new shape of the tee.

"Squaring Off" Tees

We will be attempting to "square off" some tees on the course. The current shape of our tees limits the amount of playable hitting areas on them. We will begin to gradually reduce the height of cut to some of the tees that have grown in over time. These tees still maintain a healthy stand of Bentgrass in what is now the rough surrounding them. We will be squaring off the purple tee on # 10 today.

Verticutting Tees

We have recently completed verticutting our tees. Verticutting is an important cultural practice that we implement several times a year on our tees and greens. We use special blades that cut straight up and down in order to stand up grass that has been laid over sideways. The blades will also cut into the thatch layer and remove some of it. We then use a traditional set of blades to cut the grass. We achieve a much better cut when the grass is standing upright. Finally, we lightly topdress the playing surface with sand. This practice will improve turf density, water infiltration and the likelihood of disease.

Verticutting #1 Gold Tee

Thatch, stolons, and grass leaves that were pulled up by the verticutter.

#5 Gold Tee after being verticut. Notice how the grass is now standing upright.

Greens Aerification: Spring 2014

Greens aerification has been completed. We made .4 inch holes spaced 2 inches apart and then topdressed enough to fill in the holes. We also fertilized the greens to aid in their recovery.

Poa annua

We have noticed some speckling of Poa annua on our greens. This is due to our approaches and surrounds being heavily contaminated by Poa annua, the seeds of which are often tracked onto our greens by both equipment and foot traffic. Last year we re-grassed parts of the approaches on #13 and #15 in an effort to combat the contamination. We are also hand picking Poa annua from our greens daily, as well as chemical treatments every other week.

Poa annua contamination on hole #6

Bunker Renovation: Finished Product

Fleetwood has completed renovations on several holes. Our new high density bunker sand has been added and the bunkers on these holes are now playable. The new sand will resist compaction and reduce "fried egg" lies. Please note that we will maintaining the new bunkers in a different fashion; we will be keeping the edges smooth and hand raking the bases. Maintaining the bunkers in this way will further resist compaction and "fried egg" lies. 

Left green side bunker on #13 

Sledding Damage on # 5 Blue Tee

Sledding damage #5 blue tee

Bunker Renovation

The bunker renovation project has resumed. Fleetwood resumed their work and are making excellent progress. They have added gravel to the bunkers on #1,#2 and #5 which leaves only 6 more bunkers on the course to add gravel to. They will continue to spray the polymer as soon as the weather permits.

Adding gravel to #1

Slice-Seeding Winter Damage

Due to the excessively long and cold winter our fairways and tees suffered some damage. The damage was mainly a result of ice developing earlier in the winter and persisting until very recently. In order to fix this we have begun to aggressively overseed the damaged areas. We used a technique known as "Slice-seeding" to maximize the effectiveness of our efforts. We use a large machine that will cut shallow slits into the ground and then drop seed into these slits. This process maximizes soil to seed contact, assuring that the seed has an ideal environment from which to grow.

Slice-Seeding #1 Fairway

Unfortunate Weather at The Ipswich Country Club

An unfortunate weather system has rolled in bringing with it frigid air and a coating of icy slush that has covered our golf course. This weather will slow grass growth to a crawl and delay some species of turfgrass from coming out of their winter dormancy. Warmer weather is in the forecast for this weekend and we hope that it will be here to stay. 

#18 Fairway early Wednesday morning.

Tree Work: Clubhouse and #16

We have recently carried out tree work at the clubhouse and on #16. We took two trees down at the clubhouse that were located on the center island. One of the trees was a liability risk and the other was greatly inhibiting growth of the surrounding turf. The stumps were ground shortly after the trees fell and the holes are due to be filled with fresh loam and seed within the next few days. now that the trees are gone, the turf on the island will no longer have to compete with them for water, sunlight, and nutrients. This summer the turf should be greener and healthier than ever.

Our hired Arborist preparing to cut the top off the large pine that was at the clubhouse

Moments after the top was cut. You can see it falling to the right of the trunk.

The rotten root flair of the large pine at the clubhouse.

We consulted with the Greens Committee and together we decided to showcase the large oak tree to the right of #16 green. In order to do so we had to remove several trees in front of it. The oak tree also needed to be pruned and cabled. The result of the work has substantially changed the look of the hole. The right side is much more open and the oak tree stands on its own. The turf will grow more readily in this area without the trees as well. 

The beautiful oak tree on #16 being pruned and cabled.

A different vantage point of the oak tree on #16. In this picture you can see how open this side of the hole is now without the trees.

The view from behind #16 green.

Clean Up Effort 2014

Spring clean up has begun at last! The long winter has finally begun to loosen its icy grip on our golf course. We began by cleaning up #1 green as it is one of the firmer greens on the course at the moment. The green looked beautiful after it's cleaning and all of us at the grounds crew are very excited to continue cleaning the other holes.

Jeremy and myself backpack blowing #1 green.

Kevin backpack blowing #1 green.

 The melting snow coupled with the substantial rain over the weekend has left the course extremely wet. Our progress will be primarily governed by how quickly the rest of the golf course drys out. We hope to have the course clean and ready for play as soon as possible.

Course Update

The start of the golf season is nearly upon us. The ICC golf maintenance staff is excited to finally get out and begin preparing the golf course for the season. We are also happy to see healthy green grass appear as the snow recedes.

Travis and I toured the golf course yesterday, we still have many holes with over 50% snow and ice cover. Historically, we are usually one of the last courses in the area to open for several reasons: one is the fact that we are in an area with more snow cover than areas like Essex and Marblehead. We also have areas on the course that are densely tree lined where snow will stay around longer. Secondly, we have A1A4 bentgrass greens and most of the courses in the area have poa annua greens. A1A4 greens grow better with warmer temperatures, which is why our greens do well during the hot summer months. Poa greens will start to grow sooner even though there are cooler temperatures. Therefore, surrounding courses with poa greens are able to open earlier in the season. Our A1A4 greens take longer for the root structure to start growing. Until the root structure is firmly in place, traffic on the course could damage the greens and cause problems later in the season. Premature traffic on the course could cause the greens to separate from their roots. On a positive note, the A1A4 greens are less susceptible to ice damage as the snow melts and refreezes at night. Once the greens mature and are able to be mowed a few times, the course will open.

As soon as the snow and ice have melted, we will open the 5 hole short loop with temporary tees and greens on holes 1,6,7,8, and 9.

We have a lot of debris to clean up and clear off the course along with the ongoing tree work currently on holes 12, 16 and 17. The purpose of this tree work is to clear out undesirable trees and "showcase" some of the more beautifully placed trees we have on the course.

The bunker renovation is still ahead of schedule and will continue once they can move equipment around the course without damaging turf. 40 of our 41 greenside bunkers have been cleaned out and all but 13 bunkers have been lined with gravel. WEATHER PERMITTING, the bunker crew will continue working on approximately April 15th and will finish the work.

We are all tired of the winter and we will do everything our power to get golfers back on the course as soon as possible.

Cart Signs

The Ipswich Country Club's Ground Crew just finished repainting our fairway cart signs.

We began by cleaning each of the cart signs to remove any grass and dirt stains that accumulated last year. We then spray painted them black.

Cart signs before cleaning/painting

Spray painting black

After the signs were painting we used a belt sander to scrape away the paint that got on any of the lettering and also to add a polished shine to them.

Sanding the signs

Finally we sprayed a clear coat on to the signs in order to both protect the signs better and increase their polished look.

Finished product

Constructing New Tee Markers

We have finished constructing new tee markers for the golf course. We chose to build the new tee markers from cedar. Each marker was cut down into blocks from longer beams.

After all of the markers were cut we brought them outside to smooth them with a belt sander.

After finishing the sanding, we installed small pegs into the bottom of the markers. These pegs will act as a stake that will anchor the markers into the tee surface. After that we began painting them.

The final product. We used a stencil and black spray paint in order to add our club's crane logo. Look for the new tee markers in the Spring.

Winter Fleet Servicing

The golf course is covered with snow but work continues for the golf course maintenance crew.  Glenn and Kevin are hard at work servicing our entire fleet of equipment.  Regular oil changes, lubing, cleaning, motor rebuilds, and reel grinding are just a few of the things that help keep our equipment running well through the season.

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