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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Snow!

Snow has come early to the Ipswich Country Club! Two storms have turned our golf course into a winter wonderland yet again.

#18 covered in snow. This is before the heavier snow fell.

The Bunker renovation carried on as long as it could but due to the early snow the work has halted until the spring. Forty out of forty-one bunkers have been stripped of the old liner and are ready to be lined with gravel and sprayed. The work so far has been proceeding ahead of schedule. The craftsmanship that Fleetwood has demonstrated is exemplary and we are beyond excited to see the final product in the early spring.   FLEETWOOD IS ON SCHEDULE AND WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THEIR PROGRESS.

Fleetwood employees stripping the liner of #5 greenside bunkers after a light snow.



#5 greenside bunker nearly completely stripped of the old liner.





Tarps: Tees

Winter is coming and that means lots of preparation for the golf maintenance staff. Laying tarps down on certain areas of the golf course is one of the preparations. We began with some of our smaller tees like #5 white tee and #16 white and blue tees. The size of these tees coupled with how much play they get through out the year can take it's toll on them. We also put down tarps on the driving range tee and #14 gold. When we put tarps down on tees like this, it helps to keep them healthier during the winter. On average, the temperature of the ground with a tarp on it is around 20°F warmer than the ground without one. The warmer temperature will reduce the amount ice accumulation on the grass, it will allow the tee to begin growing earlier next spring and aid in divot recovery thereafter.

 

#14 Gold tee. Shown after fertilization and heavy topdressing.

 

#14 Gold tee with tarp.

 

Driving range tee with tarp