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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