Where did all the stripes go?

I am often asked why we change our mowing pattern in the winter?  The answer is two fold:

Time:
It is two hours faster, (one hour per mower) to mow block cut compared to stripes.  The windows of opportunity to complete the necessary mowing are shorter in the winter due to the increased chance of rain.  The shortened time needed to complete fairway mowing can be the difference in getting everything mowed in one day or having to wait a few days to finish. 

Plant health:
Its not the health of the fairway grass (Annual bluegrass & Creeping bentgrass) I am concerned about, its the health of the rough.  Mowing half & half reduces the amount of turns the operator makes in the rough.  The largest amount of mechanical stress is placed on grass when a mower turns on it.  The operator mows the fairway similar to that of a Zamboni machine preparing an ice rink.  Limiting the number of turns in the rough directly surrounding the fairway gives the Perennial ryegrass a chance to maintain its density through the winter.

Going Farming, Again!

Welcome to Aldarra Farms!  Driving up the entrance road you are promptly reminded the property was a farm before it was a golf course.

This sign found during construction hangs in the mechanics shop in the maintenance barn.

 Stark white barns with red roofs scattered the landscape of Snoqualmie valley reminding you of the farming heritage in this area.  There are seven barns on the property which are registered on the historical landmark list for the State of Washington.

My office is a converted bull pen.  The slider door for the pen was restored and left during construction to maintain some of the original feel. 

Robert Izen asked me soon after his arrival as Food & Beverage Coordinator if it would be possible to build an herb garden.  Connecting with the history of the property has always been in the back of my mind, this was a chance to put it to work.  My team and I decided to build something slightly larger than just an herb garden.  We found space behind our main barn and turned Robert’s idea into reality.



The garden measures 10 feet wide by 18 feet long.  It is U-shaped with a walkway down the middle allowing access to each planter bed.  Soil still needs to be added and chicken wire attached around the structure to keep the deer and other animals out.  Seeds will be sown in the Spring of 2016 and farm fresh vegetables available for consumption shortly after.  Lettuce, onions, peppers, tomatoes, corn, and a variety of herbs will provide a splash of freshness and a small connection to our history.

Get Your Roll On!

“How often do you roll?” is a common question I get asked.  There is no set schedule for the frequency in which roll.  The goal is to maintain stimpmeter readings between 10.5 and 12.  Research has shown increased rolling of putting surfaces provides more consistent speed day to day compared to mowing alone.  There are four different mechanical options:

                     - No Mow or Roll – Yellow Square

                     - Mow Only  - Blue Square

                     - Roll Only – Red Square

                     - Mow and Roll – Green Square

 

After the mechanical practice is performed a stimpmeter reading is recorded on a specific green( #3) giving us a daily reading.  That reading helps me decide what practiced will be performed the following morning.  The quantity of clippings collected is also monitored each morning, if the greens are mown, to help determine the following days practice.  The mechanical practice is recorded on a calendar with a coordinating color, at the end of the month, the calendar looks like the one below. 

 

◄ Jun 2015	~ July 2015 ~					Aug 2015 ►
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

 

The frequency of each practice varies month to month because of growing conditions of both cold weather and warm weather.  Greens will be mown less in February v. July as the grass doesn’t grow as much.  Mowing excessively places undo stress on the plant causing it to be susceptible to disease.  During heat waves mowing and rolling are alternated to not place undue stress on the plant.  Providing consistent green speed is a goal, but having healthy putting surfaces is the priority. 

 

	~ February 2015 ~
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28

 

The table below shows the number of  times the four practices have been performed during each month.  (I excluded the January dates because we were closed for nearly 10 days due to cold weather.) 

	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Tot.
N/A	14	12	8	4	4	3	2	47
Mow	6	10	9	9	6	9	8	57
Roll	5	8	9	4	7	10	4	47
M/R	3	1	4	14	13	9	17	61