Sodded the old #7 cart path entry...

Finished sodding around the steps...

Easy does it...maybe not...its go time!

Lifting the 75hp vertical turbine into position...

A "Safety Net"

A view of the 10th green at Oakhurst...

Setting the pumps back in place....

Going down?

Roots are firing down through the greens profile...a good sign!

Pink snow mold weather this spring?

You better believe it's pink snow mold season! North facing slopes in the rough indicate that conditions have been ideal.

Not what you expect to see on April 20th!

Before and after on #8... minus the sod...

The beginning of a bark chip path approach to 7 green...

The existing steep transition to the cart path proved to be unsustainable...this bark chip path will allow for adequate turf growth and reduced wear and tear to the area...

New steps on 8 !

Wet, shady conditions magnify the wear and tear of this slope...hence the steps...the challenge was fitting these imperfect steps, not 7" tall, into this space to allow for enough tread space without running out of room between the path and the tee...

New steps on #8...just need some sod now!

Getting greener...slowly!

A step or two forward...

We put in some steps on the 3rd tee today...this is a heavy shade environment that can experience excessive wear on the slopes...the steps should help with this issue...

Poa annua vs. L93 Bentgrass...I'll take bent!

The first photo is a sample from the 9th green at Oakhurst...the Poa annua sample (left) has spindly new root growth at best vs. the L93 creeping Bentgrass which has a much more robust root system already.

The second photo is an overall view of the area these samples were taken from (side by side.)

Big Oak behind 16 had to go...

We finally had to cut this guy down after it had become a hazard...insects had worked up a 6 ft hollow cavity inside the old Oak and it was no longer safe to leave standing.

Hauling away the dead...

After dropping a large quantity of dead ash trees to eliminate safety hazards, we are taking advantage of frozen soil conditions and hauling away the debris...

Told ya!

Normal high temp 47?

11 green morning shade and tree root encroachment alleviated

11 green at Oakhurst G & CC suffers from a lack of morning light and cottonwood tree root encroachment...in the dog days of summer the morning is the only real opportunity for photosynthesis surplus to allow for recovery from heat...with limited sunlight the plants simply run out of carbohydrates to burn for energy leaving them weak. This clearing behind the green will boost energy levels and eliminate tree root encroachment from the troublesome cottonwoods.

Don't believe him!

Groundhog, once credited for being accurate 38% of the time simply cannot be trusted!

Hoisting the pump up and out...

 This 75hp Vertical Turbine Pump was removed from the pumphouse and refurbished to ensure a fully-effective pump station for the coming 2013 season.  As illustrated in the photo of the strainer, the water had some corrosive effects on the pump, but all issues were addressed and we look to have a sound pump station from here on.

Someone's golf claim proven to be true!

If you lost a ball at Oakhurst on hole #7, this could be it!  This Titleist Pro VI #2 was lodged in the pivotal Oak tree in the center of the #7 fairway!

iaTURF: IOWA STATE TURF BOWL TEAM-2013

iaTURF: IOWA STATE TURF BOWL TEAM-2013: Nick Christians February 11, 2012 While our student group did not get first place this year in the annual Turf Bowl, they still did prett...

On the stretcher...

 

This photo shows both the 5 hp jockey pump and the 75 hp Vertical Turbine pump about to be hauled out for repairs.

Root'in 'em outa there!

Late last fall we performed a root-pruning project to eliminate the encroaching Pine tree roots that were plaguing the putting green.  We installed 2 to 3 layers thick of geotextile fabric in these areas to prevent re-growth into these areas again.  We also installed irrigation and drainage around the practice putting green in order to improve turf conditions on and around the green.

In this case, I won't be choosing Organic!

Last fall we removed 55 tons of highly organic debris from the greens via the "Graden" process.  This photograph illustrates the lighter color of the desired greens mix (left) vs. the darker highly organic debris (right) that has plagued the greens.  This organic matter holds excess moisture, limits rooting, invites Poa annua, causes excess ball marks, bumpiness, and disease among other problems.  This "Graden" process will allow for continuous improvement of our putting surfaces.