Redi-Rock pond wall to begin in January 2014

One of the golf course enhancements that was recently passed by the Board of Directors was the installation of a seawall along the pond on 4 North.  The reasons for this installation are both for aesthetics and erosion control.  The boulders that previously outlined this area did a poor job of holding the pond edge in place and also provided a poor visual appearance when the water level went down.

To solve both of these problems we have chosen to remove the boulders and install a 180' Ledgestone "Redi-Rock" retaining wall along the pond edge. The Ledgetone Redi-Rock looks almost identical to the new bridge that was built on the South course last season which helps provide a consistent look across the property. Redi-Rock retaining walls are built out of 1 ton precast concrete blocks that are stacked on top of each other and lock in place.  The walls that are created are not only very visually pleasing, but are extremely strong and useful in many different applications.  Feel free to click on the "Redi-Rock" link above to explore where Redi-Rock has been used, and to get a great idea of how beautiful 4 North will look this spring!

Example: Ledgestone Redi-Rock being installed in Brighton, MI

Experienced Equipment Manager + Necessary Tools = Money Savings

As we prepare to bring all of the equipment back inside for the winter and do our normal preventative maintenance, old hydraulic hoses are our first concern.  Hydraulic hoses don't last forever on equipment and unfortunately that can be all too evident when they burst and the equipment is being used while on the grass. Hydraulic oil kills turf and it can be a costly repair when new sod needs to be laid plus the labor hours to repair it.  What also should be taken into consideration is the time you then have to wait because a new hose must be custom made by an outside company which means the machine in unusable.  It's Murphy's Law that a hydraulic hose would break when the machine was needed most too.

So why not just replace the hoses? To replace all the hydraulic hoses on one of our rough mowers, the cost would be about $1,800.  Now multiply that by three mowers, add the two sand trap machines, the back end loader...the cost adds up quickly!  This year our Equipment Manager, Hector Valazquez, worked out an outstanding deal with Lawson Products to get WCCC set up with an in-house hydraulic hose making machine and all parts needed to make our own hoses.  Hector has great experience in making these hoses and has even done a video on it so other equipment managers can take advantage of the savings for themselves.  This set up not only saves the club more than $2K this year alone, but we also now have the proper tools to handle making hydraulic hoses in-house which means minimal "down time" of the equipment.

Leaves....Leaves...and More Leaves!

With the recent wet weather followed by hard frosts and wind, many of the leaves have fallen from the trees.  A big thanks is in order to my staff for continuing to work hard on getting the course cleaned up so members and their guests can enjoy fall golf!

Assistants Training Day at WCCC

Today we hosted an Assistant Superintendent Training Day at Walnut Creek which was sponsored by Syngenta.  Assistants from many clubs in the area attended to take part in two training opportunities.  First, Aaron Hathaway from Michigan State University spoke about proper calibration techniques for chemical spraying equipment and its importance.  Calibrating spraying equipment to ensure the correct rate of pesticide is being applied is not only the right thing to do but it can save a lot of money by not over applying a product!  Following this, John Schlegel and his coworker Jason from ProPump & Controls spoke to everyone about proper irrigation pump station winterizing and maintenance.  Winterizing a pump station correctly at the end of the season is crucial as some repairs due to frozen equipment could not only be very costly but could also set back the irrigation start date in the spring.

Granite Markers

Landscaping going in around the new markers

Granite Hole Markers

Hole markers are going in on every hole now.  The North course is complete and the staff is currently working on finishing the South. Next week we will tackle the West.

Assistant Superintendent Training Day at WCCC

On Monday, October 28th, Walnut Creek Country Club with support from the MiGCSA will be hosting an event with Assistant Superintendents from surrounding clubs in our area to participate in a training day.  Topics that will be covered are how to properly calibrate chemical spraying equipment for precise applications as well as irrigation pump house winterizing and maintenance.  We're excited about hosting this event and believe it will provide a great learning opportunity for all those involved!

4 West Approach

4 West Approach painted out by Golf Course Architect Brian Huntley

Removing sod  in preparation for laying bentgrass sod obtained from the old rounded tee surfaces that are now square

Bentgrass sod starting to go down

Approach is complete! Sand is applied to the surface very heavily at this stage to fill in the sod seems, level the surface, and protect the plant.  It is important to stay off the newly laid sod until full rooting has been achieved. 

Benefits of Fairway Aerification Done In-House

Top and Middle Picture: Walk-behind aerification equipment
combined with tractor mounted aerifier gets the job done fast
Bottom Picture: Pull behind drag mats are used to break the soil away from the thatch.  Soil drops back into the holes while the spongy thatch stays on top of the fairway which is then removed.

This week we began our in-house fairway aerification process. For many years this process had been contracted out to a company who had the equipment necessary for such a big job.  Although this sounds good to have somebody else do the aerification, there are many negatives to it.  With our recent upgrade to our equipment, we obtained the equipment necessary to handle the fairway aerification process in-house with our own staff!

The benefits of this include:
1. Approx. $12,000 annual savings (based on not contracting this job out)...$24,000 annual savings if we aerify twice.
2. Flexible timing and schedule (not having to schedule around the company and the other 100 golf courses they aerify each year)
3. A better quality job done by the staff in house as attention to detail is much higher.
4. Closer spacing of holes that removes more unwanted thatch material without an increase in cost. (Contracted companies charge more for closer hole spacing due to labor time and wear on their machines)
5.  Overall quicker completion with rotating staff shifts that keep the aerification program running dawn till dusk.

Nothing better than the tradition of a great event...Welcome to the 2013 Brassie Member Guest!