Augusta National -

Each April, golfers across the country view the awe inspiring Augusta National Golf Club as it hosts The Masters.  There is nothing like it. If you haven't actually walked the course, it is impossible to grasp the changing elevations from tee to green.  The shapes and slopes of the greens are tremendously challenging.  A 10 foot putt can easily be 4 putted or putted completely off the green.  Take a look at the photos below.


These beautiful and near perfect conditions do not occur by accident. 
There is no limit to the operating budget at Augusta National.

The greens are SEVERELY slope.

Some putts can have as much as a 30 foot break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some holes have as much as a 30-50 foot elevation change.
This is why you see balls roll so far on holes like 10, 13, 15, etc.
There is unlimited machinery available for manicuring the golf course.
There are 13-14 fairway mowers on this hole.
Most 18-hole courses have only 3-4 fairway mowers in inventory.

Greens are mowed and rolled as many as 4-5 times a day to achieve the desired speeds.
Greens can be mowed prior and post play.

There are hundreds of volunteers preparing the course during tournament week.


Below shows 9 people deciding on the daily cupping location.

Most courses have 4-5 men that prepare the bunkers for daily play.
There are 22 volunteers preparing the bunkers on this one hole at Augusta National.

7 volunteers check for ball marks on this one green at Augusta National

This is the size volunteer staff for a major event like The Masters.
It is not uncommon to have several hundred volunteers for major events.
Many 18 hole courses have a staff of 18-25 employees.

Imagine having the budget and labor force to have 12-15 employees painting curbs.

Augusta National is closed from May - September every year.
That doesn't happen at other courses in the South.

As you can see, there is no comparison of Augusta National to even the best of private facilities.

Bunker Fact Turf

We will be installing new turf around the red and blue bunker complexes.   There were some areas where bentgrass had contaminated the bluegrass turf.  The bentgrass was unsightly & more difficult to play from. 

We will be utilizing Black Beauty fescue around the bunkers.   This is a low mowed turf that will be maintained at the same height that we previously maintained the turf.   The advantage to the fescue species is that it has improved drought tolerance and does not wilt as quickly as the bluegrass.  We are taking advantage of newer and improved turfgrass research and turf genetics.   The playability will be quite similar. 

The photo  below is of the temperature and water stressed bluegrass turf on the bunker slope

The photo below is of #6 white bunker face where we replaced the bluegrass with the fescue species several years ago.  It handles the hotter temperatures and drought very well.

Augusta National - The Great Comparison

It's early April and many golf courses around the country are just coming out of winter.  Some are not even open yet.  But at Augusta National GC, it is Masters Week.  All golfing eyes are on the perfect golfing conditions at The National.  It is the place most golfers  envy, wish to play just one time or even visit just once.  John Morris,our Assistant Superintendent here at NCC was an Assistant Superintendent at Augusta  National for four years and played a key role in being in charge of the back nine for his four Masters.  I have  been to  7-8  Masters and there is nothing like it.   I will share a few interesting things about Augusta National that differ from virtually every private club.

John  Morris - Northmoor Assistant Golf Course Superintendent   -  4  Time Masters Team Member

My most interesting event at The Masters - I was offered $10,000 for my weekly clubhouse pass.

The Augusta National course is closed shortly after the Masters and doesn't reopen until October.
Below is a photo of a summer view of Augusta National.

Augusta National is known for their lightening fast and concrete hard greens.  Withholding water results in the wilting brown  spots you see  in the photo below.  Actually the greens are significantly more off-color and browner than you see on TV due to the television filters.  The course closes for the summer so if there is some discolored or damaged green's surface it is of no concern.  The greens may be  mowed  and rolled 6-8 times a day to get the desired conditions.  Unless it rains during the tournament, the greens are on life support by Sunday afternoon.

 Unable for the TV viewer to  see, some holes have 60-80 foot elevation changes.   This view of the  18th hole exhibits a steep uphill slope.  There is a 170 foot in elevation change from#1 tee to #13 at  Rays Creek.

  13 fairway mowers!!!!!  Most 18 hole courses have 2 to  4 of these.   The operating and capital budgets for Augusta National are not made public.  I can tell  you their budget is multi-millions of dollars beyond even the highest budgeted private club courses.  

Even with the best construction and highest quality sand in the industry, fried egg lies still happen.  Sergio Garcia's ball on the 12th hole on Friday's round this year.  

 The size of the bunkers are massive and some of the bunkers are 8-10 feet deep. Ricky Fowler #2

 

Each green is mowed and rolled a different number of times so it will play as it was designed based on its size, slope, contours and cupping location for the day

During the closed months of summer,  the greens often have green house type shade clothes placed on elevated poles above the greens to help shade the greens 

A number of the greens are rebuilt each year are built back to exact dimensions via use of GPS

The difficulty of the Augusta greens is staggering.  Imagine the best players in the world 3 putting from inside 4-5 feet 

Many approach shots cannot remain on the green unless the player is able to place their approach shot within a 10-12 foot circle on the green 

Lloyds of London actually does the security work for The Masters event.  If  any current ticket holder is caught selling their tickets, then that person loses their entry privileges for life.                          Tuna,  ham and pimento cheese sandwiches still cost only $1 at the concession stands

Dog Calendar and Course Coyotes

Many of you have come to see and know our new Border Collie- Australian Shepherd.  I rescued Tu from Orphans of the Storm shelter in Deerfield.  She is our new goose chasing teammate.
She is a huge success story.  I am her 4th owner.  She was previously simply in the wrong family environments.  She was with families with small children and she is a high energy working breed. 

The great news is she has progressed tremendously with her training.  She was also recently chosen to be the December poster pet for the month of December for a nationally published golf course management calendar. 

Last winter we received a number of calls about our Decoy Coyotes that we place on the course during the winter months to aide in goose control.  Below is a photo of one of the decoys we utilize.  We have the decoys placed near the lakes where the geese tend to congregate.  However, be aware that real coyotes do frequent the property at times.  We do implement coyote control measures but the random coyote does enter the property.  They have little fear of humans so please be careful. 

Different Bentgrass Greens

I thought you would find these photos to be interesting.  The turf variety that we used on the red and blue greens in 2006 and 2008 was A1 bentgrass.   It was the state of the industry at that time.   In the late 90s when NCC did the white nine, L93 bentgrass was used on the white nine. because it showed the most promise in the research trials.  Today, Pure Distinction bentgrass is one of the highly performing varieties that Bob O Link recently used on their greens in their renovation.  Just one of the characteristics of Pure Distinction is that it has an earlier green-up.   Each of these 3 bentgrass varieties has different growth and putting characteristics. 

                                

Northmoor A 1 bentgrass green on April 26th  - still off color

                                   

Bob O Link Pure Distinction bentgrass on April 26th - early green-up

                                                  

                                                

Tanner Witt

I wanted to say a special thanks to those of you who have asked about and followed my son Tanner's baseball career through college and the pros.   Even though he had a year left on his contract and was scheduled to play at Double AA Chattanooga with the Twins organization, he has decided to enter the next phase of his career.   He has traded his baseball uniform for a business suit and a set of operating room scrubs.  He has joined the Nuvasive spinal medical equipment sales team and has moved to Dallas.   From the ball field to the operating room, he is beginning a new career.

Needless to say, my summer evenings will be different without watching him on TV or listening to his games on the radio.   He has given me more than 20 years of enjoyment watching him play.  Lots of miles, thousands of innings and a million great memories of watching him play.
I appreciate the interest you showed in him and my family.   Thank you.

Austin County Club

This week the PGA tour stop is at Austin Country Club located in the hills on the outskirts of  Austin, Texas along the Colorado River.  I had the opportunity to manage this dramatic course earlier in my career.  Architect Pete Dye used tremendous creativity in designing this stunning layout with long and forced carries, severely undulating greens, distinctive elevation changes and "eye-catching" native rock features.   The 6800 yard course plays to a challenging 74 course rating.   While the pros may find the length very short compared to their normal course lengths, the average golfer finds the layout to be extremely difficult.   Before we  cleared some of the native trees and brush in the rough areas, combined  with the number of forced carries, it was not uncommon for the members to lose 6-10 golf balls a round. 

TU's Progress

Many of you have seen or asked about our new golf course - goose dog.   I adopted Tu in the early summer from the Deerefield Dog Shelter.   Having had 3 different previous owners, initially she was very nervous and immediately very protective of me.   In the last 4 or 5 months she has progressed significantly.  Those who saw her when she first arrived and who see her now are in awe of her improvement.  

Having had to say goodbye to our two previous Border Collies over a 3 year period, we weren't emotionally ready to begin starting over with another dog.  However, it has been a blessing to me and to Northmoor to have found and adopted Tu.  She will not leave my side.  She does have a major separation anxiety issue when we are apart but as time goes by I hope she will be more at peace that I will always come back for her. 

Having any dog, especially a high energy breed like a border collie, demands a significant amount of time to work with her and continue training her.  She is no ordinary house dog that is comfortable with laying on the couch all day.   She is bred to work and run and be active.  I was not looking forward to that and she has taken much more of my time than I ever imagined but that is the commitment anyone should make when they acquire a pet of any kind. 

I certainly, nor was my wife Lorrie, ever considering Tu living at our home but there was no where else to keep her.  She wakes up every morning at 4:00 am and is ready to come to the course.   All has gone pretty well except when I have to be out of town and have someone stay with her.   She is house broken but once when I was away, I guess she was pouting and decided to use our carpet to relieve herself.   She hadn't done it before nor has she since.  Guess she was just making a statement.  Now we have to take up and replace the carpet.   But, she is worth it.  

She loves the golf course and the dog park.  See below

Ready to go to the dog park

 

 

Robotic Greens Mowers

Robotic greens mowers are the next phase of golf course management technology to hit the industry.
With the golf course maintenance labor pool decreasing annually, these units likely will begin to be embraced rather quickly.   There are already two clubs in Chicago that are testing one of the units in 2017.   The mowers cost $50,000 each.   Take a look at the video below and how they work off a GPS platform. 

Eagles On The Course

What a great sight to see.   Two bald eagles have been on  the course this past week.

Winterkills - What Golfers Need To Know

Three Things All Golfers Should Know About Winterkill   

   

Winterkill is an easy problem to define but difficult to fully understand. Simply put, winterkill occurs when turf dies during winter. However, understanding the mechanisms that cause winterkill, creating effective prevention strategies and formulating effective recovery programs is complex.

What causes winterkill?

Winterkill is a catch-all term describing winter injury to turfgrass that occurs through a variety of mechanisms such as ice suffocation, crown hydration, low-temperature injury and desiccation. Identifying the exact cause of winterkill is difficult because  winterkill may be caused by one mechanism or could result from a combination of mechanisms that act simultaneously or occur at multiple times during winter. Additionally, turfgrass species have different tolerances to winter injury. For example, creeping bentgrass is much less susceptible to winter injury than Poa annua.

Can winterkill be prevented?

Scientists have not been able to find a silver bullet that prevents winterkill. However, great strides have been made breeding turf varieties that have a better tolerance of winterkill mechanisms. For example, USGA-funded research has resulted in the release of cold-hardy bermudagrasses such as Latitude 36™, Northbridge™ and Patriot.

Golf course superintendents are not able to prevent winterkill, but they can implement a variety of programs that give turfgrass playing surfaces the best chance of surviving winter. Common strategies in northern climates include converting to cold-tolerant turf varieties, implementing proper fall fertilization, raising mowing heights during fall, reducing shade, improving drainage and covering putting greens during winter.

What are the most effective recovery programs?

Winterkill damage can range from minor to severe, and golf course superintendents use a variety of methods to repair the damage. Weak areas of turf may recover with fertilization and traffic restrictions, but dead areas must be re-established with seed or sod. Repairing an area that has been severely damaged by winterkill is an opportunity to make improvements that may help avoid future damage. Correcting shade, drainage or traffic issues will improve turf conditions during the golf season and winter hardiness. Re-establishing a severely damaged area also provides an opportunity to use cold-tolerant turf varieties that will be less vulnerable to winterkill in the future.

Winterkill is a seasonal visitor that no golf course wants to see. It often arrives quickly, but the impact on playing conditions can last for weeks or months. Golfers can take comfort in the knowledge that golf course superintendents and scientists are working hard to understand and overcome the age-old problem of winterkill. 

Tu - Dog Park & Geese

We are about 7 months into our training and relationship with Tu.  While she does not possess the verbal and hand signals and commands of a $4,000-$5,000 highly trained border collie, she does chase geese and that is what the club wanted.  There are only a few times of the year when geese are an issue for us.  

No matter the training level and skills of a border collie, they command a significant amount of time.  They are not your normal house dogs that will sleep all day.  They are high energy and need to have lengthy exercise sessions each day to expend their energy.  

Tu has definitely influenced and affected my daily life and schedules.  I wasn't planning on having to care for her 24-7.   We didn't plan for her to live in our home.   I didn't plan for her to wake me up every morning at 3:45 - 4:15 am ready to go to the course.   But that is where we are.  She has come such a long way in 7 months and we still have miles to go.   As her caretaker, I am obligated to help her and train her to be the best she can be.  The  abuse and  neglect she suffered during her first 3 years of life are not displaced easily.  And for all the frustration and inconvenience she has added to my and Lorrie's lives, I know she was brought into my life for a reason.  I was told that I was her last chance to live.  No matter the time, the trials and attention that she needs, she has a forever home with me and Lorrie.  It is just what you do.  It is the right thing to do.

Below you can see how she enjoys the dog park.   Much better than a humane shelter cage for sure.

                                                           

Tu - Our New Friend

Many of you recall that over the past 13 years we had two different border collies, Polly and Bristol, that were highly trained and highly priced goose chasing dogs.   Both of them have crossed the Rainbow Bridge and we were in search of a new goose chasing team member.  I spoke with my chairman and he agreed that finding a good rescue dog combined with a good trainer to work with her would be a good way to go.   After months of searching rescues shelters all over the country, I ran across TuTu (Tu for short), a 3 year old border collie - Australian mix at the Deerfield Orphans of the Storm Rescue Shelter.  After visiting her twice over a three week period, I decided NCC would give her a forever home.

It has taken her a while to adjust to all the people and activity of a golf course life but she has made monumental strides.    Here is her story as best as the shelter shared with me. 

She was originally owned by a Chicago family that had to relocate out of state.  They chose not to take her with them so they gave her to the shelter.   Shortly after, a family with young children adopted her.   As one would anticipate, Tu being a high energy and bred to be an outdoor working dog, was too high energy to be around young children.   The young family took her back to the shelter.   After a while, an elderly gentleman who had recently lost both his wife and his dog, adopted Tu.  And again, as anticipated, she was too high energy to be shut up in a house all day without any exercise.   The gentleman returned her to the shelter.  

It has been an interesting 4 months with her.  I never planned on having a 3rd dog at my house but there is no one at NCC for her to live with.   It isn't convenient for my home but I will never return her to the shelter.   She is attached to me and I am her new caretaker.  She doesn't leave my side.  She is at the course daily, running and chasing and is able to enjoy life outside of a rescue shelter cage.