Play on the Blue Nine

I have received a number of questions on why the blue is not opened for full time play yet? Without getting agronomically technical, let me provide a few examples.

If a person has a knee operation, they are not able to go out and run a race right away. They have to take time to heal and rehab. Much is the same with young turf. It has to have time to mature to be able to take the wear of mowing and of golfer traffic.

The foal below can be compared to our turf on the blue nine. It is young and immature. Just like the blue nine is not yet ready for unlimited exposure to play, the foal is not ready for a grueling mile long race at this stage of his young life. Both require time to mature.
The photo below is of a mature 2 year old colt running the Kentucky Derby. He has been conditioned, trained, and given time to physically mature to run the event. Just as the 3 year old turf on the red nine has done following the renovation, the blue nine turf will continue to get stronger and better.

Cart Traffic

I had a question the other day about why we ask golfers to drive their carts on the paths around the tees and greens. The golfer added that our members do not have to do that in Florida and out West. There are basically three reasons for our recommendations.
1. The bermudagrass courses in the South and West have a different kind of grass (bermudagrass) which is much more wear tolerant than the bluegrass, bentgrass, and poa that we have on the North Shore. The bermudagrass is heartier and can withstand more cart traffic without incurring damage.
2. We have a number of areas that are in the shade and in a narrow location where carts are funneled over the same location. When carts drive in these areas the turf is negatively impacted and shows signs of wear and damage.
3. There is a safety factor involved. The safest route to the next tee is via the cart path. It is designed to keep golfers out of the vicinity of golfers playing other holes.

The wear in the photo below is behind #4 red green where carts drive around the back of the green. We have already replaced this sod twice since the renovation. This is a high traffic - shaded location.
The photo below is where carts frequently exit the cart path on White #8

The photo below is the approach to white #9 fairway where the majority of the golf carts enter the fairway. This is why we rotate the cart traffic to prevent damage.

Blue Opening

The blue nine will open tomorrow morning, two weeks ahead of schedule. The turf is new. It is young, immature, and sensitive to traffic and wear. Please remember to repair all ball marks and divots.

The green's surfaces will be very firm for the first few years but will mature just as the red nine has matured and approach shots hold better now. We will be managing and rotating cart traffic and the number of rounds as we expose traffic to the new turf. I am confident you will like the blue nine. It is very good.

Great Guys

They are the men behind the scenes. They have a tremendous work ethic. They are as dependable as anyone could ask. They work in rain, snow, ice, and heat. They are the men who prepare your golf course for you. They don't get much recognition so if you have a chance, a simple hello, a smile, or a wave would be a great way to show them how much you appreciate their efforts. Without them, golf would not be the same at the club.

The staff was busy late into the evening on Friday and back again at daylight on Saturday morning restoring the course to a playable condition.
The bunkers on the white nine were flooded on Thursday after the 3 inch rainfall

Flooding on Friday morning - #4 White Fairway

Red #1 Screening

The photo below shows the screening plantings that were installed recently to help screen the view from Red #1 to the Golf Course Operations Facility.

Storm Results

We received 2.75 inches of rain in the storm last night. #4 white tee and #8 red tee areas are impassable. #5 white green is partially under water. Most all of the bunkers on the course have eroded and will require redistribution of the sand. We will have to wait for the canal to recede before these flooded areas will return to normal. It will be a wet weekend for golf.

Putting Green Damage

The brown spots in the photo below are on the new putting green. They are the result of a golfer standing in the same place and putting from the exact same spot. This form of practice damages any turf, especially the young and immature leaf blades on a green. This is detrimental to the quality of the putting green. Please rotate your practice locations on the putting green. Thanks.

Tree - Blue #1 Tee

These two photos show the planting of a new tree that is located to the right of #1 Blue tee.

It is a White Oak. We have planted approximately 25 trees on the course in the past year. This is part of our Tree Management Program that is designed to provide care and attention to our entire tree inventory.