Fall Practices - Fairway Verticle Mowing

We have started our fall golf course preparation schedule.   We will be implementing a number of agronomic practices and measures to help repair the course from the season long play as well as insuring that it is in quality condition for next season.   Below are just a few of the agronomic practices that we are currently in the process of doing.

One of the keys to firming the fairways is to utilize the practice of verticle mowing.  This practice assists in removing excess thatch from the fairways.   Notice in the second photo how much undesirable material is brought to the surface and removed.   We do this practice each spring and fall.

 

This is what a verticle mowing reel looks like

It is more of a thinning than a cutting process

Notice the amount of grass and thatch that are pulled from the turf

      Verticle cutting results

Topdressing immediately follows the verticle mowing.  Sand is deposited into the verticle mowing lines to help firm the surface of the turf 

                                          
This is the amount of sand that we will put on the white nine fairways
                                                                                 

  This is the result after a week
                                                                           

We are also aerifying the greens, tees, approaches, fairways and roughs over the next few weeks

                                                     

                                                       

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.  

 

                                                                    

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 Tu, 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.