WINTER UPDATE - MCCALL GOLF CLUB
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Winter Update
Part II
In opening of this update, we hope everyone is remaining sane counting down the
days until spring, (47). Although Old Man Winter has reminded us that he is here for a
while, we are keeping our fingers crossed Punxsutawney Phil sheds some good news in
the weeks to come. We hope everyone got an opportunity to read Part I of our winter
update to enlighten you on some things we as turf managers experience throughout this
time of year. Understandably golfers love golf not turf, we as turf managers have a
relationship with golfers by keeping turf healthy and alive so golfers can continue to
enjoy the game, especially here at McCall. Decisions for the golf course that were made
in recent weeks were implemented to minimalize the threat of what was mentioned in
part I of that update, so we can give golfers the best experience here at McCall leading
into the spring of 2022 and beyond.
As weather has been consistently inconsistent thus far, the maintenance team has
been hard at work tackling a variety of mini projects which we will announce in this
update. Items mentioned were executed in manner that correlated with the weather we
have been experiencing as to not damage or cause more harm than good leading into
Spring.
Playing surfaces (Greens, Tees, Fairways, Roughs) are under a close eye this time
of year due to winter weather elements. Greens have been heavily topdressed to protect
the crowns of plants. If we get a decent stretch of weather leading into spring, we will
take advantage and aerify tees. Based off recent soil tests, we will also schedule a liming
application for the fairways, as weather dictates, several months from now. Irrigation
heads continue to be raised and leveled on fairways and tees as time permits. We were
also able to get all the cart traffic areas aerified before the ground froze.
The first phase of the Delaware County Conservation District tree planting grant
for McCall is complete. Over 200 specimens have been planted between #3 and #5.
Over time, this area will resort back to a forested area, while adding color and natural
beauty to the site. The second phase planning is in the works. We have planted 95% of
our plan along the back of the clubhouse. These plantings will help with the aesthetics
and help us cut the labor of mowing along the building. We have also moved some
specimens around to help
break up other views of the
building and help hide the air
conditioning units. Three
Cryptomeria specimens were
also planted along the netting
of the driving range. Planted
there as a screening, these
trees will get roughly 40-50 ft
tall and roughly 15 ft wide. They have heavy branching that will stop golf balls better
than the netting. Four more will eventually be planted in the same line, once we are
able. This will improve the overall look and aesthetics of the driving range.
During some down days we have done some upkeep to the inside of the
clubhouse areas. New LED lighting fixtures were installed
in the kitchen. This lighting will help save in energy costs,
improve the lighting for Chef in the kitchen area, while
remaining compliant with safe food handling practices.
The flooring to the walk-in refrigerator was repaired as
well. Touch up painting and shampooing of all carpets was
completed as well. If you
haven’t been to the club
recently, upon your return
you will notice that the
lower lounge has gotten a freshen up. Some finishing
touches are still in progress, but the photo to the left will
give you a glimpse of what to expect. All clubhouse work
has been done in house. Other down day work included
refurbishing golf
course accessories
along with inventory control and purchasing of
products needed for the 2022 season. Our
equipment manager has been hard at work
performing winter maintenance and servicing to all
golf course equipment including grinding and
sharpening of reels and bed knives in preparation for
2022.
In our fall update we mentioned tree work
had been underway and has continued up to this point. To date we have removed 20
large trees from the golf course. These mainly include pines, spruce, and ash. When
talking about tree removals there are mainly 3 reasons why trees are deemed to be
removed. Health of the tree, golf and
agronomic impact, and safety. Much of
the ash trees were dead or dying.
Coniferous trees (Pines and Spruce) are
trees that provide 365 days of shade and
minimal sunlight due to the needles
staying on year-round. Some of the
conifers at McCall have oversized surface
roots that have a negative impact to the
game, especially when they are close to
the fairway. Examples of this have been
targeted on some holes to some conifers
to create a more sound playing area where these trees once were. Eliminating trees like
this example will improve the turf area, allow better sunlight, and air movement, and
help alleviate the notorious bounce you experience while riding the course at McCall. 18
out of the 20 trees removed were taken down
and cleaned up in house. The other 2 were
contracted out by professionals for take down
due to their locations and the obstacles
surrounding them. Arader Tree Service was
brought in the week of January 17th to take
down a Pine Tree and a dead Ash on the hill
side behind 6 green. The pine tree exhibited
severe shade issues to 6 green complex. The
complex is a sensitive area due to the
microclimate it inhabits. The complex is
pocketed in a corner with very little air
movement and tends to remain wet more than
desired. All ingredients to a recipe that don’t
bode well for healthy turf. Removing the Pine tree allows more sunlight to the green
complex. This will bode well for the area including the green, especially in the winter
when the sun angle is at its lowest. Because of the severe slope, and the fencing
surrounding the area, Arader had to climb, and remove the tree from the top down.
This had to be done on a day when it was extremely cold and the ground was frozen, so
we could get vehicles out there to remove the tree once it was dropped. Tree work
remaining involves grinding down the stumps and exposed roots of the removed trees
where necessary, along with grading, seeding, and matting those areas. A stump grinder
is rented for February 7th to tackle this endeavor barring any weather setbacks.
Consequently, while removing the trees,
our dump pile, to no surprise has gotten smaller
at a rapid pace. Fortunately, we found a contact
to remove the logs for us to free up space.
Cleanup of the debris area is TBD.
We are in the beginning stages of re-
planking the cart bridge on #14. The boards
are rotting out and the bridge is becoming
unsafe to travel across. Because of the
heavy force of water that runs through this
creek during heavy storm events, some
reinforcement is needed to the steel I-beams
to help prevent it from twisting during these
encounters. All the materials needed for
completion are onsite and if weather
cooperates, we expect to have this bridge
completed in the next week or two.
The maintenance team has forged
ahead up to this point, with some other
potential mini projects on the horizon
potentially in the next month or two.
Regardless the time of year, weather is a
major factor with the practices and plans
we preach and implement. We always
must consider that Mother Nature always
has a seat at the table. With any new
plans on the horizon, we will be sure to
communicate to everyone those
endeavors. In the meantime, we hope
everyone stays safe, healthy, and ready to
get back out there.
The maintenance team would like to take a quick opportunity to extend our
deepest thanks to the membership regarding the distribution of Holiday gifts to the
staff. Membership had gone above and beyond with your generous offerings. We are
genuinely thankful and fortunate to be working for and representing a communal
establishment such as McCall. Our deepest thanks!!
A kind reminder for your convenience, please continue to monitor the club
website for course openings/closures/delays. Happy 2022!
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