Ball marks need to be repaired correctly!

Take a look at the photo below showing all the ball marks on #15 green that have not been repaired correctly. I placed an irrigation flag on every ball mark on the green using a total of 304 flags. That's a lot of ball marks that should not be there.

Lets review the proper method of repairing a ball mark.

Most of the ball marks on #15 green have been repaired using the wrong technique of placing the tool in the center of the mark and lifting. The photo below shows the result of this incorrect method.

  This will takes several weeks to fill back in during the growing season. Over the winter months it could be there for months. Our crew fixes fresh ball marks every morning that were made the previous day. The old marks like the one shown take more time than we have available to repair each day so we need your help. If you are not sure how to repair your ball marks correctly, ask one of the pros in the golf shop for assistance. I am also around the club everyday during lunch and am available to show you the proper repair method.

It's hard enough to make a putt on a perfectly smooth green. When you have to putt through a maze of ball marks it's really difficult to get the ball in the hole.

Steve Kealy
Golf Course Superintendent

The battle of trees vs turf continues

This past summer was the driest we've seen in many years and it was a challenge to keep the turf green and healthy. In areas of the course where trees are close to play, tree roots extend out into the turf and steal the irrigation water. The quality of the turf goes down the drain and golfers are left with difficult conditions to play from. The photos below are of the area just off the back of #16 green. Two large Douglas Fir trees are way too close to the green and are the cause of the poor conditions.

You hit a pretty good shot into #16 green and and are only one foot off the edge of the collar. It's the #4 stroke hole so you're thinking net birdie. As you get to your ball you see that it's sitting in a hole on baked ground with a clump of turf right behind it. Your easy par just turned into a bogey or more.

There are so many shots played from just off the green that the turf needs to be in good condition. Chipping is hard enough off of a perfect lie. What are the odds of hitting a good shot from the burned out area in the photo to that hole location?

We spent a lot of time hand watering the back of the green, and also between the trees and the green every summer. By the time we get to August it looks like the conditions above. The trees win the battle over turf  (and the greens crew) every year. I don't see any reason to keep these trees and suffer with the awful turf  during the peak of our summer play. 

Steve Kealy

Golf Course Superintendent

Bunker maintenance

The turf team at Glendale CC spends a lot of time each day preparing the bunkers for daily play. You might think they should all play the same since they have the same sand, but each one is slightly different from the rest. Some face south and are always dry like the left bunker at #1 green while north facing bunkers like those at #10 green are wet most of the time. We have bunkers that are deep, shallow, small, large, high slopes, flat bottoms, wet, dry, good and bad drainage, new sand, old sand, some full of tree roots, and the list continues. Despite these differences we do our best to make them playable. There are times when a high use area in a bunker becomes thin and needs more sand. Last year at this time the sand was too "fluffy" and we were getting a lot of complaints about balls plugging and fried egg lies. We changed our raking technique and the rakes used by our crew and over the next several months the sand firmed up. No more fried egg lies. Since that time we continued to change the rakes each week from short to long teeth to try and keep the sand "just right." Lately we have received complaints that the sand is too hard. Over the past week we have been working on adding sand as needed moving sand around from deep to thin areas. Most of the time we know what bunkers need work but when the course is packed all the time our opportunities to get out and work on them is very limited. I appreciate the membership feedback and we will continue to work on making the bunkers "just right."

The photo above shows our raking method. We "smear" the edges with the back side of the rake to not disturb the sand and keep it firm. This is so incoming shots will hit the sides and roll to the bottom of the bunker. When you enter and exit a bunker please use the low side and stay off any steep slopes. If we can keep those slopes firm you'll never have to hit a shot from those difficult areas.

Steve Kealy
Golf Course Superintendent

More hot weather coming

I checked out the weather forecast for the next week and and it's back to the mid 80's and low 90's. This has to be the driest May, June, and July in all the years I've superintendent at Glendale CC. The rainfall totals from our on course weather station for May through July are listed below.
May 2015 .43 inches                     Average May rainfall  1.60 inches
June 2015 .16 inches                      Average June rainfall  1.39 inches
July 2015  .19 inches                      Average July rainfall  .61 inches

Total          .78 inches                      Average May-July      3.6 inches

We have received 22% of the normal rainfall the past three months. Our irrigation system is handling the the job but can only do so much. As long as the temperatures stay below 85 degrees the course stays in pretty good shape. Once we go above 85 degrees the turf goes into panic mode and we start losing areas where the soil is bad and the irrigation coverage is not up to par. South facing bunker slopes are the hardest areas to keep alive during hot dry weather.
The turf team will have to be out in play watering as needed during the late afternoons this next week. They will do their best to not get in your way but there may be a green in which you have to wait several minutes for the water to turn off. Thanks for your understanding during these times.

Steve Kealy
Golf Course Superintendent

First Green goes to Chambers Bay

About a month ago I was asked by the USGA to come to Chambers Bay and help do a First Green field trip with a group of local 8th grade students. I assisted Josh Lewis, who isthe golf course superintendent at Chambers Bay. The USGA wanted to video the trip and play it on their website during the US Open to show the partnership with First Green. The video is posted on their site and the link to it is below. It's only 2:12 in length so please check it out. The First Green program is getting a lot of new exposure this week thanks to the USGA!

USGA First Green video


Steve Kealy
Golf Course Superintendent

First Green video

First Green is a program that partners golf course superintendents with teachers and brings kids out to golf courses to learn STEM (Science, technology, Engineering, and Math) learning. The program was started in 1997 and has had over 15,000 WA State students participate in the program. I've been involved with FG since 1998 and have hosted over 100 field trips at Glendale. The USGA has been our biggest supporter for the past several years and wanted to showcase the program and their support of it during the US Open. I was asked to be part of a PSA (Public Service Announcement) filming that would air during the Open. I flew to Miami during spring break and was part of the cast that was in the filming of the video. It was a great experience being part of the production. The video is live on YouTube as of today and will appear on Fox during the US Open coverage. The ad agency that that was in charge of  the production estimates that there will be 120 million viewings of the PSA during the Open. We should get a lot of new interest in the program from around the country!

Kids on a First Green field trip at Glendale CC in April of 2012.

Click on the link below to go to the USGA First Green video. Check it out, it's only 30 seconds in length. The USGA has asked us to not post this to any social media sites until after June 9th when their PR firm makes the formal release to the media. Thanks!

 https://youtu.be/R_j8NLIEjK0

Steve Kealy
Golf Course Superintendent
Glendale Country Club

New fairway yardage markers

For the past ten years we have used Kirby fairway yardage markers. They set up above the ground slightly and collapse when a mower drives over them. The one advantage they have over every other marker is they are easier to see. But the overwhelming disadvantage is the cost. They look good for one season but have to be replaced after two years of use. The cost becomes too high for the limited life span of the marker. We have chosen to install new fairway yardage markers that are made by the same company that makes our tee yardage markers. The cost is the same as the Kirby markers and should last at least 4-5 times longer.

The new markers look great too.

Steve Kealy
Golf Course Superintendent

Cart path root removals

The cart paths at Glendale are routed through the trees running along side each fairway. As the trees have matured some have large roots coming under and through the paths causing a very rough road. Last month we had our asphalt contractor take a grinder to the worst areas, remove the roots and re-pave the paths on holes 1&5, 3&4, 7 and 15. Next year we will do the rest of the areas needing repair. 

This tree has four large roots coming up through the path. 

The grinder is attached to the front of a skid steer Bobcat. It cuts through the asphalt and tree roots like a hot knife through butter.

It only took 25 minutes to grind this section of path.

The grinder has a drum with 3 inch carbide teeth that spins and easily rips through the roots and asphalt. 

When the grinding is done the left over material is picked up and hauled away. It's then ready for new asphalt.

The finished path. This is a 450' long section of new path through the trees on the third hole.

This is the tree on the 7th hole that had a root coming up through the path that was at least six inches high. The root is gone and we don't have to drive around this area anymore. 

Steve Kealy

Golf Course Superintendent

12th man flag flying high at Glendale CC

This is Superbowl week and to show our team support we mounted a 12th man flag on top of a tree next to the 15th green. Several trees were removed in this area recently and we left one to fly our team flag. The "flag pole" is 109' tall and you can see it from most areas on the back nine. 

This view is from the 15th tee looking at the the 15th green. 

Looking across from the 17th fairway to #15 green.

We've done our part so now it's up to the Seahawks to bring home another Lombardi trophy with a win over the Patriots on Sunday. 

GO SEAHAWKS!