A Fresh Start

Although the calendar says it is still winter, there is a strong feeling that spring is right around the corner.  With Opening Day for the clubhouse just a week away, I thought I would share a few thoughts about what you can expect to see when you return to the golf course in a few weeks.

The most significant change will be the addition of a new fairway bunker on the 9th/18th hole.  This feature was added to strengthen the left side of the hole after a number of pine trees were lost over the last few years.  The bunker was conceived and designed by Tim Gerrish and was constructed by our own maintenance staff.  Due to the location of the bunker, I do not expect it to affect the majority of golfers off the tee.  The unfortunate individuals that do find the bunker will have a difficult time seeing the green from the sand, and will certainly avoid this area in future rounds.

After reviewing the responses from the membership survey, the new Green Committee has made course beautification a priority for 2016 and beyond.  you will find a few projects that we initiated this winter that will help address this concern including new crushed granite cart paths on the 16th forward tee, the 17th back tees, and the 5th/14th tees.  These projects will not only improve the function and appearance of these areas, they will also serve as a test case for the paths that will be added during the Fairway Renovation Project.  We will soon be completing an ornamental planting at the 6th tee/Comfort station area.  This fall we removed some weeds and undergrowth and installed native azaleas, and will be adding Mountain Laurels next month.  In time, the goal is to eventually repeat this theme along the ridge from the 6th tee all the way to the 13th green.  This will highlight the attractive rock outcrops and rugged terrain that is characteristic of the Connecticut coastline.

Thanks to the warm weather we enjoyed last fall, the wetland meadow seed that was planted in September and October germinated and established remarkably well.  There will certainly be more work to do, but these areas will be much more attractive in 2016.  While the area will require more attention over the coming years, the project to date is on schedule and well under the original anticipated budget.

The Fairway Renovation and Water Diversion Project approved by the membership in 2012 has resumed, and the permit applications are being finalized.  The goal is to have all applications submitted and approved by the end of 2016.  This will allow the club to move forward once the finance committee and Board of Governors determine the club is a position to initiate construction.

There have been a number of changes that have been going on behind the scenes as well, and we are very optimistic looking ahead to the coming golf season.  We hope you all wintered well and were able sneak in a few rounds of golf, and look forward to seeing you all on the golf course this spring.

Spring update

The calendar says that we are in the middle of spring, but looking out the window it feels more like it's just beginning.  We have been working hard to complete our renovation projects while getting the course open and ready for the golf season.
The greens aeration at the beginning of April has worked out beautifully, although the cool weather has delayed the recovery process a bit more than I had anticipated.  The rain today should put the finishing touches on the recovery, and the playing surfaces should be firm and smooth throughout the remainder of the season.  We will address the tees and fairways in the coming weeks as the weather and work schedule allow, but it will have minimal impact on the accessibility and playability of the golf course.
We now have two major projects complete, and hope to finish the third in the next couple of weeks.  The new mats at the driving range have been installed and have received rave reviews.  The fairway bunkers on the 1st hole have been renovated the sod has been installed.  They should be open for play by the middle of May.
The last major project is the re-grassing of the rough along the left side of the 1st hole.  This project is taking the longest due to irrigation repairs and upgrades which can only be completed at low tide.  These should be completed by the end of the week, allowing us to focus on improving the soil and installing the sod.  We have repaired, upgraded and expanded the irrigation over the last few weeks to improve the health of the turf after the renovation project is complete.
The phragmites are starting to recover from the winter mowing, and we will do our best to keep them under control.  There are a few people that do not like the changes, but as the native vegetation returns to the wetlands I am confident that the majority of the golfers will grow to like the new look.  The only place that there is a general dislike of the removal is along the 2nd hole.  We will be extending the wooden fence at the tee and will allow a 10'-15' buffer to grow back to block the view of the road. 
Soon warmer weather will be upon us and the grass will be growing vigorously.  We look forward to putting the projects to rest and enjoying the warm sun and sea breezes that make Pine Orchard the place to be in the Summer.

Expanding Drainage in 3rd Fairway

We have expanded and upgraded the drainage at the end of the 3rd fairway.  After heavy rains inundated this area in late June we discovered that there were a number of existing drains that had failed or were ineffective.  The saturated turf conditions heading into the extreme heat of July proved too much for some of the turf to withstand, and we suffered turf loss in some depressions and areas with little or no surface drainage. 

Clogged drain pipe discovered earlier this summer

We identified the most susceptible areas as well as the source of water that led to these problems.  After exploring the existing drainage and determining where we could restore or expand the system, we devised a solution that would collect water before it gets to the fairway to minimize ponding on the surface.  We installed new drains at the bottom of the 3rd approach, replaced the pipe that collects water flowing under the road, and added a surface collector where we tied into the existing drains.  We also added surface collectors and trench drains to intercept the water shedding off Blackstone road.  This will reduce the amount of water that reaches the left side of the fairway, which tends to see the heaviest amount of play. 
We will continue to monitor the situation and determine if we need to expand or revive other drains in this area, and will continue to aerify and topdress the turf to improve the playing surface, even during periods of wet weather.

Sod coming this week

We have started repairing damage on the 1st, 9th, and 18th holes. Last week we stripped the turf from the areas that were damaged last fall or did not completely heal from the previous spring. We have already replaced the fairway turf and corrected some surface drainage. We will be working on the rough areas early this week in between rain storms.
We have been closely monitoring the progress of the greens as they continue to heal from aeration. The below average temperatures have delayed the process, and I have been reluctant to try to push the issue with excess fertilizer. When soil temperatures are low, nutrients remain in the soil until the plants are ready to use them. Adding more will add to the reserve in the soil which can lead to excessive growth and slower greens later in the spring. I have scheduled two sprays this week which will help, especially if we get the rain that is forecast for the middle of the week.
We have been gradually lowering our height of cut over the last couple of weeks. A lot of the sand that we applied last fall was pulled to the surface during the aeration, and dulls the mowers each time we mow. We have been gradually lowering the height of cut to avoid the sand and are on schedule to be at or slightly above our normal mowing height by the Opening Day Golf Breakfast. I will keep you posted on any developments over the course of the week.

New tee complete

We installed the sod on the new forward tee on #13 today. I am rather pleased with many of the features, and I learned a lot from this project.
We still have work to do to finish repairing the work area surrounding the tee, including grinding the tree stump, and aerifying/seeding the rough in the surrounding area. Most of this work will be completed next week and the area should be repaired in time for the grand opening.
This project has been in the works for a long time, and there was even a pile of material that was placed in the area a few years back, but the tee was never completed. Once the decision was made to finish the project, it was clear that we were going to do it right. We did not build a "Ladies Tee", we added a forward tee that will provide a challenging shot on a difficult par 3 for golfers of many skill levels. We extended the tee back to add flexibility and variety. We consulted with Tim Gerrish a few times to be sure that the size and alignment were correct for the length of the hole. The materials were selected after careful consideration and consultation with other clubs (the root zone mix is the same that was used to build the tees during the recent renovations at Mohegan Sun).
Many of the design features and materials will be evaluated and may be used for the future tee projects, including the 1st/18th fairway project.
It will take about five or six weeks for the turf to become established, depending on the weather and how much work it takes to prepare a proper playing surface. If everything goes well we could have the tee open as early as May Madness, but worst case scenario would bring us closer to Memorial Day.