Clear Shot from the Forward Tee

The creation of the forward tee on 17 has opened up new possibilities for golfers. What was once a dog leg right is now a more approachable straight/slight curve for our golfers. However, when creating the forward tee there were limited locations for placement. The decision for the tee's final position left a problematic left side for golfers off the tee box. A Pin Oak hugging the left side of the fairway just in front of the tee box made it hard for golfers to hit a drive off the tee without disruption from the tree. Hence, the tree removal that the Blue Hills maintenance staff finished just this past week.

Not only will the removal of the tree help golfers hit a cleaner shot off the tee, but will also help with the growth and development of the zoysia tee box. The large tree projected a lot of shade over the tee box which was restricting optimal growth potential.

Aerifying Fairways

Another practice that is important for turfgrass growth is aerification. Puncturing holes into the ground as you see in the picture helps with root zone growth, air exchange, thatch accumulation and compaction. The cores that are pulled are 2.5 inches deep with a 5/8 inch diameter. We then pulverize the cores and blow the remaining remnants into the rough. We began the start of this process early last week and finished aerifying the back nine. We will continue to aerify the front nine until we finish the process.

Snow on the Bermuda

Last year we began treating our rough with a non-selective herbicide to help eliminate the ever growing bermudagrass. The herbicide has a specific active ingredient Topramezone, that helps prevent the plant from producing chlorophyll. You will see the results in the pictures below. Since the plant cannot produce chlorophyll the plant leaves turn white. We are continuing this practice this year in hopes to completely eradicate the bermudagrass. We will finish this program with two more applications and seed the areas as needed. Thanks for your patience.

Verti-cutting Fairways

As some of you may have noticed, the back nine fairways have several slits cutting into the ground. This is the result of verti-cutting. By verti-cutting we are helping the soil surface maintain a suitable thatch level. Throughout the year thatch builds up just below the surface of the grass. This thatch layer restricts root growth and water penetration, both of which are valuable assets when it comes to healthy turf. By verti-cutting, we are simply slicing through the top layer and removing some of the thatch. Once the thatch is removed from the soil we remove the thatch debris. You can see all of the build up we removed displayed in the first picture of #14 Fairway.  This practice allows for easy water penetration into
the subsurface and allow the roots to grow advantageously,
just like nature intended.

Assistant Superintendent

Clifton Willis was recently promoted to Assistant Superintendent at Blue Hills Country Club. Clifton grew up just north of Kansas City in Liberty, Missouri and is soon to be a Turf Science graduate of Penn State University. He has a beautiful wife named Mo with his first child on the way. He has worked at multiple courses in Missouri and Arkansas including the host of the 2012 Southern Amateur, Chenal Country Club. He has been with Blue Hills for over two years and is excited to continue making Blue Hills stand out as one of the exceptional courses in the Kansas City area.

Solving a Wet Problem

               
              #6 Drainage

 The right side of #6 fairway, just Southeast of the alternate driving range tee, continued to be a wet area this Spring. By installing new drainage last Fall, we thought the problem was resolved. However, the clogged clay tile diverted the settling water away from our new drain line. This caused the water to settle, runoff, and sit stagnant. By utilizing our Mini Excavator, we were able to remove the clay tile, and install new tributaries to our previously installed main drain line. These new French drains have been installed with the Herringbone design, this will help optimize the draining of the area and maintain the area as a dry playing surface in the future.

Installing New Intake

Throughout the warm months, often times leaves and debris will collect over the intake in the creek on hole #13. Preventative measures were taken many years ago to make sure the intake would not clog from all the settling debris by installing a screen over the intake. The old screen over the intake was installed over 7 years ago, but due to rust, wear, and tear it was time to be replaced. Without a proper filter the intake would become clogged and prevent the creek from properly flowing. Our mechanic, Tom Claus, put some time under the welding helmet this Winter and custom fabricated a new screen. This new screen is durable, made out of 1/4" re-bar, and we anticipate it lasting a long time. This screen was not just built to last, it will also significantly reduce the times the intake gets clogged. The following picture shows the new and improved intake screen being installed.

Saving the Day

 Removal of Evergreens

Another day comes another project. Everyone loves the tee shot over the pond on hole number 5. Hitting the perfect shot and landing next to the pin couldn't feel any better. However, there are those days when you hit that tee shot and the ball strays to the left of the green and ends up in those stubborn evergreens.
So, we decided to go ahead with the removal of those stubborn evergreens and will be sodding that area instead.
Now, when you hit that semi perfect tee shot and it ends up to the left of the green, you will still have the ability to make that wonderful up and down to save par. 

Proper way to Repair Ball Marks

 This is a helpful video to learn the proper way to  repair ball marks on the green.

#10 Bunker Renovation       

The turf crew has been busy the past two weeks here at Blue Hills Country Club. We have officially  begun our bunker renovation project. The project is needed for three main reasons: faster maintenance recovery after heavy torrential rains, less to no contamination of silt, and a better quality sand to play from. Let’s also mention the overall look this new sand will present, the pearly white sand contrasted against the emerald fairways, roughs, and greens. 

      In the past, when a heavy torrential rain has occurred the turnaround time to repair the bunkers was excessive. The majority of the sand on the high bunker faces would wash down to the lower end of the bunker. The only solution is to hand shovel the displaced sand back to the top as uniformly as possible. With this new bunker lining system the chance of washout decreases dramatically. Instead of complete bunker face washout it’s estimated to be minimal or none at best.

      The worst rains would wash the bunker faces and expose the drainage system inside the bunker. This led to contamination of sand, pea gravel, and silt which led to the longest of bunker recoveries. The previous bunker subsurface included soil, the drainage system, pea gravel on top, and then bunker sand. This new system is layered differently. As shown in the top picture, once the old sand is removed, we add a liner cut and glued to each specific bunker. The drainage system is improved with a separate lining system as well as a mesh material covering the pipe itself. This will allow rain water to properly percolate through the new sand and flow away without interruption. Once the pieces are in place, the new sand is filled in giving us an improved bunker system with aesthetically pleasing qualities that we can all enjoy. These renovations are designed to not only help us with maintenance practices, we feel that it will ultimately help you become a better bunker player.

Reclaiming our Fairways

The BHCC crew has continued working on improving our turfs health by managing trees in the New Year. There were two problem areas on 18 that needed to be addressed. The first problem was a dead silver maple just North of the fairway bunker on the right side. The death of a large tree has a potential to decay near the base, allowing it to become unstable and unpredictable. The best course of action was to remove the tree and any potential danger it possessed. The next tree in question was located just West of the fairway bunker on the left side. This Oak tree posed two issues and it was determined that removal was the optimal solution. The first issue was the inherent mess that comes with Pin Oaks over hanging sand traps. The falling acorns make it impossible to maintain a playable hazard. The next issue is related to course layout. With the proximity to the fairway bunker and the fairway itself, the large oak made the left side of the approach shot a nightmare for golfers of all handicaps.

Winter Tree Work

The BHCC grounds crew has been keeping very busy during the winter months. Our goal has always been to provide our members with healthy turf and ultimately a well manicured playing surface. We were able to take significant strides this winter by improving the quality of both our Zoysia fairways and Fescue rough by spending time on our trees. Our first step was to remove dead limbs and thin out all of the trees on the front nine. This process took a couple of months, but it was well worth the agronomic benefits. By removing dead limbs, we are not only encouraging healthy new growth, we are also allowing more air flow and sunlight to penetrate to the turfgrass below. This will inevitably create a healthy turf stand, allowing it to become more dense and retain natural nutrients.The following pictures were taken before and after the process on hole #6.