Rain, Rain, Too Much Rain

When we get rain it is a blessing here at the golf course. When we get a lot of rain, sometimes the effects can be a hindrance. When we take a look at our creek you will see exactly what I am talking about. In the last few years we have experienced multiple short bursts of excessive rain. These storms can bring a relief for a droughty turf in the summer, but when it comes to a water feature like our creek, the effects can be overwhelmingly destructive. The large amounts of rain will cause the creek to flood significantly, and when this happens there is a high chance for erosion to occur on the creek banks. This is especially true near the waterfall features of the creek.

There is a large washout near the stepping stone bridge behind the blue tee on 18. As you will see from the videos, the flow of water has managed to find a weak spot behind the rocks and is now flowing into the bank, the water then finds its way back into the creek.

One of the projects we hope to complete this winter is to create a long wing wall that expands into the creek bank.  This wall will be made from poured concrete and will extend about 15 feet into the bank and placed at a 45 degree angle. This process will be tricky because when the waterfall was first designed it was placed on top of the city sewer. The stacked landscape rock was then placed through iron rods in the center to stabilize the waterfall rock. So with this in mind we will expand onto the existing foundation of the waterfall to create the necessary wing wall. Placing a wing wall at this length should help correct the flow of water and divert it back into the main stream where it belongs. We will then back fill the washed area with topsoil and bring it back to level.

More Bubbly

This past Friday Woody and his crew made an addition to the irrigation pond. Some people might recall a few years back when we encountered a problem with a smell coming from the pond. We decided to correct this issue by installing four airolaters which help with pulling the water from the bottom of the pond to the surface. This keeps a constant flow throughout the pond to keep everything healthy and to help keep the smell away. In continuation of the project we decided to incorporate four more airolaters and dispersed them evenly throughout the pond. In total we now have eight airolaters, and our pond should continue to be in good health, free of smell and looking good.

Lagoon Cleanup

The Blue Hills Maintenance Crew has begun work on the lagoon. This project has multiple steps that are required in order to get the majority of the debris out. The first step we took in order to start the process was to create a gravel path that would allow us to get to the center of the lagoon. We are now beginning to scoop out the debris and muck that has been collecting after heavy rainstorms. This is only a temporary solution because there are two constant flowing creeks that deposit directly into the lagoon. 

Below are pictures of the process so far.

No More Waterfall

It is time to dismantle the waterfall. This Tuesday we decided to turn off and remove the waterfall pump on hole number 5. The pump is turned on at the start of spring and runs all year until about this time. It's necessary to turn the pump off during the cold winter for the longevity of the pump.

Ewww that Smell!

Last year at Blue Hills CC we encountered an issue with a foul smell in #5 pond. Today when you tee off on #5 you will notice four stationary ducks, which are attached to our new Air-O-Lator System installed by our maintenance staff in the last few weeks. The purpose of this system is to help improve water movement by injecting air into the pond, designed to improve oxygen levels and destratification in the pond, and will improve water quality and clarity. The same process a system would do to keep ones fish tank clean. Installing this system should help reduce any foul smell that was encountered last year.

Clearing the Lagoon

One of the many projects we have been working on throughout the year is cleaning out the lagoon next to 18 champion tee. The lagoon is where the natural creeks flow to and collect. The excess water then overflows into our man-made water feature down stream. One of the issues with the natural flowing creek is the trash, garbage, and plant material that flows downstream after heavy rains. This pollution then collects in the lagoon and litters our creek banks. With the pollution also comes excess silt and soil, and eventually builds up and develops mounds in the middle of the water. Looking at the "before" pictures you will see these mounds being described. There also used to be cattails along a portion of the bank that we also removed for aesthetic purposes.

With these before and after pictures you will see the clear water of the lagoon as well as the removal of the cattails.

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.