First Topdressing of Greens This Year

The GCM staff completed the first topdressing of greens this year. Weekly topdressings provide a smooth and consistent playing surfaces. Topdressing fills in minor imperfections in the playing surface and helps manage organic matter accumulation within the soil profile.

We will be applying topdressing sand differently this year. Sand topdressing will be applied on a weekly basis using walk spreaders and dry bagged sand. Using the dry bagged sand will help incorporate the sand into the turfgrass canopy easier, resulting in less disruption to play.

The sand comes in 50 lb bags and is applied using walk spreaders. 

Dry bagged sand being applied to #1 green.

Final product after the topdressing has been applied and broomed in.

18 Bulkhead

The bulkhead around the back side of #18 green has shifted causing a partial collapse of the area surrounding the putting green. More information will be available once the proper engineers come out and inspect the damage to the area.

There is a temporary putting green in the approach. Please stay off the green until we are able to stabilize the bulkhead and the back side of the putting green.

 

Deterring Geese from Putting Greens

If you golf much at The Peninsula Club you know the geese have been damaging #4, 7, 9, 16 and 18. These greens are located directly next to the water making it very easy for geese to fly directly onto the greens or swim up to them. Furthermore, they are attracted to the bright painted putting greens in the middle of a dormant, brown golf course. Geese cause damage when they get on the green and begin looking for food in the soil. 

The GCM department is trying multiple avenues to deter geese from further damage. First, is tying string between red and yellow penalty stakes. This will make it more difficult for geese to swim up to the edge of the bank and walk up to the green. 

Secondly, we are using coyote decoys. During the middle of the day the decoys are set up around the greens. At the end of the day the decoys are set up on the greens for better protection. We currently have two of them and it is working very well. We have ordered three more so we have a decoy on all problem greens. 

Jesse Cigary setting up one of the decoys on #18 putting green.

"Palmer", one of our coyote decoys keeping guard over the 9th green. In the background there is string between all red stakes.

Employee Education

Golf course maintenance dedicated an afternoon to educating staff on the standard operating procedures for walk mowing and rolling of greens. The staff was educated on how the equipment works, how to use it and what goes into the processes of taking care of our greatest asset, the putting green. Having everyone on the same page is important to the success of our department. 

After a long education session everyone took part in a putting contest. Margarito won! 

The staff learning how to use a roller properly.

Jesse showing the men how a greens mower works.

Margarito learning how to use a roller.

Alberto lining up his putt on the 6th green.