tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83640602472108160192024-02-18T17:37:43.204-08:00Cinnabar Hills Golf ClubMaintenance DepartmentBrian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comBlogger259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-41296576416907145782020-02-07T11:17:00.001-08:002020-02-07T11:17:39.993-08:002 Canyon FW Drainage Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week the maintenance staff installed over 1,000 ft of drainage to the landing area of 2 canyon fairway. The main line trench was dug to 3 ft and water was springing up from below. I mention that because if we had only gone 1 ft like other installations I've seen and even performed, we wouldn't have gotten the results desired. This is just one of many projects that ownership has approved to enhance Cinnabar Hills in 2020 and beyond.</div>
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<br />Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-22329674255721973482020-01-30T05:41:00.000-08:002020-01-30T05:41:12.729-08:008" Main RepairTowards the end of the 2019 irrigation season we had noticed a leak forming in front of the ladies tee on 4 mountain in the location of the 8" transfer line. It was minor enough to let it be until the winter and we got it addressed this week. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over 6' deep</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The culprit</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc8yMnt3h5esLEXze6x3Avh9a8mBMt7N0fzLpX8161octt4Cd2RhyphenhyphenlS2Pe9AZKgaGpxnRzyw5uRE0mpMxX73wI85u_zgd-l3kYW1RGEPQqE7Q4B5QrBt71Mwk1tuO5U9QsUHZxlehbdY/s1600/IMG_2702.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMQS-aQ-XT00NhHXDZKCFFYUj43w2nCCcGzLExyCtYLRnsHbch1g1M9pOKXqBvFzG7RHsReiilZ5gwxeXWxAbT7WXpw_2U5oJ36jBcNirDNjI1FNymUKjiZZM2e_qhSllX3sxAW2Sl5w/s1600/IMG_2703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMQS-aQ-XT00NhHXDZKCFFYUj43w2nCCcGzLExyCtYLRnsHbch1g1M9pOKXqBvFzG7RHsReiilZ5gwxeXWxAbT7WXpw_2U5oJ36jBcNirDNjI1FNymUKjiZZM2e_qhSllX3sxAW2Sl5w/s320/IMG_2703.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Repaired</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFmBgsYDDGxhI9yXNGMtjiDK15cgN2k1_RSAnkDDttqYa9pTPJE8hS-gEI937jHT7r9FZHMkWIc1gKfUDnPgIlD6wAsbtKzV_M3UxnzcRzKHw8i3iEZpe8e0HTf7rLtIvhyphenhyphen69DaumH1c/s320/IMG_2704.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tulle on the right are evidence that the leak had<br />been happening for some time. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFmBgsYDDGxhI9yXNGMtjiDK15cgN2k1_RSAnkDDttqYa9pTPJE8hS-gEI937jHT7r9FZHMkWIc1gKfUDnPgIlD6wAsbtKzV_M3UxnzcRzKHw8i3iEZpe8e0HTf7rLtIvhyphenhyphen69DaumH1c/s1600/IMG_2704.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-44014196588304892752020-01-17T10:46:00.001-08:002020-01-17T10:46:54.171-08:00Snow Top Mountains in San JoseIt happens once or twice a year and it never stops being amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gOan8CX1RYbbJMmgkDVnySDAh9h17q6Mrqc19JVdANVlZFgYGfTJjw0zU5dgygWQydqMp1m4gf55U4i3iJa0e8-JdTPIH-iOAqHg5rnFd4NdRJkH8SKw6v89jRAp6TkFNHx8yUzv4WE/s1600/IMG_2675.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gOan8CX1RYbbJMmgkDVnySDAh9h17q6Mrqc19JVdANVlZFgYGfTJjw0zU5dgygWQydqMp1m4gf55U4i3iJa0e8-JdTPIH-iOAqHg5rnFd4NdRJkH8SKw6v89jRAp6TkFNHx8yUzv4WE/s400/IMG_2675.jpg" width="400" /></a>Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-27861612478062216542020-01-12T10:09:00.000-08:002020-01-12T10:09:59.588-08:00Weekend FunSometimes I have to go out and find inspiration to write about something and sometimes it just appears. That was the case this weekend when I went to the range tee and saw a 50ft geyser of water just in front of the tee. With the full moon, it looked like a light coming down from above. I quickly discovered that a 2" valve blew off the 6" mainline and was spewing about 500 gpm for who knows how long. We got the water shutoff Saturday and Odilio and myself got it repaired Sunday morning. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8IY08vKUM6bFgF15J7pA8i2IKIOAp7kP3Ft5hTWve5XcyruFMF0gJTedDyplMLHP9NH7AUoZGMxxqiRf4dKrulEwKs9ZVN8pCpD73_YBPmI9GDMwtsG633zqvt0jxKlCtkqtqwcL77A/s1600/IMG_2657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8IY08vKUM6bFgF15J7pA8i2IKIOAp7kP3Ft5hTWve5XcyruFMF0gJTedDyplMLHP9NH7AUoZGMxxqiRf4dKrulEwKs9ZVN8pCpD73_YBPmI9GDMwtsG633zqvt0jxKlCtkqtqwcL77A/s1600/IMG_2657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8IY08vKUM6bFgF15J7pA8i2IKIOAp7kP3Ft5hTWve5XcyruFMF0gJTedDyplMLHP9NH7AUoZGMxxqiRf4dKrulEwKs9ZVN8pCpD73_YBPmI9GDMwtsG633zqvt0jxKlCtkqtqwcL77A/s200/IMG_2657.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to use some bread to temporarily stop the drip of water so we could glue up.</td></tr>
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-71201744956529413052020-01-02T05:49:00.000-08:002020-01-02T05:49:07.904-08:002019 Water Usage<div style="text-align: justify;">
The 2019 numbers are in and I'm proud to announce that Cinnabar Hills has saved 25.6% of our 2013 water usage. You can certainly say that we had more rain than usual and the 2 inches we received in May contributed to a large part of the savings. I'd come back at you and say that our evapotranspiration (ET) rate from June through September was the highest recorded in the last 7 years. Prior to 2019, the average ET was 27.6" and in 2019 the ET was 31.03! I heard many comments about it being a more gentle year, but the numbers don't lie and if I were tracking my stress levels, you'd have seen the trend there as well. </div>
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Cinnabar Hills is committed to the voluntary 20% that Valley Water is urging all of the county to strive for. If you'd like some tips on saving water in your home lawn, visit the link below. I receive no royalties; I swear.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ZnW-szr1A">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-ZnW-szr1A</a></div>
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-44590338251824530572019-08-07T05:40:00.001-07:002019-08-07T05:40:27.270-07:00Leaving Your MarkI've been wanting to share this topic for many years, but aeration week always gets crazy and I forget to take the picture. I finally got the picture and you can see that a ball mark has more impact than just the mark itself. This particular mark measured 4 inches in diameter! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8r_yjc5PVk3mNDOU62LxCRWwsZskrNpU3hCJkgHsuZ-qw7RLbgBuyJrRujxt5rZym_5RgUoDHMnUreZHetu6m0UwufgLOwuswP75iFatHaPuS-kuAQEn6KHMcbLzHfLXFiv4G2g5CyA8/s1600/IMG_2220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8r_yjc5PVk3mNDOU62LxCRWwsZskrNpU3hCJkgHsuZ-qw7RLbgBuyJrRujxt5rZym_5RgUoDHMnUreZHetu6m0UwufgLOwuswP75iFatHaPuS-kuAQEn6KHMcbLzHfLXFiv4G2g5CyA8/s320/IMG_2220.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-16931164406275193462019-07-18T08:30:00.000-07:002019-07-18T08:30:07.053-07:00Aeration Dry RunWe've completed our aeration on the practice greens and we've got this falls major renovation work dialed in. Because I rarely do the same renovation year to year, we have to tweak our settings accordingly. Why do I change the practices year to year? Our needs are always changing and maybe there is somebody doing something better that I feel would work well here. <br />
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This year I used a new tool in the box to select the depth of aeration and that is a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f5a7jZHUesdL3QdxK3ZfVZyHUk4p39Pn/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">SPA report</a>. SPA stands for Soil Profile Assessment. It evaluates the soil in 1" layers looking at both physical and chemical properties. Most of our organic matter lies in the top 2" and that's how deep we'll remove a core. Why waste the kiln dried sand aerating any deeper? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bsMxuJrSQA6wLScvNomKOvooV9_STHlfsqK8aDPCxe8lVoPH-9DcWd52jlkOqzVrTAJxCIdmQidHvadLix1RuhEOBZljDQYEyBBGMeIUq35iIUqFQizLjRansTTM6KXPAKwc_HmbpZw/s1600/IMG_2196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bsMxuJrSQA6wLScvNomKOvooV9_STHlfsqK8aDPCxe8lVoPH-9DcWd52jlkOqzVrTAJxCIdmQidHvadLix1RuhEOBZljDQYEyBBGMeIUq35iIUqFQizLjRansTTM6KXPAKwc_HmbpZw/s320/IMG_2196.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZjssIz9EUbGlci6XvQuV-nvWIvgquGydICylsfTiqZNLE5R2JyxGT3fCG2YXK9GF4JWavB8ikjkvkDg67GK1IeeNvmN-oH3pQ8apdYjMChfNNiA7epz9qTeFZopFFvNqLSsNxFd4TD4/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZjssIz9EUbGlci6XvQuV-nvWIvgquGydICylsfTiqZNLE5R2JyxGT3fCG2YXK9GF4JWavB8ikjkvkDg67GK1IeeNvmN-oH3pQ8apdYjMChfNNiA7epz9qTeFZopFFvNqLSsNxFd4TD4/s320/IMG_2197.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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After we core aerate to a depth of two inches, we fertilize with calcium and organic fertilizer and then we apply sand to fill the holes. We deep tine to a depth of 6" after that. Those holes don't get filled with sand because we don't need them filled with sand. It does however provide a channel for roots and water to go. Once that is all done, we drag the green and call it good. <br />
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Golfers will be impacted beginning July 30th. Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-89080762278486695002019-07-01T06:52:00.001-07:002019-07-01T06:52:37.415-07:00Barn Owl ReleaseThese owls never get old. Thanks to Lee Pauser and Valerie Baldwin.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM69xI5oVGk&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM69xI5oVGk&feature=youtu.be</a></span><br />
<br />Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-51692797335967442612019-01-11T11:51:00.000-08:002019-01-11T11:51:03.560-08:00Rain is Rain, Right?<br />
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Yes and no. They're are many different types of rain events that lead to different playing conditions on the course. </div>
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<a href="https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/wp-content/uploads/RainingCatsandDogs_e-300x3001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for raining cats and dogs" border="0" src="https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/wp-content/uploads/RainingCatsandDogs_e-300x3001.jpg" /></a>If I had my choice, I'd take an all day soaker like we had this past Sunday. Over the course of the day we received 2.25" and if it hadn't rained Wednesday, golfers would have been off the path. With that amount of rain, the soil profile fills to a point of saturation and eventually flushes out the soil profile. It's similar in affect to the way we irrigate the greens. <br />
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Then we have Wednesday's rain which was light in amount and intensity. It's crudely referred to as a pisser. We received just .30", but we were arguably more wet from that storm than the storm on Sunday with 2.25". What happens here is that the upper 2-3" absorbs this and holds on to it creating a wet surface. <br />
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Then there's the gully washer which is described as a short heavy rain. This rain comes in so fast that it flows off the surface to the drains. Not good when the soils are needing water, but conducive to better playing conditions faster. <br />
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No matter what type, you're not allowed to complain about it in California! <br />
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-208025550951741492018-11-30T12:55:00.000-08:002018-11-30T12:55:16.711-08:00200+The number of days it's been since you've seen a blog post from Cinnabar Hills or the number of days since it has rained? I wouldn't blame you if you answered with the blog post, but it is the later; rain! Over the last week we've seen our first drops of rain since April 17th. Things have greened up in a short matter of time and all in the California turf business can breathe a big sigh or relief. Let me enjoy the rain for at least another week until you ask me "how soon can we get off the path". Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-82644726791494375702018-07-16T07:05:00.001-07:002018-07-16T07:05:09.876-07:00Working the New Guy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfurCJyfBvOZum_3h5sI-rHXPM1bveTU1e1MRf4ghsIvLzWtgcznYBEJnDtnhnVhPpG0HfG4N4YQn5vie8-j3Bnat7OZ0IHbxbsy8hJDdu4RxsQt6EdtNnoNrzst76N9A2yqPKy73Sb-w/s1600/GMTC46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfurCJyfBvOZum_3h5sI-rHXPM1bveTU1e1MRf4ghsIvLzWtgcznYBEJnDtnhnVhPpG0HfG4N4YQn5vie8-j3Bnat7OZ0IHbxbsy8hJDdu4RxsQt6EdtNnoNrzst76N9A2yqPKy73Sb-w/s320/GMTC46.JPG" width="320" /></a>Last week we received delivery of our new Groundsman TMC48 sod cutter. It replaces a 20 year old ryan sod cutter that was on its last legs. What we like so far, and the main reason we purchased it, is that it doesn't shake the operator uncomfortably like other models do. We are removing 9,000 sq ft of sod this week for initiation.Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-11929322439802322262018-07-10T06:22:00.000-07:002018-07-10T06:22:39.186-07:00Thought I'd Seen it AllI received a call on the course earlier this year from our birder Lee Pauser and he says to me, "Do you want to see something you've never seen before?". I set myself up to be disappointed on my ride to meet him, but I've go to say; I've never seen that before. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbvbMWw2x7-mXyC2iWPSCy8iloWPjV6-sY6Wecqqjbw1lmB3VT4ZHZwkdjPc-Hdq_9zwnieWOU6nyX65IeSwhsHMcWO2iTA82bU36DKcy7cyvPLC1r4DmFtDDK-pOGKh-LIqtnhfIDVk/s1600/2018+CHB3+0528+Bobcat+on+box+%25283a%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbvbMWw2x7-mXyC2iWPSCy8iloWPjV6-sY6Wecqqjbw1lmB3VT4ZHZwkdjPc-Hdq_9zwnieWOU6nyX65IeSwhsHMcWO2iTA82bU36DKcy7cyvPLC1r4DmFtDDK-pOGKh-LIqtnhfIDVk/s320/2018+CHB3+0528+Bobcat+on+box+%25283a%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bobcat on top of nesting owl box</td></tr>
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-76550861746712744132018-06-15T12:06:00.002-07:002018-06-15T12:06:13.436-07:00Babies Are Out<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkjxfzjXevkCipz_M_Se-j8mO0fqGeS_hWaJRg179B7lZ6of_gdnT1s4CsZQpxdWuNtO-51OCd_1Kht81fLjxYC46Oon91koSb50oPdytwVrvSRlQzV55fpX5Dr12YdI2fnJzRjbxL0I/s1600/IMG_1309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkjxfzjXevkCipz_M_Se-j8mO0fqGeS_hWaJRg179B7lZ6of_gdnT1s4CsZQpxdWuNtO-51OCd_1Kht81fLjxYC46Oon91koSb50oPdytwVrvSRlQzV55fpX5Dr12YdI2fnJzRjbxL0I/s200/IMG_1309.JPG" width="150" /></a>This year I'm noticing more than most years that there are a lot of new babies on the course. Over the past week I've witnessed baby deer, baby duck, baby turkey and baby quail. We've also got some owlets in the boxes too. I've only been lucky enough to get a picture of the baby duck. If you've never seen a baby quail, they're pretty darn cute. Too fast for my reflexes though. Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-55302053369548153562018-01-19T05:03:00.000-08:002018-01-19T05:03:45.498-08:00Approach Topdressing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can play 6 lake right and watch it<br />
kick left to a front middle pin</td></tr>
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This year we are beginning a new practice for Cinnabar of topdressing approaches in order to make them firmer and faster. While many golfers fly their shots in like lawn darts, the course was designed in a way to play with some creativity. 2 canyon is a great example of a hole that you can play short and right with a front pin and watch the ball kick left putting yourself close to the hole. You'll notice that we aren't doing every approach and that is because not all approaches were designed to be ran in. Take 4 mountain for example; it's an elevated green that is designed to be flown in. While we'd like that approach to be firm so when you miss short the ball goes back down to the fairway... Stirke that.<br />
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This is a practice that won't have noticeable results for some time as we need to build up a large quantity of sand, but it will appreciated once it is achieved. Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-37974504995496572312018-01-03T12:52:00.001-08:002018-01-03T12:52:14.794-08:00Built Ford Tough<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aHHDxgi82u0VEGB3o3pN2HM9VRMaGAaSgq2lXza4eeKhLiVNmNCUN5rz49Qmycm-6juEDvL9Dc-pOYlcZEHe0Y-FbFWKtUC-dEqezQaIbTQg1qfufVaFoQdM_ZE3_3NX6RMGfr1a_zQ/s1600/IMG_1147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_aHHDxgi82u0VEGB3o3pN2HM9VRMaGAaSgq2lXza4eeKhLiVNmNCUN5rz49Qmycm-6juEDvL9Dc-pOYlcZEHe0Y-FbFWKtUC-dEqezQaIbTQg1qfufVaFoQdM_ZE3_3NX6RMGfr1a_zQ/s200/IMG_1147.JPG" width="150" /></a>In 1999, Cinnabar bought a brand new Ford Ranger for the superintendent to use. We had talked about replacing it the last couple of years, but the truck seemed to be bullet proof. Last year we put a new transmission in it, but it still felt like it had more to give. Last month it turned over 250,000 miles and began to show it's age until it couldn't give anymore yesterday. 251,236 miles. I really enjoyed this truck and I have a lot of memories with it I thought I'd share.</div>
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- Driving my daughter home from daycare singing wheels on the bus and having many one sided conversations.</div>
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- I rear ended a woman who suddenly stopped for turkeys crossing the road. There were no injuries (human or turkey), but when she told me she was friends with an owner I just about lost my lunch. </div>
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- Sleeping in it overnight numerous times on the evenings when I deep tine aerated the greens.</div>
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- Another overnight at the golf course when I had to run the water treatment manually. I had to wake up every 30 minutes.</div>
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- Taking our son Benjamin out early evenings to set raccoon traps. He always wanted to see the pictures the next day.</div>
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- Getting stuck on the side of the cart path at midnight when I went to check on a pump station that I thought was going to flood. It was dry as a bone.</div>
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- The day I (maybe Cinnabar) spent $500 to get it thoroughly cleaned after I quit smoking. Money well spent.</div>
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- Either the year 2007 or 2008 where it seemed like I locked my key in the car once a month. </div>
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- Driving the kids around the block in back of the bed. </div>
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- Driving other superintendents around and having great conversations.</div>
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- Having not washed it with a hose from 2013-2016 due to the drought. I'd occasionally drive through the sprinklers or let the rain wash it. </div>
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- Still trying to explain to my kids what a cassette tape deck is and the difficulty of trying to buy children's music on cassette. </div>
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I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to use a company vehicle and it was a great one. I know it's just a truck, but I'll look back on it fondly. </div>
Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-81256835742920604692017-12-06T05:41:00.000-08:002017-12-06T05:41:48.998-08:00My Newest Tool<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuWV8v0QEl3RRKhEnIQ8A9H-GxRtB5yeEFtL0NuKojT7Z4L3mifCmxHVWIcs3SLPWvrhS0acjeOlzWEOHg3a70K0ARrM7fRD4qa07JsJ7EBLsG6gycab3cvkwG0de0lYMvZb5Ii8zyx4/s1600/golf+clubs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuWV8v0QEl3RRKhEnIQ8A9H-GxRtB5yeEFtL0NuKojT7Z4L3mifCmxHVWIcs3SLPWvrhS0acjeOlzWEOHg3a70K0ARrM7fRD4qa07JsJ7EBLsG6gycab3cvkwG0de0lYMvZb5Ii8zyx4/s200/golf+clubs.JPG" width="150" /></a>Over the last 5 years, I can count how many times I've golfed on one hand. In an effort to see the course through different eyes, I'm giving it a go again. I'll have played three times in the last month and I'm already taking note of things I'd like to see better. The way my game is going right now, I see the most improvement being made to the rough!Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-41895486126093731052017-11-03T12:46:00.000-07:002017-11-03T12:46:16.667-07:00Graden Verticutter DemoThis past week we ran a demonstration of the Graden verticutter on the bar putting green. Where a traditional verticutter tickles the interface between soil and plant tissue, the Graden blows through that interface to a depth of up to 1 inch. In theory it does everything I want it to. We have a mild build up of thatch in the top 1" which gets removed and then sand is backfilled into the groove that was made from thatch removal and dilutes the existing thatch layer. <br />
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It did what it's advertised to do for sure. We removed a little over a yard of material at a 1/2" depth and put in a little more than a yard of topdressing sand. The real test is in how it heels and what the players think of it. It is a lot of work having never done it before, but if it yields the results that I hope it does than it would be worth the effort. <br />
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-75941939825646238842017-09-14T08:02:00.001-07:002017-09-14T08:02:28.694-07:00Bentgrass Removal Trial<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week we sprayed out some of the bentgrass that is in the fairways of Lake 5, Mountain 4, 5, 8 and Canyon 2 approach. We are trying two different rates and two different products. In the meantime, the bentgrass will have a bleached appearance. After the second application on the 20th we will verticut multiple times, shave the areas down with a low height of cut mower, seed and topdress. I hope to have the process dialed in for 2018 and we can remove the bentgrass that has contaminated the fairways on a much larger scale. </div>
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Why would I want to remove the bentgrass? Bentgrass thatch accumulation is very fast and that thatch holds onto water like a sponge. For the player, this leads to a plugged ball. For the maintenance department, we can't get water past the top inch and some products we apply need to get into the soil to work.<br />
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Roundup on the left with the crabgrass still green on the right.</div>
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-38270376901261416432017-08-25T07:49:00.000-07:002017-08-25T07:49:15.595-07:00Plant Tissue TestingFor numerous years I've collected soil samples twice per year to get a snapshot of what's happening in the soil and plan for future soil building fertilizer applications. I'm a firm believer in feeding the soil to feed the plant. While I have noticed the benefits to this approach, I've never actually looked at what's happening in the plant. This year with Fred Astrom and Brookside Laboratories, we did just that and began plant tissue testing monthly since March. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg974bnctLCB2dhpjuZsFJIg1I-yCu1zRNO804UR9ebelSv-MbX9M_si3PbsoXYx9B8nccYq5enjPG-1Xx71O8R_37s78kFRQzQebZrBF5VorViPeviXtG58wUKGIIgSUifTc8XS24Y88o/s1600/IMG_0939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg974bnctLCB2dhpjuZsFJIg1I-yCu1zRNO804UR9ebelSv-MbX9M_si3PbsoXYx9B8nccYq5enjPG-1Xx71O8R_37s78kFRQzQebZrBF5VorViPeviXtG58wUKGIIgSUifTc8XS24Y88o/s320/IMG_0939.JPG" width="320" /></a>We selected three greens to collect grass from every month. After collecting the grass clippings, each sample was washed and then strained. The samples were allowed to dry overnight on the window sill and then wrapped in foil ready for shipment. In addition to collecting tissue, I also collected soil samples from the three greens to look at plant and soil relationships. <br />
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At this point the data isn't telling us anything we didn't know with regards to soil and tissue relationships. I have been able to see the effect of products I've used and how well they work in our situation. I also learned that a little bit of boron goes a long way. At the end of the season Fred and I will summarize the findings and see what we learned from this trial. <br />
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-5367369201500098642017-08-15T06:08:00.001-07:002017-08-15T06:08:46.824-07:002017 Core Aeration<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our fall core aeration has come and gone in the blink of an eye. I've talked in the past of continually changing our strategies based on what the greens tell or show us and this year is no different. The hole pattern is the same as years past: a core that is 0.4" diameter on 1.5" x 1.25" spacing. We also use the deep tine aerator that goes 8" deep after the sand was applied like years past.</div>
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What was different this year is that we have abandoned using the blower to fill the holes with sand. While blowing the sand into the holes provides a cleaner playing surface, we lose the opportunity to further dilute the thatch layer by leaving more sand on top. Instead of the blower we use a metal mat and a mechanical brush to work the sand into the holes. It does beat the greens up more than the blower, but the extra sand on the surface makes it worthwhile. </div>
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Dragging the sand in allowed me to change our fertilizer strategy as well. Instead of applying the follow up organic fertilizer after the aeration holes had been filled, we applied while the holes were open allowing the fertilizer to get dragged into the soil. I also used a new fertilizer that smells much better than the normal chicken manure that we typically use. The fertilizer is blended locally and is called ProBiotic 1G which is designed with the soil food web theory in mind. </div>
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Soil_food_webUSDA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Soil_food_webUSDA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's got one of the oddest list of products in it that I've ever used, but it works after 3 years of testing on the practice green. It is composed of raisin stems, urea, alfalfa meal, soybean meal, rice bran, potassium sulfate, kelp meal, ferrous sulfate, lignosulfonate, humic acid, and a wetting agent. It's got a nice sweet smell that you know will get the soil biology going. </div>
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The holes are now filled in and we will work on getting their speed back over the next month. In the meantime enjoy less break in the greens and a low total putt round. Who knows, you may lower your course best or even break par!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa6WkbeytMNQX24QKci36CPXM6B1wO_Rq7rvtmQPJj-0tahyphenhyphenr9RIKIghLkmsfpOCchkPRouM8dwQ-OLwQdgMFuQ0UiXJIBg4xh4vahne77SdqxxdZyzkZmcUf59RVWQywQaL0H6cJG0M/s1600/IMG_0901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa6WkbeytMNQX24QKci36CPXM6B1wO_Rq7rvtmQPJj-0tahyphenhyphenr9RIKIghLkmsfpOCchkPRouM8dwQ-OLwQdgMFuQ0UiXJIBg4xh4vahne77SdqxxdZyzkZmcUf59RVWQywQaL0H6cJG0M/s200/IMG_0901.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiIOGJmef2w_barWVqWMqnApMiMA7vOwRKINh9iYOxWGl-Vxq9JKO1kc6Z_bm389gQtkLtPRRHv2kGu9VIpuhTDm5b1kbC1liv_xRg7CCAzcHmF8QiTjiPIeMMGCQnlhanBGpfuCW6bk/s1600/IMG_0902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiIOGJmef2w_barWVqWMqnApMiMA7vOwRKINh9iYOxWGl-Vxq9JKO1kc6Z_bm389gQtkLtPRRHv2kGu9VIpuhTDm5b1kbC1liv_xRg7CCAzcHmF8QiTjiPIeMMGCQnlhanBGpfuCW6bk/s200/IMG_0902.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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The pictures above are just 7 days after aerating. </div>
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-33552904394755363432017-06-16T14:00:00.001-07:002017-06-16T14:00:26.106-07:00Don't Be Fooled by the Green<div style="text-align: justify;">
I can't tell you how many times I've heard a caddy or golf shop person say that Northern California golf course greens break towards the ocean. That's a good way to lose your money if you choose to believe that non-sense. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51NXyW3JH-O9ds_OduFE88vx3Qs36b0gig5SycQcawvcqwNF8JTRF3_Q3eJIIsQc2kpX-rNo24sfrOJ_t2btx_IXVT4oeydgIN1GD57rUmFIjILZNx_M5kxuTx-3HIS5OyQWC3xaE9aA/s1600/1+canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51NXyW3JH-O9ds_OduFE88vx3Qs36b0gig5SycQcawvcqwNF8JTRF3_Q3eJIIsQc2kpX-rNo24sfrOJ_t2btx_IXVT4oeydgIN1GD57rUmFIjILZNx_M5kxuTx-3HIS5OyQWC3xaE9aA/s200/1+canyon.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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It's also non-sense to think that despite Cinnabar being more green than last year, we are wasting water. We are actually using less water year to date since 2010. I grant you that we had rain this year, but that stopped in April. So let's look at May. The evapotranspiration rate (loss of water from soil and through plant transpiration) for May 2017 was equal to 2013 and higher than last year by more than a 1/2" and yet we saved 4.6 acre ft more than 2016. Looking at June 2017 to date, we are trending towards a 29% savings compared to 2013 which is equal to 2016 and weather has been nearly identical.</div>
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I know the Governor has said that the drought is over, but we still live in a desert. The investments we've made and things we've learned are now just a way of life which doesn't equate to a lesser product. </div>
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It should be noted that this has been written on the verge of a 6 day heat wave. I have no concerns about water usage during this time as it won't change our practices much. My only concerns are that the pipes remain charged and there isn't a blackout. </div>
Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-45358812385032348652017-05-31T06:35:00.000-07:002017-05-31T06:35:36.391-07:00Family Tees<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you've been out playing at Cinnabar over the last week you'll have noticed that we have some new orange and green stakes placed in the fairways. These stakes indicate our new family teeing area. The family tees play to yardages ranging from 1,578 to 1,960 yards per nine. What's interesting about these new stakes from the maintenance side of things is that they can mowed or driven over and then they spring back. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRv6DezAUNSgp6xRvC9F9u9QlX1mwCHwZ83-ALe3gGRQ0H2UVAjokRjFBNCuqyTMKfG9VNKiF0Yhbr54srWRJLKeqIpAG82xiXv8pfKLdIQL1RtoGWBUYekYQgAbIHVlodcdV1fCAQ4o/s1600/IMG_0768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRv6DezAUNSgp6xRvC9F9u9QlX1mwCHwZ83-ALe3gGRQ0H2UVAjokRjFBNCuqyTMKfG9VNKiF0Yhbr54srWRJLKeqIpAG82xiXv8pfKLdIQL1RtoGWBUYekYQgAbIHVlodcdV1fCAQ4o/s200/IMG_0768.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6YtpJwF7d3OD-7uTz7Oc0BSjjkOBoCISV-qIXAsd8Mo4nZXKwi7ENwSGxsTDSx2oekyiyUH-gxEqKarMHnXRoCIgAQJHjZwqdV0kpjH6F4dVsVctSheRrnJuiL3usnhDX1cvveKr0NY/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6YtpJwF7d3OD-7uTz7Oc0BSjjkOBoCISV-qIXAsd8Mo4nZXKwi7ENwSGxsTDSx2oekyiyUH-gxEqKarMHnXRoCIgAQJHjZwqdV0kpjH6F4dVsVctSheRrnJuiL3usnhDX1cvveKr0NY/s200/IMG_0769.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYdk89YGq-SFAoFoQsMVY4UIzoz2Ts2jJLQYTlX37vMyRExsElfWM5sod55FnKsnB-1HoTDgpmeAt7U5tbQM-WLvlnHNZ_RnI1wgJTLntjVOdmLJuPaYc2_JLos3UNtrAhMXVgQ8AAz0/s1600/family+scorecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYdk89YGq-SFAoFoQsMVY4UIzoz2Ts2jJLQYTlX37vMyRExsElfWM5sod55FnKsnB-1HoTDgpmeAt7U5tbQM-WLvlnHNZ_RnI1wgJTLntjVOdmLJuPaYc2_JLos3UNtrAhMXVgQ8AAz0/s200/family+scorecard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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To kick off the program, we have two family golf night events. The first being on June 20th and the second on July 18th with both events beginning at 4pm. More details can be found <a href="http://www.cinnabarhills.com/page.php?page_id=6750&name=Family_Golf_Nights" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-75839105386403396232017-05-01T08:51:00.000-07:002017-05-01T08:51:33.050-07:00Restless Natives<div style="text-align: justify;">
With our first good winter in the last 4 years, the native areas are growing like gangbusters. When the natives get out of control, it has a big impact on how quickly the game is played. For that reason, and a few others, we are slowly making our way through the course and chopping the native areas down. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVfU8ClRDQ-KfsJfhgcFrO9-YacfePq8MiRG9I4vfMYqU5KCRa9zL6RXPcV8Co0tyZSg_Gi2xAXfrjPNd0z7TvopsRz3RXwMfW5iwcWn2YxVHpTtcRRaIedKPFMQfWEKAX7WGX2Wacec/s1600/IMG_0749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVfU8ClRDQ-KfsJfhgcFrO9-YacfePq8MiRG9I4vfMYqU5KCRa9zL6RXPcV8Co0tyZSg_Gi2xAXfrjPNd0z7TvopsRz3RXwMfW5iwcWn2YxVHpTtcRRaIedKPFMQfWEKAX7WGX2Wacec/s200/IMG_0749.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What was once a safe haven for rodents<br />is now open season for the raptors.</td></tr>
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Another reason we cut them down is for weed control. The idea behind that is that you give the grasses the competitive advantage and choke out the weeds. This doesn't happen overnight, but there are areas that have less weeds which have been chopped down annually. This year is an anomaly as there are more thistle than I have ever seen before. </div>
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Lastly, we chop them down for rodent control. Does that one catch you by surprise? Take a look at our worst rodent infested roughs on the course. 4/5 Mountain, 7 Mountain, 7 Canyon ( I know there are more). All blanketed by heavy grass and weed growth. The reason rodents do so well is because they take cover from raptors in the taller grass and weeds. Can it still be called natural selection if we are giving the raptors an edge?</div>
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Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-60263939013106717012017-03-23T10:51:00.002-07:002017-03-23T10:51:18.297-07:002017 Greens Coring <div class="MsoNormal">
Below is a picture I’ve used in a previous post showing the
top 3” of the greens soil profile on the left and 3-6” on the right. The picture on the right is the original sand
profile and the picture on the left is the same sand, but with twenty years of
organic accumulation. Results from a
physical soil analysis that we do annually indicate that water infiltrates
through the profile on the right over 36” per hour. The results for the sample on the left is less than 6”
per hour. A very dramatic difference and
the major reason why we core and topdress the greens. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQeEXIEqjL-Ep-sljiHoV4jE0UMJlhywD6UKDnErTYdOobts2gDkYiY7y94kP9V-QQO9MoRlO8tP67E6Z6gmeq4ea8otUQ2RW962f_TPZfFFa0DNxsRevJRUiWNMeJpnPLz1wEnSPwm0/s1600/profile+1-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQeEXIEqjL-Ep-sljiHoV4jE0UMJlhywD6UKDnErTYdOobts2gDkYiY7y94kP9V-QQO9MoRlO8tP67E6Z6gmeq4ea8otUQ2RW962f_TPZfFFa0DNxsRevJRUiWNMeJpnPLz1wEnSPwm0/s1600/profile+1-3.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGkKn26KCtM0aKnp1jF89tZkTj64iqCqmi1rENNbfKCyUCJ1kFvK1D2teBjjIJTbZsDXGqVpfQgOjtvxsJf5QmvO7jP_QeZ9Attroh-sXzTLq1K7iDl2WbE0Y00RP7eZxFI5E5ha9eak/s1600/profile+4-6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGkKn26KCtM0aKnp1jF89tZkTj64iqCqmi1rENNbfKCyUCJ1kFvK1D2teBjjIJTbZsDXGqVpfQgOjtvxsJf5QmvO7jP_QeZ9Attroh-sXzTLq1K7iDl2WbE0Y00RP7eZxFI5E5ha9eak/s1600/profile+4-6.png" /></a></div>
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So that’s what the lab says.
Here is a picture that may help you further understand why we core the
greens. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipp-MZgAQ75x3LiiI4FHfsuetO5FGLgzqC7L6hg16JTsTXVVSBHNUExYiXCqXTEXJeWy-kvERDVpM6l8dFXM1JyEZEEueJrQqOG6lopTUq8BkV92L0ReOkg8CWNANu6py6JbNK1LDlzQo/s1600/IMG_0646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipp-MZgAQ75x3LiiI4FHfsuetO5FGLgzqC7L6hg16JTsTXVVSBHNUExYiXCqXTEXJeWy-kvERDVpM6l8dFXM1JyEZEEueJrQqOG6lopTUq8BkV92L0ReOkg8CWNANu6py6JbNK1LDlzQo/s320/IMG_0646.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's two minutes of water and in case your wondering, that's not good. We will core the greens the week of the 27th using 3/8" tines. We are going smaller and tighter to aide recovery time. </div>
Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364060247210816019.post-78897857684258280932017-03-20T12:22:00.001-07:002017-03-20T12:22:39.506-07:00The Best Laid Plans<div style="text-align: justify;">
The title of this post is how I know the saying, but the line actually goes, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley" as Robert Burns wrote in 1785. In English that is interpreted as "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">The best laid schemes of mice and men </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Go often askew"</span><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">. </span></span></span>The story goes that Robert Burns destroyed a mouse nest while plowing the fields and was moved to pen the poem "Tae a Moose, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough" or "To a Mouse" in English. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYlJgyG-MXSWEF3cLBV1WY69XCgqoPyekxZhvY9SZmQjiTDjRjuKpUVOz3VJamrqQ1pBC2KI0Pu1dreUxGgDzVxF4nCMPumpsrw3MfICHsjdVlj2pMSGFs_hiV52r2yyBGCsqZFsWHNY/s1600/IMG_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYlJgyG-MXSWEF3cLBV1WY69XCgqoPyekxZhvY9SZmQjiTDjRjuKpUVOz3VJamrqQ1pBC2KI0Pu1dreUxGgDzVxF4nCMPumpsrw3MfICHsjdVlj2pMSGFs_hiV52r2yyBGCsqZFsWHNY/s320/IMG_0647.JPG" width="240" /></a>Either way, we had good intentions as we started the drain work on 7 mountain fairway, but it turned it out that it wouldn't be our day. Despite having dry weather for almost two weeks, the subsoil was too wet to trench the drain line as the trencher kept sliding down the hill. I decided to pull the plug until drier days, but that looks to be some time from now with rain in the forecast all next week. Looking into the bottom of the drain that we were able to accomplish, water is seeping in and doing exactly what we want it to do. We just need to do another 700 ft. </div>
Brian Boyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10659196775532778848noreply@blogger.com