Wind damage

The Santa Ana winds returned Wednesday with a vengeance. Winds were around 30 mph, with gusts into the mid 40's. We lost a big Eucalyptus on the right side of the third hole. We also lost two large Pines on number 7 and number 11, and a Tulip tree near the eighth tee. Unfortunately, not one of these specimens was on our tree removal list. As of today, we are still in recovery mode as the course is littered with limbs and debris.

Aerification

We started tee and approach aerification on Monday, completing through the eighth hole. The remainder of the front nine and all of the back nine should be wrapped up by this afternoon. Often despised, aerification is one of those processes that has definite long term benefits. Not only does it relieve compaction, it also reduces thatch and organic matter, while allowing for better water infiltration and percolation. We typically follow this process with a light seeding and a healthy dose of fertilizer to have them looking their best in no time.

New equipment

Yesterday our new equipment arrived. It was like Christmas in March! We received a new fairway unit, a rough unit, and a trim mower. We also purchased a new greens aerifier. While the mowers are vital for daily grooming of the golf course, the aerifier is essential for proper cultural practices. All of these pieces of equipment should provide us with years of problem free use, saving us labor and repair expenses over time. We are very grateful..........

It was a good rain....

The ridge of high pressure that has been pushing most storm activity north of California finally broke, bringing with it our most substantial rain event in the last three years. It was a good, soaking rain with periods of heavy precipitation at times, totalling 5.05" between Wednesday night and Sunday morning. The golf course surface drains fairly well and we hope to allow carts off the paths by the middle/end of the week. Damage was limited to 1 tree behind #11 green, numerous branches and the typical bunker washouts. It sure is nice to finally get some clean water and flush the salts from the rootzone. With the soils being more balanced and warmer weather coming, I expect to see the grass begin to jump. It was a good rain....

A good soaking!

The first of several storms delivered 1.8 inches of rain last night, with more coming soon. Not only does rain help us in the form of free irrigation, it is also very beneficial in that it is a clean source of water. This good soaking has finally pushed the salts below the rootzone making for ideal growing conditions. Unfortunately, the course is extremely wet and I can assure you that carts will be restricted to paths through the weekend and most likely into early next week to avoid any damage and compaction.

Green spots!

You may have noticed small green spots on several of the greens. The spots are from a misapplication of rough fertilizer that got onto the putting surface. The darker green color is due to higher rates of nitrogen in that area. Fortunately, the damage is nothing more than aesthetic and should go away in a few weeks. I always view mistakes as an opportunity to learn and have used this instance as a teaching point for future fertilizer applications.

Stone Pine #16

Last week, we were very unfortunate to lose this large Stone Pine behind the 16th green. I really liked the backdrop it provided as you viewed the green from the fairway. Make no mistake it did cause some headaches, as it shaded much of the back half of the green and its roots needed routine pruning to keep them away from the putting surface. As the pictures show, several arms of the tree had been weakened from root rot, leaving only one member hanging over the back of the green. We felt this imbalance made the tree very unsafe and therefore had it removed. In time, we hope the remaining Stone Pine on the slope will provide the same beautiful backdrop that this one did.