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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-07-19-REC-min.attach11111 111,1111,1111,111,„p 11:011111111ppippillppip111111111111.1.'"::::----:00- 1Hm NI1,11111111111,11111111 ,„,„„=„11111111111; 111110,111-00,00■■h11H11111111110 011„ ‘ ; iii I ) 1111111111 III il' ,,, , .,.,.: 1111111111111 1 n n u 1 I 1ff )11111 0 0 11 ,!!!!!!!!.. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 1 Lv,,II.„„) ,,,, ,,, ,■„ , ,, 111 1, III 0 HO 1 11111 01 (MI 11111111 11111111111 11 Ili/ )) ' IV V 1 V1111 11111111111111111111111011111111111 ))))1111111,1,111,11,1,1111,1„.11,111,111,111111,11)1intttttttt. , „n„,„, ' 11111111111111111111 M 0111110101 0) 010((K1 1 ,,,1 ' 11 l'I'''' ' (IO 1 11.1.111 I(((((((IIIIIIIIII(1);1; 11 111 1,1 h1111, 1,) 1111111111111I1000 010111 0010'1 1111101011111 1'1'1'1111111111111 onyi 10111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 11 11 ' ) 1111111111111111 VI 0011001V u , 1111V10111111111111111111111 III 11111111 „)111111111,1 PINE MEADOWS GOLF COURSE Lexington, Massachusetts Visit Date: May 25, 2016 Present: Mr. John Allen, Jr., Vice President of Operation, New England Golf Corporation Mr. Tim Harlan, Superintendent Mr. William Harrison, President, New England Golf Corporation Ms. Karen Simmons, Director of Recreation, Town of Lexington Mr. Chris Filadoro, Superintendent of Public Grounds Mr. Tyler Radicioni, Recreation Supervisor Ms. Laura Drew, Intern Mr. Jim Skorulski, USGA United States Golf Association James E. Skorulski, Agronomist 1 Green Section 1 Northeast Region 1500 North Main Street 1 Palmer, MA 01069 1 413-283-2237 1 Fax: 413-283-7741 1 Email. jskorulskiAusqa.orq USGA Green Section Mission: The USGA Green Section develops and disseminates sustainable management practices that produce better playing conditions for better golf. It was my pleasure to make a half day Course Consulting Service visit to Pine Meadows Golf Course on May 25, 2016. It is always a pleasure to meet with Mr. Allen, Ms. Simmons, Mr. Filadoro and Mr. Harrison to tour the golf course and discuss the maintenance needs. It was good to see that the golf course survived the winter in good condition with no agronomic concerns. Favorable growing conditions this spring has provided a good but dry start for the turf. We discussed a number of topics during our tour of the golf course. The rebuilding of the 4th green was discussed more thoroughly. We also discussed the tee renovation program that is planned for the 8th hole. Other topics discussed included bunker renovation, programs to improve several rough areas, tree removal work and general maintenance topics for the playing surfaces. The recommendations and observations that occurred during our tour of the golf course are provided in the following report. GREENS No. 4 Green It was good to hear that money has been allocated to rebuild the 4th green. I strongly recommend relocating the green further from the tree line that is on the south — southeast side of green to gain more sun exposure for the turf. The less expensive option to improve growing conditions is to move forward with selective tree removal work along the left and back side of the green. Relocating the green offers one additional benefit of shortening the length of the hole. The area I suggested would still provide a very long par 3 hole with the location of the existing tee boxes. An architect might suggest shortening the hole further. droloroo We discussed relocating the 5th green further from the tree line (see image) and removing trees from the left side of the current green to provide a better growing environment for the green complex. Course r 4," oro: u10ring rviirr i'':Zer'i Page 2 The design of the new green is as important as its location. • The new green should be built to properly receive a long shot. • It should be approachable so golfers can run shots up to the green. • The green should be designed to provide positive surface drainage off of the playing surface in multiple directions and contain no surface depressions. • The entry and exit points to the green should be kept open to provide wide access. Strong consideration should be given to working with a local golf course architect who can provide a design for the hole and green complex and oversee the construction. This offers the best opportunity to complete the project and produce a well- designed green complex that will serve the town long into the future. I have attached the names of several local golf course architects who should be available to work on this project. Their insight would also be valuable for the 8th tee complex and even modify the bunker on the 5th hole. The new green has to be built with a commercial rootzone mix that will provide good drainage. I typically recommend using USGA method of putting green construction and a rootzone mix. However, a good functional green can be built if the design provides good surface drainage, the green has internal drainage and the rootzone mix is of good quality. A commercial mix that contains sand, peat and a small amount of soil would be suitable for the new green. It should fall within or close to USGA recommendations for green construction mixes. The rootzone mix should be 10 -12 inches deep. The internal drainage system can be installed in the subbase soils at a depth of 15 inches, using small diameter 2 inch perforated, wrapped pipe installed on a 6 foot spacing. The drain trenches would be backfilled with the rootzone mix. The lines would be installed on a grid pattern and the water taken to a larger diameter collector line off the green. XGD or a similar company familiar with this type of drainage can complete the installation as can most contractors. I have enclosed a list of potential sand suppliers. It is very important to not only select a reputable sand supplier but also to check the mix that is delivered to the site before it is installed in the green to make sure that it is the same mix that was selected for the green. This simple step can make the difference between the success and failure of the green. I will be happy to work with Mr. Allen and Mr. Filadoro to review the available mixes and to help select one that will be most effective. The new green can be established with the existing sod as long as that sod is in decent condition and can be harvested. Otherwise, the green will have to be established with a commercial bentgrass sod. Hopefully, the sod on the green can be utilized effectively. Avoid core aerating the green (hollow tines) beyond the spring aeration program that is planned in the coming weeks. The sod should recover sufficiently from this aeration and should be ready for use in fall. My primary concern is the likelihood that the turf on this green will deteriorate if we have difficult summer conditions. Therefore, it is a good idea Course ConsiLutlt viq Service ICRe.port Page 3 to begin to contact commercial sod suppliers to make sure a source is available for the fall project. Surface Quality, All of the greens appeared to be in good agronomic condition. The turf was showing a need for a fertilizer application. Annual bluegrass seeding was coming to an end. Once the seedheads disappear the surfaces will become smoother. At this point, I recommend vertical mowing the green in one if not two directions (1/8 inch deep). The vertical mowing will reduce some of the excess vegetative growth and should stimulate new growth and produce smoother surfaces. Topdressing the greens will be most beneficial. A light topdressing program in addition to the heavier sand applications made with aeration will help to smooth the surfaces for improved ball roll. Topdressing on a three -week schedule through the season will also help to balance the organic material that is produced by the plant. This will keep the rootzone more homogenous and will help protect the plants from the traffic that occurs. Trees I was very happy to see the removal of white pine trees from the back right side of No. 9 green. The tree removal work has increased the morning sun exposure to the right half of the green. Well done! The 5th green remains heavily shaded especially in the fall and winter months. A significant removal of white pine trees will be required along the back left side of the green to improve sun exposure for the turf there. We also discussed removing several ash and maple trees as well as a willow from the left side of the 4th green to increase sun exposure for the turf there. That work will actually benefit the new location of the green more so than the existing one. The trees recommended for removal do not appear to be in the wetland area. A white pine tree growing on the left side of the 8th green is in very poor condition. It should be removed. There are also several poor quality willow trees that remain adjacent to the 9th green that should be removed. The willow trees are in an advanced state of decline. TEES No. 8 Tee It was good to hear that the 8th tee will be renovated this fall. The work will involve the middle tee box. Fortunately, a significant quantity of fill has been generated from the pond dredging work. That fill should be well suited for use as a subbase soil for the new tee complex. The silty soil should be ready for use by the time the project is initiated in the fall. The subbase soils would be graded. A good quality construction mix (60:40 or similar) would be installed at a uniform 6 inch depth over the subbase soil. An internal drainage line should be installed at the back of the tee or whichever way the subbase soils are graded to remove excess water that will accumulate there. A 4 inch wrapped poly pipe encased in sand /rootzone mix should provide suitable drainage along the III Course .on91 „,dti ng "3ervoc poPt Page 4 lower perimeter of the new tee. I recommend establishing the new tee using shortcut Kentucky bluegrass sod. Trees The 6th and 7th tee boxes are the most shaded areas on the golf course. The white pine trees responsible for the shade are showing some signs of decline from a yet unknown factor. The decline of the trees will probably result in some selective removal work in the near future. This will increase sun exposure for both of the tee boxes and this will have a significant impact on the quality of turf. Tree removal work has long been a topic to gain more sun for the turf. A smaller size deciduous tree species can be planted to replace the taller white pine trees and help provide some screening for both tee sites. I will be happy to review the list of tree species available to the town to help select the best planting option. I also agree with the plan to cut back the tree line along the right side of the 6th hole. This will allow for more of the tee box (right side) to be utilized for play. It is also recommended to root prune a white pine tree growing on the immediate left side of the tee to eliminate the tree root competition with the turf. Finally, a pitch pine tree growing right of the 6th tee is also causing shade over one of the primary playing areas. It too should be removed. FAIRWAYS Drainage was surprised to see just how wet the 2nd fairway was at the time of our visit. I'm surprised because the other fairways were quite dry and we have had a dry stretch of weather. I'm not exactly sure why the surfaces were so wet. There was a problem with the drainage earlier in the spring but that seems to have dissipated. It may be necessary to excavate the wet area to determine if the drain lines are functioning or if there is an irrigation leak. The drain lines can be flushed with water in an effort to remove any debris or to help pinpoint where any blockages or pipe failure exists. The drainage on the lower portion of No. 2 fairway and No. 1 fairway is dependent upon the elevation of the stream or culvert where water exits the site. At some point the flow of that water is being impacted either by debris that has impacted the natural flow of that water or by some changes made in the culverts or other piping that moves water below Route 128. I strongly recommend having this area of the golf course fully evaluated by a drainage engineer. The drainage engineers will examine the existing drainage and shoot the elevation of the area. They can provide a plan to drain this area of the golf course in an effective fashion. Kelly AMI, Inc. are very experienced engineers who work almost entirely with golf courses they can be reached at (514) 697 -1130 or e-mail: kellv.amiAvideotron.ca. They have dealt with many difficult drainage scenarios and I am confident that they will provide the most practical option to move water off of the property more quickly. Once that is accomplished, the drain lines that are found Course urs Gawau °u uu'tnu„'N g Service Report Page 5 throughout the 1st and 2nd fairways will work more effectively or can be replaced with more effective collector pipes. Thatch Management It is good to hear that a number of fairways were aggressively core aerated in the fall to remove thatch that has become excessive. That practice should be repeated in early spring until the thatch layer is reduced to optimal levels. An excessive thatch layer will impact the movement of water through the surface. It can impact rooting and root depth. The solid tine aeration is helpful but will not remove the thatch. The other option to manage thatch is to use a dethatching unit. A dethatching program does not pull cores but uses blades to cut through the surface organic material or thatch. This practice is often done in conjunction with core aeration or as a standalone practice done in the spring or fall season. The dethatching process itself does not take very much time. However, the cleanup associated with the dethatching is a process. A number of manufacturers make dethatching equipment for fairways. Graden, SISIS and First Products (VC -60) produce units that you might consider demonstrating on the golf course to observe their effectiveness. Units combined with a sweeper attachment (Kesmec, Wiedenmann) are another option that takes care of the clean -up process. Trees Trees are impacting the playability and appearance of several fairway and rough areas. One of the areas of concern is the right side of the 5th fairway where exposed tree roots create a dangerous playing condition and are potentially damaging to equipment. The surface roots also impact the ability to grow good quality turf. Root prune along the right side of the 5th fairway to sever the surface roots. The roots can then be removed with a small excavator, the surface tilled and graded with new topsoil and seeded. This is a good fall project. Similar work should be along the right side of the 6th and 7th holes. However, the work there involves removing a number of white pine trees and some pitch pine trees from the right side of the 6th fairway to allow more sun to reach this high traffic area that has been perennially weak and unsightly. Removing the trees and then pulling the surface roots and regrading the area around the cartpath and right rough will provide an opportunity to grow a good quality stand of turf. Use turf -type tall fescue or a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue to reestablish this rough area. I recommend similar work along the right side of the 7th hole. I also recommend removing a white pine tree that is growing on the right side of No. 7 green /approach. The white pine tree is not necessary. Removing that tree will also remove surface roots and allow more sun to reach the rough area that is in closer proximity to the green. We discussed the need to remove several poor quality willow trees earlier. An ash tree growing on the right side of the current 4th green will also need to be removed if the green is relocated. There are number of white pine trees that are in advanced stages of Page 6 decline. I will try to find out what might be impacting the white pine trees. However, I would anticipate that those trees will have to be removed eventually as they are declining quickly. Finally, we discussed replacing the Austrian pine trees that provide a screen behind No. 9 green. The trees are showing signs of Diplopia blight disease. The trees cannot be saved. Begin to make plans to replace the pine trees with another screen planting, and preferably one that will not grow above 20 -25 feet. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS Sand Bunkers We discussed options to improve the greenside bunker on the 5th hole. I still believe the best option is to renovate the bunker and to convert it into a grass bunker. This would involve some shaping work to soften the grade of the banks and perhaps to create a flatter plateau to the left of the bunker. This would help to prevent shots from bounding into the woods. The soils would also be used to reshape the bunker so that it can be more easily maintained with riding mowers. I recommend working with a golf course architect to review the bunker. An experienced golf course contractor could also reshape the bunker to make it a more maintainable grass bunker. The left greenside bunker on the 6th hole is in need of renovation work. The bank is beginning to break down due to sand accumulation. The work would require reestablishing a bunker edge and removing the sand that is accumulated on the bank. The bank would then be graded and new topsoil added. The bank could then be reestablished with turf -type tall fescue sod that is durable and can tolerate the drier summer conditions. CONCLUSION This concludes my summary of the topics discussed during my visit to Pine Meadow Golf Club and I hope this report proves useful. Best of luck for a successful season and please feel free to call at any time throughout the year if I can be of additional assistance. The USGA appreciates your support of the Course Consulting Service. Please visit the Course section of usoa.orq to access regional updates that detail agronomist observations across the region. Also, please visit the Water Resource Center to learn about golf's use of water and how your facility can help conserve and protect our most important natural resource. Iffi mill ":` 4„sr » '' ist„dti °rig Sentice Rep Page 7 Sincerely, 7- -1 James E. Skorulski, Agronomist Green Section, Northeast Region JES:jen cc: Mr. John Allen, Jr., Vice President of Operation, New England Golf Corporation Mr. Tim Harlan, Superintendent Ms. Karen Simmons, Director of Recreation, Town of Lexington Mr. Chris Filadoro, Superintendent of Public Grounds Mr. William Harrison, President, New England Golf Corporation Attachments: Northeast Golf Course Architects Northeast Topdressing Sources Sod Nurseries A : rviice IReport Page 8