Member Update - Tree Relocation #15

Dear Member,

We are pleased to announce the tree transplant project is underway.  The contractor arrived Monday, February 13^th and, as you see in the included photo, has begun working to expose the tree’s root ball.  The area being excavated is approximately 22 feet in diameter and as much as eight (8) feet deep.  Over the next two weeks, they will be constructing a box to encapsulate the root ball.  Weather permitting, the contractor plans to conduct the actual relocation on or about March 1^st.   The tree, a 70-foot white oak, will be moved from the right side of the 12^th hole to the 15^th hole and placed in nearly the same location as the previous oak tree lost during a severe storm last June.

Time-lapse cameras have been set up to document the entire process.  Kinloch Superintendent, Trevor Hedgepeth, and his team will also provide periodic updates on the Kinloch Maintenance Blog (www.kinlochgcm.blogspot.com ) as well as our Twitter Feed (@KinlochDaily).  We encourage you to view both areas for informative updates throughout the season.

This transplant is an exciting undertaking.  As we approach and confirm the actual relocation day, we will communicate that information.  We welcome you to visit the club at any time during the coming weeks to view the process firsthand.

We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the club soon.

All the best,

Jonathan Ireland

 

New Walk Trail To #2 Tees

Over the years, the walking trail between the 1st green and 2nd tee has been problematic. Between shade and poor drainage, the grass on this trail has always succumbed to traffic stress over the course of the golf season. In fact, many times in late fall, especially after a rain event, it became not only unsightly, but oftentimes impassable. So, as part of multiple off-season projects, we decided to re-build this trail as a hybrid grass/stone path. Below there are pictures that walk you through the project. The final product is an aesthetically pleasing and sustainable walking trail that should hold up to moisture and the rigors of traffic. 

Step 1: Clear the existing material, lay a base layer (2-3") of drainage sand

Step 2: Lay out the paver stones in the pattern we designed  

Step 3: Recess the paver stones below grade by 1-2" 

Step 4: Sod in between the stones to create a "broken stone" look

One of the main goals with this project was to merge functionality and aesthetics. By choosing a more informal stone design, we believe we have achieved this goal. We hope our members and guests appreciate the improvement to this area. 

Winter Aerifcation

Recently we have began our winter aerification process, which entails punching 3/4” solid tines set to a depth of 8” on fairways and 1/2” solid tines with a 6” depth on tees and approaches. Fairways will be punched twice in opposite directions, while our more challenging fairways such as #13 will be punched three times.

3/4" solid, 8" depth

The deep solid tine aeration process allows us to open up deep channels in the soil and breaks up compaction. This process releases gases trapped in the ground and permits new available oxygen to the plants root zone. By leaving open holes and improving available oxygen to the plants root zone, microbial activity in the soil is increased. These microbes in the soil break down nutrients such as Nitrogen and make them available to the turf plant.

These new deep channels will also persist into the spring, creating a better environment for the grass plant to root in the upcoming growing season. Deeper roots allows us to push the turf grass harder in the summer by using less water; as a result increasing both firmness and ball roll.

In addition to creating gas exchange, these new fractures in the soil improve water movement allowing the turf to drain quicker, both reducing the opportunity for disease causing pathogens and improving playability by allowing the turf to dry.

Once aerated, our process finishes once we roll fairways in one direction, and mow them back in another direction. The end result are deep channels with very little disturbance to playability.

Rolled and mowed fairway

Sod Restoration Project

Recently, our club has decided to invest in restoring our primary rough to a pure stand of turf-type, tall fescue. Over the life of the club, invasive weeds such as creeping bent, common Bermuda, poa triv and annual bluegrass have become an aesthetic and functional nuisance. Although the herbicide market has introduced many selective herbicides that will kill or suppress these grasses, we have decided to use a total kill/sod replacement strategy. With the timing of our initial start, we are focusing on cool-season eradication; targeting bent grass, annual bluegrass and rough stalk bluegrass.
That being said, we began spraying round-up last Thursday on our first golf hole. To speed up the kill, we added a small rate of Reward to the mix. Below you will see pictures that walks you through the initial steps of our project.

We do ask that our members be aware of the WHITE paint lines and ORANGE marking flags. If you see these areas, please assume that there is newly applied herbicide in those areas. Feel free to treat those areas as ground under repair. Aside from great assistance from our professional staff and caddies, we will post a turf manager near the sites of herbicide application to further communicate which areas to avoid. Thanks for your patience as we make strides to restore our primary rough.

 Our First step is to locate the weeds that we wish to eradicate. From there, we designate our target areas with white paint and orange pin flags. 

Once identified and marked, the targeted areas are sprayed with round-up and dye. The dye is to help our applicator see where he has sprayed, but it is also an indicator for staff and players that an area has been treated with herbicide. 

Once treated with round-up, we wait 5-7 days for the round-up to move throughout the grass plant.

Once we achieve kill, our staff begins sod cutting all of the sprayed areas. 

Once these areas have been sod cut, our staff will use the combination of trailers, shovels, carts and our dingo to scoop up and remove the material. Later this week, 2 trucks of tall fescue will arrive and these areas will be re-sodded. Simultaneously, we have marked and sprayed our next 1/2 acre section and another 2 trucks of sod will arrive a week from today. We will repeat this process throughout the fall.