Fall is finally here for the golf season that will seemingly never end with the truly wonderful conditions that we have been experiencing for this time of the year. A little on the dry side but so what-it sure beats the alternative of wet conditions. Dry conditions are optimal for golf and for getting work done and that we have been doing starting with a final push of tree and stump removal.
16S Dead Tree Removal 10-15-2024
During the month of October we removed 67 dead and dying trees and ground out 101 stumps throughout the property(plan on doing another 10 in November) bringing the total tally for the past 5 years to close to 300 trees removed. Virtually all of these trees that were removed were dead or in a state of severe decline while a few of the trees removed simply had to go because they were in bad locations. Almost all of the dead trees were that way because of severe insect infestation (borer insects) while a few others were simply in a state of severe decline due to the periodic drought stress we have been experiencing combined with the poor soils at Nemadji. Any way you look at it, the golf course is so much better without those hazardous eyesores and while there are still a few remaining that will likely need removal soon, they still offer some landscape value for now. The situation is under control so now on to the next issue which is excessive thatch/organic matter on fairways and tees.
In a newsletter last year, there was some discussion regarding the excessive thatch levels at Nemadji-especially on the older, original fairways that have never really been properly cultivated as the testing report below shows
Nemadji Organic Matter Analysis 6-29-2023
I have never worked at a facility with such a huge buildup in organic matter in fairways (the figures in parenthesis are “normal” range for optimal turf). On this sample on 1E fairway, the top 1” on the profile is over ten times the proper range and as we go deeper into the profile the organic matter content is still remarkably high. This is why these fairways are so spongy underfoot and tend to stay wet for long periods of time. Bottom line is that these fairways-and tees as well-need some thorough cultivation over a period of several years to return to proper playability and resilience. The most common/traditional go to in this situation is core aerifying but that is limited in its effectiveness and can bring up clay that can make the work extremely messy. A much better technique is an aggressive verticutting done deep (1.5-2”) with a recently acquired Graden heavy verticutter (not some sissy units you attach to a mower). A link of this unit in action:
The Graden removes over four to five times much thatch as a conventional core aerification in a single shot and the resultant debris, while it may look messy as the picture below illustrates, is much easier to clean up than clay brought up to the surface.
1N Fairway 10-22-2024
This debris is then removed by a crew of 3-4 people. One person operating our recently acquired sweeper and two haulers who transport the debris to a dump site. Another person operates a large blower to help with final cleanup. On a fairway like 1N we removed close to 40-50 yards of organic matter (decaying stems and roots). This is about two semi loads of material. Very aggressive and disruptive. It is for this reason that we closed the North/South golf course when we did as at any given moment during this process, we would have two or three golf holes that were not playable and with us only having a small time window to work within, cannot stop for players. As you can see, proper golf course maintenance is much more than mowing stuff.
On a final note, this will be my final season working at Nemadji as I have chosen to take a new position closer to my home in Ely, Minnesota. I have been at Nemadji now for five years and while the work has been enjoyable, being away from home for lengthy periods of time is simply not worth it. In addition, after 31 years as a superintendent I am ready to back off and semi-retire by working at the golf course I helped to build with a superintendent who was my former assistant. I know myself-I will continue to grind out work but I look forward to performing a supporting role instead of an administrative one and having the time and energy to actually do other things. Just as importantly to me, me moving on gives room for growth for both Brian Wallin and George Bibeau to grow in the industry. Both are ready to take the next step in their career progression and are eager to begin their new roles. I am excited for them.
I am also proud that I have left every facility that I have worked at in a better state than when I first arrived and Nemadji is no exception. While there remains much work to do at Nemadji to continue to move forward, I am confident that Brian Wallin and George Bibeau are ready to continue building the momentum we have created in making Nemadji better year after year.
Thank you for your support and good luck to you all.