#4 and #5

 

We are ready for kikuyu sod on the #4 and #5 fairways tomorrow morning.  We have spent the last two days preparing these areas that were primarily bermuda.   



 

The tree crew has been doing a great job on the oak trees, we hope to finish up on #8 tomorrow, then we will start on the back nine next week. 

 

We will also be sodding the 9th tee with hybrid bermuda grass.  On Monday during the outside tournament we stripped the sod, leveled the tee and trimmed trees around the tee.  It will look like a new tee when you play it again in a couple weeks.



#3

Today we started removing bermuda sod from the third fairway.  We are concentrating on the second half of the fairway, as the winter conditions are not as playable as the first half.   
The sod we put on holes #1 and #3 a week and a half ago are looking better every day and the sod we put down on hole #9 four days ago has already rooted.  All of these areas were sprayed with iron and other nutrients today.  The other fairways are being sprayed with the same nutrient package as well as Primo growth regulator to control the growth of the existing kikuyu.  We will wait a month or two to start using Primo on the new sod, as reports are that yellowing occurs with use on new sod. 
We also completed our tree work on hole #3 and have started on the left side of hole #4.

Video of New Kikuyu Sod on #9 Fairway

Video of new kikuyu sod being installed the morning of Thursday, July 18 on #9 fairway.  Amazing they can lay out 350 square feet of sod in about 30 seconds.  All 22,000 square feet on #9 was finished by 11:00 a.m.

#9 Fairway

The stripping of the bermuda sod on the 9th hole is going very well, we will be sodding about 80% of this fairway on Thursday.  Malibu CC was in need of some sod for their tees and fairways, so they rented a truck and trailer and made two trips today.  That makes it easier for us, as thats about 5000 square feet we won't have to haul away.  Again if there is anyone you know that would like some sod please call my office and we can arrange a time for you to pick some up. 
The sod we put down on #1 and #3 last Thursday has already rooted two inches into the existing soil and is getting better every day. 

This is what #9 looked like stripped of bermuda ready for the kikuyu sod.  As you can see on this fairway it is the most extensive amount of sod needed with about 90% prepared.

#1

The new kikuyu sod looks better today after being mowed and watered. 

Kikuyu sod arrived today

After three days of work this week preparing #1 fairway for sod, this is what it looked like.

Then two semi truck loads carrying 44 of these giant rolls of sod arrived, along with the installation crew from West Coast Turf.

Here is the crew in action, using their specially designed equipment to roll out the large rolls.

Before 9 am they had completed rolling out 26 rolls on the first fairway and they were finishing their cleanup.

Knowing that they had more sod here than area we had prepared, first thing this morning we removed the bermuda sod from the landing area of the 3rd fairway and prepared it for sod, by 11 am this area was completed.  We spent the remainder of the day cleaning up after the sod crew, began repairing damaged areas caused by equipment, and filling small gaps between the sod rows with sand. 
This is a learning process for us, next week we will tackle the 9th fairway, and if needed do some additional work on 3.

Removal of bermuda

This morning we began removing the bermuda from the first fairway, new project employees Todd and Cody are seen here with the sod cutter cutting and rolling up sod.  If any members are interested in picking up some of this commom bermuda sod please contact me, my office phone is 818-883-4260.  We will be using some of it in bad areas of the rough, and Malibu CC has shown an interest in picking some up but there is plenty to be had. 

We also began the oak tree thinning phase today, this will allow even more sunlight into the fairways.  With all of the tree work we have done and are planning on doing, it has allowed us to slightly widen our fairways in some areas, such as the left side of #1.

Supplemental Irrigation

I'm sure that you have come across one of these small irrigation heads watering, during your round of golf, and wondered, why it is on all day?  We use these heads to irrigate small localized dry spots that our regular irrigation cycles do not properly wet.  These spots are usually caused by compaction, changes in soil type, changes in elevation or trees blocking sprinklers.   Because we can control the pressure and area we irrigate with these small heads it becomes more effective and saves water because we are not overwatering areas that are not dry with our large turf heads.  Also, with the low precipitation rate of these heads, if the soil is compacted, the water can better penetrate the soil instead of running off to a low area that may already be wet.  If the head is in your way while playing a shot, simply go to the quick coupler (the part that is plugged into the irrigation system at the other end of the hose) and turn off the small valve.  After you finish in the area please turn the valve back on, so we can eliminate this dry area.  We normally move these heads every 1 to 2 days depending on each areas need for water. 

Next week we will be starting the sodding portion of the fairway improvement plan, with bermuda being removed from the first fairway, and replaced with kikuyu sod.  Please check back with this blog for updates and pictures.  We will use some of the bermuda sod we are removing from the fairways to repair any areas in the rough that are not  in good condition, such as areas where we removed trees.  Other bermuda areas in the fairways that are not removed will be areified and seeded with kikuyu seed.  We will also be starting the oak tree thinning and cutting back next week, to improve the sunlight to more areas of the fairways.  Please bear with us during the construction period and I am sure that you will be satisfied with the condition of the fairways in the months and years to come.