Earth Day

Ten Facts About Golf in Celebration of Earth Day 2016

Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and USGA offer facts on water and environment

Lawrence, Kan. (April 19, 2016) — Golf is a sport for a lifetime that delivers more than 2 million jobs and $69 billion in annual economic impact while contributing $3.9 billion per year for philanthropic causes -- more than all other sports combined.
A professionally managed golf course also can demonstrate environmental stewardship and provide a place to meet exercise and fitness goals. Just walking 18 holes, for example, can burn more than 2,000 calories.
As part of the celebration of “Earth Day” on April 22, here are 10 facts about golf that help promote the sport and the environment:

1. Golf courses are professionally managed landscapes where environmental stewardship is important – from using water and nutrients more efficiently to implementing improved methods of erosion control.
2. In general, the golf industry is striving to deliver firm playing surfaces that are better for everyone and improve the bottom line. More than two-thirds of golf courses report that they are keeping turfgrass drier than in the past.
3. The golf industry is continually investing in research to identify drought-tolerant grasses and improve water conservation through best management practices.
4. Golf courses continue to adopt water conservation practices, reduce irrigated acreage and use innovative technologies, such as targeted irrigation systems and ground moisture measurement tools, along with weather monitoring systems, providing the science to water only when and where it is needed.
5. Irrigated areas on golf courses have decreased by more than 14,000 acres between 2006 and 2014.
6. Use of recycled water has increased by 32.7 percent from 2006 to 2014. Recycled water now counts for 25 percent of all water used on golf courses.
7. Golf courses routinely have recycling programs to reduce and reuse.
8. More than 90 percent of a typical golf course is comprised of turfgrass, a water body or other natural areas that prevent erosion, filter runoff, and provide for cooler temperatures when compared to urban settings.
9. More than 70 percent of acreage on an 18-hole golf course is considered green space that provides benefits to the ecosystem, reduces maintenance and supports wildlife habitat, including protected species.
10. Through governmental affairs involvement, professional education and public information, the golf industry continues to promote environmental responsibility as a widespread industry practice.

Are you playing the right tees?

Here is a Video from the USGA with recommendations to enjoy you round more.
Click on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgYVhGRpTN4&feature=youtu.be

Greens Aerification Notice

As many of you may already be aware of, aerification is an integral part of any quality greens maintenance program.  Our number one goal at Woodland Hills Country Club is to maintain the highest quality putting surfaces for as much as the year as possible.  To make this possible we must aerify greens to relieve compaction to allow water and nutrients to reach the root system of the turfgrass plants.  This fall we will aerify and topdress greens on October 5^th, please bear with us over the next couple of weeks as the greens heal and return to the high standard you are accustomed too.

Fore The Golfer: Spraying On The Golf Course

Waste Bunker

The first load of sand was dumped in the waste bunker between 8 and 11 yesterday. 

7 Tee Update

The new tee has been sodded, rolled and even mowed once.  Everything is continuing as scheduled and we will open it as soon as it is ready. We still have to fertilize it a couple more times as well as aerify and topdress to eliminate the minor imperfections in the sod.

#7 Tee

For those of you that have not been out to play golf this week, we have begun to rebuild the 7th tee.  Before we started moving any dirt, we had a couple eucalyptus trees removed on the hill to the right of the tee, and a few others trimmed to get some additional sunlight to the area of the new tee location.  A temporary mat was installed at 97 yards from the green to use while the new tee is being built. 
On Monday we removed the sod from the area and began rototilling and leveling the new tee area.  We hope to finish this process this week, next week we will start hauling in a four inch sand base for the sod. Nest we will level and compact the sand, reinstall irrigation heads and sod the following week.   
When the new tee is completed it will be similar to the tee on #6.   It will be one level, the same height as the curb on the cartpath, slightly larger than #6.  Teeing distances for the new tee will be 112 yellow, 118 for the red, 122 white, and 132 for the blue and black tees. 
I will give more updates as the process continues, we are planning on opening the new tee in 4 to 6 weeks.
Below is one final picture of the tee before we started construction.