Driving Range Renovation

The driving range renovation at Olde Florida is progressing on schedule.

The first application of non-selective herbicide was applied to the range on March 30th. The second application will be applied on April 27th. Between applications the turfgrass is fertilized with quick release nitrogen and irrigated to encourage re-growth. Multiple applications of herbicide are necessary to eradicate bermudagrass. 

The Celebration bermudagrass range tees were not sprayed with the non-selective herbicide. The new range will be grassed with Celebration so there is not a concern with contamination of the new turfgrass. In addition, when the range is closed for play later this month the Celebration will be removed from the driving range tees and used on the golf course. Celebration is an improved variety of bermudagrass with enhanced shade, drought and traffic tolerance.

With the current east/west layout being reconfigured to a north/south orientation land to the north and south of the range needed to be cleared. A clearing plan is shown below.

The land to the north of the range has been cleared. The organic debris will soon be reduced through the use of a tub grinder. The area to the north of the range was void of almost all soil. Consequently, the predominant plant species was Brazilian Pepper. The land to the south of the driving range is currently being cleared.

The driving range will remain in open until April 30th. If construction progresses as planned the new range and short game practice facility will re-open on October 1st. 

Annual Report to the Olde Florida Golf Club Membership

Annual Report to the Olde Florida Golf Club Membership

By Darren J. Davis, CGCS

April 7, 2015

The 2015 winter golf season at Olde Florida is winding down and my staff and I appreciate your support and positive feedback. Soon we will be switching gears from routine maintenance to our summer project mode. In addition, we will begin work on the necessary cultural practices such as aerification, vertical mowing and topdressing, which enable us to provide you with quality golf course conditions in the winter months.

For most of the winter season the weather was conducive for turfgrass growth. This enabled us to maintain a healthy stand of turfgrass as well as produce a height of cut in the rough that allowed for good contrast with the fairway.   

Last summer we completed several in-house projects. The most noticeable was the renovation of #18 senior/forward tee. As in previous years, last year we also completed a mini-bunker renovation just prior to our winter golf season. With the average annual rainfall in Naples being just less than 52 inches, and 65% of this occurring between June and September, bunker washing and bunker sand contamination is an issue.

Last summer we also completed an aggressive Brazilian Pepper removal project. Brazilian Pepper is an invasive plant that alters plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structure and ecological functions. Beginning this summer we will institute a property-wide maintenance program.   

For the third year in a row our Purple Martin structures are being utilized. The structures are located behind #2 championship tee. In our first winter (2013), we successfully fledged three Purple Martins. Although Purple Martins migrate each winter to South America, they remain incredibly faithful to their colony (nesting) sites each year. This was the case at Olde Florida. The Purple Martins from 2013 returned in late January 2014 to again utilize the nesting structure and over a dozen Purple Martins were fledged.  With a second structure being added this winter the number looks to have increased.  

If you desire more information on our activities throughout the year, I utilize several forms of social media to provide course reports and other timely information on club activities. A complete list of these as well as articles, videos and blog entries can be found on my website   

#10 Green, April 2015

   

Thank a Golf Course Superintendent

Since the origination of the game, golf course superintendents have been giving golfers a reason to love the game. Now, some of the best players in golf, from Jack Nicklaus to Rory McIlroy are taking part in a promotional campaign to “thank a golf course superintendent.” The thirty-second commercials produced by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) will begin airing on the Golf Channel in April, and radio, print and online advertising will run in numerous markets across the country.

One television spot features a montage of clips from Nicklaus, McIlroy, Michelle Wie, Nick Faldo, Rickie Fowler, Graeme McDowell and Matt Kuchar. While a second spot features Johnny Miller, Davis Love, Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie, Jason Day and Karrie Webb.

The GCSAA is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf.

Click here to view one of the thirty-second commercials:  Thank a Golf Course Superintendent

Cold and Frosty...

Due to the inland locale of Olde Florida Golf Club, most winters we will receive a couple frosts. When frost occurs, the turfgrass is damaged and the leaf blade turns brown. Occasionally conditions are favorable for a "hard" frost resulting in a complete blighting of the turf canopy, but normally our frosts are “patchy”.  When a frost is light, or it’s limited to just one day, there are variances in frost formation and leaf damage. The variances are related to the turf canopy height, density and moisture level. 

Rough at Olde Florida Golf Club after a "patchy" frost

#4 green complex after a hard frost

On rare occasion we will receive a hard frost, or multiple frosts in a short time period and the rough can turn completely brown. “How long will the rough be brown?” is a common question when this occurs. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to provide a definitive answer to the inquiry. The rough, like all of the playing surfaces at Olde Florida, are bermudagrass. Bermudagrass is a warm season perennial species adapted to tropical and subtropical climates. It grows best under extended periods of high temperatures, mild winters and moderate to high rainfall. In general, extended temperatures below 30°F kill the leaves and stems of bermudagrass. While it will be slow, research has demonstrated that bermudagrass will continue to grow with night temperatures as low as 34°F, if daytime temperatures are near 70°F.

A hard frost around the practice green at Olde Florida

In general, bermudagrass grows best when the average daily temperature is above 75°F. Soil temperature, as influenced by air temperature, is also very important to the growth and development of bermudagrass. Soil temperatures above 65°F are required for significant growth. The optimum soil temperature for root growth is around 80°F.

Checking the soil temperature on a tee at Olde Florida

"Birdie Golf"

On January 30th Olde Florida utilized the services of a local ornathologist to perform its biannual bird observation/count. In a 2 1/2 hour period that morning 37 different species were observed on the golf course.

The species observed were:

American Kestrel
Black Vulture
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Anhinga
Double-crested Cormorant
Carolina Wren
Northern Cardinal
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Blue Jay
Fish Crow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Little Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Tricolored Heron
White Ibis
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Eurasian Collared Dove
Mourning Dove
Common Moorhen
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
European Starling
Loggerhead Shrike
Palm Warbler
Pine Warbler
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker

This is just a partial list of the numerous bird species that make Olde Florida their permanent or seasonal home.


  

Revolutionary...

This morning the golf course operations staff is applying Revolution to the TifEagle greens. 

Revolution is a wetting agent/soil surfactant that helps balances air to water ratios in the rootzone producing drier, firmer putting surfaces. 

Another benefit of applying Revolution is the desire of management to stretch the time between applying water to the greens (deep and infrequent irrigation). This is the first season the product has been used at Olde Florida and the staff has seen a significant reduction in the need to hand water. 

Patriot Golf Day at Olde Florida

This week the golf course operations staff used a template and turf marking paint to create the Folds of Honor logo behind #10 tee. The logo is being displayed to commemorate the annual Patriot Golf Day being held today at Olde Florida. The money raised in the event will go to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides educational scholarships to military families of those who have been killed or disabled while in active duty. 

Golf has a long-standing history of giving back to society and is a key driver of charitable giving in the United States. In fact, golf tournaments and other events such as Patriot Golf Day provide 3.9 billion dollars annually to philanthropic organizations. 

The replica American flags are also being used today.

More information on golfs economic, charitable, environmental and fitness benefits can be found at: http://wearegolf.org

More information on the Folds of Honor Foundation can be found at: 

https://www.foldsofhonor.org