Coronavirus Precautions at Olde Florida Golf Club

Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a respiratory disease that has spread from China to many countries around the world, including the United States. To reduce the impact of Covid-19 outbreak on businesses, workers, customers and the public it's important for everyone to plan now and take precautions.   The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the latest information about COVID-19 and the global outbreak: That information can be found here. 

Coronavirus is spread between people who are in close contact with one another (within 6 feet). It is spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly inhaled into the lungs.  It's also be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, and then touch their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. People are thought to be the most contagious when they are most symptomatic  (i.e., experiencing fever, cough and/or shortness of breath).

The goal of the Olde Florida Golf Club Coronavirus Precautions Document (below) is to protect employees and members, as well as to minimize a potential disruption to daily operations at Olde Florida Golf Club. 

The staff has been made aware that it's vital to adhere to the proactive and sensible precautions outlined in the document. The staff have been made aware that these are unprecedented times and this is a fluid situation. Items in the document may be modified, or more added as more is learned about COVID-19.

Employees have also been advised that these same precautions should be followed when not on Olde Florida Golf Club property in order to protect fellow employees and members, as well as helping to stop the spread of this potentially deadly virus in our community and throughout the country. 

Olde Florida Golf Club - Coronavirus Precautions Document   

• Employees will be trained in a group setting on proper hand washing and the transmission of the Coronavirus.

• Employees should cover their mouth when coughing and sneezing.  

• Employees should not use other employees phones, desks or offices.

• Employees should wash hands frequently and always wash their hands prior to operating one of the microwaves or eating food.

Informational posters in the employee lunchroom

• Employees should avoid touching their face.

• Employees will be tested daily with a "no-touch thermometer gun" prior to beginning work. 

• Group meetings will be held in an outdoor setting. Daily job assignments will be provided to staff on the electronic work board, not a physical meeting.

• There should be no gathering of employees in the lunchroom, restroom or any "under air" space at anytime - maximum occupancy of this space is limited to 10 people at a time.  

• NO non-employees or members (including vendors and contractors) are allowed on site without the permission of the golf course superintendent. Scheduled deliveries from an established vendor/source are an exception (US Mail, UPS, parts or operational products, etc.) However, there should be no physical touching or interaction, including the signing of delivery tickets.

This sign has been placed on all entrances in the agronomy center 

• Any vendor or contractor that has been deemed essential to the golf course operations will be required to wear a supplied pair of disposable gloves (available at the reception desk) and will be instructed to maintain a 6' distance from all Olde Florida Golf Club employees and/or members.

• All packages received from UPS, USPS, Amazon or FedEx will be placed on a table in the facility (under roof, but not "under air"). All packages will be wiped with bleach solution prior to being opened. 

• If golf course equipment is delivered, the vendor will not be allowed in the building and will be instructed to maintain a 6' distance from all Olde Florida Golf Club employees. An Olde Florida Golf Club employee, wearing gloves will immediately pressure wash and disinfect the new equipment. 

• Golf course water bottle cooler lids and closure straps will be sanitized twice daily - in the morning when being filled and after lunch. This task will be assigned by the assistant superintendent.

• Employee assigned to fill water coolers with water bottles and ice will wear disposable gloves. 

• Practice green flagsticks, member trap rakes, ball washers, golf cart sand buckets and scoops have been removed and will not be utilized until further notice. 

• A spray bottle with a mixture of 1/2 cup bleach to one gallon of water will be provided to each employee. Employees are to wipe down anything they touch immediately.

Sanitizing solution

• If an employee is sick, or feeling sick, they are not to come to work. If this is the case, employees should send a text message to a supervisor.

• When changing the pin, the flagstick and the 2” PVC insert (temporarily being used to stop a golf ball from descending into the bottom of the cup) should be thoroughly wiped down with sanitizing solution. Members and caddies have been asked to not touch the flagstick at anytime. 

Employee changing the pin on hole #10

Temporary ball restriction device 

• Time cards will not to be utilized until notified. An assistant superintendent is responsible for communicating with the office manager to ensure payroll is correct.   

• The two assistant superintendent’s will alternate weeks on/off. They will work out their own schedule. 

• The assistant superintendent, office manager, equipment manager and superintendent are responsible for wiping down all surfaces in their respective offices with sanitizing solution on a daily basis. 

• The office manager will wipe down all door handles, refrigerator handles, thermostat, etc., upon arrival, after the lunch break and prior to leaving. 

Sanitizing products are available to all employees

• One employee will be scheduled to remain in the facility each day and wipe down all items that are touched i.e. steering wheels, fuel pump handles, hand tools, wash rack handles, blow off stations air tools, mail box handle, light switches, sun tan lotion pumps, sink faucets, door closures (chains), interior locker handles, break room furniture, etc. 

• All large golf course equipment (carts, fairway mowers, etc.) will be pressure cleaned weekly. 

Olde Florida Golf Club Agronomy Center

• Where possible doors should remain open and untouched i.e interior doors.

• All staff should maintain a 6’ distance between each other at all times. No touching another staff member or another staff members personal items. 

• All staff should ride in individual golf carts unless approved by management. 

• All silverware provided by Olde Florida Golf Club will be individual wrapped and no bulk condiments are allowed in the facility. There should be no sharing of food. 

Olde Florida will provide utensils to employees

• No on premise soccer until further notice.

• Only two chairs at each of the three inside tables.

• In order to accommodate social distancing during the lunch period, and to minimize employees in "under air" space, two of the three microwaves have been moved to the outside facility. After each use the microwave handle should be sanitized. All of the precautions listed above will also apply to the lunch period. 

Golf Carts: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

As a golf course superintendent, and equally as a golfer, I don’t like traffic control devices.

However, as a golf course superintendent my primary responsibility is to provide the golfers at my facility with the best possible playing conditions, as well as a golf course that is aesthetically pleasing (healthy turfgrass). With that in mind, traffic control devices are a necessity.

Although the game dates back centuries, golf changed dramatically in 1962, when Merlin L. Halvorson invented the first self-propelled golf "car". Prior to this, golfers either walked with a caddie, pulled a golf "cart", or carried their own bag. 

Note: Originally, and technically still a golf "car," today the vehicle Mr. Halvorson created is often referred to as a golf "cart."

The golf car has obviously been beneficial in making the game more accessible to the masses, and it has enabled those with physical or medical limitations to continue enjoying the sport and the numerous benefits of being on a golf course. Golf cars are also a much needed source of revenue for most facilities. 

While the benefits outweigh the negatives, golf car usage can come at a cost. That cost is the detrimental effect on the quality of the playing surface. In addition, at times the overall aesthetics of the golf course can be tarnished by golf car usage. Concentrated traffic produces multi-component stress to turfgrass. The problems associated with golf car traffic are reduced turfgrass vigor, soil compaction, ruts and other surface disruption. 

Soil compaction is a “hidden effect” and it’s extremely detrimental to turfgrass because of the destruction of the underlying soil. In laymen terms, compaction presses soil particles together eliminating air and water space. Compaction reduces or eliminates the plants ability to maintain and create roots, which are needed for survival. The end result of excessive soil compaction is a weakened or thin stand of turfgrass, and if not mitigated, eventual death. If the area is on a slope, erosion is a secondary issue that must be addressed. 

The continual golf car traffic in this area has caused unsightly wear, and at the base, extreme soil compaction. The result is not only a decline in aesthetics, but also thin/dead turfgrass at the toe of slope. Erosion will be secondary problem.  

To add to the challenge of traffic stress, when play in Southwest Florida is at its peak (winter), the turfgrass is also growing the least due to shorter days (less sunlight) and cooler than desirable air and soil temperature. 

When the concept of creating Olde Florida originated, golf and housing development construction in Southwest Florida were booming, and the demand exceeded the areas ability to provide access to golf. This is why the founders of Olde Florida wanted a non-residential golf course, a reasonable membership number, limited member or outside events that would restrict access, etc. In summary, the goal was a club of ladies and gentlemen who had a respect for the traditions of the game and ultimately a facility where few written rules would be needed. 

It was also important for the founders to have a facility that allowed, and even encouraged walking by having caddies available. In the early years, 1/3 of the rounds in the winter were walking rounds. At that time, with a less than full membership and a significant amount of play being walking, golf cart traffic was not a significant issue.

While every golf course is different, turfgrass on all golf courses can be damaged by golf cars. This is why the United States Golf Association (USGA) established some general guidelines for facilities to adopt. 

In addition to site specific situations;

1. Golf cars should not be parked or driven on the turfgrass surrounding tees and greens. All four tires should should remain on the path. 

2. Golf cars should remain on the path on par 3 holes.

3. On par 4 and 5 golf holes, once beyond the tee, golfers should spread traffic over a wide area.

4. In situations, when paths are not available golf cars should remain at least 30 feet away from tees and greens.

5. When possible golfers should share a golf car.

6. Finally, golf cars should never be driven on collars, approaches or green banks.

This is a link to a video from the USGA on golf car and pull cart etiquette

This is a link to a series of articles the USGA has compiled on golf car related issues

The bottom line is most damage caused by golf cars can be minimized when drivers use common sense, and observe etiquette. All golfers should be aware of the damage that vehicles cause and take steps to reduce the damage to preserve the condition of the golf course, the facilities most important asset. 

The Stork has Landed...

Over the last week, Olde Florida Golf Club members and guests may have noticed a pair of large and unique birds hanging around the lake between hole 14 and 15. The birds are Wood Storks and they arrived on Christmas Day. 

A Pair of Wood Storks on Hole 15 at Olde Florida on 1/2/20 

The Wood Stork is a bald-headed wading bird, that stands more than 3 feet tall, has a 5 foot wing spread, and weighs 4 to 6 pounds. The Wood Stork is the only stork breeding in the United States. In 1984 the Wood Stork was listed as a federal endangered species; however, due to successful conservation efforts it was down-listed to “threatened” status in June of 2014. 

The Wood Stork is abundant in South Florida because it prefers tropical and subtropical habitats, with distinct wet and dry seasons. The Wood Stork feeds on mostly small, freshwater fish. They gather fish in shallow water primarily utilizing tactile instincts.  The stork sweeps its submerged bill from side to side as it walks slowly forward. When prey is felt, its bill can snap shut with a 25-millisecond reflex action. Amazingly, each breeding pair requires over 400 pounds of fish per breeding season. They have certainly been enjoying VERY healthy meals during their stay at Olde Florida!

As in previous years, I would anticipate the Wood Stork’s to leave our property in the near future and begin nesting. The nearby Corkscrew Swamp has historically been home to a very large nesting colony.  

"Hard as a Rock" ... Literally

Each summer all areas of the golf course are core aerified at least four times. Aerification is the mechanical process of removing a core, which among other things reduces compaction by loosening the soil. It also creates air space in the soil. 

Turfgrass on a golf course endures significant stress and compaction from golf play, golf cars and maintenance equipment. By decreasing compaction, aerification helps to bring a resurgence of growth. The process is vital in maintaining a healthy stand of turfgrass. 

Construction of the golf course at Olde Florida was challenging because soil was at a premium. Consequently, when the golf course opened in 1993, a significant amount of rock remained beneath the fairways, tees and rough. This has created serious challenges with aerification since day one. 

During the golf course renovation in the summer of 2000, after the turfgrass was eradicated and removed, all of the fairways were tilled and most of the rock was physically removed. It was a very lengthy and tedious task, but it was necessary so more advanced aerification equipment could be utilized in the fairways. The newer, improved aerification equipment provides tighter spacing and greater depth, ultimately providing a greater reduction of compaction.  

The two short drone videos and the pictures below provide a visual understanding of the differences in the fairway and rough aerification equipment that is utilized at Olde Florida.  

Link to Fairway Aerification Video on #12 at Olde Florida

Fairway aerification on #1
The list price on the Toro 1298 aerification unit, 
which came on the market in 2007, is $40,000 
Until this year it was only used on fairways at Olde Florida  

Link to Rough Aerification Video on #15 at Olde Florida

Rough aerification on #2 tee complex
The list price on this Toro 686/687 aerification unit is $4,000
Tines and other items damaged by rock can be removed and replaced relatively quickly and inexpensively
Until 2016 these units were used on the fairways and the rough at Olde Florida  

Rough aerification on #1
Fairway aerification in the background

Golf car traffic around tees and greens has become a serious issue at Olde Florida. The traffic, which has creeped closer and closer to greens and tees creates a significant challenge in maintaining a healthy stand of turfgrass in the busy winter golf season. If golfers, and thier guests would maintain a greater distance from the tees and greens with their golf cars, ideally not parking on the grass while putting or teeing off, it would help improve turfgrass quality tremendously. 

Due to the significant compaction existing in these highly trafficked areas, this summer the agronomy staff embarked on a significant project of subsurface rock removal around tees and greens. The fairway aerification unit was utilized to locate subsurface rock. Two to three staff members followed the unit at all times flagging each rock that was struck. Additional staff was then utilized to dig up and remove the rock. 

Aerification this summer on #16 greens complex

Flags marking subsurface rock waiting removal on #18 tee complex

Rock removal on #15 tee complex

Rock removal on #15 tee complex 

Rock removal on #7 greens complex 

The goal of this project is to eventually remove enough rock so the agronomy staff can utilize the more advanced, higher quality aerification equipment in the rough. It will be a multi-year project with tee and green complexes being the highest priority. 

Collar Renovation

One of the projects completed this summer at Olde Florida Golf Club is the renovation of the collars that surround the TifEagle greens. The turfgrass that was selected for the new collar is TifGrand. Released by the University of Georgia, the variety has numerous positive attributes including a semi-dwarf growth habit, dark green color, and it can withstand numerous environmental stresses including shade and heavy traffic. This is a link to additional information on TifGrand Bermudagrass.

The eradication of the existing collars began in early May using research performed over several decades by top university researchers. The process involves multiple, very specific applications of non-selective herbicides over an extended period. This is a link to the Bermudagrass Eradication Research.

The collar on #11 green prior to eradication.
A 48" swath has been marked for the initial herbicide application 

The collar on 11 green prior to eradication.
A 48" swath has been marked for the initial herbicide application

After three applications, over a four-month period, the dead turfgrass was cut with a walk behind sod cutter at the deepest setting (approximately 2 1/2"). The dead turfgrass and thatch was removed and a small walk-behind rototiller was utilized to loosen the subsurface. Greensmix (sand and peat mixture) was added and compacted.

The TifGrand sod used on the collars was harvested from our supplier in Adel, Georgia Pike Creek Turf.  I personally inspected the TifGrand field at Pike Creek Turf earlier in the summer.

Pike Creek Turf is also a grower of TifTuf, which is the variety we used this summer to grass several tees at Olde Florida. Therefore, while I was at the farm I also inspected the TifTuf field. On the same trip I made a visit to a golf course in nearby Tallahassee, Florida that was in the process of a complete rebuild/renovation. They had chosen TifTuf for everything except the greens.

This is a link to a previous blog entry that I published about the renovation of the tees at Olde Florida to TifTuf Bermudagrass.

After the TifGrand instalation, the sod was hand watered numerous times. The Toro Hydroject and vibratory tamp were also used to smooth the surface. Seven days after installation, a walk-behind reel mower was used to cut the new collar at .650". The mower was lowered each subsequent day and the current height of cut on the collars is .400". We will continue to Hydroject weekly, and mow daily until the desired height of cut is achieved.

This is a link to the vibratory tamp being used on the collar on #4 green Vibratory Tamp Video.

The Toro Hydroject being used on the collar of #15 green.
A Hydroject injects high pressure water into narrow channels.
The process increases rooting and smooths the surface. 

     

The initial cut on the TifGrand collar at the practice putting green.

Trees and Turfgrass

In addition to the terrific Rees Jones designed golf course, one of the more pleasing aspects of the golf course at Olde Florida is its natural setting. Often, when I give a tour I park my golf cart on the path, walk up a tee slope and stand on the tee. With the natural setting, and tree lined golf holes, Olde Florida is truly a special piece of property.

Hole #1 at sunrise at Olde Florida Golf Club  

One challenge with trees that golf course superintendents, and others must routinely address is the fact they grow, produce seed and multiply. Therefore, due to light requirements, on occasion the need arises to remove a tree to continue providing acceptable turfgrass quality. More often, at Olde Florida trees are trimmed. Trimming trees and cleaning underbrush in select areas is one of the projects the Olde Florida agronomy staff has embarked on this summer.

Here is a link to a short, but well-written article written by the USGA Regional Director of the Southeast Region on the subject of trees on a golf course

As the article details, one of the primary reasons for trimming trees is to maintain the necessary light required for turfgrass growth. The daily light requirement for bermudagrass has been researched by numerous university turfgrass specialists. As a generality, it's suggested that a minimum of 8 hours of sun is necessary to provide quality turfgrass. However, there are numerous factors that need to be considered including; light intensity, light quality and light duration. Other considerations that must be taken into account are, what is the use of the turfgrass, how much traffic does the area receive and what is "acceptable quality".

In addition to increasing the intensity and duration of light, tree trimming and cleanup of underbrush at Olde Florida reduces weed populations along the perimeter of native areas, reduces debris to be cleaned off turfgrass after a wind storm, provides a cleaner look and finally it enhances the playability of the course.

Turfgrass Tee Renovation

This summer, in addition to the routine cultural practices of aerification, vertical mowing and sand topdressing, the agronomy staff will undertake a couple of in-house projects. One of the projects is the renovation of eight individual tee surfaces. The tees that will be renovated are:

• III/IV tee on hole 3
• III/IV tee on hole 4
• II/III tee on hole 6
• Championship, I and II/III tee on hole 7
• II/III tee on hole 8
• III/IV tee on hole 11
• II on hole 14 

Original constructed in 1992 and grassed in 1993, Olde Florida was renovated in the summer of 2000. During this renovation all of the existing turfgrass was eradicated and replaced. The original turfgrass variety on the greens, TifDwarf was replaced with TifEagle. TifEagle, which had been in testing for 10 years, had just been released the year prior as an improved ultradwarf turfgrass variety. The fairway and rough were re-grassed to Certified TifWay 419, which was the standard at that time.

As is commonplace on warm season golf courses, especially golf courses with a 12-month growing season, since the renovation of 2000 the turfgrass at Olde Florida has been contaminated with different strains of bermudagrass. In itself, this is not a major problem. With increased maintenance and extra care, the agronomy staff can manage the different varieties and produce a golf course with healthy turfgrass that provides the membership and their guests with a good playing surface for many years.

The different textures and colors of the numerous varieties of bermudagrass can be just cosmetic, but at times some of the varieties become extremely challenging to maintain to the desired level. This is often seasonal and dependent on climate and/or pest pressure. Since a large percentage of the membership are not year round residents, often the challenges with the different varieties are unseen. 

This is the case with the eight individual tee surfaces that we are renovating. They are the tees that gave us the greatest challenge early in the 2018/2019 winter golf season. The varieties, or one of the varieties on these tees did not do well when the daily summer rains ceased. In late October and November of 2018, my staff worked diligently on these tees with numerous spot treatments (granular and foliar fertility applications, solid tine aeration, light vertical mowing to cut stolons and encourage upright growth, nematicide applications, etc.) Fortunately, within 4-6 weeks we had the them looking similar to the remaining tees on the golf course.

However, I would like to avoid another year of this added effort on these tees so we will be eradicating the existing turfgrass and re-grassing with a new, single variety. This is not new, or unusual. Since the renovation in 2000, we have renovated close to a dozen tee surfaces and sodded them to Celebration Bermudagrass. However, this summer we are doing more than the usual one or two, so I thought a communication piece would be helpful.

In addition to the individual tees that we have resurfaced in previous summers, we also added or moved over a dozen tees to adjust the length of the golf course. We also reconstructed the driving range in 2015. All of the turfgrass used on these projects has been Celebration. Here is a link to information on Celebration Bermudagrass  

I am still a big proponent of Celebration, but I would like to experiment with another variety that we would consider using if someday we renovate the entire golf course. Or, a variety that we might utilize if we do additional partial renovations or other projects. The variety is TifTuf. Here is a link that you can follow to get more information on TifTuf Bermudagrass  

Since the renovation of Olde Florida in 2000, turfgrass researches have released a number of new varieties, such as Celebration and TifTuf. Some of the advantages of the new varieties include improved drought, wear, cold and shade tolerance. This is a link to a video that details the drought tolerance of TifTuf Bermudagrass. Another positive of renovations/replacement with these new varieties is consistency of leaf texture and color.

The process of renovating the eight tee surfaces this summer is fairly simple. Several applications of a non-selective herbicide will be applied during May and June. After we feel we have achieved an acceptable level of eradication we will remove the dead turfgrass, raise and smooth the surface with a sand/peat mixture, then sod the tees with TifTuf. The tees will remain open until the new turfgrass variety is installed, and they will reopen as soon as the turfgrass has sufficiently rooted to avoid damage. This should be within two weeks of installation.