Short Game Facility & Range Tee

The driving range tee, an area of 25,000 square feet, does not meet the demands of the golfing membership here at MCC.  Expansion is needed but land is at a premium as it is at most old courses where towns and cities have grown up around them.  In these scenarios proper land management is essential so MCC has employed the services of Natural Course Design.  The architects there proposed the following designs (displayed below) which not only increases the size of the range tee to enable golfers to hit from natural grass all season, but also provides an additional practice putting green, short game facility (an excellent area to practice) and the removal and relocation of the maintenance facility that has limited land usage since its establishment.  As with any construction project, it begins with site preparation.

Site Preparation:

To enlarge the range tee and build the short game facility the area behind the current range has to be prepped.  Two residential houses, the storage barn of the maintenance staff and a large amount of trees, brush and compost has to be cleared and removed.  Power and telephone lines will have to be rerouted as well.  After these projects have been completed, construction can begin on the short game and new maintenance facility.  Expanding the range tee and remodeling the range floor has to be a later phase of the project or the danger posed to the grounds crew and golfers on 15 fairway is too great. 

Short Game Facility and Maintenance Buildings:

The current maintenance buildings are insufficient in terms of space needed to hold the 1.4 million dollars worth of equipment that is required to maintain the golf course.  Almost 11,000 square feet is needed while the current buildings can only house 7,000 square feet of equipment.  The current buildings are also old, decrepit and do not meet today’s standards.  As you can see from the proposed plan, the new maintenance facility is out of the way, has over 11,000 square feet and will provide easy access for delivery trucks.  New tree plantings will screen the buildings and surrounds from members and guests.  The current facility lies well within range of golf shots from the practice tee while the proposed facility will house crew and equipment safely.  The proposed short game facility will feature two practice chipping greens surrounded by practice bunkers, a rough chipping area and a large area of fairway and approach that will have undulations so golfers can practice above and below the feet shots.  Another poa annua putting green is planned for the southwest corner of the facility, allowing every short yardage shot to be practiced from one area.  Due to demands of short mowed turf, drainage and irrigation will have to be installed in this area as well.  To protect the short game facility from big hitters on the new range tee, 40 trees will be planted around the perimeter making the area safe for golfers.  So members can access the facility, a proposed 1700-foot cart path will be installed with mound work and 70 large tree plantings lining the path to protect against errant shots from 15 tee and the range tee. 

Range Tee & Range Floor:

Once these phases of the project are completed, and after the MCC Invitational, the current range tee will be closed and construction can begin on the new tee and range floor.  The proposed range tee is 2.5x larger than the current one, increasing the total area to 64,000 square feet.  Members could potentially hit from natural grass the entire golfing season, as opposed to hitting off of artificial mats 2 days out of the week.  More golfers could use the tee at the same time also.  Currently there are only 23 hitting stalls while the proposed tee would have 34. 

The proposed range floor will be designed with target greens at spaced intervals and fairway cuts of turf to better allow golfers to judge their club distance and ball roll.  Because of these additions, the range floor will have to be re-graded and irrigation installed.  These practice greens and fairway will draw shots towards the center of the range, alleviating some of the potential dangers to 8 mile and 15 fairway.  Besides the practice greens and fairways, the surrounding 6 acres will be sodded so the range can open quickly in the spring (if construction on it begins the previous fall). 

It is important to keep in mind that all of the above are proposed ideas and the entire concept is dependent on a membership vote.  Meadowbrook, in the author's not-so-humble opinion, is a premier club in the area and all aspects of it should reflect that, including areas outside of the course itself.  A full view of the proposed plan is available at the following link;   Proposed Range Tee and Short Game Facility PDF.

Fall Projects

Cool temperatures herald the approach of fall and the staff is pleased to put the summer of 2012 behind us.  Demands of the turf have resided for the most part, allowing the crew to focus on the ambitious list of projects we hope to complete by winter. 

Greens aerification was done the week of Labor Day and the punched holes have started to fill in.  As the members have noticed, fairway aerification is underway.  The sheer amount of traffic (from crew and golfer alike) over the season puts a large amount of stress on the fairways and opening up channels for air exchange, thatch removal and new root growth is essential in preparing the plant for winter.  While most are just aerified, some fairways will be topdressed as well.  Topdressing an entire fairway is expensive so only the ones that display the worst surface drainage and poorest soil quality are attempted.

In November, MCC's greens will be deep tined.  This process, similar to solid tine aerification, is done to allow better drainage.  Deep channels of sand, 7-8 inches in depth, move water away from the surface and out of the rootzone, making MCC's greens relatively firm and playable after heavy rains.  A few weeks after deep tining, the crew prepares the greens for winter and the closing of the course.  They again will be aerified with solid tines and buried by at least a quarter inch of topdressing sand.  This topdressing sand protects the crowns of the turf plant over the winter by moving water away from the surface, where freezing and thawing can have a devastating effect on plant health.  An added bonus is the greens have a large amount of sand applied that will work its way into the rootzone, always a desirable thing. 

Trees, trees and more trees.  Dupont's herbicide Imprelis severely damaged numerous white pines on the course.  When evaluating these trees, other issues involving different species were brought to light.  These issues namely involve some extensive pruning, which will hold the focus of some crew members through the month of October.  Certain damaged white pines will also have to be removed as they present safety issues.  A few will even have to be replaced because they protect tees from errant golf shots, but this is best done in the winter.  The heavy equipment used to remove and replace a tree will cause less damage once the ground has frozen over.  Another tree inventory will be performed in the month of October as well.  This assessment will evaluate the current state of damaged white pines, provide information on the future health of these trees, give recommendations for pruning and ways to better improve the tree population of MCC.  Trees can often take a back seat in the mind of a superintendent but at a course where they play a definitive role in many holes it is important to provide them with an environment that they can thrive in. 

Re-sodding of green complexes will continue as well.  8 green complexes were stripped and replaced last year and the results and comments have been overwhelmingly positive.  The crew has lost some of its man power from last fall but they hope to complete as many as possible.  Not only does this process result in excellent aesthetic value, it improves the playability around the green.  Poa and Creeping Bentgrass mowed above 2 inches turns into a puffy, tangled mass that is difficult to get a club under.  A consistent stand of Kentucky bluegrass will allow for a better lie, rewarding a good shot that just didn't make the green. 

These projects are labor intensive and are coupled with the day-to-day operations of maintaining a golf course in the fall (i.e. leaf removal).   However, the MCC staff does a good job of keeping the course playable and we encourage the members to come out and enjoy one of the best times of year for golf. 

Homeowner Update: Fall Lawncare Tips

Fall is an excellent time of year to strengthen, protect and if necessary, repair your home lawn.  After the high temperatures of summer (such as the summer of 2012) the homeowners lawn is in recovery mode and provides an opportune time to prepare your turf for winter and next spring.  The following are guidelines from lawn care professionals to ensure the homeowner does just that.

Mowing/Leaf Control:  Kentucky Bluegrass lawns (the norm for Michigan) are most comfortable mowed at a height of 2.5 to 3 inches.  A shorter lawn, while possibly more aesthetically pleasing, puts undue stress on the turf and requires a significant amount of maintenance.  Leaves and grass clippings are unsightly but should be mulched (or mowed) into the lawn.  Removing these sources of carbon weakens the microbial population of the soil and will damage your lawn in the long run.

Irrigation: The heat is over but irrigation is still required (in the absence of rain).  An inch of water a week is a good standard to follow.  Golf courses preach frequent, light watering but this is not ideal or very feasible for the homeowner.  Your inch of water should be spaced out into two .5 inch irrigation events.  These heavy, infrequent watering will encourage deeper rooting of the turf. 

Fertilization:  Amounts of fertilizer are measured in pounds of Nitrogen per 1000 square feet.  A good goal is to apply 2 lbs of Nitrogen in the fall, spaced into two applications.  The first of which can be done in early September and the latter in early October.  It is essential to not over-fertilize, this will lead to lush, young growth that can die off and damage the plant in winter. 

Seeding:  Autumn is an excellent time to seed damaged areas of your lawn.  It is important to select a seed mixture based on the environment you intend to grow in (i.e. shaded or saturated areas).  These recommendations can be found on the bag of seed.  To ensure a large percentage of germination, make sure that the areas you intend to seed have been raked clear of the dying turf.  Aeration is also helpful in this regards, giving the seed the necessary seed-to-soil contact needed for successful germination.  September 1st through October 1st is the best time to perform seeding when using your basic seed mixtures. 

Weed Control:  When plants are actively growing, like they are in the spring and fall, is the best time to apply herbicides.  Early September applications are effective in controlling broadleaf weeds for the current fall.  However, studies at Nebraska, Purdue and Michigan State show that acceptable control can still be achieved when applying herbicides late into autumn (post October 15th).  Immediate results will not be as visible as early applications but long term control into the spring can be achieved. 

Insect Control:  The most common insect pest of home lawns in Michigan is the European Chafer.  The larvae (or grubs) are the metamorphosis form that cause damage and are at their biggest and most active in the fall.  The grubs could be the cause of weakened turf stands but it is important to scout the area first.  Pull back the damaged turf and if the number of grubs is greater than 5 per square foot an insecticide application is probably required (especially after this dry summer).  When purchasing your insecticide look for the active ingredients of carbaryl or trichlorfon.  Because the target is beneath the surface of the ground, water in your application with rain or a half inch of irrigation.