Lip Liner or no Lip Liner? That is the question...

We were asked to experiment last year with a plastic lip insert that sits above the cup to give the impression the hole is painted. There has been much discussion at committee level about whether to continue with it or not.

Here are some of the points we have discussed to help shed some light on the issue and have included a POLL for you to voice your opinion.

We were asked if daily painting of the holes is feasible? Hole painting is time consuming and comes with a cost. If each hole took 2 minutes to paint, it would add nearly 4 hours of labour/week to the hole changers duties. It's easy to make a mistake since many of the holes are changed prior to sun rise and a poorly painted hole is not pleasant to look at. You may also risk slight yellowing of the turf around the old hole in warmer weather which can slow recovery time. 

We do agree that holes can and should be painted for special events.  

The plastic lip liners are quickly installed. They are designed with a ridge to sit on top of the cup and are pushed into the hole along with the cup and set with the cup setter.  They sit a millimeter or two below the turf and the hole needs to be perfectly cut to ensure a clean path for the cup to pass through, so there is not a lot of room for error. Sometimes on our rocky and tree root filled greens it's more difficult then you think. We have noticed those members using their putter to remove the ball from the hole will catch the liner and lift it above the surface. We have also seen the natural expansion and contraction of the green over the day force the liner above the turf. 

However the sight line of the hole is improved.

The ball will have a tendency to lip out on a perfectly cut hole and fall in on a deteriorated hole. No doubt the lips are in much better condition at the end of a day with the liners in. We also feel the old hole recovers more quickly.

Does any of this matter? The true argument is whether they impede the ball from going into the hole or not. If they do then I believe they shouldn't be used, if they don't the discussion continues.

What's your opinion?

How Did The Course Winter You Asked?

Well, by the look of the following pictures we wintered just fine!
Our staff removed the green covers yesterday revealing a sigh of relief as even our most troublesome greens braved the winter.


3rd Green

We protected our 3rd and 5th greens with a two cover system this past winter. A breathable cover was laid on the green first, followed with a solid (non perforated) cover on top. This solid cover prevented ice from coming into contact with the turf grass. Last week we shoveled the ice remaining on these covers off and removed the solid cover leaving the breathable cover on. Leaving this cover on allowed the turf to acclimatize to the temperature preventing shock to the plant prior to full exposure to the elements.


5th Green

Some recovery time is required for the greens to fully heal from the late fall aeration. This is minor compared to having to deal with winter kill.


13th Green

Unfortunately Mother Nature has reminded us 'it's not over until the the fat lady sings'. The snow we received today and cold weather will likely keep staff off the course until the first week in April when we begin spring clean up.

Smart Sticks

A new addition to the course this year will be an upgrade to our flag poles called Smart Sticks. The new poles have an embedded prism into the pole of the flag stick. This will help provide those using yardage finders a reflective surface to aim at.

These more traditional style poles are thinner then our previous poles offerring a softer bounce if your lucky enough to chip or putt a ball off the flag pole when left in. The lighter flag pole should casue less marking of the greens when dropped by golfers ready to putt. The poles are yellow with a black bottom as before.

Winter Pruning

Our trees are what truly defines the Galt Country Club. Over the years we have shown due diligence and compassion in which trees have been removed or pruned. In recent years it seems we have come full circle. Years ago we were very aggressive with pruning and removal and slowed down over the past few years mostly due to budget restraints. As the trees continue to grow they interfere more and more with the growing environments throughout the course. As beautiful as they are, trees are truly one of turfs biggest enemies. It's time to once again focus on the affects the trees are having on the turf and make the necessary adjustments through pruning and selective removal. 

We are concerned with shade on nearly half of the tees and greens on the course and it's having a negative affect on root depth, density and the occurrence of disease especially on the greens. As you can see in the above photo, two large pines between 11 and 13 greens have been removed along with selective clearing to the left of 11 green and back of 14 tee. Similar work has been performed between 12 green and 13 tee. Movement of the sun has been tracked, so that the trees removed had the maximum impact on increasing morning sunlight and improving airflow.

By no lack of effort we continue to come up short in our efforts to increase the turf density under the trees in the rough. Selective removal of a few trees in a grove will improve turf health, allow for more sunlight and space for the trees to grow and reduce competition for nutrients and water.  In the grove between holes 6 and 7, a number of trees were removed and the remaining ones pruned to improve this environment. Similar removal and pruning has been performed between holes 3 and 9.

The Tree Committee meets regularly, has toured the course and has communicated to the Greens Committee about what it is we wish to accomplish. Our goals are to open sight lines throughout the course and of the river, create better turf growing environments, improve growing conditions for our existing trees through pruning and selective removal and remove unhealthy or diseased trees such as Austrian Pine to create space for new planting.

Through the support of the Memorial Tree Fund and the generous donation from the Men's Calcutta Committee, we have ample funds to put towards new plantings this spring. Currently we are looking at filling the gaps between the existing willows on holes 15 and 17 with more willow, and establishing a mass planting of trees between the first fairway and Coronation Blvd, creating a needed visual and sound barrier for years to come. Several specimen trees will be planted throughout the course and staked in the spring for members to see.

IPM - What is it and what does it mean?

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a process that uses all necessary techniques to suppress pests effectively, economically and in an environmentally sound manner. IPM employs a two-pronged approach: managing the plant environment to prevent problems and using thresholds to decide how and when to treat pests.


Brown Patch (Rhizoctonia solani) - 15 Green

 As part of the Golf Industry's exemption to the Cosmetic Pesticide Ban, courses must be enrolled in the IPM Accreditation Program. This program recognizes companies who demonstrates their knowledge and commitment to the principles of IPM through a process of certification, auditing and professional development. 




 



Leather Jacket Larva - Small Putting Green

 The major component of the program is the Annual Desk Review Audit that must be submitted at the end of each season. This report is then reviewed by environmental auditors on behalf of the IPM Council to see if we meet IPM Accreditation Standards. In addition to the desk audit, every three years we must have an on site audit completed to maintain our full accreditation status which we are proud to say Galt Country Club has acheived.

As part of the program a copy of the 2010 annual report is available for members to look at in the office.