Water Management and Record Keeping by Isaac Kasper

Water management decisions might be the most important agronomic choices we make as turfgrass managers.  Too much or too little water in the soil can have a detrimental effect on the playing surface.  Soil moisture content influences the playability of the course, the turfgrass disease susceptibility, the ability of turf to germinate and grow, soil compaction, and has a major influence on the turfgrass species that will thrive in a given environment.  There is also a negative public perception that golf courses waste water.  So we must do our part to defend our water usage.   We must be wise stewards with our water resource, and that is why we feel the need to collect sound data and have thoughtful reasoning for each watering decision we make. 

Since water usage is so fundamental to our success, it is imperative that we keep accurate records of water usage and moisture content for each season.  We use spreadsheets for recording this data and creating irrigation water usage charts and greens moisture charts.  It is one thing to have the numbers written in a spreadsheet, but it is way more useful to create charts with the information.  They help us simplify it and make it much easier to read. 

We recently upgraded our irrigation software to Toro Lynx.  This program has helped ease the data collection process immensely.  At the end of each season we run water usage reports and export the data into a spreadsheet which we use to create our usage charts.  The water usage charts show us how much water we used each month and where it was applied on the golf course.  It is very interesting to see and compare the water usage between seasons. 

The charts can help make informed decisions and where we may be able to reduce water use.  For example, if we decided to reduce our water usage by 10%, how would we do this?  If we had no data on past seasons’ watering we would have no place to start.  Would we want to water 10% less across all playing surfaces?  This seems like it may be a little short sighted and unrealistic.  Since greens, fairways and tees are our most important playing surfaces, could we maybe cut the 10% in other areas?  If we were to cut 10% out of our total water usage and take it all out of the rough, what would we be left with?  From our 2013 chart I see that 17% of our water used last season was in roughs, so if we take 10% of that away we are going to water our roughs less than half as much as in the past.  This may or may not be acceptable.  Since we have the numbers in front of us we can more easily make informed decisions.   Water use is currently a very big topic, and for good reason, so it is extremely important to have access to this data in the event that water cutbacks were ever mandated.

We also track moisture on greens daily.  Our greens are a patchwork of bentgrass and poa annua.  For poa to perform optimally the moisture needs to be higher than for bentgrass to thrive.  Balancing the two and finding the ideal moisture, taking in to account the weather conditions and daily play can be a tricky task.  So to better aid in our decision making process we use moisture meters.  Through the use of meters we obtain a quantifiable number which guides our watering decisions.  Each day the cup changer also brings a soil moisture meter and checks each green in nine locations and writes down the average.  This number is recorded and tallied on a spreadsheet so that we can track moisture.  We look at these numbers and have conversations about moisture daily.  How are the greens performing and where is the sweet spot for them?  Are we having to hand water a lot in the afternoon?  Is it so much that we are affecting golf play?  If the greens started at a slightly higher moisture level in the morning would they make it through the day with less hand watering?  Would this benefit them?  These are all questions we ask.  At the end of the season it can be very informative to look back and see the times when the greens moisture was up or down and compare their play quality at the same time.  By recording the daily numbers and creating graphs we can put the data in an easy to read format which helps us make these decisions and also helps us defend those decisions afterward.

As grounds managers, we take pride in our ability to read the conditions and make decisions based on instinct and experience.  That is important and it should not be minimized, however intelligent water management is so crucial to our success, we must make the most with the tools we have available to us.  By creating water use charts we give ourselves one more tool we can use to make smart watering decisions.

 

This chart makes it easy to see where on the course we are using the most water and where we are using very little.  We can also create this chart with gallons of water used labels.

City of the Lakes Loppet and The Minikahda Club

Let me begin by saying I'm not a cross country skier.  I do own a nice set of skis, but I feel like a deer on ice when I strap them on.  I just can't seem to master trying to skate up a hill without catching a tip and falling face first into the snow.  It's much easier to just ski down than ski up.  Yes, I admit I would rather spend my time taking the lift to the top of the hill or mountain and let gravity help me make it to the bottom.  I also have to admit that when I found out the City of the Lakes Loppet was going to be using the ski trails here at The Minikahda Club, I didn't think it was that big of a deal.  Well, I was wrong.

We have been grooming trails here at Minikahda for over 15 years.  Over the years we have refined our system, upgraded our grooming equipment, modified our trails and even expanded into a heavily wooded area on the golf course, providing a ski trail distance of close to 4K.  Not only do we provide trails for skiers but for walkers (yes dogs are welcome) and for snowshoe enthusiasts.  Some country clubs invest a great deal of time and money into ice skating rinks and platform tennis and yes The Minikahda Club provides these activities as well, but I believe, for a group of amateur trail groomers, we provide a very nice ski trail for our members and guests.

It really is an honor for our staff to know the City of the Lakes Loppet has chosen to add our trail system to the races.  One of our members, Tom Haeg, who is also Chairman of the Nordic Committee, was greatly involved in getting our trail system included in the Loppet and has been a big help in preparing us for the event.

Our staff will be grooming our section of the race trails as the City of Minneapolis crews have enough to deal with on the miles of trails they are preparing. Assistant Superintendent Isaac Kasper, has been doing the majority of the grooming this season and will have it dialed in for this weekends event.  I'm hopeful the competitors will feel favorable about the condition of our trails. I for one will be a spectator, watching up close as some incredible athletes ascend upon the golfing grounds of The Minikahda Club, and cruise past me at speeds I can only reach on my downhill skis.

Below is a link to the Loppet as well as the overall map which includes Minikahda's portion of the race.
City of the Lakes Loppet

City of Lakes Loppet Ski Map

Thank you to Skinny Ski for the wonderful comments regarding our trails.  

skinnyski.com article

Winter Projects

This winter's weather has certainly been colder than normal but thankfully the staff has been able to get our normal winter tasks completed.  Here are just a few items that Rick, Johnny and Alyssa have been busy preparing for the upcoming season.

 The MGA yardage plaques for each tee have been repainted and sanded.  This year we also updated all of the yardages with new plates.  Always a nice touch when putting out the accessories every spring.

The staff did a nice job once again with the junior tee yardage markers.  Typically new decals are required annually.  These markers are placed flush with the turf surface and consequently the markers get damaged from mowing equipment and cart traffic.

Cooler stands, stained, painted and ready to go!

New Cart Blocks!!!

(the old cart blocks)

 Typically, every winter we look our accessories and try to decide where we can make some improvements.  Last winter we invested a huge amount of time and not too much money to completely rebuild our cooler stands.  With 9 coolers stands the cost to replace them would have totaled over $8000.  We were able to rebuild them for a 1/4 of the cost.

We have gradually replaced all of our wood items with Ipe wood.  First it was the tee markers and benches following the restoration.  Last year it was the cooler stands and this year we felt it was time to replace the cart blocks.  The current cart blocks had been in use for at least the past 15 years.  The wood and stain didn't match any other wood or stain we currently have on the course.  We would prefer a uniform and consistent look throughout the course.

 We purchased the Ipe wood from a local lumber supplier and make about 525 new cart blocks. Alyssa cut the blocks as well as beveled every top.  These cart blocks are obviously smaller than our old ones but should certainly be more manageable for our staff.  And I like that they are now consistent with all our wood products on the course.

Staining will take a few days.  This wood absorbs the stain quickly so the blocks will require 3 coats of stain before they can go on the course this spring.

This is just a glimpse of the work the staff has completed this winter.  There are only 50 days until it's officially spring and there are still more tasks to be completed before the beginning of the season. 

2013 Fall Projects

If you follow my blog it's very obvious I have not done a great job of keeping it up-to-date.  This fall was very busy for our staff with a multitude of projects to keep us extremely busy.  So here's a little recap of projects that kept us going.

The croquet lawn is a very important entity of the property.  Weddings are hosted on the lawn, tents are erected for major club events, children play numerous games on it while taking a break from swimming, tennis courts are set-up twice annually and this is the location of our ice skating rink.  

The last time any significant work was done to the lawn was when it was constructed in the early 90's.  The edges and corners of the lawn were no longer straight and square and there was over 1% slope from corner to corner.  This 1% slope created too many difficulties when trying to create an ice rink. Ultimately we ended up with too much ice on one end and not enough for good ice on the opposite end.  

The first step was to remove the existing sod with our the skid-steer and repair it for Hartman Companies to re-level the surface.

The soil was tilled and then laser leveled to a .5% slope from west to east.  No additional mix was required as they were able to make the fill adjustments with the existing mix.

The green was then sodded, using creeping bentgrass sod. Interestingly the sod did not come from anywhere on site, nor was it purchased from a sod farm. The sod came from the approaches at Olympic Hills Country Club in Eden Prairie.  They were going to kill all the sod for their remodel project.  They had an excellent bentgrass stand and we deemed it acceptable for our croquet lawn.  

Due to the work we did this fall we decided we would forgo the ice skating rink this winter and allow the sod to gain proper establishment before we attempted to install the rink.  

XGD on all remaining greens.

During the past two years the club installed XGD drainage in 5 greens (1,4,6,11 and 17).  It was decided this spring to continue with the process on all remaining greens.  So beginning in late September, XGD arrived to begin the greens drainage project.  On average each green took between 1.5-2 days to complete. 

The entire process went quite smoothly.  Only one greens irrigation loop was cut as we could not locate it, but of course the trencher did. It was interesting to see the sub-soil make-up in these old greens.  There was not too much that surprised us.  The greens that are typically on the dry side had a sandier or more gravelly mix and the greens that tend to hold more moisture had the heavier soils.  All and all its amazing how well they built these greens 100 years ago with no soil testing labs and no specific soil recommendations, they just used what they had on site.

Now with the internal drainage we have brought the greens to the 21st century without the need to completely rebuild them.  Only one green was taken out of play at a time and the day following completion members were allowed back on the green to play.  The staff from XGD did an outstanding job and I had many members comment how surprised they were at how good the greens were immediately following their completion.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the greens will perform from a play-ability standpoint and agronomically.

First Tee Area

 

Local hardscape contractor, Westlake Landscape, was brought in this fall to rebuild the 1st tee terrace. Over the years the blue-stone was beginning to fail and required replacing.  The old stone was installed with gaps between the stones so turf could grow in between.  This approach did not work.  Over-time the grass died and crabgrass filled in and some cracks were void of turf or weeds, leaving a less than desirable look.

The new stone matches the look on the entire terrace.  The size of the terrace was also expanded slightly, thus providing more space for the caddies to stage bags and a better location for them to stand and reduce the wear and tear on the turf next to the tee.

Play it Forward

One of the most widely seen initiatives across the country right now in golf is the concept of playing it forward. The Board realized this and with the help of a few "forward thinking" ladies, the club installed 13 new forward tees. These new tees will provide the Gold Tee players a yardage of 4738.  Much consideration was taken when deciding on the locations.  The tees were placed in locations that will provide the player with optimal angles for the tee shot all while allowing a well placed ball to role to ideal landing locations.  Additionally many of the tee locations are in areas that do not impact the architectural views of the golf course from the back tee locations. I'm sure the players utilizing these tees are going to love it!

While looking for locations to tee it forward, we also looked for areas where we could extend the length of the course.  We were able to extend the 9th tee an additional 20 yards. The new blue tee on 9 will now play 570 yards.  Good luck from back there gents. You won't find this guy teeing it up from that location.

Tree removal at Tennis

This fall it was finally time to remove the arborvitae from around the tennis courts.  I have no idea how old the arborvitae were or when they were planted?  They had to be at least 40 years old.  Well it was decided this fall it was time to remove them and replace them with new plant material. Initially the removal was quite shocking.  Once the new plant material was installed I think the shock subsided.  

The new arborvitae provide a fresh new look to go along with the new tennis courts that were installed in 2011.  In a few years the arborvitae will be as tall as the fence and all will be normal once again and yet provide a better look than the old plant material did.

With all we had going this fall I'm sure I even missed a few other minor projects we found a way to fit in this fall.  All and all it was a wonderful season and we were able to accomplish a great deal of work.

A Clear View

One day while standing on the 8th tee looking back, up the 9th hole, Isaac and I realized all that was blocking the view to the approach bunker and green on 9 was one large Hackberry branch and a few basswood suckers.  

 30 minutes of work later and there you have it.  A beautiful view up the 9th hole from the 8th tee. Absolutely stunning.

A Seamless Transition

Isaac Kasper has made a seamless transition to the Lead Assistant position here at Minikahda.  Isaac was promoted to the position following the departure of Nick Folk.  The decision to promote Isaac was an easy one.  Isaac has been the 2nd Assistant for the past two years here at the club and previous to his time here, Isaac and his wife Jessica lived in Maryland.  While in Maryland Isaac was the Assistant at Andrew's Air Force Base and 2nd Assistant at Columbia Country Club. So Isaac has worked in one of the most difficult (worst) turf growing regions in the country where he had to keep pure poa annua greens alive at .085" and ryegrass fairways, ugh! 

Originally from Deerwood, Minnesota, Isaac and Jessica are thrilled to be back home and closer to family and friends, especially since the birth of the baby girl Daphne. We are delighted to have Isaac as part of this department.  His leadership and knowledge will benefit the club and our department substantially.  

On to Greener Pastures

After almost 7 years at The Minikahda Club, Lead Assistant Nick Folk, is moving on to greener pastures.  Nick has accepted the Superintendents' position at Rochester Golf & Country Club in Rochester, MN.  Nick has really honed his skills during his time here at Minikahda, growing as an individual and a turf professional.  We are really going to miss Nick's leadership in the department and his get it done attitude.  Rochester picked a winner and the course and club will benefit greatly from his abilities and knowledge.  Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to The Minikahda Club.  We wish you and the family nothing but the best.

Welcome our New Horticulturalist

I’m pleased to announce the hiring of our new Horticulturalist, Alyssa Schell.  Alyssa is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (Ski-U-Mah) with a degree in Environmental Horticulture and is a certified Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association Professional.  She has a great deal of experience in the horticulture industry and we are excited to see her skills put to work on the golf course and around the club house and glad to have her as a part of our team.

The Best the Course has Ever Been

It's always such a nice compliment from members when they tell you the golf course is in the best condition it has ever been in. A few of us in the Grounds Department joke about this comment. So its better than last year when that comment was made?  Is the golf course is better than the 2007 Trans-Mississippi Championship event or the 1998 Curtis Cup?  When I sit back and ponder this question, I think yes the course probably is the best condition its ever been in and yes it probably should be.  Every year we try to improve upon the previous season.  Those changes don't even have to be major changes to our maintenance program.  Subtle changes and adjustments to our program maybe all it takes to help make the course the best it has ever been.  We certainly are not moving backwards and doing less maintenance or not trying to make regular improvements to the overall condition to the golf course.

The statement of the course being in the best condition ever, no matter how cliche' it may sound, made me take a closer look at some of the tweeks we made this year to our operation.

For a number of years we have been mowing the clean-up pass on greens with a separate greens mower. We do this for a number of reasons.  First, consistency.  We feel by having a designated mower we have a more consistent cut and less scalping into the collar. Thus consistent collar widths by having only one employee make cut, as opposed to each individual greens mower assisting with this task.

Secondly, the height-of-cut is slightly higher than the greens mowers. We maintain the hoc ever so slightly higher, .005" higher, to provide the turf with slightly more leaf tissue.  Typically we use solid rollers on the greens mowers and have always used a solid roller for the clean-up mower.  But this year we added a twist to the roller for the clean-up mower.  A solid roller is always going to be less stressful and less aggressive on the green than a grooved roller, but since the clean-up mower is never mowing a straight line and is always turning, we wanted to find a way to reduce the stress even more.  Hence we installed a roller with three independent rollers.  As the mower rounds the corners the rollers can move at their own speed, reducing stress even more.  This year the edges of the greens have held up exceptionally well.  The 3-section roller just may have a little something to do with it.  Thanks to Chris Tritabaugh at Hazeltine National Golf Club for the tip.

New to the golf market in the past few years is a product called Turf Screen.  Developed by former Superintendent, Scott May, Turf Screen is virtually sunscreen for grass.  I have provided the link to Turf Screen and Scott's website explains the product and how it protects the turf from harmful UV rays better than I can on this blog.  This is our first year on Turf Screen for greens and edge to edge this is the best I have ever seen our greens this late in the season.  Does Turf Screen have a little something to do with it?  It may.  I know our plants are able to go to lower soil moisture percentages before we even begin to see any signs of wilt.  We virtually made no other fertility changes to greens this year and the weather has been ideal for cool-season grasses, but I think a little credit will go to Turf Screen as well.

For the past 4 years we have been taking daily moisture readings of greens with a product from Spectrum Technologies called the TDR 300.  Early in the process of managing greens with the sensor my goal was to maintain moisture on the greens between 10-15%.  The goal being to provide firm greens and hopefully deeper roots.  The plan this year has changed. After struggling to keep the poa annua healthy on the dry side during the past two very stressful weather related summers, we have opted to maintain a higher moisture content between 15-18%.  Lower greens moisture provided us with little wiggle room on hot dry days.  Just a little extra moisture gives us the wiggle room we need. The poa annua is healthier and the greens are more receptive for players with higher handicaps.  The use of moisture sensors allow us to maintain more consistent moisture from green to green and allow us to stay ahead of any potential wilt that may occur.

Is the golf course the best it has ever been, as a few members have stated?  I like to think with the minor improvements we have made to our operation, that yes the golf course is the best condition it has ever been.

Jack Kolb, Past Minikahda Superintendent Passed Away.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jack a few years ago.  I had invited Jack to see the golf course and talk to me about his time here at Minikahda.  Many changes had taken place on the golf course since Jack's time as Superintendent but he really enjoyed touring the course.  Jack was still driving at the time and his mind was as sharp as a tack. I'm glad I had the chance to show him around one last time.   Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents' Association July 14, 2013

Jack Kolb, an icon in the Minnesota golf turf industry, passed away on July 10, in an outpatient Hospice Home in St. Cloud, MN.  His family was at his side and he went peacefully.  The following is an excerpt from the January 1991 Hole Notes magazine that highlighted Jack's carrier as a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. "When Jack Kolb was graduated from high school in 1941, the United States was preparing for war. There was little time to plan a career, so Jack left a job as a Wisconsin cheesemaker near Green Bay and took up work as a shipfitter, building submarines at Manitowoc, Wis. In 1942 Jack was drafted into the Navy and was trained as a torpedoman with the Pacific Submarine Command. Most of his Navy career was spent on Midway Island. Upon discharge, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, intent on being a forester; however, he felt that a certain dark-eyed young lady was not about to be a homemaker in a cabin deep in the woods. So, after a change in majors, and 240 credits later, he was graduated with a degree in Plant Industry. Jack's first job was as a fertilizer salesman with the old Farm Bureau Service Company in 1950. In 1953, Jack was hired by Dr. James Watson and went to work for the Toro company as an agronomist. After a few years and because the pay was better, Jack became golf course superintendent with The Minikahda Club.  After 10 years at Minikahda, he moved to Minneapolis Golf Club for a few more seasons. During this time he evaluated the turf industry and the idea of Turf Supply Company was conceived. Jack left Minneapolis Golf Club on Dec. 31, 1969. Turf Supply Company was born the next day. Not one sale was recorded for the first three months of its existence. During this time his wife, Rajah, and five children under 11 years of age operated on a very low budget. Eventually, the business grew, and the next 21 years saw many new innovations in marketing.  One of Jack's hobbies was writing.  Several of his articles were published in the old Golfdom magazine. One of his treasured letters is a four-page document from Herb Graff is, editor of Golfdom, commending Jack for his approach on the golf course superintendent's role in the golf industry." Mr. Kolb mentored many aspiring turf professionals and will be remembered as a strong leader of the industry. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, and an excellent role model to his grandchildren. His generous spirit lead to his widespread involvement in the community to include: The Serra Club, The Knights of Columbus, and his parish community of St. Joseph's in West St. Paul, to name a few. Jack is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Rajah, and their five children Michael Kolb, Dekalb, IL; Melanie Schmidt (Christian), St. Cloud, MN; David Kolb (Karen),Minnetrista, MN; John Kolb (Susan), St. Cloud, MN; and Amelia Daniels (Richard), Eau Claire, WI. He is also survived by 17 grandchildren, his brother, James, sister, Margaret and many dear friends and relatives. He is preceded in death by his parents Conrad and Ruth Kolb and his sister Alice. The family would like to thank Quiet Oaks Hospice in St. Augusta, MN and the staff at St. Benedict's Senior Center in St. Cloud, MN for their loving care and support. A visitation will be held Sunday, July 14 from 3:00-6:00 pm at Klecatsky and Sons Funeral Home in West St. Paul. A mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 am on Monday,July 15, 2013 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in West St. Paul. Friends and relatives may call one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorials are preferred to donor's choice. More information about Mr. Kolb can also be found at: Jack Kolb Obituary