Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Winter Maintenance: Grinding Away...



Will all the mowers in the shop for the winter, Bill (mechanic) gets to dig in to them and get them prepared for the 2015 golf season.  Here, he is grinding reels (sharpening) and re-building rollers (seals and bearings).  This is tedious and time consuming task, but very pivotal for turf quality. 

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

#1 Oak Tree Removal







 
This week we completed the December tree pruning/removal budgeted plan.
 
#13 & Surrounding Area: 
-Remove 4 Dead Elm and 2 Ash Trees
-Prune up remaining 2 Elm left of Green
-Prune Maple directly West of #7 Tee
-Prune Ash Left of #5 Green
-Remove damaged limb on Locust Tree
-Prune Massive Cottonwood left of Fairway (150 yards out)
 
#1:
-Remove Large Oak that sits on Front Left Corner of Green
 


Removing the Oak on #1 Green will allow us to utilize the entire green when setting up the course.  Prior to removal, we were forced to place the majority of pins on the right half of the green as the tree blocked access from the fairway to a left side pin.  It also will help eliminate the excess debris (especially in the Fall) falling from the tree on the putting surface.  This Spring, we will complete the cleanup and fill the stump holes with soil and seed or sod them.  All the work dramatically improves the overall look and cleanliness of the entire property not to mention playability! 


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Course Amenities: From Fake to Natural...





Benches Before
The Process.....
Stained and Sealed.....






Final Look of New Benches
This winter, the maintenance department is working on upgrading our course amenities (i.e. benches, rope/stakes, ballwashers, bunker rakes, yardage post, etc.) in effort to give the course a 'natural' look and feel.  With the historic tradition at FCO, I felt that this would be a nice touch and would give us a different look then the other clubs in Omaha. We are eliminating plastic and converting everything to natural wood.  Some of the conversions are difficult and require a lot of hand work and detail to finish.  We are well on our way to making the changes and here are some examples of what you'll see on the course next season.
Bunker Rake: Natural Wood vs Fiberglass

Friday, December 5, 2014

New Equipment!





Thanks for your continued support as we continue to upgrade our equipment one year at a time.  This season, we have three new utility carts which will replace the ones you currently hear back firing and leaving a plume of smoke in the air.  These are greatly needed to say the least!  Also, we've purchased a used light weight fairway mower which will eventually replace one of our aging units.  We can't thank you enough for all the support and resources you give us which allows us to provide the best possible conditioned course possible!  

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Final Stages of Winter Prep......


As Winter slowly arrives, we are wrapping up the final few tasks to winterize the golf course.  Last week, we made the final chemical application for the season to Greens, Tees, Fairway/Approaches.  This application targets both Pink and Grey Snow Mold.  This week, we will complete the topdressing of greens (images above) and brushing it in.  This will affect the ball roll for the remainder of the golfing season, but is a vital cultural practice that's used to help protect the plant from winter desiccation.  We will also be using a Greens Cover to protect #12 green complex this winter.  Once topdressed, we'll cover and the green will be out of commission until the Spring temperatures/conditions allow us to remove.