November Has Arrived!

 This week began with a pre-emergent application around every putting surface at the club. We have to use a different pre-emergent herbicide around the green complexes to prevent any potential injury to the bentgrass greens. This product is also applied on some slopes where irrigation or rainwater may flow downhill into areas where we do not want the product to end up. On most green complexes, this product is applied with our smaller sprayer only utilizing the center and right boom, allowing us to work efficiently around the greens. Next week, we’ll tie these treated areas together with a different pre-emergent to cover the remaining rough sections and ensure consistent control throughout the course.

This application must be followed by about a half inch of rainfall or irrigation to properly activate the product. Having both courses closed on Monday makes for a smooth application and gives us plenty of time to run the irrigation heads immediately afterward. The following night, the sprinkler system will apply the remaining water needed to ensure the product is fully washed into the soil and working as intended.

Tae was able to get a crew out to number 3 on the Sabot to address the drain area beside the tees. We suspected an issue for a while, as this spot stayed saturated far too long after rain events. After removing the soil and exposing the pipe, it was clear the problem was a broken line. Tae got it patched up, backfilled, and should be business as usual. The repair should improve drainage, helping move water efficiently from the path down into the native area to the right of the tees.

After fixing the drain on number 3 as a warm-up, we moved over to number 4 Sabot to install a new catch basin along the cart path. Water has been pooling up in this area, so we decided to add a drain basin and daylight the pipe into the nearby stream. This improvement should eliminate any future “bird baths” in the parking area around the 4th green.

Our fairway “exit” signs have returned to both golf courses for the winter months. On each hole of the Manakin and Sabot, you’ll see either small stakes, cart-arrow signs, or a combination of both on the left and right sides of the fairway. These are simply a physical indicator to exit the fairway and return to the cart path. In addition to these markers, all par 3 holes will remain cart-path-only throughout the winter season.

Along with the physical indicators, we’ve added alerts to the golf carts. This message will appear on holes 1 and 10 of both courses, reinforcing the winter restrictions as players head out. We put these measures in place each winter to reduce traffic around the green complexes. High-traffic areas in dormant bermudagrass tend to green up later in the spring compared to less-traveled areas. Simply put, these restrictions help protect the long-term health and recovery of the turf.

Our newly seeded area along Manakin number 18 has started to show its first signs of germination. We’re continuing to water as needed and are monitoring progress daily. With colder weather on the way, we’re hoping to see as much germination as possible this week. We certainly haven’t given up on this area yet!

The Manakin team was able to get the bunker machine back out this week. After watering in our fall pre-emergent the bunkers had plenty of moisture to get out with the machine and fluff them up. This was great process to get taken care of before yet another busy golf weekend here at the club. 

As colder weather approaches, the bathroom on #14 Manakin will be closed for the winter, beginning this upcoming Monday. We will also include several reminders about this closure in the daily course conditions email.

Throughout the property, we continue to battle leaves each and every day. They’re finally starting to change color, and with colder temperatures on the way next week, maybe some more of the trees will decide to drop their leaves so we can get everything cleaned up. Fingers crossed that leaf season doesn’t stretch all the way into the end of December! Have a great weekend!