Winter Returns

                                 

Winter temperatures are officially back in full effect. It's hard to believe we almost hit 70 degrees last Thursday after looking at some of these incoming temperatures. Brace yourselves for what feels like the annual January freeze, as the upcoming cold snap is expected to bring some of the coldest temperatures of winter. 

Monday morning we were greeted with a late Christmas present outside of our pump house. One of the couplers on our 14-inch intake line feeding the irrigation pumps had loosened, causing a leak on the pipe. Luckily, the irrigation system was still turned off, so the line was not pressurized. 

The team was eager to begin excavating the surrounding soil to determine just how serious the issue was! Water was seeping around the 20 year old coupler that connects the two sections of pipe. Unfortunately, problems like this can occur with age. After 20 years of pressurized water cycling on and off, even the smallest movement can cause the pipe to shift and loosen the fittings. Regardless, this 20-foot section of pipe plays a very important role in supplying water to all of the turfgrass throughout the property. We plan to repair this just as we did with the intake line here on the left side a couple years ago. Installing a new section of pipe, new couplers, and for extra security some threaded rod holding everything together. We will have this fixed and patched up before the 2026 growing season. 

Sloan was able to walk the mini-excavator out to #14 Manakin to begin reworking the lowest waterfall along the creek. Throughout the season, the dam that holds back water to create the small pond had been failing, so it was time to start fresh. We removed the existing dam to allow the water to flow freely and begin drying out, while also using a transfer pump to help speed the process along. The plan is to continue letting the area drain while we source the proper materials to rebuild the waterfall over the next few weeks.

Roberto has finished making his way around the Manakin course tracking any underground road blocks we will encounter plowing in the power wire for the fans. Everything below ground that can be marked, has been marked in preparation for the wire. Every ground pole is in position around the putting surfaces that will receive a TurfBreeze fan. At this point, we are trying to remain patient waiting for Capital Electric to deliver us the wire. We are still optimistic that once the wire arrives, our plow will be able to slice through the soon to be frozen ground!

Some of the Manakin staff also made their way over to #6 Manakin to dress up the catch basin located behind the green. We removed the old, cracked concrete surrounding the drain and replaced it with more aesthetically pleasing pavers. The crew was able to get this area dialed in just before the frigid temperatures moved in and effectively freezing the soil. This upgrade will better match the existing paver areas around the course while also improving our ability to capture water shedding off the cart path.

After finishing off the remaining ornamental grasses on the Manakin course and around the clubhouse grounds, most of the Sabot staff shifted their focus to freshening up the woodchip areas between the lower parking lot and the pool parking lot. While these woodchips may not provide the same visual glow as traditional mulch, they are highly effective in areas that would otherwise be bare ground. Utilizing woodchips generated from tree work around the property allows us to improve these spaces while making practical use of on-site materials.

While we really enjoyed some of the warmer temperatures last week, we knew it wouldn’t last forever as winter is still in full swing. The arctic weather forecasted for next week should allow us to check off several refurbishment items on our winter agenda, including bringing in the bunker rakes for a facelift and starting to paint our tees.

Stay warm and have a great weekend!