Dear Members,

Again last night we received quite a bit of rain (1.5”) bringing our rain total to 6.5” over the past week. As many of you are well aware, the Country Club of Orlando is considered a very wet golf course due to drainage and soil issues. After having a very successful Summer of strong maintenance practices our strong and healthy turf is now being compromised by large areas of standing water and excessively wet areas which are not able to be mowed. One of the biggest issues we are currently evaluating with a civil is engineer is getting water “off campus”. Let me explain, even if the golf course had drainage which operated efficiently through siphons and pumps, which we currently rely mainly just on surface drainage, once the water is drained into the out-falls or ponds, where does it go? As stated before, we are working on solving one of these pieces of our drainage problem puzzle as water currently does not efficiently leave our property.

Members,

The following photos display just how terrible our bunkers truly are not just aesthetically, play-ability wise, design wise, but also drainage wise, as well. These bunkers are in desperate need of a renovation to minimize labor expenses and make the golf course not just more appropriately designed but also more playable and aesthetically pleasing. A few of these photos also display why we need drainage throughout the golf course,as well.

Members,

We have been very busy following our last scheduled closing. Our maintenance team has aerified greens with 3/8" tines, trimmed all of the palm trees along with the oaks behind #11 green to allow more filtered sunlight to get through, prepped and sodded the driving range tee with Celebration sod, added sand to all of the bunkers to maintain adequate depth, and we will be adding coquina to all of the cartpaths to "sweeten" them up for the coming season. All we are currently looking at purchasing artificial mats to be used on the back of the driving range starting in September and going throughout the winter months to March.

Also members in regards to our greens cleanup:

1) Question:  Josh mows the cleanup pattern around the greens twice weekly.  Would this practice not shrink the greens by encouraging surrounding turf to encroach?

Answer:  This practice has the opposite impact.  The more you mow the cleanup pattern the weaker the green turf along the edges, which in turn allows the surrounding turf to encroach.  What Josh is doing is ideal to minimize shrinkage and fringe turf encroachment.  He is minimizing wear and tear on the most sensitive portion of any putting surface.  This area receives several times the wear due to entry and exit of mowers on each mowing stripe.  There is also more friction (and wear) on the turf when mowing the cleanup pattern.

Dear Member,

The following blog posts for the next few weeks will consist of the most commonly asked questions from the membership in regards to the Master Plan and Renovation process. These answers are from Billy Fuller (Golf Course Consultant and Architect), as well as additional input from Josh Dunaway (Golf Course Superintendent). 

8.      Question:  What is the general scope of work?  In general terms, see below.

Answer:

Ø  Greens:  Some greens will require completely new strategy (i.e. 11, 12, 16).  Turf will be stripped off all greens, and all greens will be returned to their original size (shrunk due to encroachment from surrounding fairway turf…amount of encroachment varies from 3 feet to 12 plus feet);  Some greens will be slightly enlarged on one side or the other to offer more strategic pin locations since a number of greens have only three key pin areas.  The rootzone will have to be regraded and modified as our current Green infrastructure is inconsistent with depths varying from 8” to 24” which needs to be uniformly 12”. Greens will be re-grassed with new Ultra Dwarf Turf;

Ø  Tees:  Tees will be stripped, leveled and grassed with new Celebration Bermudagrass turf; the plan will call for many new forward tees and enlarging some existing trees;

Ø  Bunkers:  Bunkers will be re-shaped and new drainage installed.  Some strategic modifications will be recommended on a few bunkers (to be explained in hole-by-hole narrative as plan evolves);

Ø  Fairways and Rough:  Address drainage issues on flat holes where water stands after rain events; plant new Celebration Bermudagrass;

Ø  Trees:  There are areas on the course where trees are over populated, creating a very unhealthy environment for certain trees within any given clump.  In such instances we need to thin trees based on Certified Arborist recommendations to preserve healthy trees for a more prolonged life expectancy.  There are some trees that are shading key features on the course that should be removed.  There will be areas where we recommend planting some trees as well;

Ø  Maintenance Facilities:  Upgrade, solve environmental issues and improve the facilities to enhance employee productivity and prolong equipment life expectancy; this facility is the nucleus of the course- conditioning program.  It has been neglected for too many years;

Ø  Driving Range Tee and Practice Area – The driving range tee will be expanded and the back podocarpus hedge will be removed for the installation of a row of solid synthetic hitting turf. The driving range net will be replaced. The practice area greens will be rebuilt properly and sprigged with an Ultra-Dwarf Bermuda-grass and drainage will be put in wet areas. 

Dear Member,

The following blog posts for the next few weeks will consist of the most commonly asked questions from the membership in regards to the Master Plan and Renovation process. These answers are from Billy Fuller (Golf Course Consultant and Architect), as well as additional input from Josh Dunaway (Golf Course Superintendent). 

6.      Question:  How long will the golf course be closed for the renovation?

Answer:  Assuming normal weather we would estimate 6 months.  It is recommended that we close as near mid April as possible to allow as much renovation activity to be accomplished as possible before the rainy season.  The sooner we plant grass, establish roots, and fine tune the turf, the better the conditions at grand opening.  Our goal is to plant most of the grass between June 15 and July 15, which leaves us plenty of growing season weather before cooler temps commence.

Dear Member,

The following blog posts for the next few weeks will consist of the most commonly asked questions from the membership in regards to the Master Plan and Renovation process. These answers are from Billy Fuller (Golf Course Consultant and Architect), as well as additional input from Josh Dunaway (Golf Course Superintendent). 

5. Question:  If we go forward with renovating the course per the master plan, what would the Club gain / benefit?

Answer: 

Ø  The primary benefit of the renovation would be to restore the Club’s mission to offer the best possible golf course amenity to every caliber player, regardless of handicap; to create more friendly tees (yardages) for seniors and ladies.  We are addressing the game of golf for all generations of players.

Ø  Putting surfaces would offer up-to-date Ultra Dwarf Bermudagrass that provides smoother and faster greens that players throughout the southern states have grown accustomed to playing.  Overseeding would never be required.  Playing conditions would greatly improve throughout the year.

Ø  Playability of bunkers would be greatly improved and drainage issues resolved.

Ø  Drainage efficiency would be greatly improved throughout the fairways.  Players would be back on the course much sooner following rainstorm events.

Ø  Maintenance efficiencies and dollars will be greatly enhanced post renovation since monies would not be wasted on shoveling mud and sand in bunkers, and sodding greens due to aged turf, etc.  Instead, maintenance hours will be redistributed to fine-tuning key playing surfaces (greens, tees and fairways) to provide best conditions possible throughout the year.

Ø  Finally, our course has lost the look and feel of Donald Ross design.  While we fix the above issues we have the perfect opportunity to reinstate Donald Ross in our greens, bunkers, and related strategic features.  Our marketing strategies should be greatly enhanced if we take these measures to upgrade the agronomic issues, playability, and strategic design elements of Donald Ross.

Members,

After a great three days of being closed we were able to accomplish a great deal of work. Over the past three days we were able to aerify greens (1/2" tines), topdress all shortgrass after last week's verticut, verticut the Jones Chipping green which was severely thatchy, verticut (1/8") and scalp the rough, aerify around the bunkers and fertilize. We will quickly see the results of this cultural program and thank you again for your patience!