October Snow Storm

Here are some of the pictures taken back on October 26th, the first of the two severely damaging storms that we have received this winter.  This is the hand that we were dealt by mother nature.

Wind Damage

The first to go, a Cottonwood on #9 split and feel over onto the clubhouse driveway yesterday afternoon

The winds from February 22nd ripped through Boulder and we have incurred even more storm damage on the trees around the BCC Campus.  Winds were clocked at over 80 mph here in Gunbarrel yesterday and the damage to some of our trees is evident.  Although some of the damage is substantial, it could easily be a lot worse.  A combination of the lack of foliage at this time of year and the aggressive pruning that has taken place helped most of the trees weather the storm without much damage.

Austiran pine on #7 was ripped in half 

Cottonwood on #9 with irreparable damage to the trunk after the storms began yesterday

Large blue spruce near the bag drop area was uprooted

Same tree, different angle

Blue Spruce on #1 uprrooted

Large cottonwood on #2 Blue tee uprooted and collapsed over the cartpath

It was amazing to see how the large support roots just tore  from the wind

Blue Spruce behind #16 green was ripped in 2 pieces

Same tree, different angle

Blue Spruce on the left side of #16 was split in half as well

Blue Spruce located above the approach bunker on the left side of #16 had it's lead  part of the trunk  ripped from the rest of the tree

This elm tree on the right side of #16 had several branches torn off of it

Large blue spruce belonging to a homeowner on #12 collapsed, luckily falling away from there home and across the cartpath

Wind damage #3 tee area on Fowler  course

Elm damaged on Fowler near #1 green

Wind damage on elm behind #2 green

Mugo pine torn on #1 fairway on the Fowler

More elm damage right of #1 on the Fowler

#9 elm damage on the Fowler

Elm adjacent to the shop yard damaged as well

Portions of the fence at the shop were torn down

Another section of fence at the yard, the 4x4 posts actually were  ripped from the base

We will be dealing with the cleanup of this storm until all of the debris that is scattered across the course is removed and all of the damage is repaired.  We will continue assessing any other damage and the possibilities of replacing some of the downed trees as we continue to move forward.

Back in Service

We have been able to take advantage of the snowy weather and get some things done on the golf course that would otherwise inconvenience play.  One of the items at the top of my list was the water line that feeds the restrooms on #15 tee.  The old PVC line that feeds the potable water from the street had several cracks in it and it has been leaking since I got here in June.  This water line was never mapped when it was installed (our best guess is that it was installed in the 80's sometime) and there was no tracer wire left with it.  After probing to try to find the direction of it, we realized that the majority of the water line is located under the cart path.  For the longevity of the service line, we pulled in a new water line using HDPE to reduce the fittings and map and record it's location so if there are any issues in the future it will be easy to find.

Snow was removed from the area and a trench leading from the water meter  to the first cart path junction was cut in

We then "bored" under the carpath in two areas, and installed a PVC  conduit to run our HDPE pipe through

We pulled the HDPE line the rest of the way past boring areas and led it  into the connection  area of the restroom

We were then able to connect the new pipe with the inlet into the restroom, and the potable water line will now be leak free and ready to go for this upcoming season and for years to come.

 

Getting it done

Since he was 8 weeks old my dog Tyson has come to work on the golf course with me.  Now at seven and a half years old he has become extremely proficient at "de-goosing" the golf course.  Besides companionship he does serve a purpose for BCC, here is a quick clip of him getting work done this afternoon.

Bridge Planters

The beautification of the new bridges that were constructed on #4 and #7 has gone a step further.  We have taken the old flower planters in and refurbished them with a new, more finished look.  Here is the process...

The cedar planter boxes were hauled into the shop and the soil was removed....

New cedar planks were purchased and cut and fixed to a wood frame that was built around the old box.  This adds interest and character to the boxes without adding too much weight.  Finish cuts were mitered in giving the boxes a finished look...

The first one is always the toughest.....

After we had a system down it was much easier to finish the rest of the boxes...

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 Drain holes were drilled through the bottom help with air exchange. Plastic liners were also installed inside the boxes to keep the wet soil from compromising the wood....

A natural cedar tone waterproofing stain was then applied to help protect the wood from weather but to keep the natural wood grain of the boxes apparent....

These planter boxes have been installed out on #4 and the boxes from the bridges on #7 have been brought in.  I'll keep everyone updated with new pictures as the snow melts and I can get back out there.

Flower Planters

This past fall we began working on new flower planters and walkways going to the #17 tee complex.  We have started the process of building planter beds and will finish before spring so that we can finish the set up and be able to add flowers and irrigation when spring is here.

Ice and Poa

Part of our greens maintenance program in the winter here at BCC is to make sure that ice does not accumulate on greens in an excessive manner.  With the winter sun staying low in the sky some greens on the golf course can accumulate an ice layer while others are able to melt off naturally.  One of the keys to our success is timing.  We want the snow to remain to help keep moisture in the greens, but as temperatures fluctuate there is a balance to be found.  We want there to be snow on greens for nights where temperatures  are colder to help insulate them, but as the snow begins to freeze/thaw we need to remove it.  This removal helps protect our Poa Annua greens from anoxia (lack of oxygen) from being covered in ice for more than 45 days. Creeping Bentgrass can withstand closer to 90 days of ice cover without damage.  Bentgrass's ability to survive under ice cover is just another reason why it will be so critical for us to increase our populations of Creeping Bentgrass on greens.

All hands on deck removing the upper layer of snow

Removing the upper layer of snow, exposing the 2"of ice that accumulated on #3 green

 Sand was then thrown via shovel on top of the remaining ice, the heat generated from the sand particles on the ice helps to break it up, making the removal of the remaining ice feasible just a day later.

#3 the next day after the remaining ice was removed.  Ready to breathe!